Dining Room Opera

Video Installation

An exhibition curated by Caroline Taylor

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at Rooster Gallery, 190 ORCHARD STREET LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC 10002

Exhibition dates: June 5- July 6, 2014

 

Based in Mandalay, Myanmar, Aung Myat Htay draws from his cultural background as reference in his works. Reconciling the traditional and contemporary, Htay juxtaposes cultural tradition and current political and social environments. Intrinsic to his work is translation of his Buddhist upbringing into his practice. For this exhibition, Htay produced a site-specific installation, Dining Room Opera, utilizing video and found objects. From underneath a table and chairs made of handmade paper, a video portraying traditional Burmese puppets is projected onto the nearby wall. Five light boxes covered in paper are installed on the wall opposite the table – the viewer looks inside to find images of the puppets once again. The table and chairs, left intentionally empty, give a feeling of coldness, or loneliness – while the puppets, with no puppet master or theater, are unable to perform. The new work focuses on the formation and evolution of culture and community within a population living under political or economic pressure. As relevant today, in a climate of mixed cultures, philosophies and theories, questions arise on the connections between humanity and art. (From Curator note)

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Organized by the Residency Unlimited (RU)

Brooklyn, New York

2015, April.