House of Red House of Blue 紅屋與藍屋
At the urban edge of our city the tension is building up, the old system is collapsing quickly and you can smell anxiety in the air: the fear of being engulfed by the other side. The opposition assumes our city is their ideal city, we think our ideal city is another island similar to ours, across the ocean. Hostility, hatred, and violence grow larger and larger under the banner of Nationalism. We thrust ourselves into this dark tunnel with devotion and passion but in the end we are making no difference.
The artist has been inspired by the recent escalating Hong Kong–Mainland China conflict where our society became politically polarized. This pavilion is made of abandoned tree trunks and recycled wood collected from 250 pallets. Inside, a library resembling a ‘metaphorical forest of light and shadow’ displays political books of opposing viewpoints about Hong Kong and Mainland China. Visitors can sit down and read quietly. The artist and his assistants built the pavilion themselves and utilized the traditional Japanese Shou-sugi-ban (burnt wood) method to create the charcoal effect on the wood, symbolizing transformation and destruction.
城市邊沿的邊緣, 氣氛愈來愈緊張。舊有體制正被迅速崩潰,空氣中漫延著快將被對方吞噬的恐懼。對方假設我們的城市是他們的理想城市,我們卻認為我們的理想城市是在大海彼岸,與我們相似的另一個島嶼。敵意,仇恨和暴力在民族主義的旗幟下日益增長。我們懷著忠誠和熱情,投進這個黑暗的隧道。但最終,我們跟他們的局面,未能造成分別。
藝術家被最近持續升級的中港矛盾所啟發。我們的社會不斷兩極化。這個展館是由被廢棄的樹幹和由250塊卡板回收得來的木材所建成。內部是一間圖書館,收藏了有關中港矛盾,正反論點的書籍。參觀者可在形似“光影組成的森林”內坐下來靜靜地閱讀。藝術家和助手團隊親手用傳統的日本燒杉方法處理木材。木炭效果不但有防水防蟲的效果,更象徵著轉變和破壞。
Recycled burnt wood, tree trunks, & political books
20.5m(L) x 14.5m(W) x 4m(H)
2013