Cosmic Rays I & II / 2022
In Cosmic Rays I, the opaque beige toned resin plate bathes in the dim and soft glow of the lightbulb above. In selecting the tangerine as the color of the light, Tap Chan delves into the color's association with spacecraft and spacesuits, endowing the work with meanings related to the cosmos, the future, and the fictional. The shape of the plate resembles a wall mirror, evoking a domestic sense of comfort and luring one to stare into it. Yet its semi-matte surface prevents viewers from registering a clear reflection, engendering an intriguing sense of ambiguity.
A twin to Cosmic Rays I , Cosmic Rays II comprises a wall light installed above a resin plate —the only difference being that here the light is green instead of orange. Growing up in the 1980s, Chan remembers encountering the color green around Hong Kong, which for her is closely associated with the city's past. The title Cosmic Rays elicits Chan's contemplation over the symptoms of cognitive deficiency induced by exposure to cosmic radiation. Metaphorically reactivating the process of gradual memory loss in space travel, the work probes the sense of fear toward the unknown state of the body and the mind.
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