Topophilia (From Greek topos “place” and -philia, “love of”) is a strong perception of place, which often becomes mixed with a sense of cultural identity among certain peoples.
The term topophilia was coined by the geographer Yi-Fu Tuan and is defined as the affective bond with one’s environment – a person’s mental, emotional, and cognitive ties to a place.
It is a latent construct, an abstract psychological concept similar to “attitude” or “intelligence” whose variability can only be observed indirectly through its effect on measureable responses.
As culture becomes increasingly malleable in the age of globalization, one’s personal experience often plays a more prominent role in defining cultural identity than ethnicity. Cultural identity has become dependent not only upon where one is from, but also in which place and in what company one is now. Ideas and experiences of culture live in many places and across many borders.
Many artists have made nomadism a way of life, shuttling between exhibits, residencies, and production bases around the planet.
This exhibition profiles several artists of Chinese descent that operate in Greater China (Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore) as well other parts of the world with large historical Chinese populations. Aside from sharing a common ethnic background and itinerant experiences they also share similar artistic sensibilities. Many approach their work conceptually and employ quotidian subjects and materials. Others deal with the itinerant experience directly or, through their work, reconfigure their cultural heritage and individual relationship to place.
Through video, photography, installation, sound, and performance works, this exhibition explores the plurality of Topophila: how these artists relate to a sense of place, and their (cultural-geographic-psychological) identity. It aims to explore how the complex legacy of Chinese immigration and its contribution to local economies and cultures continues in our contemporary world.
The exhibition features work by: Chen Chieh-jen, Heman Chong, Victoria Fu, Rania Ho, Lee Kit, Michael Lin, Arthur Ou, Wu Chien-Ying, Jun Yang, Amy Yao, Patty Chang & David Kelley.
