Art is a compass to orient oneself in the intricate labyrinth of reality

“Only those who learn to walk correctly in the labyrinth will find wisdom” is a phrase taken from the fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, which inspired the artists invited to present their works in the exhibition divided into two distinct moments, Maze and Patternmakers and set up at Lisson Gallery. As observers and frontline actors at the same time, the artists talk about the challenges they face every day. For example, in the series Rhythm of Lines, the artist Channa Horwitz combines two sets of angled lines, which create intricate patterns and areas painted with twenty-three-carat gold leaf. Although the work may seem machine-generated, it was made entirely by hand. Huang Tinglan instead focuses on different scenes of daily life. The concept of “boxes”, to which she compares the spaces, appears in all her textile works, some of which describe her experience of living in New York. Textiles return in the works by Wang Ye who develops his narratives using traditional hand-made embroidery techniques, originating from the Hunan region. The artists interact with the reality that surrounds them and question its structures and boundaries, opening new horizons to interpret the past, experience the present and shape the future using the most diverse techniques.