dreamscape
Alan Chin、Alex McAdoo、Max Berry
Artemin Gallery
dreamscape
Dreams are often seen as vital pathways to the depths of our inner selves, offering a means to explore personal identity. Through dreams, we can reexamine the significance and influence of history, culture, and identity in our lives. Artemin Gallery will present Dreamscape, a group exhibition running from February 8 to March 15, showcasing the works of artists Alan Chin, Alex McAdoo, and Max Berry.
The works featured in this exhibition intertwine personal experiences with collective memories through dreamlike visual expressions, reflecting the artists’ profound exploration of self-identity. In his Superbloom series, Alan Chin uses the California poppy as a symbol of rebirth, revealing the coexistence of historical trauma and resilience. Alex McAdoo employs optical techniques combined with ancient mathematical concepts to explore the complex relationships between individual identity and history under multiple layers of self. Max Berry’s works, like fragmented dreams, guide viewers through the boundaries between reality and illusion, provoking deep reflections on personal identity and our connection to the world.
In Superbloom, Alan Chin explores the rebirth symbolized by California poppies and their complex narratives tied to identity and history. Through vivid oil paintings, the artist not only captures the beauty of these flowers but also reflects on personal history, including his great-grandfather’s involvement in the Opium Wars and its lasting influence on his family’s migration to America. The juxtaposition of beauty and trauma symbolizes life’s fragility and its intricate links to history. Chin also weaves Indigenous histories into the landscapes, emphasizing resilience and cultural heritage. The wind, a force of transformation, carries stories of the past, reminding us of our profound connections. Superbloom is a tribute to ancestors, inviting us to reflect on shared histories and inherited legacies.
Alex McAdoo’s work delves into his relationship with the American landscape as a multiracial brown American, with a particular focus on overlooked Eastern histories. Inspired by the 11th-century Arab scientist Alhazen, McAdoo employs modern optical techniques to create landscapes. Using a 360-degree camera to capture imagery, he incorporates the 7th-century Indian mathematician Brahmagupta’s concept of “zero” as a symbol of his Indian heritage. These works depict the landscapes of the American West Coast and suburbs, expressing multifaceted identities and the influence of non-European thought on civilization through distorted, reflective, and disappearing perspectives.
At the intersection of dreams and self-identity, Max Berry’s work presents a world straddling reality and illusion. His semi-fictional paintings, pastoral scenes, and fragmented observations resemble dream fragments, drawing viewers into a distant, ambiguous inner realm. Berry’s attention to lines, color, and shifting light seeks to slow time, inviting viewers to reflect on their identities within this dreamlike space. Memories, floating images, and motifs of water and clouds create a tranquil, poetic atmosphere, extending an invitation for self-exploration.
Through these artists’ works, fragments of self-identity emerge within dreamlike narratives. Alan Chin interweaves family history with global events, highlighting the connection between the individual and the collective. Alex McAdoo challenges preconceived notions of civilization by exploring Eastern history and multicultural identities. Max Berry guides us across the borders of reality and illusion, inviting self-reflection in a poetic dreamscape. Dreams are not merely shelters from reality but spaces for self-exploration and identity reconstruction, where we recognize ourselves and embrace the profound influences of history and culture.
Artemin Select Group Show Vol. 005 | dreamscape
Alan Chin、Alex McAdoo、Max Berry
Dates: 2025.Feb.08 ⭢ 2025.Mar.15
Opening Reception: 2025.Feb.08 | 15:00
Venue: Artemin Gallery (1F, No. 32, Ln. 251, Jihe Rd., Shilin Dist., 111, Taipei City, Taiwan)
4 2 月, 2025