"A TIDE OF EMOTIONS" Exhibition - Curatorial text
“I am going through a ritual at the moment. Me, myself, my emotion and the material are part of the ritual of creating art.” – Chiharu Shiota
Chiharu Shiota, revered as one of Asia's foremost female visionaries in the global realm of contemporary art. Through decades of her artistic odyssey, Shiota has ventured across a spectrum of creative realms, from the ephemeral dance of performance art to the silent reverie of painting, the tangible whispers of sculpture to the immersive embrace of installation.
In the luminous tapestry of her artistic voyage, Chiharu Shiota was invited to visit Hanoi, Vietnam by VCCA in 2019. Here, amidst the resonance of architectural poetry, the genesis of "A Tide of Emotions" took root. In response to the very sinews of VCCA's architectural design, Shiota birthed forth two site-specific installations. Meanwhile, she sought to commune with the intricate annals of Vietnam's past, gathering timeworn vessels that once traversed its storied waters. For boats, in all their humble majesty, harbour multitudes of metaphors for a land like Vietnam, where a coastline stretches long as the eye can trace, and the annals of history resonate with echoes of strife and resolve. Yet, it is not just in metaphor that Chiharu's artistry finds its resonance, but in the very marrow of materiality. With deft hands, she weaves threads of life, transforming the mundane into the monumental, and the ephemeral into the visceral. Threads that tell stories of yore, and pathways that intertwine past and present. In her woven masterpieces, one can trace the calligraphy of an ancient world, and the tradition of a thousand looms. Paths, both etched and unmarked, stretch forth, inviting us to trace their arc. In the crucible of her subjective vision, Chiharu forges works that speak of memory's gentle touch, of the sanctuary of home, of migrations silent and profound, of the dance between life and death. Old shoes, timeworn luggage, keys that once unlocked secrets, garments that cloaked their wearers in memory — all find their place in the grand tapestry of her art. Her yearning reaches far beyond the confines of nation, language, and creed. A cosmic dialogue, where the cosmos itself bears witness to her silent communion. In the crimson of her palette, Chiharu finds the echo of her soul. Red and white entwine in a dance of joy, a celebration of life's embrace. In the arching shape of a boat, we find our earthly vessel, a craft that propels us inexorably forward, though the shores remain veiled. We tread a path, etched by culture's hand, forgetting the essence of our pilgrimage. Yet life's tapestry is not woven in absolutes, but in the subtle shades of uncertainty. Amidst shadows, we seek our purpose, charting a course through realms unknown. Boats, vessels of dreams and harbours of hope, cradle us through this voyage of wonder and doubt. Death, they say, is the final shore, the culmination of our earthly sojourn. But Chiharu sees beyond, where time is but a circle, and our spirits transcend into dimensions anew.
As the beholder gazes upon these blackened ships, they shift and shimmer, revealing myriad perspectives. Yet, from certain vantage, the boat stands clear, an emblem of our earthly journey. Shift apace, and it vanishes, a vessel transmuted to another realm. Drifting ever upward, the boats share a common voyage, yet their destinies are veiled, known only to the cosmos…
Do Tuong Linh
