TRETCHED CONNOTATIONS
an exhibition of works on canvas

 

"Stretched Connotations" explores the practice of avoidance or the disposition of dealing with disagreeable matters which normally would not be referred to directly. Is it possible that such indirect references in Art, might work in the same way that euphemisms do in everyday spoken language?

 

The participating artists were asked by the curators to think about how they address this notion of avoidance and were encouraged to use this as a starting point in creating new work according to their individual art practices. For the curators, this request provided a means of contextualizing the work of four very different artists. By presenting their work from an alternative point of view, the curators are aiming to contrast the differences and similarities of how each artist addresses a visual metaphor for euphemism. They also wanted to raise the underlying principle that Art comes from and is made inside a social and cultural context as well as exploring the analogy of euphemisms with regard to the relationship between vernacular language and art.

 

This was a unique opportunity for collaboration between artists and curators from the inception of a common starting idea to providing a stimulus for the creation of new artworks specifically for this exhibition. This exercise also provided the chance to witness first hand, the creative process by looking at how each artist further developed their individual ideas and how each one of them chose to tackle the notion of avoidance through the use of visual connotations. As such, the curators thought it was important to also present the documentation of that development by also presenting sketches, photos and writings alongside the final works.

 

 

Participating artists: Carol Ho, Chan Siu Min, Stephanie Sin and Wong Chun Hei

Curators: Helen Ng and Evangelo Costadimas

Date: 1 March - 31 March 2010

Venue: 10/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong