The Shape of Monuments - Frank Tang’s solo exhibition
《紀念的形狀》- 鄧啓耀個人展覽
Date: 12 June to 21 July 2024
Venue: Absolute Space for the Arts 絕對空間 

The ways of making, erecting, preserving, and interpreting monuments often reflect the beliefs and value judgments of a group of people, while the shape of memorial buildings and built monuments—and even the plants designated as memorials—express the imagination of their creators or commissioners. They turn intangible concepts and emotions such as introspection, repentance, recollection, and remembrance into tangible existence, which then influence the cognition and impressions of future generations of these concepts as they have been realised through the concrete image of these monuments. However, with the passing of time and the shaping of new knowledge, the meaning of these monuments can be reinterpreted – or even overturned.


Frank Tang often employs various mapping methods as his form of visual representation to depict monuments such as historical buildings, landmarks, statues, as well as old and notable trees. This exhibition, 'The Shape of Monuments', not only showcases the artist’s new works created during his artist residency in Taiwan in 2022 and 2023, but also the paintings and maps he has created in recent years of different historical sites and memorial parks in Hong Kong. These works are all based on the history, landscape, and people’s lives in these places. The forms and shapes of the monuments are recorded through the artist’s map-making practice, and these landscapes, events, and objects are organised by the artist in such a way as to create certain connections and emotions. The action of “remembrance”, embodied by monuments, is placed within the context of modern society and contemporary art for our contemplation.

紀念碑的製作、豎立、保存和詮釋模式所反映的往往只是一群人的信念和價值判斷，而紀念建築、紀念碑、以至紀念植物的外形都盛載著創作者或委約者對某事物的想像，他們將反省、教悔、追憶、思念等無形的概念與情感化成有形的存在，再因著這些紀念碑的具體形象影響著後人對這些事物的認知和印象。然而，隨著時代的轉變，新知識的塑造，紀念碑作為載體所盛載的意義都可以被重新演繹，甚至被推翻。

鄧啓耀常以不同的製圖方式作為視覺呈現，描畫歷史建築、地標、雕像、古樹等紀念物。是次展覽除了展出藝術家2022至2023年在臺灣駐留考察期間及往後創作的全新作品，也展示他近幾年為香港不同歷史建築及紀念公園而創作的圖錄。這些作品皆以地方的歷史、景貌與人民生活為背景，以製圖的方式記下紀念物的形態、形狀，並將這些景色、事情和物件組織成各種關連與情感，將「紀念」的行動置於當前現代社會及當代藝術的脈絡中作思考。


主辦單位Presented by
絕對空間
Absolute Space for the Arts

空間營運贊助 Space Sponsorship
國藝會
National Culture and Arts Foundation

展覽補助 Exhibition Sponsorship
台南市政府文化局、國藝會
Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government., National Culture and Arts Foundation

資助 Supported by
香港藝術發展局
Hong Kong Arts Development Council
香港藝術發展局支持藝術表達自由，本計劃內容並不反映本局意見。
Hong Kong Arts Development Council supports freedom of artistic expression. The views and opinions expressed in this project do not represent the stand of the Council.