HATE MAIL
02 July – 14 August 2011
Main Gallery
Featuring: Catalina Africa, Ronald Caringal, Maria Jeona, Robert Langenegger, Romeo Lee, Jose Legaspi, Nikki Luna, Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, Jucar Raquepo, Kaloy Sanchez, MM Yu, Costantino Zicarelli
The second in a trilogy of shows that looks at visual linguistics in relation to communicating fundamental human emotions, Hate Mail attempts to narrate and deconstruct experiences of hate in contemporary society.
To display intense hate is viewed as morally wrong. It indicates an often angry and corrupted mind. In religion to hate is a sin, in secular society to openly hate is taboo and unattractive. But what is hate? Is it the bitterness and resentment many feel when experiencing anxiety, disappointment, obsession, jealousy and insecurity in oneself, love, school, friends, family and careers? Or a psychological imbalance that leads to suffering and violence?
Unlike love, hate is normally concealed and not openly communicated. As part of contemporary vernacular, casual comments of hate are often used to express intense dislike for objects and people but do not necessarily convey the true complexity of the word. Therefore hate comes in many forms and degrees of intensity. We all have experienced this emotion in some form or another and yet it is a misunderstood concept problematically linked to religion and ethics.
Hate mail is the reverse of a love letter but has a similar effect. It is an expression of intense emotion sent to destabilize and disrupt the reader. It can take the form of a childish smear campaign scrawled on bathroom walls or virtual words through emails, social networks and blogs. A physical letter, an intimate form of expression, can cause fear, frustration and more hate between recipient and sender. The communication of hate therefore is something highly negative and less popular to read, share and understand than love in popular culture.
Hate Mail is the second in a trilogy of group shows that looks at the language of hate, and how visual art translates feelings of violence, revenge, anger and grudges towards people, objects and events through personal and imagined autobiographies as well as social observation. Attempting to communicate the ferocities and quiet resentments through passionate and dispassionate work, the show aims to create an uncomfortable reflection of humanity for pause and meditation on our contemporary condition.
Previous exhibitions in the series include Love Letters (12 February – 27 March). Hate Mail will be followed by Confessions of A Sinner
(17 September – 09 October).
