Interview by William Chan
“Synchronicity – Topology of Mind” is an art exhibition taking place at the All Around Space venue until November 26, curator Alice Kok (郭恬熙) noted during an exclusive interview with The Macau Post Daily recently in her office in Zape.
The exhibition is selected as one of the “Local Curatorial Projects” by “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennial 2023”. Kok pointed out that “Synchronicity – Topology of Mind” aims to echo with different dimensions of the participating artists’ works, creating an environment of sensory awareness, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the space of the artworks and explore their perception of the outside world.
The exhibition features the works of the two artists with very different styles and backgrounds: local artist Vincent Cheang (鄭志達) and Tan Bin (譚彬) from Hangzhou. Using a variety of artistic media including drawing, sculpture, movable video installations and computer-generated imagery, they explore the topological themes of consciousness by echoing each other in the exhibition space.
Tan obtained his doctorate after graduating from the School of Inter-Media Art at the China Academy of Art. Currently, he is a faculty member at the School of Design & Innovation at the China Academy of Art. Tan’s artworks have been showcased in various exhibitions, including the 12th National Art Exhibition – Experimental Art Section at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, the Chengdu Biennale 2021 at the Chengdu Art Museum in Chengdu and the Weaving & We: 2016 Hangzhou Triennial of Fibre Art at the Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou.
Cheang is a multifaceted artist with a diverse range of accomplishments. He serves as a host of Ou Mun Tin Toi (the Chinese-language radio channel of local broadcaster TDM), a lecturer at the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre (CPTTM), the creative director of the Macau brand Worker Playground, an advisor to the Macau Garment Industry Association, and the president of the Live Music Association (LMA).
Distortion of Space
Tan’s installation features an 8-shaped mountain sculpture and a train equipped with two cameras, which ventures into the interior of the mountain. At first glance, the surface appears seamless, but hidden within the mountain are diverse and contrasting scenes. Kok underlined that the train progressively journeys through places such as mines, caves, a moon-like surface, and the seabed, and the interior scenes are simultaneously projected in real-time onto external screens.
“Although the actual space inside the mountain is relatively narrow and limited, from the perspective of the train, it presents an ancient mythical space, making the audience feel as if they were in a science fiction realm of a different time and space,” Kok said. Interestingly, although the visuals of the artwork evoke a fairyland, its presentation relies on real-time technology, she pointed out.
Cheang, a digital painter-turned-charcoal drawer for this exhibition, embraces a style of “stream of consciousness” in his creative process, according to Kok, who added that Cheang simply takes up a charcoal pencil and depicts colossal and abstract indescribable elements on a two-metre-long piece of paper using his imagination. “Visitors are guided into dark, narrow, and elongated spaces, filled with mirrors and Cheang’s art works that distort the visitors’ spatial perception. Combined with Cheang’s unreal imagery, it creates a sense of depth and a mystical experience,” Kok said.
All Around Space (四方空間) is situated on the second floor of Edifício Industrial Asia on Avenida do Almirante Lacerda, directly opposite the Red Market. Kok has arranged a pinhole imaging room near the window of the exhibition space, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the inverted projection of the Red Market inside the darkened room.
The exhibition will run until November 26, with opening hours from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. The venue is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free.
Scenery inside the mountain
The mountain and the train by Tan
