Along The Way

/ Shophouse, Hong Kong, 2023







THE SHOPHOUSE is pleased to present Along the Way, a group exhibition featuring 7 Hong Kong artists, unveil the process behind each artist's practice and invite the audience to step into artists’ intellectual.

City landscapes are made of man-made objects and nature. Landscape paintings today are often regarded as picturesque and sublime. Yet prior to the birth of classical landscape in the 17th century, landscape paintings were still known as a genre of lesser importance, rendering as the peripheral background in biblical and religious stories. With the invention of tin tube paint and portable collapsible easel, it gave rise to “En plein air” (outdoor painting) and diverged from the old practice of studio settings. This also opens up its way to romanticism and impressionism development afterwards.

Some may see art as an object, nevertheless it is not a constant. Art endows different meanings depending on where it is being shown and who is viewing. By showcasing the tools of the artists in the exhibition, the everyday objects are imbued with familiar yet alien meanings differentiating from one’s understanding. The duality of the tool and the artwork provides a fresh perspective, both visually and semantically, inspiring the viewer to recognise the understatement of each artwork.