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Time Files Over Us But Leaves Its Shadow Behind
影を残して、時は去る

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Details

25 Nov - 24 Dec 2023
TOKAS, Tokyo

Ting-Tong Chang
張碩尹
Mark Chung
鍾正
Ko Sin Tung
高倩彤
Peng Yi-Hsuan
彭奕軒
Min-wei Ting
丁明偉

The moving image is a sequence of images of space arranged in chronological order to depict the movement of subjects within a film. Ever since Eadweard Muybridge captured a series of photographs showcasing the motion of horses and other animals, people have attempted to freeze and replay actions in a sequential manner. Soon afterwards, the Lumiere Brothers and Thomas Edison on both sides of the Atlantic developed the complete process of capturing and projecting images to a mass audience, giving rise to what we now know as cinema. Filmmakers possess a wide array of techniques to manipulate time within a film; however, the majority of films strive to maintain a consistent flow of time aligned with our everyday experience. This deliberate choice aims to keep the audience grounded in reality and connected to the narrative unfolding on screen. In the contemporary art context, the moving image genre has expanded cinema beyond traditional theatres to galleries and art museums. Artists have the freedom to employ various methods to alter the flow of time in their works, unconstrained by the need for realism. Film converts the flow of time into space as it projects the consciousness of the film maker onto the screen. As the freedom to manipulate time in film increases, new forms of space are created within the screens. This newfound artistic freedom offers a fresh and unique approach to observing and presenting space within artworks. Time Flies Over Us But Leaves Its Shadow Behind is a reflection on the perception of time within virtual spaces of expanded cinema. This exhibition showcases diverse works by Asian artists that utilise moving images as a medium to express their observations of spaces and places, with a particular focus on various locales across Asia.

Taking a detour while we are researching video games, this exhibition examines the relationship between time and the spaces created in moving image works. In contrast to video games and the spaces created by computer generated images, all the works in this exhibition are captured by video cameras and collectively looking back to the roots of moving image in cinema. Hampshire Road is Ming-Wei Ting's documentary that focuses on a bus stop erected during the pandemic by the Singapore government to separate migrant workers from the general population due to COVID concerns. This single-take film captures the entire 300-metre-long area, transforming time into space throughout its duration. In Ting-tong Chang's Soap, set in an imaginary soap factory, the filmmaker presents a social allegory representing the misinformation society produces for our consumption. The story is non-linear and fragmented, narrating a modern fantasy of deception and deceit. In Natural Monument, Peng Yi-Hsuan reconstructs the unique landscape of Akiyosidai using hundreds of GIFs displayed across four screens. This artistic endeavour aims to recreate the perpetuity and abundance of nature within the confines of a gallery space. In Ko Sin Tung's Every Unit, the viewer is invited to peer into an unfinished flat while the artist narrates how the space could be transformed for living, creating an intimate setting. The voiced narrative serves as the driving force behind the still images of the yet-to-be-built site. Lastly, in Dead End #01, Mark Chung takes his drone to capture the intense light reflected by Hong Kong's glass high-rises. Through a screen, the film recreates the never-ending loop of movement, drawing parallels to the incessant development of the metropolitan city.