Ming Wong
13 Feb - 20 Mar 2010
MING WONG
Life and Death in Venice / Leben und Tod in Venedig / Vita e Morte a Venezia
Premiere Friday, February 12th // 7pm
Exhibition February 13th - March 20th, 2010
Curated by Eliza Tan
Ming Wong’s 3-screen video installation is a revisitation of Luchino Visconti’s 1971 film, which was based on Thomas Mann’s novella, Death in Venice, first published in 1912. The book/film’s narrative follows aging protagonist, Aschenbach, on his sojourn to Venice where he meets and secretly pursues Tadzio, a young boy whose uncorrupted youth and beauty becomes his inverse reflection. Years have withered him, and wrestling himself, Aschenbach struggles painfully in his final stages to reconcile the triumphs and failures of his personal and professional life as an artist.
20 years too old and too young to be either Aschenbach or Tadzio, Ming Wong plays the parts of both characters in his latest work Life and Death in Venice. Entirely self-directed, produced and conceived while his presentation Life of Imitation for the Singapore Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale was still on-going, Wong’s new piece puts a decidedly self-reflexive and biographical spin on the notion of ‘arriving’ and ‘departing’ in one’s artistic career and personal life. The work boldly delves into his inner expressivities and uncertainties, laying bare the artist in a state of crisis as he negotiates a growing consciousness of age, the trajectories of change in his private adult life and his professional development.
Life and Death in Venice / Leben und Tod in Venedig / Vita e Morte a Venezia travels on as an evolving installation to the following locations:
Third Floor Hermès Gallery, Singapore. 31 Mar - 2 May 2010
The 17th Biennale of Sydney. 12 May - 1 Aug 2010
For further details on the exhibition, full curatorial texts and images, contact.
About the artist
Ming Wong’s practice explores the performative veneers of language and identity through his own ‘world cinema’. He represented Singapore at the prestigious 53rd Venice International Biennale, 2008, gaining critical acclaim for his presentation ‘Life of Imitation’, which won Special Mention (Expanding Worlds). Wong has also shown at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver, South London Gallery, and ZKM Center for Art & Media amongst others. He has assumed international residencies at ACME studios, London, and Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin. Past awards include the London Artists’ Film and Video Award by Film London and the Pearson Creative Research Fellowship at the British Library.
Created with the support of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès for Third Floor Hermès Gallery – Singapore – March to May 2010. With thanks also to the Singapore International Foundation and Singapore Film Commission.
Life and Death in Venice / Leben und Tod in Venedig / Vita e Morte a Venezia
Premiere Friday, February 12th // 7pm
Exhibition February 13th - March 20th, 2010
Curated by Eliza Tan
Ming Wong’s 3-screen video installation is a revisitation of Luchino Visconti’s 1971 film, which was based on Thomas Mann’s novella, Death in Venice, first published in 1912. The book/film’s narrative follows aging protagonist, Aschenbach, on his sojourn to Venice where he meets and secretly pursues Tadzio, a young boy whose uncorrupted youth and beauty becomes his inverse reflection. Years have withered him, and wrestling himself, Aschenbach struggles painfully in his final stages to reconcile the triumphs and failures of his personal and professional life as an artist.
20 years too old and too young to be either Aschenbach or Tadzio, Ming Wong plays the parts of both characters in his latest work Life and Death in Venice. Entirely self-directed, produced and conceived while his presentation Life of Imitation for the Singapore Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale was still on-going, Wong’s new piece puts a decidedly self-reflexive and biographical spin on the notion of ‘arriving’ and ‘departing’ in one’s artistic career and personal life. The work boldly delves into his inner expressivities and uncertainties, laying bare the artist in a state of crisis as he negotiates a growing consciousness of age, the trajectories of change in his private adult life and his professional development.
Life and Death in Venice / Leben und Tod in Venedig / Vita e Morte a Venezia travels on as an evolving installation to the following locations:
Third Floor Hermès Gallery, Singapore. 31 Mar - 2 May 2010
The 17th Biennale of Sydney. 12 May - 1 Aug 2010
For further details on the exhibition, full curatorial texts and images, contact.
About the artist
Ming Wong’s practice explores the performative veneers of language and identity through his own ‘world cinema’. He represented Singapore at the prestigious 53rd Venice International Biennale, 2008, gaining critical acclaim for his presentation ‘Life of Imitation’, which won Special Mention (Expanding Worlds). Wong has also shown at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver, South London Gallery, and ZKM Center for Art & Media amongst others. He has assumed international residencies at ACME studios, London, and Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin. Past awards include the London Artists’ Film and Video Award by Film London and the Pearson Creative Research Fellowship at the British Library.
Created with the support of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès for Third Floor Hermès Gallery – Singapore – March to May 2010. With thanks also to the Singapore International Foundation and Singapore Film Commission.