Whispering Canopies 《風樹不靜》
Date: 25 November 2023 to 6 January 2024
Venue: Karin Weber Gallery
Karin Weber Gallery is excited to announce ‘Whispering Canopies’, a solo exhibition by Hong Kong artist Frank Tang, which explores the historical development of a place through its urban landscapes, memorial gardens and local plants.
Tang’s brand-new series ‘Tree Portraits’ reflects the artist’s engagement with a commemorative theme based around landmark subjects, drawing from his personal interest in trees and monuments. Trees have long lifespans and those towering in urban areas bear witness to city development, social events and peoples’ livelihoods through generations. Moreover, the unique form of each tree is shaped by its organic growth. From the perspective of appearance and temporality, ancient trees may hold more landmark significance than many types of architecture. What have these ancient trees witnessed? Are there any events they have forgotten?
Using trees as his central theme, Frank Tang uncovers forgotten histories via geographical locations and their background. Hong Kong was once a barren and desolate environment. The British colonial government undertook large-scale afforestation and introduced foreign tree species planted in British-style gardens, nurturing a sense of nostalgia for the expat population. The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is a key example of this practice, and is the inspiration for Tang’s Tree Portrait #4 – Lysidice, which is based on the lysidice trees in the garden.
An artist residency in Taiwan in 2022 introduced Tang to Dutch and Japanese colonial histories. His new creations from the ‘Memorial Garden’ series including paintings such as Green Island, In the Eyes of King George VI, and Sunset At Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park reflect his exposure to a parallel culture with a comparable historical narrative.
Parks and trees carry different histories and have been integrated into urban landscapes, providing spaces for future generations to enjoy and play, accompanying their growth. Although their stories remain unchanged, they gain in significance over the years, becoming a part of personal and urban memories.
凱倫偉伯畫廊很高興地宣布香港水墨畫家鄧啓耀的個人展覽「風樹不靜」，探索了一個地方通過其城市景觀、紀念花園和當地植物的歷史發展。
展覽「風樹不靜」延續鄧啓耀以往的創作方向，從城市景觀、紀念公園、和植物了解一個地方的歷史進程。是次展覽以新的系列「樹木肖像」作為導引，展示藝術家對「紀念」和「地標」的感受和思考。
「樹木肖像」系列創作源起自鄧氏對樹木以及紀念碑的興趣:樹木壽命綿長，聳立在城市中的樹木在世代更替中見證城市發展、社會事件及人民生活，又基於樹木作為生命體的有機成長造就每棵的獨特形態，從外觀與時間性來看有些老樹甚至比某些建築 地標更具地標意義，更具紀念性。這些老樹見證過甚麼？又有哪些事被遺忘了？
鄧啟耀再次以樹木為題，從樹木身處的地理位置及歷史背景了解一個個似要被遺忘的歷史。英殖時期的香港曾經是荒蕪一片的爛頭山，港英政府除了大規模植林之外，還帶來外來的樹種在英式設計的公園裡栽種，為英國人一解鄉愁。香港動植物公園便是其中一例，所以他為園中的儀花創作了《樹木肖像 #4 — 儀花》。2022年，鄧氏到臺灣參與藝術駐留，得悉荷殖時期和日治時期的臺灣，殖民者因著異地懐鄉，將自己國家的樹種帶到臺灣，想像自己回到家一樣。十七世紀荷蘭人將金龜樹帶到臺灣，二十世紀日本人將龍柏帶到臺南栽種，從此這兩個樹種便在臺灣定居下來。
展覽同時展出鄧氏「紀念公園」系列的全新創作，包括《綠島》、《喬治六世眼下的風景》、《黃昏下的中山紀念公園》等。這些公園和樹木背負著不同的歷史，它們置入城市當中讓後人暢遊嬉戲，陪伴著各人的成長。雖則它們的歷史沒有改變，但隨著歲月多了一些意義，成為個人和城市記憶的一部分。
公園和樹木承載著不同的歷史，並已融入城市景觀中，伴隨著後代的成長，供他們享用和遊玩。雖然它們的故事始終不變，但隨著時間的進程，它們變得越來越重要，成為個人和城市記憶的一部分。
Exhibition e-catalogue