Double Square 双方藝廊

Double Square Gallery is delighted to announce The Lost Decimal Along the Path, a solo exhibition by Hsu Jui-Chien, which will run from December 7, 2024, to January 24, 2025. This marks the artist’s first solo exhibition at the gallery, following his participation in the 2023 group exhibition Lineage 2023. The exhibition will showcase over a dozen sculptures. Hsu makes matter and objects the core of his practice, exploring new connections between materials and actions. Employing his signature minimalistic approach, this body of work is crafted from industrial materials, such as stainless steel, plaster, fabric, and aluminum. These pieces feature simplified contours and geometric compositions. Hsu’s innovative arrangement of materials and formal transformation serve as reinterpretations of the materials and the space, engaging the spectator to reflect on their relative connections with the objects in the spatial context. Through his work, he responds to changes in materials after they are touched, further delving into the spirituality of matter.

The exhibition title, The Lost Decimal Along the Path, reflects Hsu’s deep reflection on the uncertainties in life and the concept of flexible space. It suggests a free movement between two “fixed points” and a continuous process and state of constant change and reconstruction. For the artist, materials and objects represent the “decimals” lost in space, symbolizing fragments and the inherent uncertainty in life. These materials play a dynamic role, allowing for free movement and assembly in the flexible space, much like scattered pieces that challenge the rigid definitions of a whole. The Sponge Notes series consists of stainless steel sponges, grindstones, plaster masses, steel rods, and fabric. These materials are assembled to form both horizontal and vertical geometric shapes that appear to stretch as they are displayed. This creation explores the tension and balance within physical space while underscoring the contrast and interaction between manmade materials and natural elements. Curve features gentle, soft curves seemingly extending on a flat metal base, engendering a sense of balance between movement and stillness. The black metal tubes and the smooth metal plate establish a striking visual contrast, prompting the spectator to appreciate the intense tension and compression emanating from its tranquil appearance. It feels as though the objects might suddenly come to life and move in the gallery space.

In the exhibition space, the artist concretizes his observation about the flexibility of materials and the environment. This approach allows the audience to perceive the interactions between the objects and the materials, while also thoroughly observing their shapes and processed surfaces. The textured surfaces, like sharp edges or soft yet resilient pores, serve as metaphors for fragments and snippets of everyday life. They do not convey a sense of continuity or specific references, but they all serve as evidence of time and actions. The proportion and interconnection highlighted in the works allow the spectator to perceive the active forces at play in partial detail. This provides insight into how these materials have undergone processes, such as cutting, breaking, compression, and the release of pressure. The sonic and physical traces left by the objects quietly encourage the spectator to reevaluate the existence of these materials. Even in their raw state, the materials convey profound stories and emotions through the display of their traces.

The Lost Decimal Along the Path explores themes of time, movement, and inspiration, representing the artist’s insights into life’s change and reconstruction. He uses bodily perception to guide his creative process and engages with the environment. Through careful observation, deconstruction, conversation, and reassembly, he reveals multiple possibilities that exist between his work, the spectator, and the surrounding space while reexamining the connection between matter and actions. By piecing together scattered fragments, his work captures the uncertainties in life, leaving behind a trail of traces that mark its transformation. This invites the spectator on a perceptual journey, immersing them in the experience of material fragility and tension while uncovering meanings hidden within both artistic creation and life.

Hsu Jui-Chien (b. 1994, Miaoli, Taiwan) holds an MFA in Sculpture from the National Taiwan University of Arts and is currently based in Taipei. Hsu’s creative work reflects his curiosity about how physical materials are affected by touching and movement. He focuses on the concept of material spirituality, and the process of creating his work suggests a sense of directness and intimacy as if it is aimed to awaken obscure awareness or explore the ambiguities and contradictions inherent in materials. By applying force to the materials, he seeks to reveal influences and developments—this is his method of interacting with the physical world and delving into the essence of the object. By allowing his body to guide his sensory perception, he follows his curiosity and actively engages with the environment to conduct nuanced observation, deconstruction, transformation, and reconstruction. In a direct and intimate way, his work gradually reveals the nature of matter, highlighting its ambiguous and conflicting qualities. Through this process, Hsu awakens the spirituality of matter, exploring the composition of his work to gradually outline the contours and essence of objects