SONG BETWEEN LIPS
Artist: KAN Hsu–Pin
Venue: ddmwarehouse (38 Chuangyi St., 570 West Huaihai Rd., Shanghai, China, 200052)
Organiser: ddmwarehouse
Dates: Jan. 9th-24th, 2010
Opening: Jan. 9th, 2010 Sat., 17:30
We may open our mouths, talking and singing. As an existence of expressing, a song compared with words, possesses much richer imagery and varied associations between lyrics and melodies, from which singer enjoys emotion expressing for being shared by listeners.
My love for songs and sounds is the reason for this exhibition’s title as “Song between Lips”. The lyrics and melodies from lips shall go deep inside ears, either quickly or slowly, either from far far away or just by your side. A piece of work from being conceived till its fulfillment is an existence of a beautiful creature as melodies and together with poetry. That’s my true feeling. And I have a wish as well, that all the visitors for this upcoming exhibition will find a song for themselves, or even just pieces of notes.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Since long my works are mostly connected to the violence forms of language. However this so-called violence is hidden between mouths and ears, therefore telephone as a communicating method draws my attention. Ring! Ring! Ring!, a digital interactive installation, reflects the feeling of relying and of no choice. A number of names are transformed into series of dialing, interrupting, transferring, reminding, etc. so as not to miss any phone call, and not to forget any phone number. Do people really receive any help or comforting on cold telephone set after they dial the number? Do you really know who is the one that really would like to help you, when you are facing hundreds of contact numbers? Thus, I hope to recall from this piece, a phone booth with 596 telephone sets installed, the age of writing letters to friends and the mood of waiting for their replies.
The Territory
The Territory is a video installation, which is mainly composed of a red beehive-shaped fortification. Above the fortification stands a pole with the territory flag. In this piece, territory stands for home/house, magnified sense of security and an interactive form between the territory and outside space as well. People feel secured at their own territories, and at the same time are also anxious about the happenings in the outer space. When people leave their own inner world, and step into the outer space, following the jungle law, territory finally becomes our last fortification against the “killings”.
Song of Freedom
Song of Freedom is a sculpture installation. 16 Statues of Liberty are singing just one same song on a stage. But are they sharing one same sort of freedom deep inside their minds? Is the freedom you are enthusiastic for really the one I am after? Can the freedom between an individual and a collective be actually balanced? Is the freedom I am eager to practice an obstacle for the others? By creating the Song of Freedom, there were several campus shootings happening. But this piece of work and how it will be displayed are inspired from the memory of fearing the chorus rehearsals during my childhood.
God’s Right Hand
God’s Right Hand is a video installation. A monk-like person is projected on one site of a park, and golden grains are flowing continuously from the wound of his right hand. Pigeons gather around to search for an easy meal on the lawn where visitors usually feed them. The result is of course a disappointment. This is not a religiously ironic piece. What interests me is that people are often relying on others or an untouchable conceived figure when they are facing disasters or adversities. What are you able to get, when you really grasp the God’s right hand?
L’incendiaire
L’incendiaire is a short video about violence forms of language. Suppose there is one fire-raiser among lingual communications from one person to ten, and then more and more, the word itself is insensibly changing as if it were a life. When a word leaves the mouth, the control on it is therefore lost, just as the fire-raiser is not able to expect what kind of disaster the fire he sets may bring.
Self-accomplishment
Self-accomplishment is a short animation. The man in the film presses the button over his head to start a process of “self-accomplishment”. As he wishes, the program starts smoothly. But out of his expectation, this process is totally brutal and bloody without any chance of pausing and suspending. Are we willing to take the chance if this so-called self-perfection program is in front of you? At the end of this film the man abandons all he has and becomes a piece of dazzling pearl. What is unexpected is that it is actually just a balloon easily torn by a needle.
