the impact of exhibitions on the auction price of work for living artists
GALLERY EXHIBITIONS - ts1yangon.comts1yangon.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/EXHIBITION.pdf ·...
Transcript of GALLERY EXHIBITIONS - ts1yangon.comts1yangon.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/EXHIBITION.pdf ·...
G A L L E R Y
E X H I B I T I O N S :
S O L O S H O W
P H Y O E K Y I : T H E O T H E R S I D E
5 A P R I L 2 0 1 4 ~ 2 5 M A Y 2 0 1 4
P H Y O E K Y I
/
S I L K S C R E E N
O N S H A N P A P E R
PHYOE KYI:
THE OTHER SIDE
Text by Nathalie Johnston
TS1 Yangon’s first contemporary Myanmar art
exhibition featured work by accomplished artist
Phyoe Kyi, a resident of Taunggyi in Shan State
and one of few contemporary artists in the country
who work with new media such as video, design,
and silkscreen. His work reflects part of the energy
TS1 wants to embrace in Yangon and Myanmar in
general: a devotion to the future possibilities of a
place and the artists who look beyond traditional
ways of seeing to create innovative responses to the
present.
This was Phyoe Kyi’s first solo exhibition in Yangon
since 2001. His work invites the viewer not only into
the physical space where his work was displayed,
but also into the story of how he came to this place
in time. This series I Never Sleep Without takes the
viewer from Phyoe Kyi’s own childhood through to
adulthood, touching on all the dreams of meditation,
envy, greed, sympathy and more. It is a complex
journey through the life of artist and nature, mother
and son, performance and print. Phyoe Kyi struggled
to arrive at this conceptual place: his other side.
The title The Other Side was inspired by a Burmese
song about a boy who never chose the right path.
Nurtured to be what our elders perceive to be good,
we are raised in a nest of perfect moments, meant
to make us great. And yet, inside each of us is the
uncontrollable desire for the sin: the admiration of
what the world around us perceives to be evil. We find
strength in the villain; inspiration in jealousy; honor
in betrayal. We hide these needs and wants while
embracing the impulse to belong. Train yourselves
to understand that right and wrong always come
together. Ask for forgiveness. Find the right moments
for yourself. And never sleep without...
P H Y O E K Y I
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S I L K S C R E E N
O N S H A N P A P E R
P H Y O E K Y I
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S I L K S C R E E N
O N S H A N P A P E R
G R O U P S H O W
I T ’ S A L O N G W A Y :
7 A R T I S T S F R O M M Y A N M A R
3 0 M A Y 2 0 1 4 ~ 5 J U L Y 2 0 1 4
W A I M A R N Y U N T
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V I D E O I N S T A L L A T I O N
F R O M L E F T
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L W I N O O M A U N G
P A I N T I N G
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M A Y P H U E T H E T
I N S T A L L A T I O N
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C H A W E I T H E I N
P A I N T I N G
Z A R M I N H T I K E
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I N S T A L L A T I O N
IT’S A LONG WAY:
7 ARTISTS FROM MYANMAR
Text by Nathalie Johnston
This punctuating phrase can be heard on the streets
of Yangon. It is a culminating sentiment that has
origins stretching back into the pages of Myanmar’s
history. It’s a Long Way is a common English phrase
spoken in colloquial conversation amongst the
people of Myanmar. Exactly where it originated from
or when people started using it, no one is able to
say one way or another. However, one story helps to
place it in context.
Simultaneously referencing a colonial past and a
future infamous for its protests, a children’s story
describes it best: the story of Myanmar’s most
famous student Bo Aung Kyaw. He was the first of
many students to sacrifice his life for his belief in an
independent Burma. It was 1938, and Bo Aung Kyaw
and his classmates marched to the Secretariat to
stage a demonstration against the occupying British
Imperial police. Many were beaten by the mounted
policemen and several died, including Bo Aung Kyaw.
It is said that as the police forces beat the students
from atop their horses, they yelled “It’s a long way
to independence!” Ten years and World War later,
Burma became independent from the United
Kingdom.
Myanmar has experienced dozens of transition
periods and sure to experience many more. Despite
experiencing censorship and numerous limitations,
contemporary artwork in Myanmar often explores
the largely misunderstood narratives around the
country’s history, present circumstances and future
challenges. It’s a Long Way reflects these sentiments,
but it is not meant to be tragic. Its sentiment is
hopeful yet cautious about the long road to stability,
equality, and peace.
The title was chosen after the artists’ concepts were
shared. Ko So explores the environmental impact
of consumption and Waimar similarly addresses
changing cityscapes as it relates to social gatherings;
Chaw Ei Thein paints the struggles of those living on
the borders and Zoncy is interested in the conditions
of women working in the city; May Phue Thet reveals
the loss of tradition amongst a young generation; Zar
Min Htike and Lwin Oo Maung invite the viewer to
closely scrutinize the contradictions of political and
religious systems, respectively.
The artists choose to wade through the reflections
on change, whether or not that change is occurring,
and why one might feel trepidation about the future.
Never exhibited before, their work intimates their
disappointments and expectations. This exhibition
is a statement: where Myanmar is now and where it
hopes to go.
L W I N O O M A U N G
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P A I N T I N G
S O L O S H O W
N E W W O R K S B Y S O E N A I N G
1 2 J U L Y 2 0 1 4 ~ 5 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4
S O E N A I N G
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O I L O N C A N V A S
NEW WORKS BY SOE NAING
Text by Nathalie Johnston
TS1 Gallery was proud to host the new works of
Soe Naing, an internationally acclaimed painter and
respected mentor from Myanmar. After studying
under Master painters such as U Lun Gwye and
U Aung Myint, he created his own style when he
abandoned the standard notions of beauty and
pursued his fascination with the irregular, the
contorted and the playful.
Art critic Aung Min refers to Soe Naing’s charcters
as “quasi-human and animal-like.” Though they
may appear unfinished, there is nothing amateur
about the artist’s brushstrokes. He has perfected
these painted actions for over twenty years. Whether
working through clay, acrylic, pen or oil, his quick
brush and mature color palette allow his figures to
dance on canvas.
S O E N A I N G
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O I L O N C A N V A S
S O E N A I N G
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O I L O N C A N V A S
S O L O S H O W
A U N G M Y I N T : 1 4 A . M .
1 5 A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 ~ 2 0 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4
AUNG MYINT:
14 A.M.
Text by Nathalie Johnston
Aung Myint is a living legend. Aung Myint played an
integral role in the foundation of art in Myanmar and
the transition from a Occidental-influenced Modern
Period, to an adaptation of what could now be
considered Contemporary methodology specific to
the region of Southeast Asia and Myanmar, thereby
catapulting Myanmar artists into a self-defining
future.
Myanmar’s Modern period brought abstract painting
and sculpture, batik, weaving, and the reinvention
of Buddhist imagery and symbolism. Art Historian
Ma Thanegi writes in an essay titled, A Bridge to
the Future, that Aung Myint began to participate
in this movement as early as 1969, and made a
choice to experiment with different themes. Aung
Min, art critic and filmmaker, writes about the styles
of painting Aung Myint adopted in his early works,
such as Abstract Expressionism, which later led him
to several series of paintings, sculptures, conceptual
artworks and even performance art.
In 1989, Aung Myint along with San Minn and other
artist friends, opened Inya Art Gallery, and changed
the course of art in Myanmar forever. Well-known
locally and internationally, artists such as Htein
Lin, Aye Ko, and Nge Lay all credit Aung Myint as a
teacher and inspiration - an older, more experienced
artist who encouraged them to try new concepts
and challenge traditional ways of creating art. This
must have been no easy task, as art education in the
country provided limited access to new information,
focusing instead on Western portraiture and
landscape along with Buddhist temple-painting or
the traditional skills of an artisan.
Aung Myint moved artists to see the world differently
and challenge the status quo. His support was
unflinching, and he is often credited with hosting
and participating in the first exhibitions where this
kind of experimentation - performance art, curating,
installation - took place. In addition, he never lost
focus on his own work; that combination of pursuing
his own style, and all the while uplifting several
generations of other artists, is what helped make
Myanmar art matter and what makes Aung Myint a
figure worth celebrating.
A U N G M Y I N T
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A C R Y L I C O N C A N V A S
A U N G M Y I N T
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A C R Y L I C O N C A N V A S
G R O U P S H O W
T H E M I R R O R : R E F L E C T I N G S O C I E T Y
2 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 ~ 3 1 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4
M Y A T K Y A W T
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I N S T A L L A T I O N
A N D
P A I N T I N G
THE MIRROR:
REFLECTING SOCIETY
Co-Cureted by Moe Satt
Text by Nathalie Johnston
If we hold up a mirror and walk around the city, what
kind of images would be reflected in the mirror? I am
sure, whatever the images, they would be reflections
of our society. Therefore, we decided to title our
exhibition “The Mirror: Reflecting Society”. The
artwork reflects, or mirrors, the nature of our society.
Can we say our society is an “open society” or a
“semi-open society?” In any case, we are no longer
the “closed society”. In the transition period, a more
relaxed condition than before, artists are now more
willing to tackle issues around the socio-political
that were previously considered untouchable.
In this event we feature four contemporary artists -
Myat Kyawt / Zun Ei Phyu / Wahlone and Thurein
- who work in painting, sculpture, installation, and
paper-cutting.
W A H L O N E
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A C R Y L I C O N C A N V A S
S O L O S H O W
K A U N G S U : R E N O V A T I O P L A N
2 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 ~ 1 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5
KAUNG SU:
RENOVATIO PLAN
Text by Nathalie Johnston
The overriding theme of the exhibition was ecological
damage. To carry the weight of the message, Kaung
Su explores the interplay of mass extinction, crisis
of post-normal science, climate affairs, and global
threats with epic proportions. In the wood painting of
“Poor Soil’, the primary motif is devastated farmland.
On a mud colored and smoky grey landscape with
unborn or dead seeds to confront changing climates;
standing wood among in an orange-yellow light gives
the sense that the world is still breathing. Human
activities are responsible for global deforestation.
“Human Sucks” is an expression of the way Kaung
Su confronts the problem of “vanishing wood”
because of human impacts on virgin land. The
theme moves between two poles: artistic autonomy
on broken wooden sign and a linguistic concept. The
motif of ‘Rebirth with Wing” is some kind of alarm
for the last stand of primitive nature and endangered
species. The vision of the work clearly belong to the
standing figure with the limb of a wolf, wood symbols
and wings. The cut wood with the wing symbolize
the rebirth of nature, which has to fly somewhere
between a promised land and a climate free of toxins.
Underneath it all is a spiritual philosophy.
K A U N G S U
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M I X E D M E D I A O N C A N V A S
K A U N G S U
/
M I X E D M E D I A O N C A N V A S
K A U N G S U
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M I X E D M E D I A O N C A N V A S
G R O U P S H O W
I ’ M P R O U D :
A C O L L A T E R A L E V E N T O F T H E
& P R O U D L G B T F I L M F E S T I V A L
8 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5 ~ 1 8 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5
I’M PROUD:
A COLLATERAL EVENT OF THE
&PROUD LGBT FILM FESTIVAL
Text by Co-Curetor Jose Abad Lorente
The I Am Proud exhibition followed the &Proud LGBT
Film festival concept, which was to demonstrate the
diversity of LGBT lives across Asia.
The art exhibition acted as a visual dialogue about
tolerance, respect and acceptance for the LGBT
community by wider society. The conversation
started from the collaborative efforts between
Nathalie Johnston (TS1 Gallery curator) and artist/
curator Jose Abad Lorente. The different views,
sexual identities and experiences of the two curators
formed the point of departure.
The collaborative process began with TS1 Gallery
opening their doors to the LGBT community to host
the exhibition. As curators we brought together
artists from Myanmar and beyond, to bring into
conversation LGBT topics, lifestyles and gender
roles. The exhibition mixed queer and non-queer
artists projecting an understanding of a society
moving towards openness and tolerance.
As Nathalie Johnson says “The artists represented
by TS1 Gallery in the I’m Proud exhibition do not
directly address LGBT issues, but they do begin a
conversation about how we regard the human spirit
and its placement by society in assigned masculine
or feminine roles. This in turn has a profound
effect on the development of LGBT rights and the
development of Queer theory. Myanmar is entering a
new era, and artistic practice addressing such issues
is integral to the development and discussion.”
Works represented by TS1 Gallery included
photographs of performance artist Ma Ei where her
face is covered with red ribbons hiding her identity,
placed alongside reportage by Vincenzo Floramo of
Pauk Pauk - a transgender hairdresser who is open
and in living and working in Yangon.
May Phue Thet‘s work “The Burden of Being A
Bride” was a hand- embroidered Burmese-style
dress exploring the artist’s concerns about rapidly
changing fashion leaving behind traditional style. In
the exhibition context, the dress raised the question
of gender roles and dress among Myanmar people.
It was exhibited between photographs from Hongsar
Wadee, a participant in the &Proud LGBT Photo
Competition in May 2014, of the ever first same sex
marriage celebration in Myanmar.
Zar Min Htike’s selected paintings “In Front Of The
Throne” and “In Front Of The Mirror” were about
fears, ghosts and haunting experiences. Between
these two ghostly, colourful and satirical paintings
was placed Min Thwe Aung’s photographic portrait
of two young men kissing in a public park. The
juxtaposition refuted the surreal fears depicted in the
paintings and suggested what could be possible in
and out the closet.
Other invited artists included Ko Latt, one of the few
Myanmar artists who openly addresses queer issues
and sexual politics in his work. The works shown
here were the final outcome of a year’s scholarship in
Zurich. In two photographs, he portrayed himself as
an edible body, creating metaphors about food, desire
and pleasure. In a video installation, he is eating an
apple in various ways with chopsticks, knife and fork
and hands, representing cultural differences. The
exhibition also included work painted in Yangon soon
after the year study in Zurich. In this mixed media
painting he painted Andy Warhol in a double figure
and dressed as clowns. This interpretation is how he
feels Myanmar people looks at the LGBT community
as clowns, comedians and spirit mediums.
International artist Sumit Baudh (India) presented
“FLTR…You Are” an interactive sound installation
where participants were seated in front of a mirror
and listened to Baudh’s melodic voice whispering
about how beautiful, and what a marvelous person
you are.
José Abad Lorente (Spain) showed “Billy and the
Butterfly” a mixed media work that represents
“The Butterfly Dream”, one of the fables from the
Daoist Zhuang Zi. The poem is written in Chinese
on western gay magazines and the name of Zhuan
Zhou is changed for Billy, Jose’s partner’s name:
“Once upon a time, Billy dreamed he was a butterfly,
a butterfly flitting about happily enjoying himself. He
did not know that he was Billy. Suddenly he awoke,
and was palpably Billy. He did not know whether he
was Billy, who had dreamed of being a butterfly, or a
butterfly dreaming that he was Billy.”
Together Baudh and Abad presented “Yo no soy
el / I am not him” a work which searches for a self
through denial. Denial here (I am not) is a tool for
unwrapping, undressing and looking at oneself.
The photographic performance is around issues of
marginalized individuals and communities.
F R O M L E F T
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S U M I T B A U D H
M I X E D M E D I A O N C A N V A S
/
J O S E A B A N D L O R E N T E
M I X E D M E D I A O N C A N V A S
A R C H I V A L S H O W
T H E F I F T I E S :
M U T E D C O N S C I O U S N E S S
2 1 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4 ~ 1 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5
THE FIFTIES:
MUTED CONSCIOUSNESS
Text by Co-Curetor Kalman Borbala
The idea to create the exhibition Muted
Consciousness, organized in January 2015 at TS1
Yangon, emerged from the simple intention to share
the significance that an archive can be a window into
the present and the future of an emerging art scene;
to manifest the advantage of letting vintage material
‘breathe’ in a white cube space – quite unusual in
Yangon – in order to emphasize the history and the
memories everyday objects can carry; to curate a
show where old photographs, original artist copies of
advertisements and posters, antique furniture may
earn a new life and meaning when brought together
with art works of the same epoch; to draw a specific
picture of an outstanding era uncovering a side of it
invisible, until now.
The show was meant to revive an important decade
of Burmese art and design history through the ‘eyes’
of only one collection: the Pansodan Gallery Archives.
For decades, its owner, Aung Soe Min, collected a wide
spectrum of arts, objects and documents with varied
dates. Within this material, even the smallest movie
flyer or simplest regional map gains a different status
when embedded in an adequate context. Hence,
through the exhibition, a specifically assembled
group of objects revealed hidden senses of an
almost forgotten time, as well as new approaches
helping to understand the visual history of a country
so long out of touch of the international art scene.
By confronting early still-lifes of Bagyi Aung Soe,
with his late black and red drawings, or authentic
traditional magazine covers with surrealist vintage
amateur photographs, the exhibition presented
different layers of a same period and brought back
to the surface some buried aspects of Burmese art.
Muted Consciousness allowed visitors to dive into
a chapter of arts so rarely researched and unravel
its content. It raised questions about sources of
inspiration, the possibility to rewrite collective history
through personal memories, freedom of arts in the
1950s, and so many more topics. The more details
explored, the more possible to see the evolution of
Burmese art history unfold.
A short background story of the ‘real’ outcome of
this exhibition: during the days when the curators
were installing the exhibition, two kids around 6
and 8, living probably somewhere around the jetty,
enjoyed coming in and out the space playing the
fools, running around, climbing on ladders and
rolling on the floor, laughing their heads off about
how wild they could be. After a few rounds and a
few occasions, they were reminded not to touch the
surface of the paintings while eating their samosas.
This caused them to look more closely. They were
curious of the ‘forbidden’. They began to spend long
minutes looking at the photographs, mistaking some
women with Aung San Suu Kyi, probably one of the
only portraits they knew. They told stories about the
scenes they discovered. They carefully inspected
each piece displayed. The next day, one of them
brought two friends and showed them around and
told them about his exploration. The same afternoon,
the other came back with some of his own buddies.
Who knows when they will encounter this type of
art again, but surely this short event contributed to
change, even the smallest part of, their vision of the
world and gave them a colourful experience, one
from beyond the jetty and which will stay with them
forever.