Ko Sin Tung

Ko Sin Tung
Chinese	高倩彤
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Gāo Qiàntóng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping gou1 sin6 tung4

Ko Sin Tung (Chinese: 高倩彤; born 1987) is a visual artist from Hong Kong. She is a graduate from the Department of Fine Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her art explores the relationship with the urban environment,[1] domestic space,[2] and impact of condition.[3] She is represented by Edouard Malingue Gallery in Hong Kong.[3][4]

Ko has exhibited at the Tai Kwun Contemporary, Para Site in Hong Kong, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and Central Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum in Beijing, amongst other locations.[3]

Biography

She graduated from Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts.[3]

Ko's works include Dust and Trivial Matters (2019), which she uses "plastic film stretched over aluminium frames blocks off portions of each room (of a bunker) and creates narrow alleyways and low ceilings", and "leaves it to the audience to decide whether they are being protected from or deprived of something."; [5] Adaptation (2019), is "a group of white-spray-painted cast-silicon molds of home and garden accessories";[6] Surface (2019), a work "initially looked like exposed drywall";[6] 無敵海景 (Spectacular sea view) (2015), "a rueful spin on a real estate catchphrase associated with multimillion dollar apartments";[7] and ‘Modern Home Collection’ (2013), an array of framed, pixelated prints of domestic objects collected from Internet searches.[4]

In her solo exhibition, Underground Construction: Failed at Edouard Malingue Gallery in 2015, Ko looks at the future of the high-speed railway connecting Hong Kong to Mainland China and explores the personal repercussions of this major development project.[4] She has commented that she is not convinced of the economic value of the rail project and believes it to be part of a plan to assimilate Hong Kong into China. “The government is abusing popular imagination. It makes something look nice on the surface – in this case, the railway link – and tries to convince everyone it is good for Hong Kong,” she told South China Morning Post.[8] Artsy editors have said of the exhibition: "For Ko, contemporary urban life is pervaded by disappointment and alienation as much as it is by expectation and hope for a sense of belonging."[9]

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

• Adaptation, Edouard Malingue Gallery, Hong Kong (2019)[3]
• Dust and trivial matters, The Bunker, Beijing, China (2019)[3]
• Absent Store, Holy Motors, Hong Kong (2016)[3]
• Underground Construction: Failed, Edouard Malingue Gallery, Hong Kong (2015)[10]
• A Closed Room, Gallery EXIT, Hong Kong (2014)[11]
• Undone, HARDNECK.hk, Hong Kong (2012)[12]
• Repairing Space, Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong (2010)

Group exhibitions (selected)

[3]

• Rehearsal, Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong (2018)
• Women in Art: Hong Kong, Sotheby's, Hong Kong (2018)
• From Ocean to Horizon, Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester, UK (2017)
• Breathing Space, Asia Society (2017)
• Eros, University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (2014)

Awards and residencies

Ko is the recipient of awards including Project Grant (Emerging Artists Scheme) from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (2014), the Pure Art Foundation Grant 2013–2014 (2014) and Jury’s Special Prize of Huayu Youth Award (2016).[3]

In 2012, Ko completed a residency at the Kunstnarhuset Messen, Ålvik, Norway.[3]

References

1. "Ko Sin Tung & Stephanie Sin". ARTOMITY 藝源. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
2. Barlow, Christian (2015-10-02). "Ko Sin Tung's 'Underground Construction: Failed' at Edouard Malingue Gallery". Hong Kong Tatler. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
3. "Artists – Ko Sin Tung". Edouard Malingue Gallery. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
4. Li, Zoe (2015-10-11). ""Underground Construction" by emerging artist Ko Sin Tung". Zolima City Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
5. "Dust and Trivial Matters Review". ARTOMITY 藝源. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
6. "To Focus Rather Than to Frame: Ko Sin Tung". Mousse Magazine. 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
7. Chan, Wilfred (2017-03-20). "How do you breathe in Hong Kong?". CNN Style. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
8. "Emptiness in place of substance: Hong Kong express rail link in artist's eyes". South China Morning Post. 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
9. "In Hong Kong, Ko Sin Tung Tackles Contemporary Urban Life through Fluorescent Lights and Construction Sites". Artsy. 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
10. "Exhibitions: Underground Construction: Failed". Edouard Malingue Gallery. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
11. "KO Sin Tung: A Closed Room". GALLERY EXIT 安全口. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
12. "Sin Tung Ko | artist | ARTLINKART | Chinese contemporary art database". www.artlinkart.com. Retrieved 2019-03-09.