Manny Yip's work is profoundly inspired by Situationist International, focusing on personal and social relevance.
In "The Society of the Spectacle" (1967), the French philosopher, Guy Debord, the founder of the Situationist International, tries to realize a revolution in everyday life by starting from the context. He argues that "spectacle" creates false realities, like advertising slogans and celebrity portrayals of the good life, especially in today's world of the Internet and new media. The fact we live in now, from movies to live broadcasts, from 3D, IMAX to VR and AR, is constructed by the visual landscape, driven by commodities and capital, and constantly rewriting the illusion to reality. Debord proposes to use revolutionary practices such as heterotopia, drift, total urbanism, etc., to revive the process of life's existence with a reverse deconstruction strategy.
Guy Debord asked, "What is life?" It is disorientation and adventure.
Learning to be lost in the spectacle opens the way to different experiences. Situationist International uses the word "Dérive” to encourage people to "get lost" in the city to discover and observe new places. "Visitors can always find your city while being lost”. It reflects people's desire and pursuit of home, as home does not necessarily refer to a specific place but a sense of emotional belonging and security.
Manny asks, "Where is my home?" I am going home, but I got lost.
Manny, an artist, returns to her home after many years of leaving it, but the way home is gradually blurred. The small village where she grew up faces demolition due to the land rezoning, the urban space being appropriated, and those in power conquering the land. The familiar and ordinary roads have been functionalized, formatted, and monitored under urban planning, and the public and private spheres are just a line apart.
Manny leaves the studio and sketches outdoors with fragments and emotions from her memories, relying on her subjective vision to construct the images, just as Impressionnisme, the wanderer of Situationism International, keeps reflecting on her role as an individual and as an artist in society, and how to find the artistic personality in Postmodernism while the concept of “art” is difficult to be concluded and "the truth of the world." is also unsure. She believes that artistic creation is not just about making art and not only an "aesthetic" that is visually generated. However, It is also a craft and tool for the artist to translate problems and phenomena to the audience and to ask what else can be done with painting or drawing.
This exhibition "Return To No Destination" presents the sceneries of the artist's journey home, which is a way of giving criticism and reflection on society.
Gallery address: 602, 6/F, Winfull Commercial Building, 172 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan