“Naked Beyond Skin”, Tang Contemporary Art, Hong Kong, 2008

In 2008, Xiang Jing finally finishes all the artworks in “Naked Beyond Skin” series and this series marks an the artist’s attempt to try working with galleries. She chose to work with Tang Contemporary Art in Mainland China after working with Eslite Gallery in Taipei. The Asia-tour of “Naked Beyond Skin” is closely related to the strategic planning of Tang Contemporary Art in Asia. The first stop is in Hong Kong, also marking the first artist solo exhibition in the Tang’s Hong Kong Space. Norman Ford, the curator for the Hong Kong Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale is invited to curate the exhibition for Xiang Jing.

The gallery space is located in the same building as Asia Art Archive, supposedly boasting one of the “super gallery space” in Hong Kong, but it still seems a bit tight for “Naked Beyond Skin” series. At the end of the elevator, the artist installs a wall and cuts a round hole on it, through which visitors are confronted with Are A Hundred Playing You? Or Only One? The floor is made from artesian cement with a polished finish, therefore showing the blurry reflections of the artworks. Combined with the strange reflections found on the wall, the ambiance resembles a psychological illusion in the water.

For all writings related to this exhibition, please click on the following links:

Norman Ford Naked Beyond Skin: Xiang Jing’s Troubled Bodies | Naked Beyond Skin, Hong Kong | Tang Contemporary Art (Hong Kong) | 2008 | P.4-15
Xiang Jing x Wei Xing: Full-face Nudity | Naked Beyond Skin, Hong Kong | Tang Contemporary Art (Hong Kong) | 2008 | P.16-61