[Exhibition] Ur ban Utopia: If And Only If

http://www.hosintung.com/2011.html

Co-presented by Deutsch Bank and Goethe Institute: Urban Utopia
"if and only if" exhibition by Ho Sin-tung and Tang Kwok-hin

2011.5.24 - 2011.7.2

http://www.goethe.de/ins/cn/hon/kue/en7454828v.htm

Thomas More invented the word "utopia" in 1516. In Greek, the word utopia actually means eu-topia and ou-topia, which reveals the absurd nature of utopia. If art can render vision of imagination to reality, then, at least in our creative mind, or confronting objects carrying various visual languages, we can still heel to reach behind Utopia desperately.

Thomas More's utopia is a perfect state constructed by strict class structure, education and governing. This "civilized state" was then challenged by many thinkers in the next century. Utopia is criticized for its control, discipline and censorship. Among which, Ecotopia depicts a new way of how to co-exist between human society and nature. Believing while urban development bring scores of benefits, at the same time it ushers corresponding dreadful consequences in reverse, However, the concept does not exclude high technology, for it suggests having ability of conscious choice by human beings to gain heath both mentally and physically between civilized and primitive situation.

In society nowadays, everything highly developed accompanies with a must of excessive consumption, one of the dreadful consequences being concerned in this exhibition. Hin uses the collected abandoned wooden objects from ruins and refuse depots. The artist removes all the color and non-wooden parts from the collected objects to trace the original limbs of trees.

Preparing this exhibition titled "Urban Utopia" in April, you can hardly come up with anything like milk and honey. There's 2012, radiation and white terror happening all around. If you want to obtain your own peace of mind, you can only cover them up or simply delete it. This is the theme of Tung's works in this exhibition. mosiac is put on things too sensitive to prevent disturbance. Although mosiac is just another wall. Things behind the wall are always there, still.

The exhibition is named “If and only if”, firstly enlightened by the extreme approaches of the two artists and the intention thereby prompt them to think about the symbol “↔". After verification, “↔" exclusively means “materials equivalent” in mathematics. This is absolutely not extreme. On the contrary, it means completely the same, equal to “if and only if”, the name of this exhibition. This seemingly androgynous impression, on the one hand inspires two artists deeper thoughts towards essence of objects which are being added or reduced. Does meaning change? Or remain afterwards? Before and after recalls us, philosophy like Buddhism. Materials do not change. Men change it.