Jul 14-Sep 5, 1a space
'Spectral evidence' refers to dreams and visions that were admitted in court as proof of guilt during the 17th-century Salem witch trials in the American town of Salem, Massachusetts.
At the height of the witch-hunt hysteria, such evidence alone, though unreliable and ambiguous, was used to condemn to death anyone suspected of practising witchcraft.
A new exhibition at 1a space gives this term a contemporary take by looking at how historical evidence can be interpreted - or misinterpreted - and history rewritten.
Curated by New York-based artist Steven Lam and featuring artists Sreshta Rit Premnath, Simon Leung and Lin + Lam, the group show is part of the art space's curatorial residency programme to elevate Hong Kong's curatorship level and foster international exchange. In conjunction with the exhibition will be seminars, lectures, performances and workshops that are supported by the Asian Cultural Council.
On show in Spectral Evidence are works in video, photography and installation that 'examine how the present contains an accumulation of traces that are often hidden or omitted by violent and oppressive forces'.