New York, NY – TheBLANC is pleased to present How are you doing? – a group exhibition that delves into the concepts of memory, liminality, and identity shifting. Curated by Yitan Eden Xu, Wenjie Demi Zhao, and Qiuru Feng, the exhibition showcases the work of eleven innovative artists working across diverse mediums, inviting viewers to engage with the ever-changing landscape of memory that places people in a complex, in-between space of being and becoming. The exhibition is on view from April 25 to May 1, 2024.
How are you doing? explores memory as a vibrant, dynamic, and reconstructive process that constantly shapes individual identities and perceptions of the world. The fluidity of memory – its ability to lose, rediscover, reinterpret, and reconstruct experiences – places people in a constant state of transitioning and becoming. Whether joyful, miserable, or traumatic, past emotions and experiences can unexpectedly resurface or quietly fade into oblivion, leaving people in a liminal state with ambiguity and sometimes disorientation. People might find themselves struggling to navigate these thresholds of consciousness to articulate the complexities of their emotional and existential state. Therefore, when facing the routine greeting “How are you doing?”, a reflexive “good” often slips out, yet beneath it usually lies a tumultuous sea of memories and emotions that are difficult to express.
Grappling with the complicated emotions rooted in the depth of memory, the artists in this exhibition address the question “How are you doing?” with distinct visual languages. Kyung Kim captures the subtle nuances of time, sound, and temperature encountered in Korean natural landscapes, weaving these intangible elements into a canvas of multisensory memory. Silvia Muleo’s Ego portraying a solitary hand getting lost in a stream of light represents the erasure of individual memories and perceptions in a highly mediated world. Employing photography as their medium, Jingyao Huang and Xingze Li deconstruct and reconstruct memories within the fabric of time and space. Huang transforms the figurative photographs of personal experience into abstract geometric collages and sculptures, while Li chases fleeting light and shadows left in overlooked spaces, translating those ephemeral moments into geometric shapes imbued with emotional weight.
Some artists delve into their inner selves as a means to revisit and reshape their memories. Confronting with her own limbo of the past, Hawu Juhye Lim depicts herself as a flesh-colored lump in a memory of the burden of unmet expectations and unresolved feelings. She expressed her emotional turmoil depicted in imburani (긴 밤): “The night multiplies forever in the silent noise and the heart bubbles up with anxiety. The darkness flooding the space covers the trembling body. But this blanket is too heavy — it suffocates.” In a different approach to introspection, Ziyi Zhao creates organic ceramic sculptures that act as emotion containers and living memories, with each manipulation of the clay becoming part of her meditative journey. By imprinting the essence of skin onto mulberry paper and disposable facial wipes, Xinyi Liu transforms the materials into a “second skin” that evokes the tactile memories of wounds, flesh, scabs, and scars. Zhenyu Zhang, through orienting canvas with her hands, creates fluid interplays of ink and acrylics in spontaneous patterns that symbolize the intricate layers of personal identity shaped by both intentions and destiny.
The exhibition also features immersive realms for viewers to navigate the memoryscape. At the center of the exhibition, Meaghan Elyse constructs a labyrinth of fabrics, inviting viewers to explore the multifaceted layers of memory as they wander through the maze with evocative images. Sirawich Pukuka projects videos onto nostalgic found objects, creating an intimate, timeless space that resonates with deep history, meaning, and emotions. Meanwhile, Vidal Mouet presents a site-responsive painting installation that interacts with the windows in the exhibition space. By stretching canvases into diverse shapes inspired by everyday objects, Mouet revolutionizes the spatial dynamics of paintings, emphasizing an experience where colors envelop the viewers in a novel sensory encounter.
Through a diverse collection of works that delve deep into the themes of memory and emotions, the exhibition intends to offer a moment for reflection amidst the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life. It encourages the viewers to ponder their past and reconsider their current feelings, identities, and very existence – so, how are you doing, truly?
Acknowledgements
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Arts Administration Program (ARAD) and the Departments of Arts and Humanities and Art and Art Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, for their generous support in making this show possible through the ARAD Microgrant Award. We also deeply appreciate the invaluable collaboration with theBLANC Art Space, whose support has been essential in bringing this exhibition to life for the public.
Date & Time
April 25 – May 1, 2024 | 11 AM – 6 PM
Opening Reception
Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 6 – 8 PM
Artists
Meaghan Elyse, Jingyao Huang, Kyung Kim, Hawu Juhye Lim, Xingze Li, Xinyi Liu, Vidal Mouet, Silvia Muleo, Sirawich Pukuka, Zhenyu Zhang, Ziyi Zhao
Venue
15 E 40th St, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10016
Contact
Email: info@theblanc.art
Website: theblanc.art
Ins: theblanc_ny
For more information, please visit
About theBLANC
TheBLANC is a versatile and dynamic art entity. Beyond visual art exhibitions, theBLANC engages in an array of exciting initiatives such as workshops, talks, panels, performances, and a multitude of art-related events.
About TheBlanc Gallery
As a pivotal part of theBLANC’s vision, TheBlanc Gallery serves as a vibrant showcase of artworks from around the globe with the aim of stimulating thoughts and conversations for a diverse spectrum of human creativity. Ensuring art accessibility beyond its walls, TheBlanc Gallery, located in midtown Manhattan of New York City, extends its impact by organizing riveting exhibitions in public venues across New York and North America.
(text & photo courtesy of theBLANC)
