JOHN BATTEN GALLERY / MAY 2005 / 'White Cube'

TSANG KIN-WAH
'White Cube'

Exhibition duration: 10 May to 5 June 2005

Tsang Kin-wah's 'White Cube' is an exhibition about the art market - or, more accurately: THE ART MARKET! It is a considered exploration of the art market and of those who control the marketing and sale of art.

The term 'white cube' refers to the usual commercial gallery layout (a rectangle/box/cube shape) and the painted colour of the walls (white).

For his 'White Cube' exhibition, Tsang will completely wallpaper all the walled surfaces of the gallery (thus covering the 'white cube') and the gallery's front window. The wallpaper will (also, ironically) be shades of
white and comprise subtle (actually, on close inspection, not-so-subtle) patterns, twirls and flourishes adapted from the 19th century designer, William Morris. These patterns, however, are English words & Chinese characters that are swear words, bad language and profanities that even abuse the gallery owner (e.g. 'FUCKINGWHITEMANJOHNBATTEN')*. Complementing
the installation are a series of paintings that are - of course, for such an exhibition - for sale.

Tsang Kin-wah is a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from The Chinese University of Hong Kong who has exhibited in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom - this is his first exhibition at John Batten Gallery.

* One of the sub-themes of this exhibition relate to an actual verbal racist attack that the artist experienced in the United Kingdom.