SC Gallery 劉家俊、陶啟安 : 《 無有之像 》
展期：2024 年 4月 18 日
閉幕：2024 年 5 月 18 日
地址：香港 黃竹坑道53號 英基工業中心1902室
開放時間：11:30am - 6:30pm ( 星期二至六 )
四月SC Gallery為大家帶來兩位藝術面向截然不同的本地新晉藝術家，分別是取得香港 中文大學藝術碩士學位的版畫藝術家劉家俊和畢業於香港藝術學院主修陶瓷，特別對 考古文物有興趣的藝術家陶啟安。這次展覽名為《無有之像》，兩位藝術家分別以他們 的方法去探討我們過去社會和歷史種種破壞與重生。
觸發劉家俊這個思潮， 是一次他在歐洲旅行中，親眼目睹文藝復興時期的各種大理石 雕塑，其中米高安哲羅(Michelangelo)的雕像十分觸動他，因為米高安哲羅的雕像經常 地被不同年代的藝術家甚至商品挪用在不同場境，出來的語境跟本來的米高安哲羅雕 像已經完全不同，他便好奇每個雕背後的真實故事和社會背景。哲學家華特・本雅明( Walter Benjamin)曾提到，古典藝術品的「靈光」僅存在於當下的空間和時間(Jetzt und Hier)，即使後人可以無限複製同一個雕像，卻無法複製當時的特定空間，以及當刻藝 術品對其他人帶來的震撼感。劉氏認為這是破壞了藝術品本來的意義，但卻又賦予了 它新的生命，一個更切合當代的意義。
在這次展覽中，劉氏運用全新的手法，將塑膠彩轉印結合木版畫技術，大膽將不同雕 塑的複製影像，包括古典雕塑、維多利亞女王銅像、伊莉莎白女王的蠟像等放置到廢 墟、裝修工地甚至是他利用修圖軟件虛構的場境之中，嘗試把玩著這些雕像自身、所 指涉的事物，形成他與其複製品之間新的符碼。劉氏的木版畫將知名雕像置於不可名 狀的場境之中，陶啓安則以陶瓷、金、銀和銅仿製不同的法器和聖物作回應。
陶啟安是動漫迷，他發現現代的動漫中不少的法器或武器很大部份都是參考了古代的 聖物再重新設計，一樣都是破壞與重新賦予新的解讀。陶氏通過假想考古學的方式創 作虛構的古代器物，重新詮釋歷史、宗教和流行文化之間的關係。這次展覽中，他參考 了皇室貴族的器物，仿製古代聖物和法器;作品由陶瓷、銀和銅製成，部分更鍍上真金 ，讓觀眾彷彿置身於藝術家的狂想廢墟中尋寶。同時，他發現聖像是透過符號產生的 意義和古人的想像，以塑造神話、宗教故事的人物。他在仿製的法器中加入了自創的 符號和破碎的碑文，將觀眾導入看似真實的歷史時空，實則卻是虛構的烏有史。
破壞與重生，幻想與現實，兩位藝術家為我們打破時空的界限，SC Gallery 誠邀各位跟 劉家俊、陶啟安一起回顧當代社會，洞察過去、現在和未來之間。
Jay Lau and Benny To: N-O-C-I Exhibition
Date : 18/4 - 18/5/2024
In April, SC Gallery is presenting a duo exhibition by two emerging local artists with completely different artistic practices, they are Jay Lau, a print-making artist who recently graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Benny To, who graduated from Hong Kong Art School with a major in ceramics, with a special interest in archaeological artifacts. The two artists have come together in "N-O-C-I" to explore the ideas of destruction and rebirth throughout the society historically.
When Lau traveled across Europe, he was enthralled by the Renaissance marble sculptures after witnessing them with his own eyes. In particular, Michelangelo's sculptures deeply moved him, as they are appropriated and replicated by artists across different generations out of context, and even reproduced as merchandise for commercial use. The original meaning and significance behind these marble sculptures are now lost, and Lau became curious and intrigued by the actual social and historical context behind them. Walter Benjamin, a German Jewish philosopher, had proposed that each work of art has an aura, a unique presence that only exists in a certain time and space (Jetzt und Hier). Therefore, no matter how many times a sculpture is being reproduced, its copy is still lacking the aura, and the feeling one may get from looking at the original piece, as it cannot be replicated. The existence of the reproduction of a work of art then diminishes the meaning and significance of the original piece, yet at the same time, it is giving it a new life, adapted in a contemporary context.
In this exhibition, Lau employs a new technique, by combining acrylic transfer and woodcut printing to replicate images of various sculptures, including the statue of Queen Victoria and the wax figure of Queen Elizabeth II etc., then situating them in ruins, construction sites, and even fictional settings that he fabricated through photo editing software. He wittily plays with the sculptures and their representations, to form a new set of symbols and hidden codes in between.
In Lau's woodcut prints, he positions famous sculptures into indescribable scenarios and in response, Benny To uses a wide range of materials, such as ceramic, gold, silver and copper to imitate different magic weapons and relics.
To is an avid anime watcher, and he realized in anime, many of the magic weapons and relics used by the fictional characters are based off of actual ancient artifacts as a reference, then redesigned. Similarly, it goes through the process of deconstruction and rebirth like in Lau's works. Through recreating ancient artifacts through his imaginative fictional archaeology, To reinterprets the relationship between history, religion and pop culture through his own lens. In this exhibition, he references the items passed on for generations of the Royal Family, and imitates the appearance of ancient relics and artifacts. His works are made from ceramic, silver and copper, and some parts even with actual gold. When visiting the exhibition, the
viewers may feel as though they are visiting the ruins of the artist's fantasy, looking for treasure. Also, To realized that people in ancient times developed religious mythology, in which they embed holy icons with symbols and hidden meaning. They created icons, totems and statues to bring their deepest desires and fantasies to life, converting these from intangible ideas, to tangible objects. Drawing inspiration from that, he added symbols and fractured texts of inscriptions to the fabricated relics, and guides the viewers to a world that looks and feels familiar to our own, but with fictitious history and background.
By exploring the duality between destruction and rebirth, imagination and reality, the two artists break the boundaries of time and space. SC Gallery invites everyone to join Lau and To to reflect on our contemporary society, while gaining insight to the relationship between our past, present and future.