Tidal Weavers
Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT), Hong Kong

Stepping into “Tidal Weavers: Islands Exchange” was like entering a village bazaar in which kaleidoscopic sights and cacophonic sounds converge. The group exhibition was built on reciprocal artist exchanges lasting four to eight weeks between grassroots organizations across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. A map at the entrance traced these exchanges, evoking historic maritime trade systems and diasporas. Curated by Ade Darmawan, the show presented a south-to-south, ground-up dialogue that gave artists the time and space to reclaim ancient networks and become acquainted with island neighbors across the sea.

During his residency with art collective Susur Galur in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Yip Kai Chun, a Hong Kong artist of Hakka descent, documented the tatung festival that marks the end of the Chinese new year. In My Deity Wants Me to Wear This (2025), Yip captures the raucous procession on a video screen embedded in a red podium on the floor, detailing how spirit mediums embody Chinese deities who give them superpowers. The life size, brightly colored photographic portraits of the six mediums take shape in lightboxes that stand in a circle facing the screen, resembling guardian statues coming to life. The work showcases the syncretic folk rituals that have taken on wild forms among the overseas Chinese diaspora, evoking both familiarity and awe.