Splendor of the Sun - Group Exhibition: Curated by Zoie Yung

Curated by Zoie Yung
5 January - 25 February 2023

Referencing the 1582 eponymous alchemical text, Splendor Solis, the curatorial concept for the exhibition arises out of a series of illustrations in the text depicting the alchemical processes in glass flasks, which are used as a jumping off point for ruminations on how we observe and understand light, the conversion of matter — and, by extension, the equipment in a laboratory, the permeability of glass materials — as well as the allegorical paintings of alchemical processes and the border between sacred texts and practical documentation.

Splendor of the Sun, curated by Zoie Yung, takes these queries further in centering the birth of science observation, and the exploration of the portals within, and theatricality of, alchemy and science. Participating artists offer contemporary interpretations on these alchemical processes. Their works are shown in a space that is carefully designed by architect Charles Lai, taking inspiration from Bruno Latour’s concept of “force reversed laboratory” as spatial representations of the functional structure and experimentation in alchemy.

12 Participating Artists:
Leelee Chan, Kara Chin, Dave Chow, Katie Grinnan, Steph Huang, Ashlee Ip, Alessandro Keegan, Kong Chun Hei, Kong Lingnan, Cathy Lu, Joohye Moon, Doris Wong Wai Yin

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