Hums – Archives of the Unheard

Hums – Archives of the Unheard is a duo exhibition that explores the subtle presence of sound in everyday life. Through delicate sound installations, subtle video works, light drawings, handwritings and mixed media work with ceramics, the exhibition investigates how auditory fragments such as private dialogues, urban murmurs, and ambient rhythms which shapes our understanding of human communication, memory, and space. Set within the fast-paced transformation of cities, Hums set a calm sphere invites visitors to calm down and listen. The works presented amplify voices often lost in the static, offering a quiet archive of overlooked moments and miscommunications. Together, they reflect the interdependent relationship between individuals and their environments, encouraging reflection on how sound constructs emotional and spatial meaning.

The show investigates how sound whether ritualistic, ambient, or overheard, it can reveal emotional states, spatial and social relationships. As a first-time curator with a background in painting, I see myself as a facilitator, storyteller, and translator. These are roles that are shaped by years of guiding others through my city’s stories and translating quiet thoughts into shared understanding. Working with two emerging artists has opened up new ways of seeing and hearing. Though their mediums differ from mine, our shared habit of close observation connects us. I first explored this theme in a 2023 group show – I Will See You When I See You, and now return to it with fresh perspective. I bring continues curatorial interest in how artists respond to everyday life through sensory dialogue. Building on previous explorations of fleeting moments and quiet observation, this exhibition brings together crossed dimensional works, examine the subtle presence neglected in both private and public spaces. This is a reminder that even the softest hums carry meanings, and that our everyday utterances shape the spaces we inhabit.

This series of works originated from Lam’s fascination with everyday sounds—from prayers before the household altar to fragments of conversations spontaneously emerging among strangers on the street. These sounds have never been merely background noise; they are precious archives of dialogues between individuals and space, documenting people’s states of existence and emotions within dense environments. Through continuous collection and reorganization, Lam attempt to transform these sonic fragments. The exhibition is not only about sound itself but also about “the overlooked subtle presences.” When we lean in to listen to these daily murmurs, we may recognize in others’ fractured dialogues the same suppressed emotions and desires within ourselves, thus realizing that in this seemingly alienating city, we are always connected through sound.

This exhibition invites us to listen for what is barely audible. Tang’s work amplifies two distinct silences: the digital void hovering between translated words in a cross-cultural relationship, and the palpable quiet of a shared yet distant family life. The second silence was awakened by Lam Man Chi’s documentation of her grandmother—a poignant echo of my own intimate estrangement. Tang’s mother’s habits, she learned to listen to a different “liturgy”: the daily ritual of her smoking. The ashes she collected are more than residue; they are the tangible archive of our coexistence. Transmuted into ceramic glaze, they encase and obscure a transferred photograph, rendering our relationship into a permanent, fragile relic. One work employs technology to navigate distance; the other employs ritual to record. Both are acts of translation, questioning how we document and bear witness to the people we are closest to, yet so far from truly knowing.

Curator: Renee Tang