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Art Basel Hong Kong 2018 Discoveries

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Morgan Wong
Booth 1C34
An Inch of Time; An Inch of Gold
3.29-3.31, 2018
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Morgan Wong’s latest work, “An Inch of Time; An Inch of Gold”, continues the artist’s investigations into time as a predicament. The installation includes two major elements: LED texts and absurdly proportioned, cheaply-made gold-plated wristwatches. The phrase ‘an inch of time for an inch of gold’ comes from a Chinese proverb addressing the immaterial nature of time, surpassing materiality. Wong’s endeavor to stop time by pouring concrete in watch-faces is obviously a wasted effort. The larger-than-life watches speak, nevertheless, to the materiality of time. A piece of real gold is buried in one of the watches, but this too remains as mysterious and irrepressible as the concept of time. The preciousness and the transcendence of the time, the cheapness of the watches, time’s immaterial nature and its materiality, therefore form various sets of paradoxical binaries, unfolding a multi-dimensional definition about time to the viewers.

 

From ABHK18 Press Release

Discoveries, focused on solo shows by emerging artists, this year will feature 25 galleries. Highlights include Timur Si-Qin (b. 1984), whose virtual reality installation ‘Depolarization,’ presented by Société, beckons viewers into a simulated natural environment to pursue a spiritual relationship to matters such as truth, epistemology and climate change. At mor charpentier, Colombian artist Carlos Motta‘s (b. 1978) sculptures and photographs confront our preconceived notions of the natural and the unnatural. Hong Kong artist Morgan Wong (b. 1984) will transform A+ Contemporary’s booth with a semantic-filled installation comprising of blinking neon text and absurdly proportioned cheaply-made gold-plated wristwatches, continuing his exploration into the irrepressibility of time. At ROH Projects, Indonesian artist Faisal Habibi‘s (b. 1984) work will question the distinctions between sculpture, paintings and of art itself. At Various Small Fires, American artist Jessie Homer French (b. 1940) will present paintings of Western flora and fauna embedded within an allegorical and agricultural context, which were inspired by the artist’s rural life. Ali Kazim (b. 1979) will present an immersive installation inspired by his hometown of Lahore, resonating with the current political situation in Pakistan, presented by Jhaveri Contemporary. Artist duo ‘Pors & Rao’ will present a digital interactive booth at GALLERYSKE, continuing their survey on the autonomous side of human behavior. The BMW Art Journey will once more be awarded to an artist from this year’s Discoveries sector. For the full gallery list, please visit artbasel.com/hongkong/discoveries.