Elemental Light, a solo exhibition by Charwei Tsai at TKG+, Taipei

Elemental Light, a solo exhibition by Charwei Tsai at TKG+, Taipei

TKG+

Charwei Tsai, Gone IV, 2011.
C-print, inscribed in ink, 111 x 148 cm.*
July 27, 2011

Elemental Light
A solo exhibition by Charwei Tsai

August 13–September 11, 2011

Opening:
August 13, 2011, 4:30pm–7:00pm

TKG+
B1, No. 15, Lane 548, Ruiguang Road
Taipei 114, Taiwan
www.tinakenggallery.com

T +886 (0)2 2659 0798
info [​at​] tinakenggallery.com

TKG+ is pleased to announce Charwei Tsai’s first solo exhibition in Taiwan, Elemental Light, which will be on view at our Neihu venue from August 13 to September 11, 2011 (opening reception on August 13, 4:30–7:00pm).  From Tsai’s earliest works embracing her personal connection to Buddhism, to her recent pieces, which draw inspiration from other religions, the photographs, videos, and multi-media installations of Elemental Light contemplate the religious concept of primordial light, a source of basic human goodness.

The exhibition opens with one of Tsai’s earliest pieces, Frog Mantra (2005), a photograph on which she delicately wrote the Heart Sutra – a seminal Buddhist text and recurring motif through which she has explored transience.  Similar themes, under new inspirations, appear in the photographs of the series Gone (2011), on view for the first time.  Here, in Sanskrit, the Heart Sutra can be found within the diffusion of light of the photographs, taken with a camera with a broken lens.

In her new works Tsai continues to place keen attention on spiritual texts, their application to organic and inorganic materials, and the meaning behind and produced by the process of inscribing such materials herself.  Text and metaphors of transcendence are also at play in the video and sound installation Ah (2011), where visitors approaching the image of the dissolving ink letters are surrounded by voices repeating “ah,” a sacred sound in many religions.  This piece transforms sound into a visual and audio vibration that highlights the environment and spirituality.

Charwei Tsai was born in Taiwan (1980) and presently lives and works in Taipei and Paris. In addition to her art practice, Tsai publishes, designs and edits Lovely Daze, a curatorial journal published twice a year.  Tsai graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design and Art & Architectural History (2002) and completed the postgraduate research program at L’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris (2010). She has had solo exhibitions in Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Bogotá, and her projects have been included in various international exhibitions, including the inaugural Singapore Biennale (2006), Thermocline of Art: New Asian Waves at the ZKM Center of Art and Media, Karlsruhe (2007), Traces du Sacré at the Centre Pompidou, Paris (2008), the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial (2009), and Taiwan Calling at the Ludwig Museum, Budapest (2010).  Tsai will also be participating in the upcoming Yokohama Triennale and the Rhurtriennale (both in 2011).

Additional works by Tsai will also be on view at the TKG+ booth (A32) at Art Taipei (August 26-29) and at our Tunnan space.

TKG+, the contemporary platform of the Tina Keng Gallery, opened its expansive space in the Neihu District of Taipei in October 2009. Its mission is to promote and support the most interesting and significant contemporary art from the region. The gallery works with emerging artists and privileges experimentation in art across different mediums, from video and photography to installation and new media. As its name suggests, TKG+ believes in the exponential growth and possibility of art in the 21st century.

For additional information, please visit: www.tinakenggallery.com. For all press inquiries, please contact Leslie Ureña at leslie.tkg [​at​] gmail.com.

Gallery hours:
Tuesday–Friday: 10:00am–7:00pm
Saturday–Sunday: 11:00am–7:00pm

*Image above:
© 2011 Charwei Tsai. Image courtesy the artist and TKG+, Taipei and Beijing.

Equipment sponsorship provided by Optoma.

Advertisement
RSVP
RSVP for Elemental Light, a solo exhibition by Charwei Tsai at TKG+,…
TKG+
July 27, 2011

Thank you for your RSVP.

TKG+ will be in touch.

Subscribe

e-flux announcements are emailed press releases for art exhibitions from all over the world.

Agenda delivers news from galleries, art spaces, and publications, while Criticism publishes reviews of exhibitions and books.

Architecture announcements cover current architecture and design projects, symposia, exhibitions, and publications from all over the world.

Film announcements are newsletters about screenings, film festivals, and exhibitions of moving image.

Education announces academic employment opportunities, calls for applications, symposia, publications, exhibitions, and educational programs.

Sign up to receive information about events organized by e-flux at e-flux Screening Room, Bar Laika, or elsewhere.

I have read e-flux’s privacy policy and agree that e-flux may send me announcements to the email address entered above and that my data will be processed for this purpose in accordance with e-flux’s privacy policy*

Thank you for your interest in e-flux. Check your inbox to confirm your subscription.