Ex Materia - The Primacy of Being
Past exhibition
Overview
Ora-Ora is pleased to announce Joseph Tong’s debut solo show with Ora-Ora in March 2023 at the gallery's Tai Kwun space in Hong Kong. The exhibition will be titled "Ex Materia - The Primacy of Being," and will run from March 20 to May 7. Ora-Ora will be showing Tong’s works simultaneously at Art Basel Hong Kong (March 21 to March 25, 2023). The artist will be present in Hong Kong and in attendance at both venues.
This exhibition of new textile works by the Berlin-based multi-media artist unites three branches of the artist’s ongoing Ex Materia series; specifically Ex Materia, Ex Materia (Transfiguration) and Ex Materia (Chrysalis).
The title of the exhibition alludes to mankind’s eternal quest to understand the origins of the creation of the universe. Whilst theologians have supported the concept of ex nihilo (from nothing), others (including Greek philosopher Plato) have asserted that creation occurred ex materia, meaning that life coalesced and emerged from pre-existing matter.
As CEO and Co-founder of Ora-Ora, Dr. Henrietta Tsui-Leung said, “This is Joseph Tong’s first solo show with Ora-Ora and a real homecoming for the artist, returning to Hong Kong for the first time in several years. The week of Art Basel Hong Kong is the perfect moment to highlight Joseph’s uniquely human perspective: classical, timeless, and entirely contemporary in outlook.” Speaking of the artist’s output and approach, Ora-Ora’s CEO continued: “We know Joseph as an artist of huge intellectual integrity and creative ingenuity, continually breathtaking in his philosophical audacity, range and agility.”
Works
Installation Views
