Though pieces stand out, Postcrypt exhibit feels lost at sea

The word “odyssey” conjures up thoughts of extraordinary adventure. Yet “An Odyssey: A Hong Kong Art Show,” presented by the Hong Kong Scholar and Student Society and Postcrypt Art Gallery through April 29 in St. Paul’s Chapel, promised a journey but only delivered halfway.

The exhibit is an amalgamation of works by students and up-and-coming artists from or based in Hong Kong. The multimedia show succeeds in its attempt to “reflect the current art scene in Hong Kong,” as curator Chris Cheung, CC ’12, explained, and features a diverse and interesting group of artists.

The first set of photographs to the left are by artist Thomas Lee, titled “The Gods Next Door” and “Temple Street.” There is no clear physical distinction between the frames of one and the other, but the photographs, despite this curatorial shortcoming, are attractive and quite striking.

“The Gods Next Door” is a study of the sometimes neglected and forgotten temples of Hong Kong, focusing both on the architectural beauty and the introspective nature of the settings. The quiet and reflective connotation of worship in temples contrasts beautifully with the bright and saturated details of some of the photographs, like the red and yellow flames of the candles.

The “Temple Street” photos portray the famous Hong Kong area, known for its night market and cheap (sometimes knockoff) merchandise. The images are three fantastically striking shots that focus on the intermingling of time and generation. The muted, subtle tones of the photographs allow for an emphasis on light that highlights the otherworldliness of the street.

The back wall exposes two sheets of calligraphy, which artist Sarah Koljonen titled “Scaffold Tie: In Remembrance of a Writing System.” Koljonen began the piece when she was in Hong Kong studying Chinese, and it provides an “inquiry into processes and contents framed by rules,” according to the artist’s statement. To those foreign to Mandarin, let alone the practice of calligraphy, the characters are interesting and aesthetically pleasing, but a lot of the underlying themes and concepts are a little hard to recognize because of the arrangement. The sheets are sloppily taped to the wall and do nothing to draw attention to the easily overlooked stretch of white paper.

“Office Confidential,” the series adjacent to “Temple Street,” was made from materials found in the trash cans of Hong Kong offices. The pieces are appealing, but the dull and too-small simple glass frames, rather than drawing attention, make the pieces somewhat unattractive. “Office Confidential” and “Infinite Message,” both by Rhode Island School of Design graduate Eosji, employ the use of writing. “Infinite Message” is an array of found, old postcards, hanging between two mirrors. The original words, which were most likely written to a deceased friend or relative, are burned and disappear through the floor in a suggestion of cross-dimensional communication.

The last series, by Hong Kong artist Mimi Siu, is a set of beautiful, hanging Chinese ink and watercolor scrolls. Siu, a former calligrapher who now teaches traditional Chinese style painting, paints flowers, birds, and koi fish. The scrolls are vibrant and loosely calligraphic, providing a beautiful but disorienting contrast to the rest of the art on display.

All in all, the exhibit is mediocre at best. Everything seems to have been hung (or taped) at the last second, which distracts the viewers from the artwork. The haphazard organization does not reflect the artistic merit of the pieces shown. The artwork is engaging and at times surprisingly impressive, but the lack of polish in execution is far too blatant to be ignored.