𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦《半步屋》
July 22 - October 31, 2021 | Hong Kong House at Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, Japan
Tsunan, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
‘Half a step at home, and half a step facing the world.’
- Lam Tung-pang
Hong Kong House at Echigo-Tsumari Art Field – Half-step House
Unable to visit the Hong Kong House in-person due to travel bans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lam Tung Pang relies on literary works, personal interviews, online information and other secondary sources to learn more about Tsunan town, where the House is located. To underline the significance of imagination, Lam took a bold step to give the space a facelift with two different approaches.
In Lam’s opinion, the most captivating thing about having cultural exchange is the uncanniness arising from having a resonance which is not immediately clear to understand. It is only through imagination and active searching that we find what we look for.
Half-step House Thinking Object #5 | Acrylics, magazine image and uv-print on plywood | H35cm x 47cm | 2021
One half of the House featured text, music, graphics, moving images and other elements, arranged to conjure up an indoor landscape. In contrast, the neighbouring half is left completely empty—an intentional void with which Lam actively invites the viewer’s imagination to complete the full picture.
「我們帶著半個認識的文化，去接觸另一半你不太熟悉的文化，文化交流最有趣之處，是這種有共鳴但不完全明白，靠着想象或找尋去發現。」
－ 林東鵬，2021
“It’s about the convergence of the two ‘halves’. You come into contact with an unfamiliar culture and reflect on your own culture……this is the most interesting thing about having cultural exchange: you feel some sort of resonance, but you don’t fully understand what it is. It only gets clearer with your imagination and active searching.”
- Lam Tung Pang, Half-step House, 2021
Half-step House Thinking Object #6 | Acrylics, magazine image and uv-print on plywood | H32cm x 43cm | 2021
Photos courtesy of Kioku Keizo.