Face to Face, 2001

Hong Kong 2016
Face to Face

Chi-Wen Gallery

Video/Film
Fiber Glass, LCD Monitors, VCD Players and Speakers
97.0 x 41.0 x 120.0 (厘米)
38.2 x 16.1 x 47.2 (吋)
Face to Face is a series of white fiberglass dog sculptures which head contains a human head-shaped opening through which viewers can watch footage shot from a canine perspective. Mounted on the dog’s forehead, a camera documented meeting and greeting other dogs, barking, eating, etc. The positions of the sculptures as well as their sometimes awkwardly placed viewing orifices forces visitors to crouch down and straddle these forms, thereby transgressing the traditional boundary between the work of art and the viewing subject. Conclusively, the facts provide a constant reminder to us that seeing from another’s perspective is easier said than done, the sculptures nonetheless serve to facilitate an approximation of species.

Peng Hung-Chih (b.1969) currently lives and works in Taipei and Beijing. The work of Peng Hung-Chih spans installation, video, painting and sculpture, incorporating elements of art, religion and humanity as a way to explore contemporary culture and reflect upon history. In his early works, dogs are the recurring themes and play a crucial role in the conceptualizations of a spiritual world. In the series of works entitled Canine Monk, Peng’s dog literally steps in the artist’s place as the creator, writing texts from religious scriptures on the wall. The most trusted companion of human beings is elevated to a performing subject, therefore replacing its human counterpart. Using different mediums and unique subjects to convey various artistic concepts, Peng forms an artistic style imbued with personal aesthetic properties. Peng has also participated in major international group shows such as the 2nd Fukuoka Triennale, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan (2002), the 10th International Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul (2007), In Between - Asian Video Art Weekend, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2008) and Moving Image in China 1988 - 2011, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai (2011).