Since the beginning of time, the concept of duality has existed with two opposing forces that constantly attract one another. Their distinction is clear. In this trailblazing exhibition across two galleries in two states (and between two realms), visitors will be prompted to question what they had to believe against what they wanted to believe.
By Koay Choon Sean
“No one bad is ever truly bad and no one good is ever truly good.” – Loki in LOKI by Marvel Studios (2021)
Here’s something about dualism. If there is no bad, how do you judge if something is good? If there is no day, how would you comprehend the concept of the night when it is perpetual? If there is no death, how do you give meaning to life?
Duality exists to give more than just the sense of opposites. It is also an expression of balance that two contrasting bodies should co-exist at any given place or time for their respective existence to be understood.
But how much do we identify with either of the counterparts—or do we refuse to acknowledge the significance of the contradicting value because of collective judgements by society?
Do we realise that with every passing second, we are all navigating in the spaces in between?
TWO IS EQUAL TO ONE PLUS ONE
There’s no separation between Ivan Alexander Francis Gabriel and his game of numbers. In George Town Festival 2022, we witnessed the birth of TU7OH (a wordplay on “seven” in the Malaysian tongue) by the Penang-based curator where seven artists exhibited a series of seven diverse artworks around the theme of… seven.
Now he’s back with an all-new show on the concept of duality—which plays on the number two. This time around though, the domain is much bigger, farther, and perkier.
“Of Spaces in Between” is a gentle nod to the narrative of how we silently struggle to navigate between the many opposing forces in our daily lives. The subject is complex with an endless stream of questions, but the one that brought about this exhibition was simply: “Must the show always go on?” (Ivan Gabriel penned a thought-provoking monologue on the process of materializing this show here)
A Tale of Two States – Penang and Selangor (Photo credits: (L) Hin Bus Depot, (R) Nikko Tan)
The play on the number “two” is also rather discreet. Each of the 22 artists involved was tasked to create two artworks (hence 44 artworks in total) that would be divided between two galleries in two cities. In an act of absolute coincidence, the exhibition also featured two pairs of artworks on tigers (Ivan Gabriel also curated a tiger-centric group exhibition called BELANG in 2020), two siblings (ERYN and Hao Yuan Cheng), two couples (White Bones and Silas Ooi + Kimberley Boudville), two pairs of diptychs, and two installation works.
I Am Here (Sky) (2023) at Hin Bus Depot, and I Am Here (Water) (2023) at ZHAN Art | Space by MAWAR (Photo credit: (L) Koay Choon Sean, (R) Hin Bus Depot)
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Despite being 352 kilometres apart, each artwork and its pair can be seen simultaneously in either of the two galleries through the power of augmented reality (AR). The PERK Reality app being used for the show which was developed by Aboud Fares—a Syrian artist who is also participating in the show—seems like an apt response to the following notion by the late art critic John Berger:
“The uniqueness of every painting was once part of the uniqueness of the place where it resided. Sometimes the painting was transportable. But it could never be seen in two places at the same time.” – John Berger
Would an artwork that resides within the virtual space then also be considered unique because of its ephemeral yet omnipresent properties? As one screen moves away, the other moves in and the artwork comes alive yet again.
THE ONE IN BETWEEN
“We never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves.” – John Berger
All of us exist within the juxtaposed pieces of life. Betweenthe overarching life and death, we experience a deluge of contrasting emotions and experiences that will push us to question both our beliefs and cognitive constitutions.
In “Of Spaces in Between”, visitors will find themselves pondering over the paradoxical nature of their very existence while finding the common thread between the two opposing forces at play.
Will You Hear Me Now (2023) by bibichun (without and with PERK Reality app) (Photo credit: Koay Choon Sean)
Through bibichun’s installation piece (Will You Hear Me Now, 2023) which also involves the element of performance, the artist intends to probe our disposition through the medium of sound. A makeshift honk in the form of a steering wheel is accompanied by the text (virtually present through the PERK Reality app), “everybody wants to be heard | nobody bothers to listen”. How can we be noticed if we don’t care to notice others in a sea of noise?
Nega (L) and Posi (R) (2023) by Kangblabla. (Photo credit: Koay Choon Sean)
Perhaps the most direct personification of dualism can be observed in Kangblabla’s signature miniatures. Posi, which alludes to positive or good energy is present in Hin Bus Depot while the divergent counterpart Nega appears in ZHAN Art | Space. In Kangblabla’s narrative, both characters are constantly in a battle to rule the domain and assert the true legitimacy of each’s existence. Beyond the artist’s sphere, it also represents the ongoing conflict between what we feel and what we choose to express. Do we identify with both ends of our emotions, or do we choose to ignore what is being perceived as undesirable because of societal judgments?
Visitors will also find themselves in awe of the technical execution on display. In particular, Sharon SS Kow’s Atemporality (2022) and the corresponding Sempiternity (2022) present a vista of complex layers through the meticulous strokes of colour pencil amidst the sense of tranquillity being inferred from both her works. While Atemporality seeks to embody the appreciation of things beyond the abstract domain of time, Sempiternity explores the existence of life cycles that revolves around it.
(L-R) Separating Regrets from Longing (2023), the coming together of physical and virtual, and Separating Longing from Regrets (2023) by ERYN. (Photo credits: (L-R) Hin Bus Depot, Koay Choon Sean, and ZHAN Art | Space)
ERYN’s piece is also noteworthy, with a narrative that goes beyond the admirable execution. Separating Regrets from Longing (2023)—which is exhibited in Hin Bus Depot—immediately brings to mind the semblance of a human ribcage which carries the symbolism of love. Each pair of ribs from both sides forms an embrace that protects our hearts, and it is truly apt to convey a sense of longing. What truly differentiates the work from others is the integration of the AR code within the piece itself. Through the PERK Reality app, viewers will be able to appreciate the union of both the physical and virtual works within a single frame that presents a complete, harmonizing image.
You bet it’s going to be a visual feast.
A TALE OF TWO STATES: SAME BUT DIFFERENT
There has never been an exhibition like this in Malaysia.
Ivan Gabriel concurs. “Two times the effort, two times the mental stress! There was only one week between the opening of the show in Penang and the one in Selangor. And I have to be mindful of curating not just 22 works but 44 in two very different environments.”
Both Hin Bus Depot and ZHAN Art | Space are very accessible spaces to the public. However, the visitors to each couldn’t be more different.
“I generally think that Penang’s artists are more exploratory in their art because of the fluid ecosystem—and that also translates to how they are more well-received here. As for Kuala Lumpur, the playing field is very competitive and more often than not, the numbers take precedence. So visitors might perceive exploratory art differently than here in Penang,” says Desmond Tong, the founder of ZHAN Art | Space.
Nevertheless, the dimension presented by “Of Spaces in Between” triggers the possibility of more cross-collaborations between the two cities.
Pieces of You (2023) by Andy Koay. (Photo credit: Koay Choon Sean)
“Fundamentally, the visitors are at the heart of this exhibition. With just a device, they can be present in two different places but within the same domain at the same time. Distance then is but an immaterial factor,” says Ivan Gabriel.
What is truly at play for this show is how we traverse and find the balance between two different yet complementary notions in our daily lives.
And as I penned for the exhibition in Hin Bus Depot: After all, we are – all of us – living in the spaces in between.
Koay Choon Sean (Andy) reads just about anything and everything. Is he a writer too? Maybe. His life is all about curiosity.
Of Spaces in Between is currently running at Hin Bus Depot, Penang until 30 April 2023 and at ZHAN Art | Space, Selangor until 15 May 2023. The exhibition is supported by Penang Arts District PERK Reality alongside the venue partners Hin Bus Depot, Penang and ZHAN Art | Space, Selangor.