PF25 2024 programme
Tumbling Through Time
A solo exhibition of Dorothee Sauter
Villa Renata, Basel
Vernissage: Saturday, 23 March, 17-21h
Artist-guided Tour: Sunday, 24 March, 16h
Artist - Curator Conversatio (in German and English)
Friday, 26. April, 17:30 Uhr
Socinstrasse 16
4051 Basel
info@villa-renata.ch
This exhibition is curated by Angelika Li,
co-presented by Villa Renata and PF25 cultural projects
image credit: Julian Salinas
Curator's Notes
Angelika Li, Tokyo 2024
From her last solo exhibition in 2021 entitled ‘Geology, Cooking Heart, Curiosity, and other stories’ in Basel, Swiss ceramic artist Dorothee Sauter progresses forward, responding to her observations of the world in ‘Tumbling through time’ at Villa Renata in 2024. Scattering across a white plain in the Garage space, fourteen works made through Sauter’s experiments with her unique techniques test the limits of clay, minerals, porcelain, glazes, pigments. Each piece is individual, yet as a group they generate conversations and resonate with one another’s energy: an animated cycle of scenarios populated with uncanny characters and gestures.
With three years between the two solo exhibitions of Sauter, the world indeed has faced drastic changes. This has prompted the artist to reflect heavily on the human condition worldwide. The new sculptures created between 2022 and 2024 are given titles such as ‘Risky theory’ (2024), ‘Tumbling through time’ 1 to 3 (2023), Vase 7 (2022), Food gatherer (2022), and Heartbeat (2022).
To Sauter, her sculptures are films for the mind’s eye: fragments of memory whether conscious or subconscious, moments in a lecture, images in the newspaper, something she has seen but cannot fully understand, stimulation by science and literature. Her goal is not only the finished sculptures and vessels, it is also her developing process: the peculiar poetry of becoming, the dance between intent and chance.
Images from the news are impactful sources for this exhibition. In a bird’s eye view image, Sauter saw a city that was bombed out 90%. Lives gone, homes and cities falling apart. Rubble, skeletal structures, memories remain. In a newspaper, Sauter saw a photo of two young boys walking in debris, wearing flimsy plastic flip-flops, carrying a large pipe-looking object on their shoulders. What is it they are actually carrying? Where are they heading? To build a water pipe for their grandmother or to prepare a shelter or weapon?
How do we deal with absurdity as humans? To Sauter, nature is where she takes refuge and inspiration. Not only is nature a medium that interconnects her with other people in the world, simply walking in the forest, mountains, being in nature is a healing process on a personal level. Sauter’s curiosity in biology and microbiology leads her to wonder about what plants do. How do they build their networks, and how do they fight against adversity and heal after atrocities? What is the future of humanity?
Ethno-Botanic Resonance
An Ikebana performance by Hedy Leung
curated by Angelika Li, followed by a panel discussion
The Wash Houses, ondon Metropolitan University
6 March 2024
About this event
In partnership with the Liliesleaf Trust UK and PF25 cultural projects, and in collaboration with Chelsea Physic Garden, CREATURE (Centre for Creative Arts, Cultures and Engagement) presents Ethno-Botanic Resonance. It comprises an artist performance and a panel discussion with art and cultural practitioners, a botany specialist, and a social anthropologist, fostering a visual and conceptual dialogue on ethnobotany across diverse cultural landscapes.
Ethno-Botanic Resonance delves into the profound intersection of ethnobotanical knowledge, cultural well-being practices, and the art of Ikebana. Ethnobotanical studies illuminate the global recognition of herbal bathing as a healing practice deeply ingrained in diverse cultures. Emphasising its dual impact on physical and psychological well-being, the narrative unfolds within the historical context of The Wash Houses, the oldest public washing facility in London since 1847.
Curated by Angelika Li, London-based Hong Kong artist Hedy Leung will embark on a journey through ethnobotanical wisdom, unveiling the interconnectedness of human societies, plant ecosystems, and ancient well-being practices through an Ikebana performance. Weaving a historical entwinement of cultural traditions and botanical insights, the performance elucidates the intrinsic relationship between ethnobotanical knowledge and herbal bathing practices across cultures and time. It explores the shared heritage of botanical wisdom and cultural well-being rituals. Through the integration of medicinal herbs, the performance transcends traditional aesthetic boundaries, offering a contemporary discourse on the ecological and therapeutic aspects of plant life. Collaborating with the Chelsea Physic Garden, Leung meticulously examines each herb for its visual charm and historical-cultural significance in traditional medicine, creating intentional narratives embedded in Ikebana arrangements.
The Ikebana performance will be followed by a panel discussion, with the artist and the curator, on plant-based healing, migration, trade routes, and colonialism across cultural landscapes from South Africa, East Asia to Europe, and beyond.
Panel discussion moderator:
Professor Wessie Ling, Professor of Transcultural Arts and Design at the School of Art, Architecture and design at London Met and the Director of CREATURE.
Click here for full profiles of the panelists:
Caroline Kamana (Liliesleaf Trust UK)
Hedy Leung (Artist)
Angelika Li (PF25)
Dr Jacek Ludwig Scarso (London Met)
Dr Vibe Nielsen (University of Oxford)
Shivani Patel (Chelsea Physic Garden)
In English, admission free. Registration essential.
Venue: 16 Goulston Street London E1 7TP
Image above:
Hedy Leung
3 x 7 = 21
2023
Ikebana performance and installation at Salon Mondial, Münchenstein/Basel
Found green materials, everyday objects, video of Freilager-platz train tracks
as part of PF25 cultural projects residency programme with Atelier Mondial
Photo by Julian Salinas
Curator Talk
FREIBURG BREISGAU
From hydrological cycles to disappearance. What’s here and now for Homeland in Transit?
Angelika Li
Till Ten, Kunstverein Freiburg
Thu, 22 Feb 2024, 7 pm
Angelika Li will discuss her exhibition series Homeland in Transit which is channelling narratives and imaginations of ‘homeland’ starting from Hong Kong perspectives: boundaries, roots, diaspora, identity, colonial ideologies, displacement and interweaving them with experiences and voices from other parts of the world. The project was inaugurated in Basel in 2019 and has since expanded to various cities, including Berlin, Murrhardt, Freiburg, Zurich, Zollikon, and Ishigaki. Furthermore, Li will provide insights into PF25 cultural projects, a Kulturverein she co-founded with Donald Mak in 2018. This initiative aims to foster mutual understanding, cultivate an intercultural network, and generate creative energies between Hong Kong and Basel, with a broader outreach extending to other regions in Switzerland and Europe.
Angelika Li, a Hong Kong curator based in Basel, is dedicated to exploring the essence of places and the connections through culture, heritage, and stories. She actively fosters a continuous dialogue between international communities.
Recent projects she has curated include Dorothee Sauter’s solo exhibitions 'Tumbling Through Time', 2024; and 'Geology, Cooking Heart, Curious and other stories', 2021; Isaac Chong Wai’s performance 'Difference/Indifference' at the Basler Münster, 2022; Luke Ching and Mei Cheung’s community projects and exhibitions series 'On the Ground', 2023; Ellen Pau, 'Speculative Generations of Flora Zero', 2023; Hedy’s Leung’s 'Menhir Tapestry 1' for Radio X X_ARTS Festival opening performance, 2023; and her ikebana performance 'Ethno-Botanic Resonance', 2024 with a panel discussion at London Metropolitan University.
In English, admission free.
Click here for info.
Map of the venue.
Image: Ellen Pau, Speculative Generation of Flora Zero 明日黃花, 2023, Video installation, Curated by Angelika Li, Courtesy of the artist and PF25 cultural projects
Ma Umi Residencies
PF25 residency partnership announcement
Ishigaki Island, Japan
To inaugurate the Year of the Dragon, we're thrilled to unveil our exciting new partnership with MA UMI RESIDENCIES. This self-funded, non-profit initiative serves as an international platform for artists and researchers, spanning various specialisations, disciplines, and practices. Nestled in the picturesque Northern Peninsula of Ishigaki Island, Japan, participants come together to live and work amidst the serene beauty of this enclave.
The residency aims to foster a vibrant platform for collecting, discussing, and experimenting with the surrounding land, ocean, and local communities. Our PF25 alumna, Hedy Leung, a renowned Sogetsu Ikebana practitioner and sound artist, will be joining MA UMI this March and April. During her residency, she'll delve into the mesmerising world of night blossoms and pollinators, infusing the programme with her distinctive blend of visual and auditory experiences.
Joining Hedy at MA UMI are PF25 co-founders, Angelika Li and Donald Mak, who will collaborate with MA UMI's co-founders, Valerie Portefaix and Manami Fujita. Valerie, herself an alumna of PF25 residency in 2018, continues her ongoing research on water mapping across the oceans between Hong Kong and Basel. This partnership forms another vital connection on the global map, bridging our cities with Ishigaki and fostering an ongoing exchange and dialogue.
