Exhibition Notes on Zones of Estrangement
- Audrey Chan
- Oct 8
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 14
Scroll down for English translation.
第一眼見到計畫標題的Estrangement時，誤讀為Entanglement，結果發現此次主題介於兩個詞語定義的集合體——以身體、材料與聲響織就的無形之網，將距離感加入「連接」與「徘徊」的元素，在流動場域中，重新定義存在與觀看的可能。
剛發起不久的藝術項目In Between Zones - A London Art Guerrilla Tour，打破地域限制，將自然等公共空間化為展場。今次展演邀請了來自台灣、印尼等地的藝術家，並邀請觀察者紀錄活動走向，製成電子存檔。
在Highgate Wood的森林中，Zones of Estrangement藝術計畫如部落儀式般展開，邀請觀眾穿越都市的邊陲，步入一場關於疏離與糾纏的試驗場。第一眼見到計畫標題的Estrangement時，誤讀為Entanglement，結果發現此次主題介於兩個詞語定義的集合體——以身體、材料與聲響織就的無形之網，將距離感加入「連接」與「徘徊」的元素，在流動場域中，重新定義存在與觀看的可能。
計畫中，我最鍾意郭柏云（Po-Yun Kuo）的行为艺术。她將採集樹枝的勞作轉化為建造巢穴的儀式，如同原始人類在茫茫大地搭建庇護之所。透過與藝術家的溝通，我得知此處有燒窯的遺址，這場行為表演則是結合歷史痕跡，對「祠堂」概念的作出延伸。表演的開始悄無聲息，突破「觀眾」與「表演者」的互動關係，而是以寂靜無聲的樹枝採集同陶泥創作開始，等到笛聲吸引大部分觀看者前來，卻已來到「搭建樹屋」的尾聲。
另一邊，藝術家Bunga Yuridespita身著錫紙與鏡面物料，在自然環境中注入人造材料的異質感。這種錯位感製造出兩個極端——原始的森林與過度加工的工業化。藝術家不斷移動腳步，輔以兩個餐碟的碰撞聲響，彷彿摸索著找尋地底的金屬。Amanda Moraes Teixeira的裝置作品講述人際關係同個體的脆弱，窒息感在透明塑膠間若隱若現，表面是庇護所，實則無法擺脫。二者的作品均關乎emotion同material間的張力，將「原料」同「製成品」透過身體連接，在二者間痛苦掙扎。
表演的最後一個節目，由藝術家Bhawana Jain握著木製空心管起舞，空氣流過發出的低吟，配合有力的肢體動作，頗似扶乩的信仰儀式，以人體為媒介連接神明與凡塵。落葉間散落的紅色染布，更如大地睜開的一隻眼，凝視著這場人與非人的對話。
除此之外，還有藝術家Siqing與大家一起拾取落地的樹枝同果實，進行編織workshop。我在此遇到用mushroom做成小誌的zinemaker，和她討論人的流動性、queer同松茸的關係。微涼的空氣中，不同人散落在林間靜靜觀賞，大家靜止的背影又構成一件新的作品——介乎呼吸練習、冥想、野餐之間，我們似乎嘗試在日常的失重中重新找回可召喚及找尋的部分。
「Estrangement」的最動人之處，在於它不依靠任何工具，而是以「森林」與「人類」二者作為媒介，連接不同的創作與體驗。這種去工具化突破「展覽」所需的空間及物質侷限，藝術在此不依賴任何介質或條件便可發生，In-Between也由夾在中間的被動轉化為機遇。這件裝置作品來自 Amanda‘s Untilted (about protection) 而後Bunga來到展覽現場選擇在此處進行她的行為藝術。
At first glance, the project’s title, “Estrangement”, was misread as “Entanglement” by me, but it soon became clear that the theme lies in the intersection of these two concepts—a formless web woven through body, materials, and sound, infusing a sense of distance into elements of "connection" and "wandering."
The recently launched art project In Between Zones - A London Art Guerrilla Tour breaks geographical boundaries, transforming public spaces like nature into exhibition grounds. This event invited artists from Taiwan, Indonesia, and beyond, while also engaging observers to document the unfolding activities, creating a digital archive.
In Highgate Wood, the Zones of Estrangement art project unfolded like a tribal ritual, inviting audiences to traverse the urban fringes and step into an experimental field exploring alienation and entanglement. At first glance, the project’s title, “Estrangement”, was misread as “Entanglement” by me, but it soon became clear that the theme lies in the intersection of these two concepts—a formless web woven through body, materials, and sound, infusing a sense of distance into elements of "connection" and "wandering." In this fluid domain, it redefines the possibilities of existence and observation.
Among the performances, I was particularly drawn to Po-Yun Kuo’s work. She transformed the labour of collecting branches into a ritual of nest-building, reminiscent of ancient humans constructing shelters in the vast wilderness. Through conversations with the artist, I learned that the site once housed a kiln, and her performance incorporated these historical traces, extending the concept of a "shrine." The performance began silently, blurring the boundaries between "audience" and "performer." It started with the quiet collection of branches and clay creation, and by the time the flute’s sound drew most viewers in, the "treehouse construction" was already nearing its end.
Elsewhere, artist Bunga Yuridespita, adorned in tinfoil and mirrored materials, injected an artificial texture into the natural environment. This sense of dislocation created two extremes—the primal forest and hyper-processed industrialisation. The artist moved continuously, accompanied by the clashing sounds of two metal plates, as if searching for metal beneath the earth. Amanda Moraes Teixeira’s installation work explored the fragility of human relationships and individuals, with a sense of suffocation subtly visible within transparent plastic—appearing as a shelter but impossible to escape. Both artists’ works revolved around the tension between emotion and material, connecting "raw materials" and "finished products" through the body, struggling painfully between the two.
The final performance featured artist Bhawana Jain dancing with a hollow wooden tube, the low hum of air passing through it paired with powerful physical movements, resembling a shamanic ritual where the human body serves as a medium connecting the divine and the mortal. Red-dyed fabric scattered among the fallen leaves seemed like an eye of the earth, gazing at this dialogue between the human and non-human.
Additionally, artist Siqing led a workshop where participants gathered fallen branches and fruits to weave together. There, I met a zinemaker who crafted zines from mushrooms and discussed human mobility, queerness, and their connection to matsutake mushrooms. In the quiet environment, people scattered through the forest, quietly observing, their still silhouettes forming a new collective artwork—something between a breathing exercise, meditation, and picnic. It felt like an attempt to reclaim summonable, searchable fragments amid the weightlessness of daily life.
The most moving aspect of “Estrangement” lies in its reliance not on tools but on the “forest" and “humans” as mediums, connecting diverse creations and experiences. This de-instrumentalisation breaks the spatial and material constraints of traditional "exhibitions," allowing art to emerge without dependency on any medium or condition. “In-Between” thus transforms from a passive state into an opportunity.
about Audrey Chan
Emerging curator and author. She serves as the associate curator of All About Us Film Festival 2023, and is a co-founder of Brake Corner, an art space and community library in Hong Kong. Her articles have been published on daoju.art and the Riff Magazine. Audrey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and will pursue a Master of Contemporary Art Curation at the Royal College of Art in 2025.
見習策展人與撰稿人。曾聯合策展影像無國界電影節，並創辦香港地區組織Brake Corner。她的作品刊登於島聚及即時Riff Magazine。畢業於香港中文大學新聞與傳播學系，現正修讀皇家藝術學院當代藝術策展課程。
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