Lost in Translation. An intervention by Annie Wan Lai-kuen

Lost in Translation

An intervention by Annie Wan Lai-kuen

at Domushaus EG, Basel

30 August – 1 September 2024 11am - 6pm

Meet the artist: Saturday 31 August 2pm - 6pm

Curated by Angelika Li

Presented by PF25 cultural projects, Basel

Hong Kong artist Annie Wan Lai-kuen crafts her sculptures with a sense for connecting architecture, books, language, and memories in the public imagination. Her works explore the transformative power of books, the reality and ephemerality of colours and text in relation to architecture and the city, and interrogate the dislocation of artworks and commodities in the social context. As part of her PF25 residency in Basel, ‘Lost in Translation’, an intervention of book sculptures and objects by Wan will take place at Domushaus, a revived social space for architecture and books in the city centre of Basel.

Wan, a renowned ceramic artist and educator from Hong Kong, crafts her sculptures with a sense for connecting architecture, books, language, and memories in the public imagination. Her works explore the transformative power of books, the reality and ephemerality of colours and text in relation to architecture and the city, and interrogate the dislocation of artworks and commodities, especially in the shopping culture of Hong Kong, where there is seamless transparency between the street, storefront, and shop interior.

Echoing the multilingual characteristic of Basel, one work consists of ceramics whose form originates from discarded dictionaries, exploring the evolution of language and its cultural significance. Her work reflects the complex linguistic dynamics of Hong Kong, where Cantonese, English, and Putonghua intersect, mirroring the city's complex history, identity, and transformation.

Used dictionaries, gathered from the artist and her friends, which once served as tools for learning English and Chinese (both traditional and simplified), have been transformed into fragile ceramic moulds. These moulds, unable to be opened and stripped of their text, symbolise the shifting linguistic landscape and the delicate nature of language preservation in Hong Kong.

As Wan aptly expresses, "Reality cannot reappear; people can do nothing but describe or mimic it through various means." Her work challenges us to confront the ever-shifting landscape of language and meaning, blurring the boundaries between the tangible and the ephemeral. Unlike photographic images, ceramic reproductions lack a sense of nostalgia but instead serve as tangible manifestations of the present moment.

By hosting Wan's intervention at Domushaus EG, we aim to ignite conversations with the audience and visitors. Through her evocative sculptures, we create a space for dialogue and understanding, fostering connections across cultures.

About the artist

Annie Wan, a Hong Kong ceramic artist and educator, extends concepts and materiality to challenge conventional perceptions of everyday objects, offering fresh perspectives and alternative experiences. Retired as Associate Professor at the Academy of Visual Arts, the Hong Kong Baptist University, she now lives and works in Taiwan.