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CURATED by Patrice Chou, Phuan Thai Meng’s exhibition at MOCA, Taipei, is one example of how a true artist works. ‘Liminality – Route of Return’ pools curatorial praxis, exhibition and workshop, it investigates the connections between people and places in contrasting geopolitical ideas.
This particular exhibition materialised from Thai Meng’s deeply personal experience from travelling to and fro between Malaysia and Taiwan. His undertaking is for one purpose: to reconsider the convoluted appearances and orientation of extremities between “the outside in the local” and “the local in the outside”.
This exhibition is more like an on-going art project, not only to showcase the artworks but intrigue the audience to reshape and reimagine the relationship with their own land or place or so-called hometown.
We take the key concept of “borderless” as well as the idea of “liquid modernity” or “change is permanent” to explore a view of the realm of the social that attempts to bridge between stability and change, continuity and discontinuity, and to understand both structure and agency as the effects of social actors pursuing their plans.
States, property systems, constitutions, religious institutions – all these persisting social frames are themselves subject to strategic interventions by the actors who inhabit them, and their properties change over time.
Curator Patrice comments, “Playing the role of a curator, it’s been quite a pleasant journey to work with the artist; we had a lot of discussions about how to fine-tune the final presentation, how to conduct the artist talk and the two workshops, etc.
“Given the circumstances that local gallery-goers are not familiar with the artist and his background, we put a lot of effort promoting Phuan Thai Meng’s first solo exhibition in Taiwan, and we’re glad that both academic professionals and art lovers appreciate the turn-out.”
The exhibition parcel is put together consisting of 28 artworks split into three “compartments”, both as stand-alone pieces and as a component of an interconnected assemblage.
The site looks into the theme of migration, and the aligning of limits surrounding it.
The photographic installation, ‘Shifting Body’ for example, lacerates from the linear perspective of the “mover” and reconfigurates the direction of the diasporic interviewee into a ‘in the flesh’ map wrought with soil, and at the pinnacle, Phuan placed Goethe (perennial/ medicinal plant) stems and satin tails, which is emblematic of the unrestrained and what consistently moves.
By doing so, the artist gives us a unique perspective on the antithetical connotations between place and body.
The artist says, “From the bilingual exhibition title on a certain level, it reflects the main concept of this entire exhibition. The Chinese part of the exhibition’s name「生根」(rooting) and「移動的邊界」(moving boundaries), the meaning itself actually shows a kind of contradictory situation and the English title plays a role of annotation, a supplement to an extended reading of the exhibition.
“The bilingual design in the exhibition title also creates an invisible boundary or barrier in reading the title. For me that is the situation, what we are facing in reality, we are always confused by a lot of different elements while we are trying to read and understand the meanings.”
Phuan further continues, “On another hand, the English part of the exhibition’s title ‘Liminality: Route of Return’, the route of ‘Return’ does not mean to return to the existing situation or social framework but to seek for a new understanding.
“This social pattern for me should be closer to the essence of the ‘Body’ and ‘Place’; how to find the path of ‘return’ is one of the core issues and concepts of this research project and exhibition.
“Having an exhibition overseas is always a challenging task, especially when dealing with a local ‘issue’ which may not be familiar to the Taiwan audience, but for me that is a process of sharing and learning. Being ‘different’ of course will create a barrier for us to communicate.
“But another way of looking at it, being away from our own land creates a distance and space for us to rethink our understanding of our own country.”
Joshua Lim, who represents Phuan reflects, “One of the things that Thai Meng’s current show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, looks at is the relationship between ‘people’ and ‘places’.
“The show was inspired by his experiences travelling back and from between Malaysia and Taiwan. It’s important that Malaysian artists, or, for that matter, artists across Southeast Asia and the world, look outside their usual frames of reference.
“Doing this often means getting outside of your own country. Unfortunately, that’s not really possible now.
“Learning about other cultures does two things – it expands your own worldview, and it also helps you learn more about yourself.
“As a gallery that wants to support Malaysian artists, we do so by promoting their work, obviously, but also by supporting the development of their practices.
“And that means supporting intercultural exchanges: either by encouraging Malaysians artists as they travel, or by regularly exhibiting artists from the region in our gallery.”
Phuan Thai Meng’s repertoire spans across a multitude of disciplines; paintings, multimedia and installation works, and is most known for his portraits rendered in oil on canvas.
‘Liminality – The Route of Return’ is another interesting facet to the artist’s capabilities, which is both refreshing and deeply contemplative.
In ‘Tracing the Boundaries’, Phuan utilises paintings which look like black and white photographs, bringing viewers back to a historical milieu.
Representations from ancient maritime trade paths, moving labour forces and geopolitics are wreathed into various swerving commentaries; it makes us think of the significance of forced migration.
‘Traveling in the age of Reproduction’ yanks emblematic resources on the Internet to further pile the mental imagery of ‘place’ and ‘body’, mirroring effects of sensed distance and time as technology pervades our daily existence and intensifies motility.
In this exhibition, Phuan struggles with his own ‘demons’, attempting to bring forward complicated narratives on forced migration, identity and the sense of belonging.
‘Liminality – Route of Return’ is fragmentary and deals with the artist’s personal quest to understand and explain, through beautifully-strange subjects and styles, the theories of our existence. Who are we and where do we really belong? Is everything transitory? It makes for a compelling exhibition, and should be explored further.
Phuan’s exhibition is a flow of themes which deals with brutal changes, his techniques are at times, tempestuous and deeply metaphoric, but the artist also at the same time, displays tenderness and vulnerability, which he shows with brilliance and love.
‘Liminality – Route of Return’ is in a way, cloaked in an inhospitable sombreness and all-obscured darkness, and we are left to ponder by the precipice of his landscapes before it sinks into the shambles of night.
Phuan Thai Meng is a Malaysian artist who graduated from the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) and specialises in oil painting and multimedia installations. He is also active in experimental projects and workshop events. Thai Meng is a founding member of the artist-run space Rumah Air Panas (R.A.P).
The artist is currently pursuing his studies in The Graduate Institute of Trans-disciplinary Arts, National Taipei University of Arts. Thai Meng is the recipient of the Philip Morris Malaysia–Asean Arts Awards (2000) and the Silver Award in the UOB Painting of the Year (2018).
A+ WORKS of ART is a contemporary art gallery based in Kuala Lumpur, with a geographic focus on Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
Founded in 2017 by Joshua Lim, the gallery presents a wide range of contemporary practices, from painting to performance, drawing, sculpture, new media art, photography, video and installation.
Its exhibitions have showcased diverse themes and approaches, including material experimentation and global conversations on social issues.
Collaboration is key to the ethos of A+ Works of Art. Since its opening, the gallery has worked with artists, curators, writers, collectors, galleries and partners from within the region and beyond, and continues to look out for new collaborations.
The gallery name is a play on striving for distinction but also on the idea that art is never without context and is always reaching to connect — it is always “plus” something else. – The Vibes, December 6, 2020
For enquiries, please contact Joshua Lim: +6019 915 3399
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801 Jalan Sentul 51000 Kuala Lumpur
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