Nature, Materiality, and the Human Body
Wing Po So’s exhibition, Take Turns, currently on display at Para Site gallery in Hong Kong, offers an immersive exploration of the connections between nature, materiality, and the human body. Through her thoughtful use of salvaged Chinese medicine drawers and a range of natural and sculptural elements, So creates a space that moves between the organic and inorganic, the animate and inanimate. The result is an exhibition that feels both deeply rooted in Hong Kong’s cultural memory and open to wider reflections on healing, transformation, and our relationship with the natural world. Breathing New Life into the Old At the heart of Take Turns are Chinese medicine drawers salvaged from old pharmacies in Hong Kong. Weathered and worn by time, these drawers carry visible traces of decay, damage, and use. Yet in Wing Po So’s hands, they are transformed into symbols of healing, renewal, and continuity. The drawers become more than functional objects. They act as vessels of memory, inviting reflection on cycles of life, decay, and rebirth. Their connection to traditional Chinese medicine also gives the exhibition a strong sense of place, grounding it in the histories, rituals, and material culture of Hong Kong. An Immersive, Multisensory Experience Walking into the exhibition feels like entering another world. Sounds, textures, and visuals come together to create an atmosphere that is both otherworldly and deeply connected to nature. The installation is composed of an array of elements, including herbs, rocks, sculptures, 3D-printed objects, soundscapes, and televisions, each carefully arranged to blur the boundaries between the living and the inanimate. This multisensory approach encourages visitors to slow down and become more aware of their surroundings. Rather than presenting objects as static artworks, Wing Po So creates an environment where materials seem to respond to one another, forming a quiet conversation between body, space, and landscape. Rooted in Tradition…