The Weak are Meat II 弱肉 II

The Weak are Meat II, 2014

Acrylic boxes and food packages

Dimension variable

Taking the Chinese phrase “The weak are meat for the strong to eat” in the Tang Dynasty as a point of departure, Tang Kwok-Hin’s solo presentation titled “The Weak are Meat”, satirizes the powerlessness of mankind with an individual’s lack of retaliation towards commercialization of society by habituating the ingestion of packaged goods. The produces are categorized by method of preservation as well as brand. The wrappings of the finished products are stored in the basement storage space after consuming. The hanging merchandise-oriented advertisement and related products paint a repetitive but polychromatic picture. In contrast, the colorless, transparent boxes present the objects within, not only glorifying but also in contrast projecting the gargantuan figure of a mercenary demon.

This presentation integrates works in video, mixed media, collages and a site-specific installation to exemplify the redundancy and tediousness of the contemporary society, of which are dominated by the basis of man-made civilization—mundane routines and urban structures. In the face of such monotonous daily practices, humankind gradually assimilates to homogenous lifestyle circles, becoming slowly confined to a synchronized world. The culprit of synchronization, capitalism, marketing, investment and sales are allegorized by Tang as slow progressing venom, which anesthetizes our senses using materialization and blinds our hidden apprehension. Aestheticized product wrappings and the lack of utility of the manufactures themselves create a beauty in the malady of compulsive buying. The glimpses of silver that signifies poison in industries represent the premonition of the overuse of products, and how its hidden devil gradually gnaws on human compassion.


日常生活跟都市共構的是人為的物質社會，關鍵地支配著現代文明及人類行為裡重覆既樣板的元素。每天一再展開繁忙的工作，衣食住行，已然無不被局限在相近的模子裡，經驗著被過度一體化的世界。

資本跟市場，市場的投資與買賣，籠罩著消費主義帶來的慢性劇毒。藥力痲痺了人們對於日常生活裡種種結構的敏銳神經，而個人意志面對物化社會更被隱沒了惶恐意 識，最終發展出有毒美學的追求，儼如儲物成狂的病態美，一同被導向經濟市場的洪流裡不省人事。產品在被使用之物外裹著主要為眼球服務以及解決衛生問題的包 裝。色彩、圖案及設計，將吸引購物慾之空殼幻化成產品的意義本身。工業化裡標誌性的有毒銀色與過盛的物質使用，潛藏了巨大的惡魔在啃食個人對於自身以外世情的關懷。

我將進食包裝食品這行為培養成習慣，每一段時間消費某一類別的食品，例如因應品牌、保存方法等分類，從而儲藏大量包裝。把它們倒轉再包裹，放到地下的儲物櫃裡，既重覆又斑爛。

古時地下儲藏珍貴之物的木櫃子轉化成像宣示及鼓吹工業萬歲的透明展示櫃，有毒之物就像被神聖化，投射出惡魔潛藏的巨大身影。當中，我們可還有餘力抵抗，作出另外的選擇？