Crush art exhibition brings together artists exploring the dark side of love
From video works to paintings to ink drawings, local artists explore the dark realities of love in this exhibition curated by Qu Chang at Para Site in Quarry Bay
The fictional world is littered with doomed lovers, from the big screen (Titanic, Brokeback Mountain) to literary classics such as Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Take your tragic pick from the works of William Shakespeare.
But broken heart syndrome, chest pain caused by the emotional stress from a traumatic break-up or death of a loved one as well as crimes of passion, are felt and committed in the real world, crossing all creed, class and cultures.
It was the dark side of love that inspired Qu Chang to curate “Crush”, a group exhibition at Para Site art space in Quarry Bay until November 25, where artists explore the emotion of love and its impact.
Marge Monko’s piece was the starting point for the show, explains the curator, referring to the Estonian artist’s Dear D. The video work depicts a process of writing a love letter on the computer that is interrupted by other activities such as browsing the internet and switching between tabs.
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“In the love letter that is Monko’s work, the self-confession, analysis, and contemplation on love and obsession stand both as an object of fascination and an investigation of the feeling of being fascinated,” says Qu Chang, adding that “Crush” explores the neglected or deliberately shunned aspects of love, including crimes of passion that we read about so often in the media.
Participating artist Oscar Chan Yik-long tapped his personal experience for his piece, Cupid, a simple but powerful ghostly ink painting of the god of love drawn by Chan when faced with the dark side of love – the last stage in a relationship.
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“People are looking for romantic relationships all the time, hoping to be the lucky one to get shot with Cupid’s arrow,” says Chan, a graduate from the Academy of Visual Arts of Baptist University who has exhibited in China and the US.
“But after some saddening experiences with love and romance, I feel like things are out of my control and that romantic love can sometimes be an unwanted disaster … maybe Cupid is a bad god willing you to have a bad experience, maybe he wants to give you love just to make fun of you. You can’t avoid or escape from it.
“People often consider romantic relationships a blessing from the gods. But perhaps it’s a curse or a test from an undead god. Cupid can play both sides.”
Crush, Para Site, 22/F Wing Wah Industrial Building, 677 King’s Road, Quarry Bay. Until November 25.
