The Statistics of Fortune

Main Exhibition of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023

Introduction

<p>Wang Chuan<br /> China<br /> Light box<br /> 2022<br /> 80 x 120 cm</p> <p>Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>In 2020, the magical monsters of the “Shan Hai Jing” seemed to have been be unsealed as the epidemic swept the world. Perhaps they had accepted Wang Chuan’s sincere invitation and appeared one after another in his mind, before coming out from his pen and computer. Every time when a drawing was created, it felt like déjà vu. They seemed to have been waiting somewhere, including in the depths of his own consciousness, for a long time.</p> <p>Their arrival was just the beginning. This was the process of introspecting oneself and understanding the world again. It was a truly wonderful journey to follow the magical monsters and visit the past and the present. On one side were the phantasms in ancient paintings that he had longed for, and on the other side was the reality carried by countless photos. Ideas and perspectives were repeatedly pulled and dragged between these two levels.</p> <p>“A New Chapter of a Strange Beast of ‘Shan Hai Jing’ Entering the World” combines photographic works that aim to point to the current social life. According to the meaning of the content, corresponding mythical beasts are combined to generate a new visual metaphor. Light boxes are used as the main form of the work for their three-dimensional depth and looming effect, allowing the main image to appear real yet illusory, and to interact physically with the viewers.</p>

Wang Chuan
China
Light box
2022
80 x 120 cm

Courtesy of the artist

In 2020, the magical monsters of the “Shan Hai Jing” seemed to have been be unsealed as the epidemic swept the world. Perhaps they had accepted Wang Chuan’s sincere invitation and appeared one after another in his mind, before coming out from his pen and computer. Every time when a drawing was created, it felt like déjà vu. They seemed to have been waiting somewhere, including in the depths of his own consciousness, for a long time.

Their arrival was just the beginning. This was the process of introspecting oneself and understanding the world again. It was a truly wonderful journey to follow the magical monsters and visit the past and the present. On one side were the phantasms in ancient paintings that he had longed for, and on the other side was the reality carried by countless photos. Ideas and perspectives were repeatedly pulled and dragged between these two levels.

“A New Chapter of a Strange Beast of ‘Shan Hai Jing’ Entering the World” combines photographic works that aim to point to the current social life. According to the meaning of the content, corresponding mythical beasts are combined to generate a new visual metaphor. Light boxes are used as the main form of the work for their three-dimensional depth and looming effect, allowing the main image to appear real yet illusory, and to interact physically with the viewers.

<p>Pohon (Tree)<br /> Yunizar</p> <p>Indonesia<br /> Sculpture, bronze<br /> 2019<br /> 124 x 131 x 205 cm</p> <p>Courtesy of the artist and Tang Contemporary Art</p> <hr /> <p>Measuring two meters high and titled “Tree”, this sculpture is poised strikingly in space. As a free-standing image, it claims a decisive, physical presence. When viewing it we encounter and deal with such a claim.</p> <p>A stem rises vertically from a cylindrical container, forcefully extending the full reach of the plant. Branches shoot out to its right and left, issuing from the stem at regular intervals almost for its entire height. They vary in length and are aligned in changing directions.</p> <p>Flowers are in full bloom; they are opened maximally, with petals and stamens shown stretched outwards to their utmost extents. They appear at terminal ends of branches. The stem is crowned by a bloom similarly opened as those on the branches and oriented simultaneously in two directions. This is to say the flower at the very top has two aspects placed back-to-back, facing in directions opposite to one another.</p> <p>The bloom’s dual aspect at the stem’s summit heralds complexities entailed in viewing this sculpted flowering plant. In this respect I suggest the flowers are significant indicators of the work unfolding in its manifold aspects, in correspondingly manifold directions, and of our reception of these aspects.</p> <p>— T. K. Sabapathy, excerpt from “On Seeing Yunizar’s Sculptures” (2022)</p>

Pohon (Tree)
Yunizar

Indonesia
Sculpture, bronze
2019
124 x 131 x 205 cm

Courtesy of the artist and Tang Contemporary Art

Measuring two meters high and titled “Tree”, this sculpture is poised strikingly in space. As a free-standing image, it claims a decisive, physical presence. When viewing it we encounter and deal with such a claim.

A stem rises vertically from a cylindrical container, forcefully extending the full reach of the plant. Branches shoot out to its right and left, issuing from the stem at regular intervals almost for its entire height. They vary in length and are aligned in changing directions.

Flowers are in full bloom; they are opened maximally, with petals and stamens shown stretched outwards to their utmost extents. They appear at terminal ends of branches. The stem is crowned by a bloom similarly opened as those on the branches and oriented simultaneously in two directions. This is to say the flower at the very top has two aspects placed back-to-back, facing in directions opposite to one another.

The bloom’s dual aspect at the stem’s summit heralds complexities entailed in viewing this sculpted flowering plant. In this respect I suggest the flowers are significant indicators of the work unfolding in its manifold aspects, in correspondingly manifold directions, and of our reception of these aspects.

— T. K. Sabapathy, excerpt from “On Seeing Yunizar’s Sculptures” (2022)

<p>Belated Bosal<br /> Park Chan-kyong</p> <p>South Korea<br /> Video (black-and-white HD film, 5.1 channel)<br /> 2019<br /> 55’</p> <p>Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p><br /> The film, shot in black-and-white negative, is almost a feature film. “Belated Bosal” challenges the audience’s traditional concepts and images of light, air, radioactivity, and nature, so much so that they rethink all these ideas and the related opposite expressions.</p> <p>Synopsis: A container on a cargo ship enters the port. No one knows what’s in the container – it is just one of many. Bosal, a middle-aged woman, climbs the mountain while Gahye measures the level of radioactive contamination within the mountain. Young people paint and make products. Bosal looks for a place to put the container. Another woman sees her past and present in a temple on the mountain. Finally, Bosal reaches the spot where the container was placed. Others also gather in this place.</p> <p>The film’s subtly controlled tone creates subtle conflicts with the background environment, or the contaminated radioactive site. The characters seem to float around the core of the narrative without any special relationships among them. The mix of images, such as mountains, Buddhist mythology, nuclear power plants and artworks seems to relinquish the coherence of the storyline. However, the film seems to be describing a society that has lost its coherence. Hence, the film leads viewers to contemplate the Nirvana of the Great Saint, our paths to death, and most importantly, the “gathering” that occurs when someone dies.</p>

Belated Bosal
Park Chan-kyong

South Korea
Video (black-and-white HD film, 5.1 channel)
2019
55’

Courtesy of the artist


The film, shot in black-and-white negative, is almost a feature film. “Belated Bosal” challenges the audience’s traditional concepts and images of light, air, radioactivity, and nature, so much so that they rethink all these ideas and the related opposite expressions.

Synopsis: A container on a cargo ship enters the port. No one knows what’s in the container – it is just one of many. Bosal, a middle-aged woman, climbs the mountain while Gahye measures the level of radioactive contamination within the mountain. Young people paint and make products. Bosal looks for a place to put the container. Another woman sees her past and present in a temple on the mountain. Finally, Bosal reaches the spot where the container was placed. Others also gather in this place.

The film’s subtly controlled tone creates subtle conflicts with the background environment, or the contaminated radioactive site. The characters seem to float around the core of the narrative without any special relationships among them. The mix of images, such as mountains, Buddhist mythology, nuclear power plants and artworks seems to relinquish the coherence of the storyline. However, the film seems to be describing a society that has lost its coherence. Hence, the film leads viewers to contemplate the Nirvana of the Great Saint, our paths to death, and most importantly, the “gathering” that occurs when someone dies.

<p>Fortune (From the Series “Covers”)<br /> Fábio Colaço</p> <p>Portugal<br /> Installation (adhesive vinyl on plexiglass)<br /> 2019<br /> 168 x 118 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist and UMA LULIK</p> <hr /> <p>The work “Fortune” (2019) consists of a reproduction of the cover of the American magazine Fortune. However, in addition to its size, instead of what is normally presented on the cover, in this version the artist uses a reflective black material that mirrors whoever stands in front of the work.</p> <p>Whether through the reflections of light or the multiple images that fill this empty space, the representation is now multifaceted, as if any individual could be the image of power on the cover of a multinational business magazine.</p> <p>Everyone can be and have that place, as in capitalism it is made to believe that everyone can be rich, an illusion of equality but one that survives only on inequality.</p>

Fortune (From the Series “Covers”)
Fábio Colaço

Portugal
Installation (adhesive vinyl on plexiglass)
2019
168 x 118 cm

© Courtesy of the artist and UMA LULIK

The work “Fortune” (2019) consists of a reproduction of the cover of the American magazine Fortune. However, in addition to its size, instead of what is normally presented on the cover, in this version the artist uses a reflective black material that mirrors whoever stands in front of the work.

Whether through the reflections of light or the multiple images that fill this empty space, the representation is now multifaceted, as if any individual could be the image of power on the cover of a multinational business magazine.

Everyone can be and have that place, as in capitalism it is made to believe that everyone can be rich, an illusion of equality but one that survives only on inequality.

<p>We Are Also the Ghosts<br /> Catarina Mil-Homens</p> <p>Portugal<br /> Installation (glass, steel wire)<br /> 2022<br /> 300 x 8000 x 20 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist and UMA LULIK__ ・ Photo by Bruno Lopes</p> <hr /> <p>The installation “We Are Also the Ghosts” offers a thought-provoking opportunity for self-reflection by presenting multiple fragmented reflections and it challenges us to question our perceptions of identity and consciousness. As we gaze upon the overlapping large pieces of cut glass, we become aware of the unrestrained space and the losing track of time. The repurposed glass in this installation is a material transformed into a vehicle for external expression infused with essence. It interacts with its surroundings, becoming a reflection of what is before and after it.</p>

We Are Also the Ghosts
Catarina Mil-Homens

Portugal
Installation (glass, steel wire)
2022
300 x 8000 x 20 cm

© Courtesy of the artist and UMA LULIK__ ・ Photo by Bruno Lopes

The installation “We Are Also the Ghosts” offers a thought-provoking opportunity for self-reflection by presenting multiple fragmented reflections and it challenges us to question our perceptions of identity and consciousness. As we gaze upon the overlapping large pieces of cut glass, we become aware of the unrestrained space and the losing track of time. The repurposed glass in this installation is a material transformed into a vehicle for external expression infused with essence. It interacts with its surroundings, becoming a reflection of what is before and after it.

<p>Grobianus et Grobiania II<br /> (Natarajasana Will Save the World)</p> <p>Konstantin Bessmertny</p> <p>Macao, China<br /> Acrylic and mixed media on canvas<br /> 2020<br /> 100 x 80 cm<br /> © Courtesy of the artist</p>

Grobianus et Grobiania II
(Natarajasana Will Save the World)

Konstantin Bessmertny

Macao, China
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
2020
100 x 80 cm
© Courtesy of the artist

<p>The God of Fortune and the God of Statistics<br /> Tang Hui</p> <p>China<br /> Folha de latão forjado, folha de ouro, viga de liga de alumínio<br /> Forged brass sheet, gold leaf, aluminum alloy joist<br /> 2023<br /> 200 x 200 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>Macao is the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, and it is also an important channel for the introduction of Western natural science to China. The history and culture of Macao have formed unique cultural characteristics, making it a distinctive city. Peaceful and diverse coexistence has become a distinctive feature of Macao.</p> <p>Egypt was one of the earliest civilizations in the world, and its development was inseparable from the fate and statistics of human beings. I took inspiration from Egyptian civilization to create the God of Fortune and the God of Statistics. The God of Fortune on the left is the inevitable ruler of human destiny. He emphasizes people’s subjective experience and beliefs, and pays attention to spirituality and mystery. The God of Statistics on the right represents data analysis and decision-making, as well as the ability and method of rational and logical thinking. Together, they represent religious and scientific beliefs. Either scientific believers or religious believers can gain a deeper understanding of the nature and significance of human destiny through the statistics of fate.</p>

The God of Fortune and the God of Statistics
Tang Hui

China
Folha de latão forjado, folha de ouro, viga de liga de alumínio
Forged brass sheet, gold leaf, aluminum alloy joist
2023
200 x 200 cm

© Courtesy of the artist

Macao is the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, and it is also an important channel for the introduction of Western natural science to China. The history and culture of Macao have formed unique cultural characteristics, making it a distinctive city. Peaceful and diverse coexistence has become a distinctive feature of Macao.

Egypt was one of the earliest civilizations in the world, and its development was inseparable from the fate and statistics of human beings. I took inspiration from Egyptian civilization to create the God of Fortune and the God of Statistics. The God of Fortune on the left is the inevitable ruler of human destiny. He emphasizes people’s subjective experience and beliefs, and pays attention to spirituality and mystery. The God of Statistics on the right represents data analysis and decision-making, as well as the ability and method of rational and logical thinking. Together, they represent religious and scientific beliefs. Either scientific believers or religious believers can gain a deeper understanding of the nature and significance of human destiny through the statistics of fate.

<p>Mass<br /> June Balthazard, Pierre Pauze</p> <p>France<br /> Video installation (2-channel video, wood, foam, polychoc,<br /> polyester resin, water paint, plaster, PMMA laminated, synthetic<br /> plants, bumper, steel, stage light, light stand）<br /> 2020<br /> 16' 59"<br /> © This work was originally commissioned by Hermès Horloger, Bienne, Switzerland.</p> <hr /> <p>The video installation “Mass” is based on the legendary substance. This original substance , called Æther, has served as a backdrop for many creation myths, before finding an echo in the recent discoveries of quantum physics.</p> <p>June Balthazard and Pierre Pauze weave a story, between reality and science fiction, in which scientists from the Cern laboratory discuss the existence of an original and omnipresent substance. In a context of ecological upheaval, this fabric of the universe appears as the link that connects humans to nature.</p> <p>The narration is put in dialogue with a sculpture that gives body to this mysterious substance. This biomimetic setting is a kind of Cosmos, of a surreal world, in which the protagonists of the video seem to be alive.</p>

Mass
June Balthazard, Pierre Pauze

France
Video installation (2-channel video, wood, foam, polychoc,
polyester resin, water paint, plaster, PMMA laminated, synthetic
plants, bumper, steel, stage light, light stand）
2020
16' 59"
© This work was originally commissioned by Hermès Horloger, Bienne, Switzerland.

The video installation “Mass” is based on the legendary substance. This original substance , called Æther, has served as a backdrop for many creation myths, before finding an echo in the recent discoveries of quantum physics.

June Balthazard and Pierre Pauze weave a story, between reality and science fiction, in which scientists from the Cern laboratory discuss the existence of an original and omnipresent substance. In a context of ecological upheaval, this fabric of the universe appears as the link that connects humans to nature.

The narration is put in dialogue with a sculpture that gives body to this mysterious substance. This biomimetic setting is a kind of Cosmos, of a surreal world, in which the protagonists of the video seem to be alive.

<p>Durmiente & Async<br /> Apichatpong Weerasethakul</p> <p>Video (double-channel video installation,2 synchronized videos, dolby 5.1, color) Ed. 3/5 (edition of 5 + 2AP)<br /> 2021<br /> 11’3”</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist and Kiang Malingue</p> <hr /> <p>The award-winning feature film Memoria’s satellite video “Durmiente” constitutes a diptych with “Async – first light”. “Durmiente” features an intimate scene that does not appear in Memoria: the moment when the lead character, Jessica (Tilda Swinton) falls asleep, signifying the end of her journey. “Async – first light”, on the other hand, is a collaboration between Apichatpong and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, serving as an homage to the act of crossing borders. The two interwoven films lead us from daylight into the night, wakefulness to dreaming, representing a yearning for interconnectedness through light, cinema, and dreams.</p>

Durmiente & Async
Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Video (double-channel video installation,2 synchronized videos, dolby 5.1, color) Ed. 3/5 (edition of 5 + 2AP)
2021
11’3”

© Courtesy of the artist and Kiang Malingue

The award-winning feature film Memoria’s satellite video “Durmiente” constitutes a diptych with “Async – first light”. “Durmiente” features an intimate scene that does not appear in Memoria: the moment when the lead character, Jessica (Tilda Swinton) falls asleep, signifying the end of her journey. “Async – first light”, on the other hand, is a collaboration between Apichatpong and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, serving as an homage to the act of crossing borders. The two interwoven films lead us from daylight into the night, wakefulness to dreaming, representing a yearning for interconnectedness through light, cinema, and dreams.

<p>Facets of AGI: Umuhimu (Usefulness)<br /> Obvious</p> <p>France<br /> GANs algorithm, ofoton & osese wood, black chalk dust and paint<br /> 2020<br /> 55 x 17 x 9 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist and Danysz Gallery</p> <hr /> <p>In this fictional Africa, experts have finally managed to find a common ancestor to all African masks, in opposition to the common theory of those masks being born independently. A disturbing discovery, which changes the whole perception of how the different societies and ethnic groups of Africa interact between each other, describes that all of them are part of a unique secret society, and seem connected to a unique ideal, even though each of them has a very specific way of addressing this ideal.</p> <p>The series consists of 22 artworks. All of these artworks have been invented using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), which are algorithms capable of creating new and unique visuals based on a large number of examples. We trained the various models on a database of thousands of African masks. The algorithms understood the similarities and nuances between all those models, and managed to create new pieces. Based on the creations of the algorithms, Abdul Aziz Muhamadu, a Ghanaian artist, carved, sculpted and painted wooden masks.</p>

Facets of AGI: Umuhimu (Usefulness)
Obvious

France
GANs algorithm, ofoton & osese wood, black chalk dust and paint
2020
55 x 17 x 9 cm

© Courtesy of the artist and Danysz Gallery

In this fictional Africa, experts have finally managed to find a common ancestor to all African masks, in opposition to the common theory of those masks being born independently. A disturbing discovery, which changes the whole perception of how the different societies and ethnic groups of Africa interact between each other, describes that all of them are part of a unique secret society, and seem connected to a unique ideal, even though each of them has a very specific way of addressing this ideal.

The series consists of 22 artworks. All of these artworks have been invented using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), which are algorithms capable of creating new and unique visuals based on a large number of examples. We trained the various models on a database of thousands of African masks. The algorithms understood the similarities and nuances between all those models, and managed to create new pieces. Based on the creations of the algorithms, Abdul Aziz Muhamadu, a Ghanaian artist, carved, sculpted and painted wooden masks.

<p>CDOSEA (The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia)<br /> Ho Tzu Nyen</p> <p>Singapore<br /> Video installation (single-channel HD video, algorithmic editing system, 5-channel sound)<br /> 2017 till present<br /> Infinite loop</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist and Kiang Malingue</p> <hr /> <p>“CDOSEA (The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia)” begins with a question: What constitutes the unity of Southeast Asia – a region never unified by language, religion or political power? CDOSEA proceeds by proposing 26 terms – one for each letter of the English alphabet. Each term is a concept, a motif, or a biography, and together they are threads weaving together a torn and tattered tapestry of Southeast Asia. The Dictionary has, since its inception in 2012, generated a number of filmic, theatrical and installation works by Ho Tzu Nyen. From “T (for Tiger)” and “W (for Weretiger)” emerged “Ten Thousand Tigers” (2014), “2 or 3 Tigers” (2015), “Timelines” (2017), and “One or Several Tigers” (2017). “The Nameless” and “The Name” (both 2015) came out of “L (for Lai Teck)” and “G (for Gene Z. Hanrahan)” respectively.</p> <p>Since 2016, Ho Tzu Nyen has been working with a group of collaborators to “manifest” the Dictionary as a whole. With Berlin-based programmers Jan Gerber and Sebastian Lütgert (0x2620), a platform for absorbing and annotating online materials was created to “feed” an Editing System that endlessly composes new combinations of audio-visual materials according to the 26 terms of the Dictionary.</p>

CDOSEA (The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia)
Ho Tzu Nyen

Singapore
Video installation (single-channel HD video, algorithmic editing system, 5-channel sound)
2017 till present
Infinite loop

© Courtesy of the artist and Kiang Malingue

“CDOSEA (The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia)” begins with a question: What constitutes the unity of Southeast Asia – a region never unified by language, religion or political power? CDOSEA proceeds by proposing 26 terms – one for each letter of the English alphabet. Each term is a concept, a motif, or a biography, and together they are threads weaving together a torn and tattered tapestry of Southeast Asia. The Dictionary has, since its inception in 2012, generated a number of filmic, theatrical and installation works by Ho Tzu Nyen. From “T (for Tiger)” and “W (for Weretiger)” emerged “Ten Thousand Tigers” (2014), “2 or 3 Tigers” (2015), “Timelines” (2017), and “One or Several Tigers” (2017). “The Nameless” and “The Name” (both 2015) came out of “L (for Lai Teck)” and “G (for Gene Z. Hanrahan)” respectively.

Since 2016, Ho Tzu Nyen has been working with a group of collaborators to “manifest” the Dictionary as a whole. With Berlin-based programmers Jan Gerber and Sebastian Lütgert (0x2620), a platform for absorbing and annotating online materials was created to “feed” an Editing System that endlessly composes new combinations of audio-visual materials according to the 26 terms of the Dictionary.

<p>Parallax Chambers<br /> Howie Tsui</p> <p>Canada<br /> Algorithmic animation sequence, single-channel (16:9), 5.1 channel<br /> 2018</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>Parallax Chambers (2018 – ongoing) is a live-rendering media work that cycles erratically between intimate rooms that recall both the confined units of densifying urban centers and the hermetic chambers depicted in mouhap (wuxia) for internal training and meditation. The project conflates the anarchic universe of martial arts fiction with the ungoverned community of the Kowloon Walled City, and the self-organised societies that established North American Chinatowns.</p>

Parallax Chambers
Howie Tsui

Canada
Algorithmic animation sequence, single-channel (16:9), 5.1 channel
2018

© Courtesy of the artist

Parallax Chambers (2018 – ongoing) is a live-rendering media work that cycles erratically between intimate rooms that recall both the confined units of densifying urban centers and the hermetic chambers depicted in mouhap (wuxia) for internal training and meditation. The project conflates the anarchic universe of martial arts fiction with the ungoverned community of the Kowloon Walled City, and the self-organised societies that established North American Chinatowns.

<p>Mimike (Mysticism): Rocket Bike<br /> Yao Jui-Chung</p> <p>Taiwan, China<br /> Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink<br /> 2022<br /> ∅ 50 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>During the summer vacation of 2022, Yao Jui-Chung was invited by the “Apartment of Art” (AOA) founded by German artist Lars Koepsel to create in the art village of Munich for three months during the epidemic and the Ukrainian-Russian War. Munich, the big city in southern Germany, has been the city of monks since ancient times. The village is located in Feldafing next to the Lake Starnberger in the south of the city. The environment is quiet and pleasant, and the King of Thailand also lives in the mansion nearby. Living in a long-standing historical site, He looked at the Alps every day, enjoyed Indian black tea, went shopping by bike, or occasionally swam in the lake. Sometimes, after visiting various art galleries in the city and feeling overwhelmed, he had nightmares and his thoughts were flying, inspirations were springing up, and he had a whim to start a series of humorous paintings combining the classic text “Shan Hai Jing”, Western mythology, Ukiyo-e and historical totems. Using Faber-Castell colored pens and pasting temple gold foil into the painting, he tried to create a style that combines Chinese and Western, ancient and modern, humorous and ironic, weird shapes, and lively colors... This was a continuation of the artistic creation he carried out in the village of Glenfiddich Whiskey Distillery in the Scottish Highlands 15 years ago. The special experience of life was included in the painting and further developed into 12 categories: aliens, gods, enlightened beings and saints, immortals, AI, mutants and monsters, people, goblins, demons, ghosts, beasts, and legendary creatures, representing a world of fantasy which surpasses the world of experience. Since the English pronunciation of “München” is similar to the Chinese homonym “mi mi ke”, meaning “mysticism”, Yao uses it as the series name to ridicule the phenomena of the cosmic craze, black hole conception, fetishism, a series of natural disasters and wars, and the dance of demons in recent years. In this evil world, he hopes that people will get rid of all mental demons, protect all good dharmas, and give birth to all kinds of wisdom.</p>

Mimike (Mysticism): Rocket Bike
Yao Jui-Chung

Taiwan, China
Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink
2022
∅ 50 cm

© Courtesy of the artist

During the summer vacation of 2022, Yao Jui-Chung was invited by the “Apartment of Art” (AOA) founded by German artist Lars Koepsel to create in the art village of Munich for three months during the epidemic and the Ukrainian-Russian War. Munich, the big city in southern Germany, has been the city of monks since ancient times. The village is located in Feldafing next to the Lake Starnberger in the south of the city. The environment is quiet and pleasant, and the King of Thailand also lives in the mansion nearby. Living in a long-standing historical site, He looked at the Alps every day, enjoyed Indian black tea, went shopping by bike, or occasionally swam in the lake. Sometimes, after visiting various art galleries in the city and feeling overwhelmed, he had nightmares and his thoughts were flying, inspirations were springing up, and he had a whim to start a series of humorous paintings combining the classic text “Shan Hai Jing”, Western mythology, Ukiyo-e and historical totems. Using Faber-Castell colored pens and pasting temple gold foil into the painting, he tried to create a style that combines Chinese and Western, ancient and modern, humorous and ironic, weird shapes, and lively colors... This was a continuation of the artistic creation he carried out in the village of Glenfiddich Whiskey Distillery in the Scottish Highlands 15 years ago. The special experience of life was included in the painting and further developed into 12 categories: aliens, gods, enlightened beings and saints, immortals, AI, mutants and monsters, people, goblins, demons, ghosts, beasts, and legendary creatures, representing a world of fantasy which surpasses the world of experience. Since the English pronunciation of “München” is similar to the Chinese homonym “mi mi ke”, meaning “mysticism”, Yao uses it as the series name to ridicule the phenomena of the cosmic craze, black hole conception, fetishism, a series of natural disasters and wars, and the dance of demons in recent years. In this evil world, he hopes that people will get rid of all mental demons, protect all good dharmas, and give birth to all kinds of wisdom.

<p>Mimike (Mysticism): Presbyopia Plus Myopia<br /> Yao Jui-Chung</p> <p>Taiwan, China<br /> Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink<br /> 2022<br /> ∅ 50 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p>

Mimike (Mysticism): Presbyopia Plus Myopia
Yao Jui-Chung

Taiwan, China
Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink
2022
∅ 50 cm

© Courtesy of the artist

<p>Mimike (Mysticism): Feldafing (Repainting “Shan Hai Jing”)<br /> Yao Jui-Chung</p> <p>Taiwan, China<br /> Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink<br /> 2022<br /> ∅ 50 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p>

Mimike (Mysticism): Feldafing (Repainting “Shan Hai Jing”)
Yao Jui-Chung

Taiwan, China
Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink
2022
∅ 50 cm

© Courtesy of the artist

<p>Mimike (Mysticism): Devil and Monk<br /> Yao Jui-Chung</p> <p>Taiwan, China<br /> Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink<br /> 2022<br /> ∅ 50 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p>

Mimike (Mysticism): Devil and Monk
Yao Jui-Chung

Taiwan, China
Indian handmade paper, gold leaf, India ink
2022
∅ 50 cm

© Courtesy of the artist

<p>Portal of Fortune<br /> Etsuko Ichihara</p> <p>Japan<br /> Installation (acrylic, neon lights, rope, Japanese lantern, steel<br /> tube, wooden structure)<br /> 2022<br /> 200 x 170 x 100 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>Etsuko Ichihara is an artist known for her works that use technology to bring dynamism to invisible and unformed people’s “thoughts” and “ideas”. She re-edits the charms of Dōgo under the keywords of “bringing romance” (or En-musubi), connection, invisible forces, festivals, and celebrations. She creates a mechanism that invites travelers to Dōgo, thus connecting the Dōgo Onsen district using technology and deepening the interaction between people.</p> <p>The “Portal of Fortune” shows the way to the spots for divine virtues (or Shin-en) and good fortune. The portal is decorated with digitally crafted Ema, wooden plaques that people write their prayers or wishes on, as well as lanterns (or Chochin), creating a near-futuristic atmosphere. At the portal, “Shin-en Ticket”, which is uniquely edited by different artists, will be printed as a guide to Shin-en spots as a kind of revelation.</p> <p>Creative cooperation: BKY+SENTO-DASHI committee (Haruka Kuryu, Masaya Sammonji, Kohei Uchiumi, Yuki Murata); Wood processing technology provided by: EMARF / VUILD, inc.; Supervisor of Shin-en spot: Lucy Green.</p>

Portal of Fortune
Etsuko Ichihara

Japan
Installation (acrylic, neon lights, rope, Japanese lantern, steel
tube, wooden structure)
2022
200 x 170 x 100 cm

© Courtesy of the artist

Etsuko Ichihara is an artist known for her works that use technology to bring dynamism to invisible and unformed people’s “thoughts” and “ideas”. She re-edits the charms of Dōgo under the keywords of “bringing romance” (or En-musubi), connection, invisible forces, festivals, and celebrations. She creates a mechanism that invites travelers to Dōgo, thus connecting the Dōgo Onsen district using technology and deepening the interaction between people.

The “Portal of Fortune” shows the way to the spots for divine virtues (or Shin-en) and good fortune. The portal is decorated with digitally crafted Ema, wooden plaques that people write their prayers or wishes on, as well as lanterns (or Chochin), creating a near-futuristic atmosphere. At the portal, “Shin-en Ticket”, which is uniquely edited by different artists, will be printed as a guide to Shin-en spots as a kind of revelation.

Creative cooperation: BKY+SENTO-DASHI committee (Haruka Kuryu, Masaya Sammonji, Kohei Uchiumi, Yuki Murata); Wood processing technology provided by: EMARF / VUILD, inc.; Supervisor of Shin-en spot: Lucy Green.

<p>Abstract Oracle Generator<br /> Guo Cheng</p> <p>China<br /> Installation (stainless steel plated with titanium,<br /> chime stone, wood, custom-made circuit,<br /> LED screen, Geiger-Müller tube)<br /> 2020<br /> 210 x 210 x 14 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist and Magician Space</p> <hr /> <p>The “Abstract Oracle Generator” is a device based on a physical random number generator that produces different English acronym combinations, which are like prophecies in response to questions raised by participants. In fact, when the device is triggered by participants striking the singing bowl to activate the Geiger-Müller tube system, the ionizing radiation particles in the environment are monitored and transferred on the LED screen as random English acronyms. Maybe a way to put it, the ‘oracle’ produced by the ionizing radiation in the spatial environment, which is monitored by Geiger-Müller tube system, is purely and objectively “better” than the human divination or the results generated by computer with the pseudo-random algorithm. Meanwhile, the abstraction of abbreviations expands the participants’ imagination.</p>

Abstract Oracle Generator
Guo Cheng

China
Installation (stainless steel plated with titanium,
chime stone, wood, custom-made circuit,
LED screen, Geiger-Müller tube)
2020
210 x 210 x 14 cm

© Courtesy of the artist and Magician Space

The “Abstract Oracle Generator” is a device based on a physical random number generator that produces different English acronym combinations, which are like prophecies in response to questions raised by participants. In fact, when the device is triggered by participants striking the singing bowl to activate the Geiger-Müller tube system, the ionizing radiation particles in the environment are monitored and transferred on the LED screen as random English acronyms. Maybe a way to put it, the ‘oracle’ produced by the ionizing radiation in the spatial environment, which is monitored by Geiger-Müller tube system, is purely and objectively “better” than the human divination or the results generated by computer with the pseudo-random algorithm. Meanwhile, the abstraction of abbreviations expands the participants’ imagination.

<p>珍珠項鍊<br /> LA COLLANA DI PERLE<br /> [The Pearl Necklace ]<br /> Benedetta Bonichi</p> <p>Italy<br /> X-ray image on canvas, wooden frame<br /> 2002<br /> 193 x 105 cm</p> <p><br /> © Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>Technique is a language and language is the content. This is why every technique must be reinvented every day: to translate intuition and make it visible. The technique is the result or compromise of the battle between desire and matter. In this sense, I can say that my works are all self-portraits.</p> <p>I personally use ancient techniques and ancient materials such as Egyptian gauze, fresco powders, parchment and analogue photography combined with radiography, fluoroscopy and digital. The final support, on the other hand, is traditional; generally, it is paper or canvas, which can be glued or pulled onto a frame or dibond.</p>

珍珠項鍊
LA COLLANA DI PERLE
[The Pearl Necklace ]
Benedetta Bonichi

Italy
X-ray image on canvas, wooden frame
2002
193 x 105 cm


© Courtesy of the artist

Technique is a language and language is the content. This is why every technique must be reinvented every day: to translate intuition and make it visible. The technique is the result or compromise of the battle between desire and matter. In this sense, I can say that my works are all self-portraits.

I personally use ancient techniques and ancient materials such as Egyptian gauze, fresco powders, parchment and analogue photography combined with radiography, fluoroscopy and digital. The final support, on the other hand, is traditional; generally, it is paper or canvas, which can be glued or pulled onto a frame or dibond.

<p>Production Still from a Chinese Science Fiction Opera #6<br /> Ming Wong</p> <p>Singapore<br /> Digital print<br /> 2015<br /> 105 x 90 cm</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p>

Production Still from a Chinese Science Fiction Opera #6
Ming Wong

Singapore
Digital print
2015
105 x 90 cm

© Courtesy of the artist

<p>Calling for Rain<br /> Khvay Samnang</p> <p>Cambodia<br /> Video (Single-channel, color, sound)<br /> 2021<br /> 30' 42"</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>“Calling for Rain” is inspired by Reamker, the Cambodian version of the epic poem Ramayana. The film takes us on a journey by following the Monkey on his quest to save the dying forest and its surrounding environment. The story starts after he meets and falls in love with the Fish, and depicts the struggles he must overcome after the loss of his home in the forest. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the problems of the forest and its surrounding fields and rivers are linked to the irresponsible behaviors of the Fire Dragon.</p>

Calling for Rain
Khvay Samnang

Cambodia
Video (Single-channel, color, sound)
2021
30' 42"

© Courtesy of the artist

“Calling for Rain” is inspired by Reamker, the Cambodian version of the epic poem Ramayana. The film takes us on a journey by following the Monkey on his quest to save the dying forest and its surrounding environment. The story starts after he meets and falls in love with the Fish, and depicts the struggles he must overcome after the loss of his home in the forest. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the problems of the forest and its surrounding fields and rivers are linked to the irresponsible behaviors of the Fire Dragon.

<p>Metric Mysticism: A Troll’s Tale<br /> Zach Blas</p> <p>United States<br /> Video installation (square wooden painted screen, round wooden painted screen, black acrylic base,<br /> LED lighting, polycrystalline silicon)<br /> 2022<br /> 63' 4"</p> <p>© Courtesy of the artist</p> <hr /> <p>“Metric Mysticism: A Troll’s Tale” (2022) is a new iteration of a project that premiered in 2017 as a lecture- performance. In this new multi-media installation, a darkly philosophical troll steers us through a cosmic meditation on Silicon Valley’s appropriation of mysticism and the language of magic, cloaking its cultivation of an increasingly pervasive and authoritarian tech culture. Both a belligerent folk story character and modern- day digital provocateur, our guide is well equipped to demystify the workings of big tech.</p> <p>As writer Amy Hale observes, Blas “shines a light on how data is promoted as infallible in nature, yet is also concealed in ‘mysterious’ processes, such as artificial intelligence, that appear to be deeply esoteric and are often intentionally occulted. Much of Blas’ work comments on the wider context of a magical Californian ideology that bills itself as both exceptionally rational and deeply enchanted.”</p> <p>Palantir Technologies is foregrounded in the work as an exemplar of metric mysticism. Co-founded by Peter Thiel, the controversial data analytics company appropriates the “palantir”, a crystal ball used by wizards in The Lord of the Rings. Within the Palantir metaverse, data has acquired a magical status as the ultimate medium for prophesying and policing the future.</p> <p>Blas asks, ‘Yet what if one were to gaze not into a crystal ball but rather a chunk of silicon? Not transparent glass but rather an opaque, chemical element at the very core of digital technology. Against the prediction of the future, can reconfiguring the act of crystal gazing offer a way to better comprehend the crisis of the present?’</p>

Metric Mysticism: A Troll’s Tale
Zach Blas

United States
Video installation (square wooden painted screen, round wooden painted screen, black acrylic base,
LED lighting, polycrystalline silicon)
2022
63' 4"

© Courtesy of the artist

“Metric Mysticism: A Troll’s Tale” (2022) is a new iteration of a project that premiered in 2017 as a lecture- performance. In this new multi-media installation, a darkly philosophical troll steers us through a cosmic meditation on Silicon Valley’s appropriation of mysticism and the language of magic, cloaking its cultivation of an increasingly pervasive and authoritarian tech culture. Both a belligerent folk story character and modern- day digital provocateur, our guide is well equipped to demystify the workings of big tech.

As writer Amy Hale observes, Blas “shines a light on how data is promoted as infallible in nature, yet is also concealed in ‘mysterious’ processes, such as artificial intelligence, that appear to be deeply esoteric and are often intentionally occulted. Much of Blas’ work comments on the wider context of a magical Californian ideology that bills itself as both exceptionally rational and deeply enchanted.”

Palantir Technologies is foregrounded in the work as an exemplar of metric mysticism. Co-founded by Peter Thiel, the controversial data analytics company appropriates the “palantir”, a crystal ball used by wizards in The Lord of the Rings. Within the Palantir metaverse, data has acquired a magical status as the ultimate medium for prophesying and policing the future.

Blas asks, ‘Yet what if one were to gaze not into a crystal ball but rather a chunk of silicon? Not transparent glass but rather an opaque, chemical element at the very core of digital technology. Against the prediction of the future, can reconfiguring the act of crystal gazing offer a way to better comprehend the crisis of the present?’

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1st, 2nd and 3rd Floor, Macao Museum of Art

Opening Date：
2023/07/28 17:00
Duration：
2023/07/28 - 2023/10/29
Available Dates for visit for Guided Tour for Public：
05/08/2023 - 19/10/2023 (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 15:00-16:00 1st Floor of MAM)
Available Dates for Visit for Guided Tour for Groups：
08/08/2023 - 29/10/2023 ( Tuesday- Sunday)