Liminal Space
2023
Künstlerhaus Bethanien
Berlin, Germany
Therefore, we
temporarily pause and gently embrace our past and future. Hsu Ting's solo
exhibition “Liminal Space”
Author：Sung Yi Hua
For the Taiwanese artist Hsu Ting, photography serves as a form of expression that conveys subjective and emotional experiences. Through her camera lens, she captures the environment and emotions around her while exploring the interplay between material and time in her works. She strives to achieve a balance between the dynamic and the static in her art. While embracing the high speed of digital cameras, Hsu moves at a deliberate pace, thoroughly exploring the realm of sensory perceptions. In her latest solo exhibition, "Liminal Space," at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, Germany, in October 2023, Hsu presents her profound experience of life and personal emotions to viewers intimately and delicately through 13 pieces of work.
The initial focus is on one of the large-scale photographs, “The Scenery Behind Me-3.” This series showcases a sharp yet blurred composition that stems from a serendipitous journey, a result of the interaction between her camera lens and the rearview window as seen through car windows. Following this work, viewers will see a series of small pieces measuring approximately 30 x 30 centimeters each. Compared to the large-scale series, “The Scenery Behind Me,” which dominates the wall and integrates into the exhibition space; “Another Room-2,” features a collage of two minimalist photographs with subdued colors and composition, despite its smaller scale.
This provides a more subtle perspective, examining the essence of space and image through unique photographic imagery. By arranging works of various sizes throughout the exhibition space, Hsu transforms smaller pieces into a spatial language, leading to a reconfiguration of the viewer's visual perspective. At the same time, she divides the exhibition space to allow works with different contexts to flow throughout.
The method of presenting artwork within the exhibition space and its interaction with the room has always remained central to her artistic ethos. For every exhibition, Hsu creates an isometric scale model of the exhibition area to envision the display of her art and to facilitate a dialogue between her work, the space, and the viewer. Not only is this a preparatory measure to set up the exhibition, but it also serves as a contemplative process for the artist. She organizes and classifies hundreds of photographs while adjusting their positions. What the viewer eventually sees are the selected images after numerous self-dialogues. These images convey the emotions and personal states that she experiences at the moment of photography. They are meticulously chosen and presented to the viewers with raw directness.
In what sense do these blurred images convey a certain raw directness? The series "The Scenery Behind Me" may be interpreted as her reflections on the events of the previous year, which were later distilled into an intuitive and poetic style through her camera lens. The demise of a loved one, moving, the termination of a relationship, and arriving in an uncharted metropolis on her own... These life-changing events have undoubtedly had a significant emotional impact on her. These unpredictable and uncontrollable life events led her to adopt a more composed and accepting attitude toward life through continuous self-improvement. The emotional sensibilities towards oneself and the life experiences of Hsu Ting were manifested during a sudden journey. Sitting in a moving car in Berlin, her camera shutter seemed ceaseless, capturing everything around her. She pondered within herself, what exactly did she intend to preserve through photography? What did she see through the lens? While contemplating these questions, the camera lens and the rearview mirror caught each other through the car window.
It seemed as though something had been captured by her camera. At last, we also asked: what did the artist see through the camera lens? Was she gazing at the gradually disappearing past behind her or looking ahead to what symbolized the future? Perhaps she was simply lingering between two points, trying to find clarity in this ambiguous "present" context. The past and future coexist, along with feelings of security and insecurity intertwining and flowing freely, here in the so-called "present". Amidst these blurred images, we almost witness Hsu Ting engaging in a conversation with her internal emotions by capturing the external objects through her camera lens, gazing at her inspiration in an exceptionally pure manner.
The dialogue between Hsu Ting and herself is still ongoing. While the viewers are only here by invitation, standing quietly between these two points with her, silently observing their conversation. Despite mixed emotions, Hsu Ting has already taken a step forward. The stillness of time has begun to flow. Yet, we continue to contemplate the significance of these images, pondering where and how to proceed from here.
Author：Sung Yi Hua
For the Taiwanese artist Hsu Ting, photography serves as a form of expression that conveys subjective and emotional experiences. Through her camera lens, she captures the environment and emotions around her while exploring the interplay between material and time in her works. She strives to achieve a balance between the dynamic and the static in her art. While embracing the high speed of digital cameras, Hsu moves at a deliberate pace, thoroughly exploring the realm of sensory perceptions. In her latest solo exhibition, "Liminal Space," at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, Germany, in October 2023, Hsu presents her profound experience of life and personal emotions to viewers intimately and delicately through 13 pieces of work.
The initial focus is on one of the large-scale photographs, “The Scenery Behind Me-3.” This series showcases a sharp yet blurred composition that stems from a serendipitous journey, a result of the interaction between her camera lens and the rearview window as seen through car windows. Following this work, viewers will see a series of small pieces measuring approximately 30 x 30 centimeters each. Compared to the large-scale series, “The Scenery Behind Me,” which dominates the wall and integrates into the exhibition space; “Another Room-2,” features a collage of two minimalist photographs with subdued colors and composition, despite its smaller scale.
This provides a more subtle perspective, examining the essence of space and image through unique photographic imagery. By arranging works of various sizes throughout the exhibition space, Hsu transforms smaller pieces into a spatial language, leading to a reconfiguration of the viewer's visual perspective. At the same time, she divides the exhibition space to allow works with different contexts to flow throughout.
The method of presenting artwork within the exhibition space and its interaction with the room has always remained central to her artistic ethos. For every exhibition, Hsu creates an isometric scale model of the exhibition area to envision the display of her art and to facilitate a dialogue between her work, the space, and the viewer. Not only is this a preparatory measure to set up the exhibition, but it also serves as a contemplative process for the artist. She organizes and classifies hundreds of photographs while adjusting their positions. What the viewer eventually sees are the selected images after numerous self-dialogues. These images convey the emotions and personal states that she experiences at the moment of photography. They are meticulously chosen and presented to the viewers with raw directness.
In what sense do these blurred images convey a certain raw directness? The series "The Scenery Behind Me" may be interpreted as her reflections on the events of the previous year, which were later distilled into an intuitive and poetic style through her camera lens. The demise of a loved one, moving, the termination of a relationship, and arriving in an uncharted metropolis on her own... These life-changing events have undoubtedly had a significant emotional impact on her. These unpredictable and uncontrollable life events led her to adopt a more composed and accepting attitude toward life through continuous self-improvement. The emotional sensibilities towards oneself and the life experiences of Hsu Ting were manifested during a sudden journey. Sitting in a moving car in Berlin, her camera shutter seemed ceaseless, capturing everything around her. She pondered within herself, what exactly did she intend to preserve through photography? What did she see through the lens? While contemplating these questions, the camera lens and the rearview mirror caught each other through the car window.
It seemed as though something had been captured by her camera. At last, we also asked: what did the artist see through the camera lens? Was she gazing at the gradually disappearing past behind her or looking ahead to what symbolized the future? Perhaps she was simply lingering between two points, trying to find clarity in this ambiguous "present" context. The past and future coexist, along with feelings of security and insecurity intertwining and flowing freely, here in the so-called "present". Amidst these blurred images, we almost witness Hsu Ting engaging in a conversation with her internal emotions by capturing the external objects through her camera lens, gazing at her inspiration in an exceptionally pure manner.
The dialogue between Hsu Ting and herself is still ongoing. While the viewers are only here by invitation, standing quietly between these two points with her, silently observing their conversation. Despite mixed emotions, Hsu Ting has already taken a step forward. The stillness of time has begun to flow. Yet, we continue to contemplate the significance of these images, pondering where and how to proceed from here.