Down to the Sunless Sea

The exhibition Down to the Sunless Sea features a group of emerging artists: Stella Arion; Haoran Chen; Chloe Cocks; Linnéa Duckworth; James Ferguson Rose; Dingyijia Gao; Wenhui Hao; Emilie Houldsworth; Haeun Jang; Yujie Li; Yucen Liu; Zixiong Zhou, setting together on this journey to explore individual actions and deconstructing desires to understand how they are shaped and evolve, the goal is to attain a deeper understanding of 'knowing oneself'.

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Initially commences by drawing upon Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s theory, highlighting the pivotal role of sensory perception in shaping our desires. Our desires are not abstract or purely intellectual constructs but are deeply rooted in our sensory experiences of the world. Ponty's philosophy of the body offers a unique lens through which we can understand how our human experiences mediate and express our desires.

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Desires are wandering and continuously evolving, departing from both consciousness and subconsciousness. They can only be observed through one's behaviours, as the metaphorical journey 'down to the sunless sea' encapsulates those unseen desires. At times, we may forget the root that propels us to manifest these desires. Specifically, this explores the process of redefining desires in our contemporary society, encompassing the influence of emerging values and cultural trends on the conceptualisation of desires and how individuals redefine their desires amidst these transformations.

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This exhibition features a carefully curated selection of contemporary multimedia artworks that delve into various facets of desire, ranging from the intimate and personal to the collective and societal.