無限樂園 - 陳閃個展
The Infinite-land - Sim Chan Solo Exhibition
▎時間：2024/11/02（六）-12/15（日）
▎開幕：11/02（六）15:00
▎座談：11/03（日）14:00-17:00
▎公休：每週三四 (Closed on Wed & Thu)
▎地點：台南市中西區民權路二段64巷56號3F
▎策展人：高穎琳 Kobe Ko
▎藝術家：陳閃 Sim Chan
▎主辦單位：應力空間、土星工作室
▎指導單位：國藝會
▎展覽介紹
香港藝術家陳閃的創作主要聚焦在當代社會的景觀，包括城市日夜風景的切換、建築勾勒出的天際線、以及都市生活形態所產生的各種現象。他擅長以繪畫及混合媒介的方式製作雕塑作品，以幽默的方式反思社會現象，揭露在物質過盛的時代，人類在快捷便利和慾望驅動的生活系統中，肆意遺忘的殘酷代價。是次個展《無限樂園》受台南土星工作室及應力空間邀請，陳閃延續了他在2022年於珠海市無界美術館雙個展《無盡的句號》所探討的命題，展出6件舊作及6件新作，以及全新的機動裝置系列作品《遊》，在展場上方穿梭，成為貫穿樂園的重點展品。
展覽以台灣隨處可見的夾娃娃機作為引子，是都市人緩解無聊的娛樂；堆疊成山的貨櫃，展示了國際間緊密供需的運輸鏈；以保麗龍製作出動物園的極地展示區及木礦場，巧妙地將全球暖化、動物生態及人類大量生產及消耗的習性串連在一起，暗喻了環境災害及動物保護密不可分的關連。資訊爆炸亦是陳閃關注的議題，以智能手機的包裝盒配合影片，製作出無限接收訊息的畫面，比喻了當代的速食文化，以及對老舊事物的淘汰危機；而充電站亦是相當寫實的城市生態。除此之外，陳閃以作品積極回應社會時事，例如香港教育局提及「若有性衝動的時候可到運動場去打羽毛球」的落後性教育教材，及葵涌邨垃圾房的畫作在網上爆紅後被勒令拆除，記錄了這個城市的荒謬，以及容不下生活趣味的官僚系統。
在創作的方法學上，陳氏擅長在小型的雕塑內部製作鏡像的無邊界視角，引導觀眾環繞雕塑探索盒子內的奇幻世界。透過充滿趣味的立體故事箱，製作的精細使觀眾耐心地花時間尋找每件作品中的線索。從狹小的窗戶看進去，這個動作產生了電影院的效果，使觀眾置身奇幻世界當中；退一步看，作品外部四面皆環繞着細節。這些場景就像遊戲的支線任務，可自成風景，同時亦為作品提供更豐富的世界觀，以多重的視覺敘事引領觀眾感知故事內容，同時反思自身。
《無限樂園》中的每件作品都是一個小世界，這些小世界共同拼湊成一座樂園，陳閃將樂園比喻為我們處身的世界，作品血淋淋地道破了資本社會的系統性問題，引導我們以帶有趣味的輕鬆方式，反思習以為常的日常生活，從中也透露出城市人的孤獨感。在高度人工化的彷植被空間中，觀眾觀看展品的同時也成為了這座大觀園的一份子，在慾望、物質、資訊共同爆炸的年代，我們連選擇的餘地都沒有便已被送進樂園。
Hong Kong artist Sim Chan's works focus on the landscape of contemporary society, including the day and night views of the city, the skyline outlined by buildings, and the various aspects of urban life. He specialises in painting and mixed-media sculptures, reflecting on social phenomena with a sense of humour, and exposing the cruelty of a materialistic overabundance in an era of convenience and desire-driven living systems that have been wilfully forgotten. Invited by Tu Xing Studio and Soil Space in Tainan, Sim Chan continues the theme he explored in his 2022 dual solo exhibition ‘From Infinity to the End’ at the Coast Gallery in Zhuhai, China, with 6 existing works and 6 new ones, moreover the whole new kinetic series ‘Wandering’, which travels above the exhibition space and becomes a key exhibit through ‘The infinite-land’.
The exhibition uses the popular claw machine in Taiwan as an introduction, which is an entertainment for city residents to relieve their boredom. Piles of containers are stacked on top of each other, demonstrating the international transport chain of supply and demand. The zoo's polar zone, which is made of polystyrene and the wood quarry, cleverly reveals the linkages between global warming, animal ecology and human's habit of mass production and consumption, alluding to the inextricable connection between environmental disasters and animal protection. Sim Chan is also concerned with the information explosion, using the packaging of smartphones to create an infinite number of messages, a metaphor for the contemporary snackable culture and the crisis of eliminating old things, alongside the charging station, which is also a realistic representation of the urban ecology. In addition, Sim Chan responds to current social issues with his works, such as the outdated sex education textbook of the Hong Kong Education Bureau, which advocates that ‘you may play badminton to ease your sexually impulse’, and the order to demolish the paintings of a refuse collection chamber in Kwai Chung Estate after it became a hit on the internet, which documents the absurdity of the city and the bureaucracy that is incapable of accommodating the joys of life.
In terms of methodology, Chan excels in creating mirrored, borderless perspectives inside small sculptures, guiding the audiences to explore the fantastical worlds around and inside the sculptures. Through the intriguing three-dimensional storyboxes, the meticulousness of the production allows the viewer to patiently spend time searching for clues in each piece. Viewed through a narrow window, the action creates a cinema effect, immersing the viewer in a fantasy world; stepping back, the exterior of the work is surrounded by details on all sides. These scenes are like side quests in a game, creating a landscape of their own, while at the same time providing a richer worldview for the work, leading the viewer to perceive the story through multiple visual narratives as well as to reflect on themselves.
The infinite-land' is a collection of small worlds, which together form a wonderland. Sim Chan metaphorically compares the wonderland to the world we are living in, and the work is a vivid illustration of the systemic problems of the capitalist society, which guides us to reflect on our daily life in a playful and light-hearted approach, and in this way, it also reveals the sense of loneliness of the city residents. In the highly artificial vegetation space, the audience becomes a part of the wonderland while viewing the exhibits. In the era of desire, materialism and information explosion, we are sent to the wonderland with no choice at all.
▎創作者介紹
陳閃（1987年生於香港），2009年畢業於香港藝術學院，主修繪畫。 早期的作品多以城市建築為題，紀錄並表達他對城市的所知所感；以繪畫或裝置形式來思考自身與處境的關係，紀錄了想像和現實，意識和型態之間來回探索的過程。陳氏的創作源於他對時代、感觀、空間、人性、精準計算、思維層次、美學等幾個範疇的試煉和實驗，以歴年的不同體會領略，做出當代藝術的不可預期和精湛呈現。 近年的作品多不拘泥於繪畫媒介的既定形式，對光的探索及研究更成為他的作品主題。
陳氏於 2011年及2013年入選傑出亞洲藝術獎，2013年入選透視雜誌「40 under 40」獎，同年受邀於香港藝術中心創作公共藝術裝置作品「SimKites」。2014 年入選「藝聚政府大樓 2013-14」，於伊利沙伯體育館展示大型公共藝術裝置「把風箏放回天空」。2016年參與第十五屆威尼斯國際建築雙年展－香港展覽《建築兵法》。 陳氏的作品曾於香港、澳門、 北京、上海、台北、新加坡、東京、泰國、韓國、倫敦、 威尼斯、蘇黎世、墨爾本等地方展出。並獲香港藝術推廣辦事處、希慎廣場、獅語畫廊、紅彩畫廊以及香港和海外的私人收藏。
Sim Chan (B. 1987, Hong Kong) graduated from the Hong Kong Art School, majoring in painting. Most of his early works focus on urban architecture, recording and expressing what he knows and feels about the city; he sees painting or installation as tools to recognize the relationship between himself and his environment, recording the process of exploring back and forth between imagination and reality, between consciousness and forms. Chan's creations are based on his trials and experiments in several areas such as era, sensories, spaces, humanities, numeric calculations, layers of thinking, and aesthetics. He has made the unpredictable and exquisite presentations of contemporary art through his different experiences and insights over the years. In recent years, his works are not confined to the established forms of painting media, and the exploration and research of light has become the theme of his works.
Chan was selected as one of the nominees for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize in 2011 and 2013, he was awarded “40under40” global creative talent by Perspective Magazine in 2013, he was commissioned to create a public art installation “SimKites” at Hong Kong Arts Centre in the same year. He was selected by the “Art＠Government Buildings 2013-14” to create a public art installation “Let the Kites Back into the Sky” at Queen Elizabeth Stadium. In 2016, he participated at the 15th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition “Stratagems in Architecture”. Chan's work has been exhibited in different cities such as Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore, Tokyo, Thailand, Korea, London, Venice, Zurich, Melbourne and more. His artworks are collected by APO's Public Art Collections, Hysan Place, Leo Gallery, Red Elation Gallery and as private collections in Hong Kong and abroad.
高穎琳（1992年生於香港）是一位獨立策展人、藝術家，她曾擔任Para Site藝術空間的助理策展人（2021至2023）以及大館當代美術館的藝術教育及美術館統籌（2019至2021）。她曾策劃 《Cantando Bajito: Incantations》（Ford Foundation Gallery，紐約，2024）， 《香港與福岡的日常——當代藝術考現學》（art space tetra，福岡，2023），《後人類敘事》系列（牛棚藝術村及香港醫學博物館，香港，2020至2022），鄺鎮禧個展 《PS 備註》（Para Site，香港，2023），李鈺淇個展《碎心碎片迪斯可球》（MOU PROJECTS，香港，2023）以及《社區藝術實驗計劃——週街展》（九龍城街道，香港，2013及2014）等等。
高氏的藝術作品從她的親密關係和個人感覺出發，主要關注距離和邊界的重新想像，她曾參與聯展《只是時差》（節點藝術空間，台南，2023），《缺口長出了尾巴》（老虎巖雙年展，香港，2023）及《歷時迴聲》（香港兆基創意書院展覽廳，香港，2023），雙人展《Over the ocean, over the sea》（Current Plans，香港，2022）等。她畢業於香港教育大學創意藝術與文化學系，並在台灣世新大學獲得性別研究碩士學位。她目前往返於香港和台灣生活與工作。
https://kobekobekobeko.com/ @kobekobekobeko
Kobe Ko (b. 1992 in Hong Kong) is an independent curator and artist, formerly worked as Assistant Curator at Para Site(2021–2023) and Art Education and Gallery Coordinator at Tai Kwun Contemporary(2019–2021). She has curated 'Cantando Bajito: Incantations' (Ford Foundation Gallery, New York, 2024), ‘Everyday life in Hong Kong and Fukuoka: The study of Contemporary Arts and Kougengaku’ (art space tetra, Fukuoka, 2023), ‘Post-Human Narratives’ series (Cattle Depot Artist Village and Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, Hong Kong, 2020–2022), Kong Chun Hei’s solo exhibition ‘PS’ (Para Site, Hong Kong, 2023), Florence Yuk-ki Lee’s solo exhibition ‘Broken heart pieces disco ball’ (MOU PROJECTS, Hong Kong, 2023), and ‘CHOW KAI CHIN’ Community Art Experimental Project (Kowloon City, Hong Kong, 2013 & 2014), among others.
Ko’s artworks depart from her intimate relationship and personal sensation and mainly focus on the re-imagination of distance and boundaries, she has participated in joint exhibition ‘roundabout’ (Zit-Dim Art Space, Tainan, 2024), ‘The Tailed Scar’ (Tiger Arm Strong Biennale, Hong Kong, 2023), duo exhibition ‘Over the ocean, over the sea’ (Current Plans, Hong Kong, 2022) and more. She graduated from the Department of Creative Arts and Culture of The Hong Kong University of Education, and received an MA in Gender Studies from Shih Hsin University in Taiwan. She lives and works in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
展覽現場
無限的遙望-樂園的位置？
文｜應力空間 彭奕軒
2023年11月於香港駐村與陳閃初次見面，透過好朋友何兆南介紹，參觀他的工作室。我們可以從他在火炭工作室的陳列可以感受到他對於一切空間的密集且功能化的運用，在香港工業大廈中，因為樓層挑高的關係，陳閃也自製出閣樓空間進行許多創作的實驗及測試。
在香港的任何空間都是有限的，在有限的空間內，陳閃將他自己想要堆疊的景色，透過實體的安排規整，但始終它們都是存在於有限的空間及環境。
從他的繪畫內容中，有關注香港天空的形狀、顏料透光性改變原本材料樣貌，擅長透過輕柔「轉變」光影產生出不同的景緻，自2022年疫情期間，他開始發展一系列與「無限」鏡射為方法的創作，一開始作品是香港島叮叮車的裝置作品，透過細緻的測量及全手工製作出一台叮叮車，如同一台經歷不同時代環境的一個時光機。
｜某種繪畫
Josiah McElheny，“Crystal Landscape Painting “，透過玻璃吹製，及灌入水銀產生某種無限流體的映照，從中媒介的歷史和思想的歷史融為一體。
對應無限鏡射的香港藝術家陳閃之作，我也認為他的作品可以繪畫的角度看待，以立體製成、光線為輔，但不在談媒介的歷史和思想，而是在視覺的廣闊樣貌中，感覺到無比的寂靜，如同風景畫般的橫向擴延。
｜身體感無限錯視
在觀看無限樂園作品系列中，我們很清楚在一個有限的空間裡面的景致，但在觀看視角上，我們很常會從反光鏡面與實體之間中去注視產生風景，以及當我們探進去一個小的空間，同時我們的位置產生巨大的位移，包含尺幅上的落差，光源映照在我們的臉上，這樣的觀看或如同窺視；重複且無限的想要「錯視」。
｜樂園的位置
藝術家陳閃說：
樂園裡其實並不快樂，
來的人往往充滿快樂？
從樂園主題裡，快速且精準，並有種抓不住的鄉愁，包含由策展人Kobe選件，由動態環境構成的樂園，包含如動物園般的場景、香港相關議題談羽球及激情、人類共感的習慣、垃圾及藝術的定義反覆，纜車遊歷空間，最後並以開採作為樂園的結尾，透過觀眾共同參與開發全新自然生態作結。
應力空間很榮幸邀請到香港藝術家陳閃，展出「無限樂園」全新個展發表，作為應力空間，我們期待透過不同視角及概念，「容器」是這次整體展覽的氛圍，容器作為載體、輔助、協助等存在。
Infinite Gaze – The Location of the Paradise
Written by: Peng Yi-Hsuan, Soil Space
In November 2023, during a residency in Hong Kong, I met Chen Sim for the first time, introduced by our mutual friend, South Ho. I visited his studio in Fotan, where I could feel his intense and functional approach to spatial usage. In the industrial building in Hong Kong, due to the high ceilings, Sim Chen had even built a loft space to carry out many creative experiments and tests.
In Hong Kong, all spaces are limited. Within these confined spaces, Sim Chen arranges the scenes he wants to stack through physical placement, yet they always exist within the constraints of the limited space and environment.
From his paintings, we can observe his focus on the shape of Hong Kong's sky and the way the transparency of pigments changes the original appearance of materials. He is skilled in using subtle "transformations" of light and shadow to create different scenic effects. Since the 2022 pandemic, he has started a series of works based on the concept of "infinite" reflections. Initially, his works involved an installation of the iconic Hong Kong tram, the "ding ding," which was carefully measured and handmade, like a time machine that has experienced different eras and environments.
A Certain Kind of Painting
Josiah McElheny, “Crystal Landscape Painting,” uses glass-blowing and the infusion of mercury to produce an illusion of infinite, fluid reflections. The history and ideas behind the medium and its craft are intertwined within the work.
In relation to Chen Sim’s works involving infinite reflections, I believe his pieces can also be viewed from the perspective of painting — constructed in three dimensions, with light playing a key role. However, rather than discussing the history and philosophy of the medium, his works are experienced through their expansive visuality, evoking an immense sense of quiet, akin to the horizontal extension of a landscape painting.
Body Sensations and Infinite Optical Illusions
When viewing the "Infinite Paradise" series of works, we clearly see a scene within a confined space. However, from our perspective, we often observe the landscape emerging between reflective surfaces and the physical world. As we step into a small space, we experience significant displacement — including a difference in scale, light sources reflecting on our faces — which feels like a voyeuristic experience. The repeated and infinite desire to "misperceive" becomes part of the interaction.
The Location of the Paradise
Artist Chen Sim says:
"Paradise is not actually a happy place;
People who come here are often filled with joy."
From the theme of paradise, we encounter a rapid and precise sense of nostalgia that is hard to grasp. Curated by Kobe, the exhibit creates a dynamic environment that forms the "paradise," incorporating scenes like a zoo, discussions on Hong Kong-related issues such as badminton, passion, human empathy, the role of trash, and the repeated questioning of the definition of art. The experience includes a cable car journey through the space, culminating in the exploitation of the "paradise" as its conclusion. Through the audience's participation, a new natural ecology is developed in the process.
Soil Space is honored to present Hong Kong artist Chen Sim’s solo exhibition, Infinite Paradise. As Soil Space, we hope to explore different perspectives and concepts. The theme of the exhibition is centered around the idea of the "container" — a vessel that serves as a medium, an aid, and an assistant to the creative process.