L A U M A N-P A N
Home is Not a Country

installation view in "TAKE A BITE OF US, DIGEST WHO WE ARE", MinoLab, Antwerp
As a part of an artist residency project, "TAKE A BITE OF US, DIGEST WHO WE ARE", the work reinterpreted home in the Hong Kong diasporic context, questioning our understanding of what home is and, meanwhile, evoking a melancholy nostalgia. During the residency, the artist explored and sought to understand the factors that construct and maintain ethnic identity. He investigated cultural labels and characteristics related to his home from the centre of Antwerp. Some of these labels are attributed by others, while a larger portion is self-selected for various reasons. This selection process reflects an individual's recognition of their own identity, intertwined with economic relationships and historical customs. These labels can be iconic cultural symbols, such as tile-roof shapes, or simple elements like fonts or colour combinations used in signage. The artist further appropriated these labels in his work, integrating them with his memories of Hong Kong and personal messages of belonging.
installation view in MinoLab, Antwerp

HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY
Canvas, oil, pigment, acrylic, tabletop
86 x 240 cm
2024
The work features a large rectangular canvas divided horizontally into two distinct colour fields. The canvas was stretched on a tabletop leaning on the wall. The upper half is painted vibrant yellow, while the lower is deep red. The colour scheme reminds us of the shop signboard of Hong Kong's Local grocery store, Prizemart. In the centre, the phrase "HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY" is prominently displayed in capital letters, borrowed from the title of Safia Elhillo's novel. The work explores the relationship between cultural symbols and identity.
The brick
