Nightfall

Embrace The Moment

看完中國新晉藝術家黃曉亮的《夜幕》展覽後,我想了良久,還是決定不了一天中哪一個時分是我最喜歡的。好像沒有那麼一個時段,能與他獨愛正式入夜之前那黃昏時段的程度作比較,突然覺得有種莫名的難為情,彷彿是朋友問你的興趣愛好時,你卻說不出話來的尷尬。走過長長的樓梯,首先看到的是投射在牆壁上的巨型風扇,配合著畫廊中涼快的空調,我有好幾秒把它們聯想在一起了;而更吸引我的是那些伴隨著風扇剪影的聲音鳥的叫聲。我知道就是這段錄像,把我帶進了中國湖南的屋子裡去。啊不對,應該說,我應該是走進別人回憶裡的屋子去了。沿著風扇,我看到了更多的回憶片段,黑白的作品整齊地陳列在一排射燈下, 這些比較早期的創作與他喜歡的黃昏有著一個共同點:事物都是曖昧不明的。

較近期的作品系列《夜幕》同樣貫徹了這個特點,人物的交流與互動、聚會或社交的活動都透過燈光而被凸顯,但是畫面還是朦朧的。就算是牆上的政治宣傳字句,也是意思不完整的文字;正如你不會具體的知道,那些在居所附近遊走的人們正在做什麼、在聊些什麼,甚至是打算盤算著什麼,全部的東西在帶點夢幻的感覺中都疑幻似真,都可以肆意想像。在我正在想為什麼畫廊不順應主題把燈光調暗一點的時候,再次聽到風扇旁邊的鳥叫聲……想起了他把家鄉湖南湘西獨有的植物靜悄悄的放進了黑白的作品中,然後也把那裏獨有的鳥叫聲帶到香港。這個展覽是一個挺私人的藝術分享,他把童年、生活環境等都融入了創作,最喜歡的是他的一點傲氣。別人以後都會因為黃曉亮的作品而知道湖南湘西的事。

黃曉亮個展《夜幕》
日期:現在直至616
地址:Over The Influence(香港中環荷里活道1591樓)
時間:星期二至六 上午11時至晚上7時(開放予公眾參觀)

After visiting the up-and-coming Chinese artist Huang Xiaoliang’s “Nightfall” exhibition, I found myself deep in thought about my favorite time of day. But alas, my ruminations ended inconclusively. To the artist, it seems that dusk–the moment before twilight fades into night–was his most beloved time of day. Why couldn’t I decide what time of day was my favorite? I felt embarrassed that I had no answer. The feeling is similar to that awkward moment when your mind goes blank after someone asks you about your interests. After taking the long staircase in the exhibition, my gaze was immediately drawn to the giant silhouette of a fan projected onto the wall and the air conditioner in the middle of the gallery. I had a few seconds to associate them. But then, my attention was averted to the bird cries that played in the background. Moreover, the accompanying video recordings had somehow transported me into someone’s house in China’s Hunan Province. Nay, it was a house from the artist’s own memories.  As my steps traced the fan’s silhouette, I saw many more nostalgic scenes playing back at me. Then I saw these black and white pieces from Huang’s earlier days, neatly arranged under a row of spotlights on the side. The semidarkness that presided over these pieces were an expression of Huang’s beloved hour of twilight.

Huang’s more recent series “Nightfall” also implements these lighting effects. All the interactions and exchanges between the visitors and his works and the gathering of people, everything was accentuated under this lighting, yet a haze of ambiguity was somehow still present. The political language on the walls seemed to be hazy and enigmatic as well. It’s similar to that feeling when you don’t know what the people around you are doing, saying, or thinking. Everything is shrouded in dream-like mystery and your imagination has free rein. But why didn’t the venue dim the lights? I thought to myself. Wouldn’t that have been more consistent with the theme of the exhibition? My thoughts were interrupted by the bird calls from the fan silhouette display. Then, I noticed that there were plants sitting quietly in the black and white exhibit. They were plants from the artist’s hometown Xiangxi in Hunan Province, and he had brought them there. The bird calls were the same. He had brought them to this exhibition in Hong Kong from his hometown. Then it dawned on me that all of this was a showcase of the artist’s life. His personal experiences and childhood were integrated into his works. The subtle sense of pride that emanated from it all spoke to me the most. I trust that many will come to know Huang Xiaoliang’s hometown Xiangxi through his creations.

Huang Xiaoliang “Nightfall”
Date: Now until June 16th
Location: Over the Influence (1/F, 159 Hollywood Road Central, Hong Kong)
Time: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am – 7pm (Open to the public)

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