Tico Chen
2. Tale
of the Abandoned
By the end of each art school’s semester, there are piles after piles of student artworks thrown out into the trash, taken into the dumpster to be buried, burned, destroted. The Catchers collected more than a hundred of these pieces from the previous fall and spring semesters, some stright from the bins, others right before the works were collectively disposed by the art schools in which they are created.
Some pieces were never intentionally “abandoned”, and we hope to find their creators through this exhibition; others we obtained consent from the artists for them to be displayed and their stories to be told. But the *Tale of the Abandoned* wants to convey more than just about the stories of the salvaged works; we hope to shine light on the concept of “abandonment” itself, to invite our dear audience to join us in the contemplation of abandonement: How and why does it come about? When do we notice what we abandon, and when do we not? When we abandon something, where does it go? Can we ever truly abandon anything at all? …
The list of questions go on, and we want you to add on to it.
Among the collected artworks, those lacking proper authorization face constraints preventing their exhibition due to legal and ethical considerations. Consequently, these unauthorized pieces undergo a two-step process for temporary display. Initially, they are discreetly veiled with black canvas and strategically placed on the wall. Subsequently, they are suspended in a blurred version at another location. This approach preserves their recognizability and aids artists in locating their works. Upon the artist's identification and permission, the concealed artworks on the wall could be unveiled and officially exhibited.
Functioning as both a spatial divider and a blurred archive hanger, the installation occupies the central space within the gallery. The design reconciles geometric aesthetics and structural stability, and it negotiates the zigzagged counterweights and streamlined hangers, thereby uniting multiple axes to reframe the exhibition space and enhance the overall visitor experience.