The work of Su-Mei Tse is suffused with reflections on time, identity, memory, rhythm, and language. Media such as photography, sculpture, and installation are central to her artistic practice. In them she articulates transitions between disparate realms—sound and image, music and space, nature and culture, mental space and sensory experience. In the process, her presentations also reflect on the exhibition format and the museum context, as well as on the history of art.
It is our particular pleasure to have presented the artist's most comprehensive solo exhibition to date in Luxembourg (autumn 2017), Aarau (spring 2018), Shanghai (autumn 2018), and finally Taipei (spring 2019). It is only natural for the exhibition to travel from Europe to Asia, as Su-Mei Tse's work is thematically linked to both continents—due both to her Asian roots and to the specific character of her works, which build bridges between the two cultures.
Su-Mei Tse's touring exhibition Nested makes its Asian debut in Yuz Museum Shanghai, which thus becomes the venue for the artist's first solo exhibition in mainland China. While the artist’s oeuvre has a radically contemporary aesthetic and offers up some unique perspectives, many of her works are profoundly influenced by the history and culture of Asian countries such as China and Japan. The exhibition brings her highly idiosyncratic art from Europe to Asia, underlining Yuz Museum's commitment to nurturing the development of contemporary art and strengthening cultural exchanges between East and West. At the same time, it serves as a precious opportunity to present the artist’s experimental, observation-based practice and witty perspective to a wider audience in Asia, and within the specific discursive and communication context of the Far East. It may be that this important exhibition will mark the beginning of a brand-new journey for the artist.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum is the final stop for the traveling exhibition. The exhibition starts off with Su-Mei Tse's installation Many Spoken Words. It transforms the outpourings of the artist's heart into a fountain of endlessly cascading ink, which serves as a symbol of the wellspring of Su-Mei Tse's creative inspiration over the past 20 years, and also a visualization of sound, speech and music. This exhibition affords Taiwanese viewers a special opportunity to glimpse her rich personal history of creative output, allowing them to feel their own existences in the works, and to inhabit the moment. Su-Mei Tse's art ruminates on culture and extracts its essence. And for the contemporary masses who are constantly inundated by information from social media, she opens a window for self-projection and peace of mind.
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION/Christophe Gallois & Katrin Weilenmann
THE MUSIC OF MEANING/Christophe Gallois
THE MINISCULE AND THE COSMIC: For Su-Mei Tse/Doryun Chong
METAPHYSICS OF IMPRESSION/Emanuele Coccia
INTERVIEW WITH SU-MEI TSE/Christophe Gallois & Katrin Weilenmann
SU-MEI TSE
EXHIBITED WORKS