AIR Exhibition
Our World
by Arson Ong
“Our World” implies “the space that human live”, “being in the world” and “the relationship between people.” Ong produced a series of works that revolve around the people around him and explore the relationships between members of his family, lovers, friends and couples. The subject matters involved life and dead, and human world and the world of the dead. Hence the title of the exhibition echoes a series of works Ong’s produced during the programme. Rather than focusing solely on the people around him, Ong extended his discussion to the people of the nation during the residency programme to explore the relationship between different races and injected social and political elements into his works. He was hoping to find his own “self” through the understanding of the relationship between himself and others.
The exhibition presents a series of experimental and cross-disciplinary works which include painting, drawing, printmaking, installation and performing art. It indicates that as an artist Ong is willing and dare to experiment in order to bring new breakthrough. He merges elements of the East and the West in his works where Chinese rice paper and ink were combined with other materials such as found objects and collage.
Paintings
In a series of paintings on rice paper, Ong extended his unique painting of human form where overlapped round human heads were used to combine with images of the passerby he shot around Lostgen’s Art Space, condolence adverts he collected from newspapers and the traditional paper materials that the Chinese burn and offering to the dead. The content of the works involves the relationships between people, life and dead, races and cultures. Ong has once said, “Would it make any difference if we can exchange or share our eyes to see the world?” He used incense to burn holes on the Chinese rice paper to create another dimension on a two dimensional surface, where it allows the viewer to contemplate what beyond a two dimensional surface.
Installation
In a series of installation works, Ong used red threads to tie between the holes that burned using incense or cut the condolence advertisements he found into tiny pieces and stuck them into straight lines on Chinese rice paper. These pieces combined with found objects such as chairs, tables, mirror, television etc and interact with the exhibition space. They explore the spiritual aspect of people and things through the historical backgrounds and meanings of the chosen objects. The Chinese believe that a red thread has the significance of chance meeting and fate. It will eventually unite people that meant to be together no matter in what situation or wherever they were apart.
Drawing and Printmaking
To lead the viewers into what he produced during the residency programme, Ong also showcased a series of smaller drawings and prints that he produced prior to the residency programme to enable the viewers to have more throughout understanding on the development of his work. The theme of the works revolves around the imagination he had about the people around him. Ong questioned and contemplated on the relationship between people, he used Indian ink, charcoal and pencil to translate how people maintain their relationships in order to arrive at expected living and consensus.
Performing Art
Ong is extremely keen in performance art. In 2013, he performed “Lock the Toilet” and in the workshop called “Gombak River” conducted by Indonesian artist Moelyono. He also performed in “The Rhapsody of River Wisdom”, a contemporary dance produced by Lee Swee Keong. Collaborated with fiends and choreographed according to “Our World”, Ong’s performance used music and body language to translate the relationship between human and life and dead.
One of the aims of an artist in residence programme could be to provide time and space for an artist to experience what s/he normally lacking when working in her/his own studio space to bring new inspiration. It may also be considered as a way to promote the relationship between people and art and cultural exchange. Apart from challenging himself to be more experimental in this residency programme, Ong came across new experiences about Kuala Lumpur that he is already very familiar with. He witnessed the shifting change of the city during his three months stay in Jalan Sultan area. The old is overtaken by what is new and it will not be returned once it is being demolished. Ong found compassion story in this city of rapid change when he met an old man who searches for leftover food in rubbish dumps around Petaling Street for the abandoned cats and dogs in the areas where he lives. The old man explained that he has been doing that for the past 15 years. While exploring the relationship between people and life and dead, will this story between human and animal and the characteristic of non-self that he experienced during his residency in Lostgens‘ Art Space inspired his future works?
Bio
Graduated from Dasein Academy of Art in 2012, emerging artist Arson Ong (b. 1990) took on a three months artist in residence programme at the Lostgens‘ Art Space started in July 2014, and “Our World” is an exhibition to share the outcome of his residency.
Lostgens’ Artist Residency Project 2014
Date of Exhibition
10th Oct – 24th Oct 2014
Opening
10th Oct 2014 , 8.00pm
Venue
Lostgens’ Contemporary Art Space
