Chapter 2. Facing my own shadow at the exhibition “Shadow of the Wind” - AMORE STORIES - ENGLISH
#Chris Rong
2017.06.09
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Chapter 2. Facing my own shadow at the exhibition “Shadow of the Wind”

Introducing the columns written by member of Amorepacific Group

ColumnistChris Rong
APC Innisfree TM Team


 As I enter the exhibition hall, I face the shadows and lines that are actually the theme of this exhibition. With the hall surrounded in black, the exhibition starts with lamps the size of a hand placed in front. The curvy lines in the artworks shine brightly, showing how important the 'lines' are in this exhibition. The lines are depicted as gentle in some ways but strong in others, using various effects.

"As you enter the exhibition hall, the first thing you feel is the contrast of brightness and darkness, which shows the quintessence of traditional Chinese culture.
I move around to find the light in the dark, but this light is only visible if you stand still.
Line and abstract art are both free, but they also need extreme delicacy. It's like calligraphy with poor handwriting that has not been through extensive training."

- Zhou Li(周力)
 The door opens slowly to reveal a white background in the dark that immediately captures your eyes. The background seems to be still, and yet it also seems to move constantly at the same time. It is like a gentle breeze brushing past a willow tree, or waves rising in the ocean. There are no specific shapes or rules. The background seems to represent freedom that is light and elegant, but not artificial.
 When I turned around and saw this piece, it reminded me of a fetus in the mother's womb before he or she is born, or possibly even a human brain. Actually, we do not have detailed memories about the process in which we were born and grew up. The vague memories are long gone from our minds. These crisscrossing lines seem to be embodying such vague memories.
 As I walked inside, there was a backless bench in the middle of the exhibition hall. Sitting on the bench, I could face the piece with its white background that emits more light surrounded in the dark. I watched as someone walked past in front of it, which made me feel as if the piece was observing the passerby. At that moment, I thought that we are part of light through which we reveal ourselves, and that which shines also has something hidden. The entangled lines felt like our lives, which are dynamic yet static, and close yet far at the same time.
 I stood still for a while in the middle of the dark exhibition hall. I don't know what made me stand so still in front of this piece, but my mind wasn't so peaceful. In front of this piece that depicts entangled lines, I felt this kind of excitement I feel when I meet a friend I haven't seen for a long time, and a sense of wistfulness such as when I have to leave someplace I've become so fond of. I felt somewhat frustrated, and it brought up so many memories inside me. The roots of those memories are depressing, comfortable and happy all at once. It's as if we cannot capture all our emotions, and all the good things and bad things are intertwined.
 After the exhibition, I felt as if I had been dreaming. It was like a dream where I'm alone, thinking quietly and getting all choked up, but then I wake up to find out that it's just the same old dream.

 Considering how we constantly pine for the good old days and bear our glorious memories in our minds, maybe we all just love our own shadows in the end.
 So what did you think about these pieces? I hope what I actually saw and felt can be fully conveyed to all of you through these images.

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