Gayle Chong Kwan. The Taotie

About

The artist, known for large scale installations of videos and photos, will reveal seven new photographic works, responding to the collection that have been created during her residency. They will be accompanied by ‘shrines’ made up of newly cast bronze offerings, and will incorporate references to Chinese, Taoist and Buddhist cultures, as well as focusing on ideas around food, soil and the body.

The title of the exhibition refers to a Chinese mythical creature that would commonly be emblazoned on Shang Dynasty bronzes. She has made her own personal three-dimensional taotie motifs, made from collaged images and photographs, all different shapes and sizes. Each work will refer to a different Chinese animal of the zodiac, as well as drawing upon the myths of the Hungry Ghost festival, common in East Asian countries in which spirits of deceased ancestors rise.

The ambitious show will explore sustenance, memory and rituals, while also directly highlighting the politics and provenance of collections and museums in the modern age.