Atelier Talk | Poetic Metaphors in His Works — Roni Horn: The Fluidity of Identity

Introduction

In the solo exhibition of Roni Horn curated by the Winsing Arts Foundation, a series of important sculptures and photographs are presented at the Winsing Art Place, including glass and columnar sculptures from the foundation’s collection. Since 1975, Roni Horn has made regular visits to Iceland, where her experiences with the island’s nature and daily life have become one of the sources of inspiration for her work. Through her art, Horn explores the fluid nature of identity, much like water, and uses visual elements, language-based documentation, and the concept of duality to guide viewers into a poetic dialogue with the works.

The Foundation is honored to invite Chia-En Jao, full-time lecturer at the Department of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, as the keynote speaker for this expert lecture. Beginning with Marcel Duchamp, Roni Horn once mentioned in The Art Newspaper podcast: “I think that within Duchamp’s conceptual framework, he dealt with a way of experiencing that was deeply meaningful, which also involved analytical and logical dimensions... I also appreciate his interpretation of androgyny and his freedom in relation to gender, and everything about all of that.” Duchamp’s works and writings have influenced Horn’s conception of sculpture as well as her depiction of androgyny and gender issues. From Horn’s early works of the 1970s to her most recent creations, the lecture will offer a comprehensive discussion on the metaphors of identity in her art, the refined visual language of her works, and the subtle shifts between sculpture and photography—exploring the deeper meanings encoded in elements such as color, texture, light and shadow, and text. Through this lecture, we hope to guide the audience in experiencing the sensibility of Horn’s works, while gaining deeper insight into the themes that extend beyond the material and visual frameworks.