Once Upon a Longtang

Last Sunday, I had some time to visit Balai Seni Negara in time for the penultimate weekend of Red Hong Yi's installation, Once Upon A Longtang. The work was inspired during her stay in Shanghai to study and visit her grandaunt and granduncle. But what struck me was her technique of highlighting the red colours in her works.

She torched up calligraphy papers, leaving a red and charred residue that formed her works' backdrop. The paintings depict people living in the Shanghai alleyway doing mundane everyday activities. They were hung on bamboo scaffolds, complete with old clothing used as props to complete a scene of the alleyway.

Since the paintings were on exposed papers, they looked delicate. But at the same time, mesmerising.

The installation was right at the main entrance of Balai Seni, and it will be taken down after 22 March 2023. Definitely worth a visit, and I hope that Red Hong Yi will publish a documentary on the process of coming up with the idea. I am sure that it has a fascinating backstory.