Tsang Kin-Wah: Nothing

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
—William Shakespeare, Macbeth, (Act V, sc. v 24–28)

The inaugural exhibition at the M+ Pavilion, Tsang Kin-Wah: Nothing, is an expansion of Tsang Kin-Wah’s solo presentation, The Infinite Nothing, which represented Hong Kong at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015. Echoing the artist’s previous work, this exhibition is a re-examination of human existence. Nothing combines metaphors and allegories drawn from philosophy, literature and religious concepts, with elements of film, music and other popular culture references ranging from the Christian Tree of Life to the Buddhist Bodhi Tree; from Stanley Kubrick’s film, A Clockwork Orange, to Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana; and from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to Béla Tarr’s The Turin Horse. Nothing invites viewers into the emotional ebbs and flows of the artist’s inner world and compels them to reconsider life’s absurdity and nothingness. At the beginning of the exhibition is a tree that serves a symbolic purpose, suggesting to viewers a philosophical question: all lives are rooted in dust, and shall return to dust, so what significance does life possess? To Tsang, the whole of life is an interminable illusion, in which myriad of things and matters recycle and reincarnate. Thus the meaning of life lies perhaps in the endless journey of epiphany, overthrow and emancipation of the self.

A series of free programmes and accessibility services—including talks, a teachers’ private view, and guided tours for the public, schools, and visitors with specific needs—accompany the exhibition. Contributors include John Batten, David Chan, Kwok Ying and Pun Kwok Ling. Please visit www.westkowloon.hk/nothing for details.

Tsang Kin-Wah: Nothing is curated by Doryun Chong, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, M+ with Stella Fong, Lead Curator, Learning and Interpretation, M+. 

Tsang Kin-Wah was born in 1976, Shantou, China, and currently lives and works in Hong Kong. He studied fine art at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and book art at Camberwell College of Arts in London. His work is well known and critically acclaimed for its innovative use of text and language, which are manipulated using computer technology to create immersive installations. The artist has exhibited globally and his work is held in several important private and public collections. Last year, Tsang Kin-Wah presented his solo exhibition, Tsang Kin-Wah: The Infinite Nothing as part of the Hong Kong Participation in at the 56th Venice Biennale.

Held at the M+ Pavilion, Tsang Kin-Wah: Nothing is co-presented by M+, West Kowloon Cultural District and Hong Kong Arts Development Council. The M+ Pavilion is the first permanent venue for exhibitions and arts events in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. From September 2016 to May 2017, M+ will present Tsang Kin-Wah: Nothing; followed by Shifting Objectives: Design from the M+ Collection, the museum’s debut of its unprecedented, ground-breaking design collection, and an exhibition that looks at how women have been represented through the lens of popular culture in Hong King since the 1980s.

For further information, please contact:
Hong Kong: West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
press [​at​] wkcda.hk

Internatinoal: SUTTON Hong Kong
Sybil Kot
T +852 2528 0792 / wkcda [​at​] suttonpr.com