Striving to be more inclusive, the local art scene is organising events aimed at boosting awareness on this issue. A new exhibition at Tai Kwun Cultural Centre is part of this activist approach.
Entitled “Myth Makers-Spectrosynthesis III,” this is the third installment of the Sunpride Foundation’s “Spectrosynthesis” exhibition of Asian LGBT art. Curators Inti Guerrero and Chantal Wong have assembled more than 100 works by some 60 artists from Asia and its diasporas, all of which deal with “queer mythologies.”
They highlight gender fluidity and the growing need to take into account different sexualities within Asian societies.
Most of “Myth Makers-Spectrosynthesis III” focuses on works by living artists, but the exhibition also pays tribute to creators who lived in eras during which expression of diverse sexual and gender identities was not possible.
“In bringing together such a plethora of artistic perspectives and vocabularies, ‘Myth Makers’ endeavors to present a multiplicity of conversations, representations, and anti-representations of stories, individuals and communities,” the Tai Kwun Center says in a statement.
Limited progress for the LGBT community
Although examples of censorship on the Hong Kong cultural scene have been emerging in recent months, “Myth Makers-Spectrosynthesis III” seems to have been spared.
According to The Art Newspaper, only one work has been removed from the exhibition. It is a video from the series “3x3x6” by American-Taiwanese multimedia artist Shu Lea Cheang and focuses on ten prisoners from different eras and geographical locations who were imprisoned for “sexual provocation” or gender affirmation.
The work was shown as part of Taiwan’s representation at the 2019 Venice Biennale but was left out of “Myth Makers-Spectrosynthesis III” because of its sexually explicit content, according to the trade publication.
Nevertheless, the exhibition has been very well received by the general public since it opened at the Tai Kwun Cultural Centre. For Patrick Sun, the founder of the Sunpride Foundation, this is proof that mentalities are changing in the city-state under Chinese sovereignty.
The LGBT community of Hong Kong has achieved some victories in recent years, as evidenced by the abolition of several anti-gay laws in 2019. However, gay marriages or same-sex civil unions are not recognized by the state, including those performed abroad.
The organizers of “Myth Makers-Spectrosynthesis III” hope that this exhibition will draw international attention to the situation of the LGBT community in Hong Kong, as the city prepares to welcome many foreign tourists arriving to attend the Asian version of the contemporary art fair Art Basel.
In addition, the Sunpride Foundation has already announced plans to hold a fourth edition of “Myth Makers-Spectrosynthesis” in another Asian city.
“In some countries, it may seem impossible now to host an exhibition like ‘Myth Makers,’ but the world is changing and I remain optimistic for good reasons,” Patrick Sun told The Art Newspaper.
The exhibition “Myth Makers-Spectrosynthesis III” runs until April 10 at the Tai Kwun Cultural Centre in Hong Kong.