A subtle tone pervades the space. The essence of a past temporality, a flutter of the senses, a trigger of distant memory. Dulcet yet melancholic, ‘Elegy’, Su-Mei Tse’s first solo show in Hong Kong, sets a pensive pace, a rhythm that invites self-reflection as well as a heightened awareness of one’s surroundings. Acting as punctuations throughout the gallery, the works behold an impact that extends beyond their visual properties; it is about their lasting impression, the reflection they heighten when seen, the experience sensed. ‘Elegy’ as an exhibition is an open score, presenting a set of triggers whilst inviting each viewer’s personal interpretation and impression.

A trained classical cellist of Chinese and British descent, Su-Mei Tse (b. 1973, Luxembourg) weaves a practice that spans video, installation, photography and sculpture to mount a meditative, visaural tale empowering the language of music as a primary voice. Investigating associations between places, geographies, cultures, traditions, Tse’s work elicits a cross stimulation of the senses, where time and its flow are suspended in a gentle state of contemplation. As the exhibition title ‘Elegy’ suggests, Tse’s practice is underpinned by a strong sense of lyricism and musicality. Brought up by a violinist father and pianist mother, Tse equally grew up with music at the Luxembourg Conservatory. She maintained this duality when studying visual arts at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris by accompanying her practice with musical studies.

As such, a bilingual versatility pervades Tse’s practice. ‘Elegy’ is at once a mysterious visual ballad and a delicate aesthetic encounter that one unravels, one step at a time. Inspired by, and developed during Tse’s recent residency at the Villa Medici, the viewer encounters photographs, moving images (video), objects, mirrors, references of collected memories that hark back but are not limited to her time in Rome. Each image reflects an emotion: the bust of Adriana - a hymn to past history, traced by the degradation of time whilst bearing delicacy of expression and detail; Gaelle a friend and writer, a hint of her arm, remembrance of her graceful person, a reference to her feminine sensitivity, a particular moment at a farewell party. Creating links between each visuals are mirrors, aligning multiple captures along a singular sequence, one which changes dependent on the viewer’s position and perception.