ChenPinTao － Violin Makers and Seamstresses-I: The Caveman, The Literati, The Iconoclast by de Sarthe Gallery

VIOL IN MAK E R S AND SE AMST R E SSE S I : T HE C AVE MAN, T HE L ITE R AT I, T HE ICONOC L AST

de sarthe

de Sarthe is pleased to present Hong Kong and Shanghai-based artist Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy’ s solo exhibition, Violin Makers and Seamstresses I: The Caveman, The Literati, The Iconoclast, concluding de Sarthe's fifth annual artist residency (deSAR). The exhibition features interwoven series of installations, sculptures, and canvas placed sporadically within a sprawling one-way labyrinth. Enclosed in clinical curtains atop artificial grass, the developed artworks collectively construct a grimy, post-apocalyptic, liminal wasteland, an imagined dimension in which the social-normative perception of reality is obscured. Contemplating Eros, Thanatos, and post-secularism under the nihilistic context of a postscience, post-Internet era, the exhibition forces the confrontation of human nature in the form of an immersive, LARPING-esque (Live Action Role Playing) visual experience. Violin Makers and Seamstresses I: The Caveman, The Literati, The Iconoclast opens on 18 September and runs through 2 October. There is a growing existential vacuum in the 21st century, exacerbated by capitalist realism and the technology-driven hyperinflation of information and commodities. Objects and images have been processed through endless cycles of mass reproduction until they are born as but empty vessels, ready to be appropriated and reinvented. Contrasting between the pristinely fabricated nature of found objects and images with the primitive hand, the artist aims to create an overtly fake and artificial environment that displaces its viewers while delivering an intentionally juvenile and primal response against the constructs of artificiality, stimulating tensions between accelerated human techne and primitive desires that result in a hyperbolic statement regarding materialism, spirituality, and the body in contemporary life.

德薩畫廊欣然呈獻駐香港及上海藝術家陳品陶aka AznGothBoy個展「製琴師與裁縫

I：原始人，文人，滅相者」，為德薩第五個年度藝術家

駐留項目（deSAR）收官。展覽由一系列裝置、雕塑及繪畫作品組成，穿

插在巨大的單向迷宮之中。人造草坪上的作品被醫用窗簾包圍，一同營

造出一片污濁、且後災難式的「閾限空間」(Liminal Space)，以及一個有著模糊的社會規範及現實感知的想象維度。展覽在後科學、後網絡

時代的虛無主義背景之下探討厄洛斯（Eros）、桑納托斯（Thanatos）、以及後世俗主義（post-secularism），透過沈浸式Live Action Role

Play（實境角色扮演遊戲）般的視覺體驗，引導觀者感知人性的對抗。

「製琴師與裁縫 I：原始人，文人，滅相者」將於9月18日開幕，展出至 10月2日。

資本現實主義與由科技驅動下信息與商品的惡性通脹加劇了21世紀中

不斷擴大人類存在的虛無狀態。物件與圖像經過無窮無盡的大規模複製循環處理，直至成為空容器，隨時準備被挪用和重新創造。透過對

比高精準機械生產的現成物及人類肢體的原始性質，藝術家旨在創造一個明顯虛假和人造的環境，同時對該環境做出一種有意為之的幼稚

和本能的反應，從而刺激人類原始慾望與加速主義技術發展之間的緊張關係，呈獻對當代生活中唯物主義、靈性及身體的誇張表述。

Upon entering the gallery, visitors are immediately confronted by three shadowy figures, blocking entry to the labyrinth. Placed at various points along the path, Chen Pin Tao’ s

Helmethead and Drumheads 001 are sculptural series that explore the human figure via the reconception of readymade objects. Exercising an object’ s infinite potential to be more than itself, the eerily humanoid artworks are composed of easily recognizable items such as bike helmets, MMA boxing gloves, and drum kits. The figures take shape borrowing formal elements from the objects while retaining their common connotations. Charged with the energy of these objects, be it athletic, violent, or sexual, the sculptures become vitalized entities that lurk around the maze. 甫入畫廊，觀者即被三個神秘的身影從通道的不同方向擋住迷宮的入

口。陳品陶的《Helmethead》及《Drumheads 001》為一系列雕塑作品，透過對自行車頭盔、MMA拳擊手套和爵士鼓等易於辨認的現成物的再構想探索人物形象，發揮物體超越自身的無限潛能。人形作品在借

鑒現成物的形式要素的同時保留了其能量，無論是運動的、暴力的、與性相關的，皆成為充滿能量的實體，潛伏在迷宮周圍。

Navigating through loose branches and hanging vines, the labyrinth reveals a series of works on canvas that embody a similar spirit. Titled Caveman , the finger-painted series comprises illustrations of imagined creatures performing various primitive and unrefined behavior. From depictions of violence, erotica, to fight-or-flight instincts, these artworks appear to mimic the juvenile aesthetic of a child’ s drawing. To the artist, the lack of order and inhibition in children’ s drawing is symbolic of a raw state of mind prior to the social and moral modifications of adulthood; A representation of humanity in its original form. To the sides, similar drawings on reflective panels portray angels at the top and graphic imager y of suf fering below them. Referencing a naive interpretation of heaven and hell, the artist crafts a comment on the of ten-simplified definitions of moralit y and its hindrance to primal human desires. 穿過鬆散的樹枝和懸掛的藤蔓，迷宮中呈獻一系列傳達相似意涵的繪

畫作品。名為《Caveman》的手指繪畫系列描繪了想像出的生物所表現

的各種本能和不雅的行為，例如暴力、色情與生存的本能。作品系列模仿了兒童繪畫的稚嫩審美。對於藝術家而言，兒童繪畫中秩序和壓抑

的缺失象徵著一種未經過成年社會和道德改造的最基礎的心態，是人類原始形態的再現。作品兩側的玻璃牆面被貼上反光紙，上方描繪天

使，下方則描繪痛苦。透過對天堂和地獄的天真詮釋，藝術家對通常被簡化的道德規範及其對人類原始慾望的阻礙做出評論。

With the increasing accessibility of information technology, there is no longer need for objective truths as selection bias has become a more convenient option. Chen Pin Tao’ s

Material Prosthetics is a series of sculptures and works on canvas that speculate the fetishization of science and health in the prevailing post-Internet, post-truth era. Using the popularization of health sciences as an example of the phenomenon, the artworks juxtapose clinical imagery of laboratories and pharmaceuticals with romanticized flora, illustrating a cult-like obsession with health as a lifestyle. Hinting at the capitalist commercialization of health, the works not only elucidate the 21st century post-secular religion of science, but poke fun at its lack of factual basis. 隨著信息技術的日益普及，人們不再需要客觀事實，因為選擇偏見成為一種更加方便的選項。陳品陶的《Material

Prosthetics》雕塑及

繪畫系列推測出後網絡、後真相時代人們對科學以及健康的盲目崇

拜。以健康科學的普及為例，該系列作品將實驗室和藥品的醫學影像

與被賦予浪漫意義的花草並置，表現人們對健康作為一種生活方式的狂熱癡迷。作品暗指健康的資本主義商業化，闡明21世紀後世俗主義的科學信仰，且諷刺其缺乏事實基礎。

Hands, phalli, and various winged creatures, such as birds, moths, and minuscule angelic figurines, are recurring symbols used throughout the exhibition. While the phallus represents Eros and the psychosexual fetishes of modern-day humanity, the hands and winged creatures are references to a metanarrative built into the design of the space. In its immersive format, the exhibition simulates a Live Action Role Playing game, in which the story is gradually unveiled only as viewers complete the course. As the storyteller, Chen Pin Tao reveals his hand to the viewer through prosthetic limbs and 3M gloves integrated into the artworks. By inserting fragmented insights of his creative process into the experience, the ar tist generates intersections between the hand itself and the reoccurring leitmotifs directed by the hand of the artist. 手、生殖器和各種有翅膀的生物，如鳥類、飛蛾和微小的天使雕像是

整個展覽中反覆使用的符號。男性生殖器代表現代人類的愛慾及性心理崇拜，手和帶翅膀的生物則是整個展覽空間設計中嵌入的元敘事。展覽在沈浸式的形式下模擬了實境角色扮演遊戲，故事線只會在觀者完成路線的過程中逐漸解開。陳品陶作為講故事的人，以作品中假肢

和3M手套的方式向觀者們展示自己的手。藝術家將自己創作過程的碎片化洞察力嵌入觀者的體驗中，在手本身和藝術家手所指揮的反復出現的主旋律之間產生交集。

If the hands represent the artist, the creator, then the winged creatures must symbolize the viewer, the subject. Both birds and moths are known to fly towards light, despite not knowing where it leads. Placed within the morbid context of the exhibition, these animals suggest an underlying, albeit blind, sense of optimism. The layout of the exhibition is designed such that distant halos of light, emitted from the very end that is visible throughout the one-way labyrinth. As such, visitors must follow the path and gradually move toward the light. 如果手代表藝術家、造物者，帶翅膀的生物則象徵觀者、主體。儘管不知道光指向的方向，鳥類和飛蛾依舊會朝光的方向飛去。動物在展覽

所呈獻的病態背景下，暗示了一種潛在的盲目樂觀情緒。光暈在既定的路線中，從遙遠的末端發射而來，指引身處單向迷宮中各處的觀者，而觀者必須沿著這條路逐漸走向光明。

Reaching the final area of the labyrinth, visitors will find themselves surrounded by monstrous, totemic installations. Waiting at the end of the line, Chen Pin Tao's Seraph is a simulation of The Last Judgement. Referencing the Seraph, a type of angel found in the Christian Bible, the series is comprised of four-meter-tall sculptures dressed in ritualistic tunics, each composed of an animal's head, an artificial halo, and three pairs of wings. Arranged in a singular row, the council of anthropomorphic entities towers over visitors as they enter into the circle. With recurring depictions of angels throughout the exhibition, the work appears as if bodily manifestations of the previous illustrations. Revealed at the end of the tunnel, the installation attempts to answer the ultimate question vis-à-vis life and what lies after.

到達迷宮的最終區域，觀者將發現自己被圖騰式的巨大裝置所包圍。

陳品陶的《Seraph》系列於盡頭模擬「最後的審判」。作品系列引用基

督教聖經中出現的六翼天使（Seraph），由有著動物頭部、人造光環、穿著儀式長袍的四米高雕塑組成。當觀者進入圓圈時，擬人化的實體

組成的集體居高臨下地俯視觀者。作為描繪貫穿展覽中反覆出現的天

使圖像的實體，該裝置在通道的盡頭試圖回答與生命和死後世界相關的終極問題。

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Helmethead 001 2021 Bicycle helmet, fabric, tripod, MMA gloves, PVC 200 x 50 x 50 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Helmethead 002 2021 Bicycle helmet, fabric, tripod, MMA gloves, PVC 190 x 50 x 50 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Helmethead 003 2021 Bicycle helmet, fabric, tripod, MMA gloves, PVC 190 x 50 x 50 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Gimp 001 (MMA) and Executioner (Number Three)(Jackoffmetti) 2021 Boxing dummy, latex mask, fabric, steel saw, tripod, latex apron 236 x 100 x 150 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Untitled 1 2020 Digital print on Aluminium 100 x 80 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Untitled 2 2020 Digital print on Aluminium 100 x 80 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Untitled 3 2020 Digital print on Aluminium 100 x 80 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Untitled 4 2020 Digital print on Aluminium 100 x 80 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Untitled 5 2020 Digital print on Aluminium 100 x 80 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Gimp 001 (Decapitated) 2020 Acrylic glass, resin, magnets, inkjet print on paper, latex mask, fishing lure, stainless steel chains, crystals 45 x 38 x 38 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Tribesman and Opps 2021 Acrylic, white-out, oil pastel on canvas 91.5 x 61 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Tribesman Pissing on Dead Opps 2021 Acrylic, white-out, oil pastel on canvas 91.5 x 61 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Dogs 2021 Acrylic, white-out, oil pastel on canvas 91.5 x 61 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Tatlin’s Tower (Corpse) 2021 Acr ylic glass, fishing rod holder, taxidermized moths, inkjet print on paper, resin, dried cicada shells, skull beads, steel wire, 3D print filament, crystals, expoxy clay 75 x 38 x 38 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Being 002 2019 Acrylic on PVC pelvis model, faux patent leather 160 x 30 x 15 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Angel 001 2021 Digital print on canvas, PVC skeleton model, spray paint, steel chains, monster energy, holy water bottle, 3M gloves, taxidermized bird, sporting shoes, weed socks 220 x 200 x 40 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Bust of a Tribesman (Sealed) 2020 Faux fur, paper clay, 3M gloves, body piercing jewellery, PVC acupuncture ear model, snake skin, glass beads 65 x 45 x 25 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Cleaner 001 2021 Fabric, cat head mask, latex gloves, oil pastel on cardboard, inkjet print on paper 170 x 110 x 90 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Reaper 001 2021 Acrylic, white-out, crayon, marker on canvas 81 x 55 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Angel (Icon 001) 2021 Acrylic, white-out, crayon, marker on canvas 81 x 55 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Reaper and NPC 2021 Acrylic, white-out, crayon, marker on canvas 81 x 55 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Centaur 001 2021 Acrylic and digital print on canvas 170 x 130 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Minotaur 001 2021 Acrylic and digital print on canvas 170 x 130 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Thanatos 001 2021 Acrylic and digital print on canvas 170 x 130 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Chimera 001 (Effigy) 2021 Faux fur, fabric, PVC pelvis model, folding chairs, animal gloves 210 x 80 x 130 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Tree of Life (I Wanna Be Sedated) 2021 Acrylic glass, slime, green tinted glass, styrofoam, faux hair, stone, steel wire, inkjet print on paper, cat figurine, PVC, stainless steel, cardboard, poppy seed, poppy extract, jello powder, steel wire 110 x 50 x 35 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Graffiti 001 (Love and meth) 2021 Gas mask, fabric, spray paint can, magazine 85 x 70 x 100 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy The Making of a Flawed World 2020 Wood, taxidermized snake, paper clay, glass beads, body piercing jewellery, jello powder, epoxy clay, PVC, acrylic glass, styrofoam, acrylic, steel wire, fluorescent light, monster dildo, faux grass, 3M gloves, crytals, silicone 170 x 30 x 30 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Cleaner 002 2021 Fabric, cat head mask, latex gloves, oil pastel on cardboard, inkjet print on paper 170 x 110 x 90 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Literati 001 2021 F a u x f u r, l a t e x m a s k , C h i n e s e caligraphy brush 200 x 80 x 30 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Trees 001 2021 Chinese ink on linen 206 x 158 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Equine (Mutilated) 2020 Stainless steel chains, birdcages, resin, latex mask, taxidermized bird, acrylic glass, figurines, cow skull, fluorescent light, taxidermized moths, jello powder, digital print on faux silk, horse hooves, yu-gi-oh cards, artificial bird nests, horse dildo, mannequin Dimensions Variable

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Drumheads 001 2021 Drums, drumsticks, cotton, faux leather 193 x 210 x 150 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Seraph 001 2021 Digital print on faux silk, embroidery on faux silk, feathers, LED light, animal head mask 350 x 310 x 200 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Seraph 002 2021 Digital print on faux silk, embroidery on faux silk, feathers, LED light, animal head mask 350 x 310 x 200 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Seraph 003 2021 Digital print on faux silk, embroidery on faux silk, feathers, LED light, animal head mask 350 x 310 x 200 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Seraph 004 2021 Digital print on faux silk, embroidery on faux silk, feathers, LED light, animal head mask 350 x 310 x 200 cm

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy Seraph 005 2021 Digital print on faux silk, embroidery on faux silk, feathers, LED light, animal head mask 350 x 310 x 200 cm

CHEN Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy b. 1994 in Sydney, Australia

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy was born in 1994 in Sydney, Australia, and lives and works between Shanghai and Hong Kong. Chen Pin Tao’ s most recent exhibitions include Nothing Sacred , Superweakness, The Hague, Netherlands (2021); Cicada Songs, Decaying Petrichor, Sedentary Enslavement, Hawaii, USA (2020); and Sim.Sen, PLATESPACE, Beijing, China (2020); Tutorial , BSMNT Gallery, Leipzig, Germany (2020); Bit Street Hong Kong, The New Art Fest, Lisbon, Portugal (2020); Cellophane

Mother Memory, Underground Flower x CorpseSimulacrum, Hong Kong (2020); Hong Kong – Tales of the City, Denny Dimin Gallery, New York, USA (2020); Post Impression West Lake , The fART, Martin Goya Business, Hangzhou, China (2019); Fart-Like Future , The fART, Martin Goya Business, Hangzhou, China (2019); Play, Boredom, Worship , Tomorrow Maybe, Hong Kong, China (2019); .Gif Festival – Left Right Right Left Movement, Videotage, Hong Kong, China (2019); and Post-Industrial Landscapes 2.0, Osage Gallery, Hong Kong, China (2015).

於1994年出生於悉尼，現今於上海及香港居住和工作。陳品陶

aka

AznGothBoy

近期的展覽包括《Nothing

Sacred》，Superweakness，海牙，荷蘭(2021)；

《Cicada Songs, Decaying Petrichor》，Sedentary Enslavement，夏威夷，美國 (2020)；《模擬·感知》盤子空間，北京，中國

(2020)；《Tutorial》，BSMNT

Gallery，萊比錫，德國，(2020)；《香港BIT街》，The

New Art Fest，里斯本，葡萄牙 (2020)；《Cellophane Mother Memory》, Underground Flower x CorpseSimulacrum，香港 (2020)；《香港：城市傳記》；Denny Dimin Gallery，紐約，美國 (2020)；《后印象

西湖》，馬丁·戈雅生意，杭州，中國 (2020)；《Fart Like Future》，馬丁·戈雅生意，杭州，中國，(2019)；《玩樂。無聊。崇拜。》，Tomorrow Maybe，香港，中國，(2019)；《.Gif Festival – Left Right Right Left Movement》，錄映太奇，香港，中國 (2019)；《Post-Industrial Landscapes 2.0》，Osage Gallery，香港，中國 (2015)。

Artist CV

Chen Pin Tao aka AznGothBoy b. 1994 born in Sydney, Australia; Currently works and lives between Shanghai and Hong Kong, China Solo Exhibitions Violin Makers and Seamstresses I: The Caveman, The Literati, The Iconoclast, de Sarthe, 2021 Hong Kong, China 2020 Cicada Songs, Decaying Petrichor, Sedentary Enslavement, Hawaii, USA Sim.Sen, PLATESPACE, Beijing, China Group Exhibitions and Projects 2021 Nothing Sacred , Superweakness, The Hague, Netherlands Tutorial, BSMNT Gallery, Leipzig, Germany 2020 Bit Street Hong Kong , The New Art Fest, Lisbon, Portugal Cellophane Mother Memory, Underground Flower x CorpseSimulacrum, Hong Kong, China Hong Kong – Tales of the City, Denny Dimin Gallery, New York, USA 2019 Post Impression West Lake , The fART, Martin Goya Business, Hangzhou, China Fart-Like Future , The fART - Martin Goya Business, Hangzhou, China Play, Boredom, Worship, Tomorrow Maybe, Hong Kong, China .Gif Festival – Left Right Right Left Movement , Videotage, Hong Kong, China Post-Industrial Landscapes 2.0, Osage Gallery, Hong Kong, China 2015 Residencies 2021 de Sarthe Artist Residency, de Sarthe, Hong Kong, China

藝術家簡歷陳品陶 aka AznGothBoy 1994 年出生於澳洲悉尼 , 現工作與生活於中國上海和中國香港個展 2021 2020

《製琴師與裁縫 I: 原始人，文人，滅相者》，德薩畫廊，香港，中國《Cicada Songs, Decaying Petrichor》，Sedentary Enslavement，夏威夷，美國《模擬 . 感知》盤子空間，北京，中國

群展 2021 2020

《Nothing Sacred》, Superweakness, 海牙，荷蘭《Tutorial》，BSMNT Gallery，萊比錫，德國《香港 BIT 街》，The New Art Fest，里斯本，葡萄牙《Cellophane Mother Memory》，Underground Flower x CorpseSimulacrum，香港，中國《香港 : 城市傳記》，Denny Dimin Gallery，紐約，美國 2019 《后印象西湖》，The fART 空間，杭州，中國《Fart Like Future》，The fART 空間，杭州，中國《玩樂。無聊。崇拜。》，Tomorrow Maybe，香港，中國《Gif Feastical – Left Right Right Left Movement》，錄映太奇，香港，中國 2015 《Post-Industrial Landscapes 2.0》，Osage Gallery，香港，中國駐留項目 2021 德薩藝術家駐留項目，德薩畫廊，香港，中國

VIOL IN MAK E R S AND SE AMST R E SSE S I : T HE C AVE MAN, T HE L ITE R AT I, T HE ICONOC L AST

18 September – 2 October, 2021 Hong Kong

de sarthe 20/F, Global Trade Square, No.21 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong www.desarthe.com Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11am–7pm Tel: +852 2167 8896 Fax: +852 2167 8893 E-mail: hongkong@desarthe.com Texts: Chen Pin Tao and Allison Cheung Design and photographs: Hamish Chan

de sarthe 20/F, Global Trade Square, 21 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong E-mail: hongkong@desarthe.com Tel: 2167 8896 www.desarthe.com