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M+ Sigg Collection, Hong Kong. By donation, © Kan Xuan
Kan Xuan 闞萱
Object 物體
2003
In this video by artist Kan Xuan, a sequence of varied objects—vegetables and other foodstuffs, household tools, natural materials—tumble into frame from above and quickly drop out of sight. Shot in black and white, the video’s tightly cropped frame gives the viewer little establishing context. However, bursts of bubbles and the strange, fluctuating movements of these objects and substances reveal that the camera is peering through some sort of liquid medium. In a whispered voice-over, the artist identifies each item and, in simple declarative statements, categorises them as grey, white, or black.
In her early career, Kan made works that explore the significance of the seemingly insignificant, such as daily rituals and mundane objects. Object captures this interest in the everyday, but Kan’s narration also introduces a wry layer of self-reference towards the artifice of the work itself.
In her early career, Kan made works that explore the significance of the seemingly insignificant, such as daily rituals and mundane objects. Object captures this interest in the everyday, but Kan’s narration also introduces a wry layer of self-reference towards the artifice of the work itself.
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