• Issue
  • Nov 01, 2023

Up Close: Mark Chung

Installation view of MARK CHUNG’s Calenture, 2023, wood, plastic sheet, dimensions variable, at Rossi & Rossi, Hong Kong, 2023. Photos by South Ho. Courtesy the artist. 


“How does one differentiate reality from dreamscape?” As a pertinent question raised by Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi, we may desire a more ambiguous boundary between the real and unreal, as the reality we live in—the climate crisis, war, political turmoil, economic hardship—could all be a dream. Yet, we can’t control our dreams, and our nightmares emerge as mirages of reality, absurd and fragmental. Confused, we might then suffer from madness, a syndrome caused by dementia, depression, sleep deprivation, and even emotional stress.