WHAT WE KNOW

Originally named Mak Ying Tung, the artist added the ‘2’ to her name in 2018 after visiting a fengshui master in the hopes of gaining fame and fortune by perfecting the number of strokes in her Chinese name. She further shortened her name to Mak2 earlier this year (2021). Her third solo exhibition at the gallery, a new body of installations and videos as well as new works from her iconic ‘Home Sweet Home’ series explore the correlation between value and belief in Chinese fengshui and big data. For the latter (series), each of the three panels is painted by a different painter found on the Chinese e-commerce platform, Taobao. With three different painters, the final triptych becomes unpredictable owing to the painters’ inconsistent skill levels, techniques, and use of materials.

WHY WE LOVE IT

If you’re into fengshui, this exhibition provides different perspectives and a unique modern approach. We love how – according to Mak2 – good fortune can be ‘digitalised’ and played on a loop, with innumerable codes running across the gallery space. An additional audio recording of the original blessing ritual completes the auspicious installation. It all leads audiences to question the ‘validity’ and ‘replicability’ of faith and fortune. In addition, the installations set up in the centre of the gallery – with two isolated islands fully furnished with beds, nightstands, lamps, rugs, and faux wood flooring – are not only interesting-staged, but provide a peek into the creative process that was going through the artist’s mind.