Image courtesy HART
Not-for-profit arts organisation HART is delighted to announce the first exhibition resulting from its arts programming. Household Gods will open to the public on 30 September 2020, both virtually and physically at HART Hall (G/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central), and runs through to 21 November 2020.
The group exhibition, curated by Ying Kwok, presents the works of four Hong Kong based artists; Nadim Abbas, Shane Aspegren, Tap Chan, and Wu Jiaru, who are grant-based artists participating in the ongoing sixth session of the HART Social Studio. Showcasing specially commissioned works by HART that encompass painting, sculpture, site specific installation and sound work, the exhibition originates from a desire to offer new insights into our complicated and currently uncertain world, addressing questions about the relationships between mankind in its most intimate setting, the household, and natural and supernatural phenomenon. Created and presented during a time of change, Household Gods rethinks how art and creativity empower each of us, both in content and form, and will be presented dually through virtual and digital mediums as well in person interaction with the exhibition.
Launched in 2018, HART is a collective of art spaces and art programming that is dedicated to fostering collaboration and community value through a sustainable culture of creativity. By providing a platform for artists to experiment, evolve and collaborate in knowledge and practices, HART supports and enables Hong Kong’s creative community, and acts as a facilitator for diverse and experimental art practices. Now in its second year HART is maturing into a key player in establishing a robust art ecosystem in Hong Kong, nurturing the next generation of artists and art lovers with open calls to artists, site-specific projects and publicly accessible year round programming.
A central part of HART’s programming is the Social Studio that runs from one of the collective’s core venues HART Haus, a 10,000 sqft modern ‘arthouse’ that has transformed a former factory floor in Kennedy Town into a flexible studio and salon space. The upcoming exhibition Household Gods showcases the experimental practices that artists and ‘Hausians’ Abbas, Aspegren, Chan, and Wu have explored during their participation in the Social Studio at HART Haus. Each work is an outcome of the dialogue and mutual understanding generated by the collaborative environment HART Haus fosters, and attempts to harness a visual language to know the unknown, if not rationally then spiritually.
Abbas is developing a series of set pieces that place a new logic on modular domestic furniture to expose the unpredictable nature of image, body and space, while Chan is working on a sculptural installation that questions the psychological and material nature of space as a concept, exploring the blurring of fiction and reality in modern daily life. Aspegren expands his ongoing investigation into the healing qualities of sonic frequencies on the body and brain through a sound piece presented in conjunction with a series of small sculptures created from found organic objects. Building from the concept of anxiety, Wu’s work experiments with social norms to create lasting sculptures constructed by preserved material evidence of her daily household existence.
In addition to a publication detailing the inspirations behind each work, extensive programming will accompany the exhibition. The multi-layered and evolving creation process of Household Gods is being documented in a digital journal that illustrates key questions raised between curator and artists, and which encourages local and international audiences to further explore these themes. In the lead up to and during the exhibition, a series of conversations featuring the curator and artists will be live-streamed from HART Haus, offering behind-the-scenes access and insights. The series launches on Friday 28 August at 3:30pm with a conversation with Wu Jiaru, please see full details below.
“It is often claimed that we live in a secular age. But our minds are still very much sensitive to supernatural thoughts and feelings. The insight Nadim Abbas, Shane Aspegren, Tap Chan, and Wu Jiaru have shown when exploring human habits, rituals and emotions offer fresh viewpoints of modern life, and the power of visual language on something more divine.” Ying Kwok, Curator of Household Gods
“During this challenging period we hope to infuse our community with positive energy and collective spirit, through engagement with the experimental works produced for Household Gods by our current Social Studio artist residents at HART Haus.” Jeannie Wu, Director of HART
Household Gods
Exhibition Dates: 30 September – 21 November 2020
Location: HART Hall, G/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central
Opening Times: 11am – 8pm
Contact details: (852) 2908 8044
Please Note: To minimise the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the community, the number of visitors to HART Haus and HART Hall will be limited and regulated according to the latest social distancing policy from the Hong Kong Government
Public Programming
Live Conversations From HART
Registration: https://thehart.com.hk/in-dialogue-with-hart
Exhibition Website: https://thehart.com.hk/householdgods (coming soon)
| Date & Time | Talk |
| Friday 28 August 3:30-4:15PM | In Dialogue with Wu Jiaru Art Making, Stream-of-Consciousness and Practice |
| Friday 4 September 3:30-4:15PM | In Dialogue with Shane Aspegren On Frequencies, Perception and Matter |
| Friday 18 September 3:30-4:15PM | In Dialogue with Tap Chan Materiality as a Contextual Framework of Art Making |
| Wednesday 30 September 6-7pm | Sharing on the Making of Household Gods Ying Kwok, Nadim Abbas, Shane Aspegren, Tap Chan, and Wu Jiaru and Jeannie Wu will participate |
| Friday 9 October 3:30-4:15pm | In Dialogue with Nadim Abbas Stay tuned for details! |
Image credit: All images courtesy of HART