Talk

In Spirits in the Material World, artist Heman Chong reflects on spaces that exist in the darkness; the slippages into the netherworld. The installation and program reflect on a sphere of architecture that is not easily explained or understood - the relationship between the spiritual and material world. Through a fully functioning bookshop, a film series and a video work, Chong reveals how certain events trigger a consensual view on certain spaces as 'haunted,' and how the alleged presence of ghosts becomes an unpredictable disruptor in unaffordable real estate markets such as Hong Kong, New York, or Dubai. Spirits, rumours, financial and real estate logic thus converge to shape the more-than-human imaginaries and markets for the architecture of contemporary housing.

Artist Heman Chong and Director of Research at Het Nieuwe Instituut Marina Otero Verzier will further elaborate on Spirits in the Material World on 10 October, in an informal opening talk.

Film Programme

The talk is followed by a screening of Dark Water (2002) by director Hideo Nakata. The film is part of a horror movie programme compiled by Heman Chong. The programme further consists of a screening of The Others (2001) on 31 October and A Ghost Story (2017) on 5 December.

In Dark Water a mother and her 6 year old daughter move into a creepy apartment whose every surface is permeated by water. In the final stages of a messy divorce, Yoshimi struggles to build a new life for herself and her daughter. Unfortunately, the challenges of single parenting and an ongoing custody battle are further complicated when they move into an apartment plagued by mysterious water leaks and haunted by the apparition of a little girl.

Synopsis: IMDB

Programme

Talk 19:30 - 20:30
Film Screening 21:00 - 22:45

Separate tickets are needed for the talk and film screening. First come first served.