Massvariabel

Massvariabel
Fuka Gould, Hee Seo, Jinchi Hu, Xuejing Wang

Opening: January 09. 2024 18:00 – 21:00
Exhibition: January 10 – January 14. 2024
Mariannenstrasse 33, 10999 Berlin

 

The exhibition features four female artists of East Asian origin, forming an exhibition by “Asian Women.” The focus, however, centers on capturing the essence of “genuine individuals,” rather than attaching specific labels. These artists aim to reveal the inner psychological picture of real people, while maintaining a flexible stance on their ideas. The term “Massvariabel” describes artworks with varying dimensions across different spaces. This term indicates the works’ adaptability and the artists’ steadfastness in their ideas. The title, therefore, conveys the varied backgrounds and genders of the four artists. Moreover, it serves as a metaphor for the artists’ journey of exploring new frontiers while residing overseas.

This exhibition comprises sculptures, installations, paintings, and new media art. The artwork showcases transformations including the conversion of still life to poets, sewing together of fallen leaves forming healing magic carpets, and emphasizing the unknown within the boxes and the land. Moreover, the artistic “floor” is transformed into an unusual object that occupies the exhibition room floor, exploring the space beneath in a unique way. The artists draw inspiration from ordinary experiences and personalize each medium by projecting their own stories onto it, instead of perceiving life through a predetermined lens.

Installation view © Galerie Met and the artists.

 

Fuka Gould, born in Tokyo, Japan in 1994, produces artwork that employs color as a means of expressing emotions through objects, spaces, and people. Her “saturated paintings” are characterized by highly vibrant colors that are harmonious and complex. Gould’s figurative pieces reflect a re-enactment of moments in her life, such as dreamy botanical spaces, portraits, and a mixture of images that represent her spiritual idea.

Hee Seo was born in Seoul, Korea in 1988. Her spatial installations, which include sculptural maneuvers, objects, drawings, and videos, aim to explore the existential experience of individuals in everyday life. As an artist and foreigner, she considers herself as an individual precariously embedded in society. She views the space and objects surrounding her through the lens of a vulnerable individual constantly in flux.

Jinchi Hu, born in Liaoning, China in 1995, creates artwork inspired by the everyday absurdities of life. By dedicating endless effort, patience, and time, Hu produces work that is intentionally “meaningless” as a means of resisting the fast-paced development of our society.

Xuejing Wang, born in Tianjin, China in 1994, creates sculptures, installations, and paintings from discarded objects like fallen leaves, tea bags, chewing gum wrappers, fruit peels, and egg cartons. Wang employs experimental artistic approaches like pasting and sewing to repetitively juxtapose these materials. Her artwork provides a critical evaluation of her cultural background by exploring the unity and distinctiveness of highly similar repetitive materials, thus highlighting the values of “equality in diversity.”