Only Wind

Raúl Hernández

16 November - 2 December 2023

Yrellag Gallery proudly presents “Only Wind”, a solo exhibition by Spanish artist Raúl Hernández, featuring a series of photography which was taken over five years ago regarding the drift among the exile leaving far away from their motherland. The exhibition opening will be held on Saturday, 18 November 2023, 6 - 8 p.m. with the artist present, and will be on view till 2 December 2023.

Raúl, was once an outsider in Hong Kong, he started his journey with his broken English and ignorance of Cantonese and met different people such as refugees and domestic workers. In order to integrate into the city, he learned along the way and left behind those things that considered essential in his homeland. Hong Kong as a hub of Chinese and Western culture, Raúl was gradually influenced by Chinese Taoist thought, especially Laozi’s recognition and affirmation on “little things” and the acceptance of losses in the Tao Te Ching. Accepting the complete transformation in identity and daily life, Raúl sees every change as part of the process, which forms his own perception of life.

This exhibition titled “Only Wind” which is taken from the book Tao Te Ching by Laozi, whose philosophy permeated his adaption over the years. Under “Only Wind”, fragments of life are captured. A slight smile, a pair of special hands and a series of mark making constitute the cognition of Hong Kong from the perspective of the artist. The text fragments accompanying the photos in this exhibition adapted from the book In the Presence of Absence by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, delving into the drift between home and exile.

The exhibition opening will be held on 18 November 2023 (Saturday), from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will be on view until 2 December 2023. The artist will be present during the opening.

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Yrellag Gallery 欣然呈獻西班牙藝術家Raúl Hernández個人展覽 “Only Wind”，展出了過往超過五年拍攝的一系列攝影作品，記錄了遠離祖國的漂泊者在港的生活碎片。 展覽開幕將於 2023 年 11 月 18 日星期六下午 6 時至 8 時舉行，屆時藝術家將親臨現場，展期至 2023 年 12 月 2 日。

Raúl，曾是在港的漂泊者，不諳粵語，靠著蹩腳的英語開始了他的旅程，沿途結識了難民、外籍家庭傭工等不同的人。為了融入這座城市，他一路學習，並拋棄那些他認為在祖國不可或缺的東西。 香港作為中西文化的樞紐，Raúl逐漸受到中國道家思想的影響，尤其《道德經》中老子對「小事」的認同與讚賞，以及接受「失去」。 Raúl接受了身份和日常生活的南轅北轍，並將每一次變化視為這個過程的一部分，繼而形成了他自己對生活的感悟。

這次展覽的命名 “Only Wind”，取自老子的《道德經》一書。在 “Only Wind” 中，Raúl捕捉生活中微小的角落。一個淺淺的微笑，一雙特別的手，一段段的符號標記，構成了藝術家眼中對香港的認知。本次展覽中的照片所附的文字片段節錄自巴勒斯坦詩人馬哈茂德·達爾維什 (Mahmoud Darwis) 的《缺席的存在》 (In the Presence of Absence) 一書，深入探討了家鄉與流亡之間的漂流。

本展將於 2023 年 11 月 18 日（星期六）下午 6 時至晚上 8 時舉行開幕酒會，屆時藝術家將親臨現場，展期由 2023 年 11月 16 日至2023 年 12 月 2 日。