Vivian Lam
An exhibition entitled “There is no There There” (不在之在) by local artist Un Sio San (袁绍珊) is being held at the Post-Ox Warehouse Experimental Site.
According to a statement by the gallery, Un was born in Macau. She graduated from Peking University (PKU) with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese Literature and Arts in 2007 and master’s degree from the University of Toronto’s (UT) East Asian Department in Asia-Pacific Studies. She is a poet and writer.
According to the statement, the exhibition is an experiment of media expansion with poetry, showcasing the latest of Un’s works, after visiting the Arctic Circle Art Residency Village. The exhibition is themed around space. Un uses poetry as the major medium which combines videography, installations, photography, and other cross-media means. It initiates the discussion of the relationships about non-places, the public sphere, urban ruins, and nature.
According to the artist’s statement, the main epiphany from Un’s journey to the Arctic is that she learnt to understand space from the perspective of time such as fossils, glaciers, and fjords – all the connections engraved in spaces. Moreover, the meaning of space can only be manifested over and through time.
One of her works titled “A Gift From a Friend”, made of plastic boxes, ribbons, fur and faux fur, which mentions local people’s selfishness, and respect towards nature, however, hunting and trapping are the common phenomena of the Arctic, the statement points out.
The statement said, “When you get there, there isn’t any there there.” Un’s goal is to show that people living in the post-pandemic era would gain a brand-new understanding of space, which would contribute to the redefinition of solitude and connectivity.
The exhibition in on display until August 22 on the ground and second floors of the Post-Ox Warehouse Experimental Site at 15 Rua do Volong, except Mondays, from noon to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is free.
As part of the government’s COVID-19 pandemic prevention measures, all visitors entering the gallery must wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present a valid digital Health Code.
For enquiries call 28530026 or visit the website: https://www.facebook.com/oxwarehouse/
Photos: Vivian Lam and Camy Tam
