Tina Keng Gallery exhibition redefines art in living spaces

耿畫廊展覽重新定義生活空間中的藝術

Exhibition to run until June 14


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei's Tina Keng Gallery invites viewers to reimagine the relationship between art and everyday life in its captivating new exhibition, "In the Ordinary."

The collaboration with Italian design furniture brand Fuhaus offers a fresh perspective, drawing inspiration from the singular vision of the late, celebrated deceased Chinese artist Sanyu (常玉). Running until June 14 at TKG Masters, the exhibition poses a compelling question: "If Sanyu were alive today, what would his living space embody?"

Curated with insightful nuance by Lin Chun-yu (林俊宇), " In the Ordinary" is not a traditional white-cube experience. Instead, it unfolds across four thoughtfully designed zones, each echoing a distinct phase of Sanyu's artistic evolution – from the graceful early works to the dreamy hues of his pink period and culminating in the tranquil simplicity of his later creations.

Interwoven with Sanyu's paintings are carefully selected pieces from Fuhaus, creating a dialogue that transcends the gallery walls and ventures into the realm of imagined domesticity. Alongside Sanyu's masterpieces, works by influential artists like Wang Pan-yuan (王攀元), Wang Husiqing (王懷慶), and Su Xiaobai (蘇笑柏) further enrich this exploration.

The exhibition boldly challenges the notion of art as an untouchable entity, seeking to seamlessly integrate it into the fabric of our daily environments. Visitors are actively encouraged to shed the formality of a typical gallery visit, invited to linger, sit, and even recline on the meticulously chosen furniture. This deliberate blurring of boundaries aims to transport viewers not just through the art but also through time, fostering an intimate connection with Sanyu's artistic spirit as if he were a contemporary presence.

One particularly engaging section recreates the ambiance of a Parisian salon, a significant influence on Sanyu's early career. Here, the sensual lines of nudes by Sanyu engage in a silent conversation with those by Chu Yuan-chih (朱沅芷), while plush, understatedly luxurious seating anchors the space.

In this imagined gathering place, the echoes of artistic discourse between luminaries like Sanyu, Picasso, and Zao Wou-ki (趙無極) seem almost palpable.

These intergenerational and cross-cultural dialogues are further enhanced by the presence of furniture from the esteemed Italian brand Gervasoni, renowned for its tactile natural materials and seemingly effortless color palettes. The design vision of Paola Navone, who masterfully merges Eastern and Western aesthetics, underpins the entire exhibition, seamlessly embedding art within the context of everyday life and cultivating an immersive experience of relaxed sophistication.