Exhibition · DE SARTHE · Hong Kong
DE SARTHE is pleased to present Relationship Duplicates, the gallery’s second solo exhibition by Beijing-based artist Lin Zhipeng (No.223). A seminal figure in contemporary Chinese photography, 223 has long utilized the lens to explore the pluralistic forms of relationships. This exhibition highlights the tactile quality of relationships, where each intimate moment presents a sample of a “duplicate”. The term “Duplicates” is redefined here. Far from being an imitation or a copy, these “duplicates” serves as a supplementation and extension of relationships. Without weakening or replacing the relationships, these lived excerpts preserve the nuanced emotions and secluded moments in each encounter. Presenting as a "black box" of modern intimacy, Relationship Duplicates opens on May 16th and will be on view until June 27th. In this digital era, human connections are often mediated by screens that bridge geographical gaps but widen emotional ones, creating a paradox central to 223’s practice. For 223, while the rise of technology enables unprecedented convenience, it also isolates people, catalyzing a social atomization the younger generation has to navigate. Despite being an artist who rose to international recognition through social media and built his professional connections online, his work does not stem from technological motifs but reveals a strong focus on the physical world. Driven by a pursuit of authenticity, 223’s practice revolves instinctively around the tactile. Upon entering the gallery, visitors will find themselves surrounded by four 2-metre-tall photoprints of different body parts, set against smaller and more sensual images. These juxtapositions emphasize a raw bodily experience, stirring a heightened awareness of viewers’ own physicality. Through the artist’s gaze, physical expressions are elevated. The temperature of the skin, the dampness of breath and the weight of a limb, all constitute an undeniable reality that substantiates our presence.…