Fong-Fong house, 2017, Performance, workshop, dimensions variable.

Northern Art Village G

For the creation of Fong-Fong House, four artists whose art creations are markedly dissimilar are put together in an age-old house located on Sec. 1, Daguan Rd. In the Fong-Fong House, a place characterized by its complex spatial structure and a rich sense of time, the four artists developed artworks with unique qualities. The artists drew inspirations from each other, where they employed the co-creation method to identify invisible lines hidden in “cracks” to create a state of openness (i.e., flow) and closedness. “Fong fong” signifies a state of continuous motion. In this exhibition, the artists utilized their residence in the house, the creation of events, and the interferences of others (i.e., people entering the house) to revitalize the building.

People entering the aforementioned house is comparable to an ongoing working state. Their entrance is not a one-time occurrence; rather, their bodies serve as a medium that “keeps the show going.” By exploring people, space, and traces of daily living activities, hidden pictures are gradually revealed and a distinctive creative workshop is formed. To visitors, they are no longer asked to passively look at artworks because the workshop has opened up new possibilities that encourage and inspire creativity. In addition to the workshop, the artists have invited others to “interfere” with Fong-Fong House, making the experience more action-provoking than that provided by workshops. As a result, Fong-Fong House offers cracks that open new views and horizons.

In Mandarin, “fong” can mean sowing and mending as well as cracks. With the two definitions being stark contrast to each other, fong embodies the meaning of contradiction and denotes a thing without boundaries and one that engenders constant creations.

Fong-Fong’s Group

“Fong-fong” means sowing and mending as well as cracks. Artists from Fong-Fong’s Group regularly attempt to identify cracks in various locations and creations, which is comparable to the use of needles and threads to connect dissimilar things together and establish relationships between these things. As well, these artists create cracks by breaking things apart in order to explore the secrets that are hidden within.

Fong-Fong’s Group produces a variety of art including physical behavior-related art, art installations, and creative writing. The company emphasizes the concepts of “bringing things together” as well as “breaking things apart (i.e., creating cracks)” in its art creations, on the basis of which new art ideas and philosophies are formed.