Christian Nicolay
Conversations with Spaces
4Hands Collaborations
Christian Nicolay & Ya-chu Kang collaborated on several projects, residencies, exhibitions and performances from 2010 - 2016. They started collaborating in 2010 at the Playwrights Theatre Centre (Candahar Bar Project, Clamour and Toll) in Vancouver BC Canada with a sound performance based on morning rituals and habits from Western and Eastern cultures. Nicolay and Kang’s art field have included sculpture, installation, video, sound recording, performance and site-specific projects. Their research examined the shifting polarities between Western and Eastern cultural landscapes which they define as “portable walls”; a temporary or nomadic shift serving to enclose, divide, protect or change ones identity. Issues of memory, process, space and time revolve around their portable walls explorations and how these constructions become part of their own experiences and spatial relationships.
portable walls
1, a temporary or nomadic shift serving to enclose, divide, protect or change ones identity
(i.e.: your identity shifts depending on where you are). 2, To adapt to ones surroundings.
3, What is destroyed is reborn (i.e.: A wall is meant to set a barrier from one area to another, but making it portable means you have to set it up and take it down each time). 4, Fluctuating re-occurrences. 5, Paradigm shift. 6, A person who creates more than one identity, traces of digital footprints, profiles and usernames. 7, Cultural landscapes that become crisscrossed and blurred from globalization, shifting borders, war, geo-politics, digital revolution, travel, re-location, etc.
8, paying attention to the constant flux of rules, regulations, definitions, checks and changes on privacy laws and the ability to relearn what is learned.

Äkkigalleria 35, Residency Exhibition, Jyväskylä Finland, 28 – 31.10. 2015

Äkkigalleria 35, Residency Exhibition, Jyväskylä Finland, 28 – 31.10. 2015

Paddling through the Divide Book pages, tape, salvaged coffee bags, pine needles, salvaged wooden pallets, yarn, acrylic paint, rubber, glue, found tin, found pail, paper yarn, thread. Variable Dimensions, 2015

Paddling through the Divide Book pages, tape, salvaged coffee bags, pine needles, salvaged wooden pallets, yarn, acrylic paint, rubber, glue, found tin, found pail, paper yarn, thread. Variable Dimensions, 2015

Paddling through the Divide Book pages, tape, salvaged coffee bags, pine needles, salvaged wooden pallets, yarn, acrylic paint, rubber, glue, found tin, found pail, paper yarn, thread. Variable Dimensions, 2015

Paddling through the Divide Book pages, tape, salvaged coffee bags, pine needles, salvaged wooden pallets, yarn, acrylic paint, rubber, glue, found tin, found pail, paper yarn, thread. Variable Dimensions, 2015

On the Horizon Line (Shipping Pallet No. 4) Light jet photograph, salvaged wooden pallet, pencil, acrylic paint, oil pastel, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, tape. 67" x 48" x 13" (170cm x 122cm x 33cm) 2015

Perpetual Navigation No. 1 & 2 Found glass bottles, pencil, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, collage, porcelain, rubber, tape, string. 8.25" x 3.14" x 3.14" & 7" x 2.36" x 2.36" (21cm x 8cm x 8cm & 18cm x 6cm x 6cm) 2015

Perpetual Navigation No. 1 & 2 Found glass bottles, pencil, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, collage, porcelain, rubber, tape, string. 8.25" x 3.14" x 3.14" & 7" x 2.36" x 2.36" (21cm x 8cm x 8cm & 18cm x 6cm x 6cm) 2015

Äkkigalleria 35, Residency Exhibition, Jyväskylä Finland, 28 – 31.10. 2015

Around the Corner Salvaged tile and cement corner, pencil, ink, whiteout, found detritus paper, tape. 27.5" x 11.8" x 11.8" (70cm x 30cm x 30cm) 2015

Somewhere in Between Found door, found ceramic tiles, salvaged brick, salvaged Plexiglas, pencil, crayon, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, tape, table light. Variable Dimensions. 2015

Windows for Monuments Salvaged granite block, salvaged wooden blocks, book page, hardcover page, found clothespin, chalk brush, painted skewers, tape. Variable Dimensions. 2015

Intersections without Traffic Lights Wooden erasers, pencil, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, tape, salvaged wood, salvaged cement blocks. 11.8" x 25.6" x 6.3" (30cm x 65cm x 16cm) 2015

Borders without Boundaries No. 1-3 Pencil, acrylic paint, oil pastel, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, tape, salvaged cement blocks, found wood, found metal, found ceramic tile. Installation 55" x 36" x 16" (139.7cm x 91.4cm x 40.6cm) 2015

Borders without Boundaries No. 1-3 Pencil, acrylic paint, oil pastel, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, tape, salvaged cement blocks, found wood, found metal, found ceramic tile. Installation 55" x 36" x 16" (139.7cm x 91.4cm x 40.6cm) 2015

Borders without Boundaries No. 1-3 Pencil, acrylic paint, oil pastel, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, tape, salvaged cement blocks, found wood, found metal, found ceramic tile. Installation 55" x 36" x 16" (139.7cm x 91.4cm x 40.6cm) 2015

Borders without Boundaries No. 1-3 Pencil, acrylic paint, oil pastel, ink, whiteout, found detritus paper, tape, salvaged cement blocks, found wood, found metal, found ceramic tile. Installation 55" x 36" x 16" (139.7cm x 91.4cm x 40.6cm) 2015

Perpetual Navigation No. 3 Found glass bottle, found sugar, salvaged drywall, pencil, ink, correction pen, found detritus paper, collage, tape. Variable Dimensions. 2015

Äkkigalleria 35, Residency Exhibition, Jyväskylä Finland, 28 – 31.10. 2015

Worn In Recycled coffee bags, tape, found chair, thread. 34.6" x 40.5" x 28.7" (88cm x 103cm x 73cm) 2015

Outside the Line Cotton, yarns, fabric. 35.4" x 41.3" x 5.9" (90cm x 105cm x 15cm) 2015

On Foot Paper yarns, moss, pine cone, fire. 22.4" x 62.9" x 1.1" (57cm x 160cm x 3cm) 2015

Tracing Time Found felt boot, washing process, Light jet photograph. 14.5" x 11" x 4.7" (37cm x 28cm x 12 cm) & 20.6" x 15.7" (52.5cm x 40 cm) 2015

Inverted Smoke Wood, glue, screws, staples, cloth, cyanotype, lights. 138" x 307" x 114" (350cm x 780cm x 290cm) 2014. Yuejin Lantern Festival, Yuejingang Riverside, Yanshui District, Tainan, Taiwan

Upside Down Fire Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada, 2014

Upside Down Fire, Window View, Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada, 2014

Upside Down Fire, Installation View, Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada, 2014

Upside Down Fire, Installation View, Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada, 2014

Upside Down Fire, Installation View, Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada, 2014

Boom and Bust 澎呀派, a speculative approach to solving problems Acrylic paint, pencil, pen, oil pastel, ink, found detritus paper, tape, darts, salvaged Plexiglas, salvaged glass on panel Variable dimensions. 2013 - 2014

Upside Down Fire, Installation View, Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada, 2014

Upside Down Fire, Installation View, Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada, 2014

After Gravity Acrylic paint, pencil, ink, salvaged Plexiglas, plastic, homemade photograph, tape, MDF. 8” x 17.5” x 7.75” (20cm x 44.5cm x 19.5cm) 2014

Up in Arms Acrylic paint, flyleaf paper, felt, salvaged Plexiglas, found detritus paper, pencil, ink, crayon, MDF 13" x 15" x 10" (33cm x 38.2cm x 25.5cm) 2014

Wet Paint Acrylic paint, pencil, salvaged Plexiglas, found detritus paper, ink, crayon, thread, MDF 9" x 11" x 10" (23cm x 28cm x 25.5cm) 2014

Upside Down Fire MDF, acrylic paint, salvaged Plexiglas, tape. 36" x 36" x 29" (91.4cm x 91.4cm x 73.7cm) 2014

Bear X Bull Video Still, One channel video, 04:14, 2014


Boom and Bust 澎呀派, Installation View, Art Experience Gallery, Hong Kong, 2013

Boom and Bust 澎呀派, Installation View, Art Experience Gallery, Hong Kong, 2013

Boom and Bust 澎呀派 Wave Cycle 循環作用One channel video, exploded balloons, Variable dimensions, 2013. Click Link for video
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Salvaged 營救 Salvaged Oil containers, acrylic paint, darts, plastic, wood. 12” x 12” x 12” each (30.5cm x 30.5cm x 30.5cm) 2013

Boom and Bust 澎呀派, Installation View, Art Experience Gallery, Hong Kong, 2013

Boom and Bust 澎呀派, a speculative approach to solving problems Acrylic paint, pencil, pen, oil pastel, ink, found detritus paper, tape, darts, salvaged Plexiglas, salvaged glass on panel Variable dimensions. 2013 - 2014

Boom and Bust 澎呀派, a speculative approach to solving problems Detail

Boom and Bust 澎呀派, a speculative approach to solving problems Detail

Made in China 中國製造 Salvaged plastic cutlery, acrylic paint, plastic resin. 8” x 8” x 3” (20.32cm x 20.32cm x 7.62cm) 2013

Duppini LIKE: The Old Post Office and modern means of communication, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, 2013

Installation View, Maple Ridge Art Gallery Maple Ridge BC 2013

Installation View, Maple Ridge Art Gallery Maple Ridge BC 2013

Installation View, Maple Ridge Art Gallery Maple Ridge BC 2013

Installation View, Maple Ridge Art Gallery Maple Ridge BC 2013

Carry an Object with you, Installation View, Schmiede Art Festival, Hallein Austria 2012. Click the link for more info.
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Carry an Object with you, Installation View, Schmiede Art Festival, Hallein Austria 2012. Click the link for more info.
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Carry an Object with you, Installation View, Dying Eye, Community Art Space, Hangzhou China. 2013 Click on the link for more info.
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Carry an Object with you, Installation View, Museum of Medical Humanities, Taipei Taiwan 2012. Click the link for more info.
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Unknown Gifts, Installation, Taipei Artists Village Residency Exhibition 2010. Click the link for more info.
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Unknown Gifts, Installation, Taipei Artists Village Residency Exhibition 2010. Click the link for more info.
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Sunshine Wall, Video Installation, Taipei Artists Village Residency Exhibition 2010. Click link below for video.
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Sunshine Wall, Video Installation, Taipei Artists Village Residency Exhibition 2010. Click link below for video
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Installation View, Elliott Louis Gallery Vancouver BC Canada 2012

Installation View, Elliott Louis Gallery Vancouver BC Canada 2012

Security Blanket Facemasks, thread, wood, iron, acrylic paint. Variable Dimensions 2012

Security Blanket Facemasks, thread, wood, iron, acrylic paint. Variable Dimensions 2012

Video Stills from Recoil, 01:32, 2012 Click link for video
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Soap, water, glass, one channel video. Variable Dimensions 2012

Detail

Acrylic paint, watercolour, blood, oil pastel, graphite, pencil, crayon, coffee, weed, plastic, found detritus paper on salvaged glass on panel. Varible Dimensions 2012

Detail

Personal identification cards and papers, green tape, wood, salvaged Plexiglas. 2012

Detail

Installation View, Elliott Louis Gallery, Vancouver BC, 2012

Safety Instructions Acrylic paint, watercolour, blood, oil pastel, india ink, graphite, pencil, crayon, coffee, found detritus paper on panel. 20" x 14.5" each panel (50.8cm x 36.8cm) 2012

Detail

Installation View, Elliott Louis Gallery, Vancouver BC, 2012

Knot Covering - Comic Book Kimono Comic book paper, newspaper, Japan resist dying paper, packaging rope, tape, thread 59" x 31.5" x 63" (150cm x 80cm x 160cm) 2010. Ya-chu Kang

Recipes for Walls, Performance, Elliott Louis Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada 2012

Recipe For Morning Rituals, Performance, Playwrights Theatre Centre, The Candahar Bar Project, Clamour and Toll, curated by Eli Bornowsky, Vancouver BC Canada, 2010

Oriental Press Interview at Art Experience Gallery, Hong Kong. 2013
4HANDS
Exhibitions
2016
Absolute Space for the Arts, Tainan City Taiwan
2015
Convergence, National Art Gallery, Bangkok Thailand
Yuejin Lantern Festival, Yuejingang Riverside, Yanshui District, Tainan Taiwan
2014
Upside Down Fire, Initial Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada
2013
Boom and Bust 澎呀派, Art Experience Gallery, Hong Kong
Duppini LIKE: The Old Post Office and modern means of communication, Veliko Tarnovo Bulgaria
Carry an Object with you, Kimoto Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada
Portable Walls, Maple Ridge Art Gallery, Maple Ridge BC Canada
The Dying Eye, Community Art Space, Hangzhou China
2012
Portable Walls, Elliott Louis Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada
The Dying Eye, Museum of Medical Humanities, Taipei Taiwan
Taipei Original Festival, Songshan Culture and Creative Park, Taipei Taiwan, collaboration with S.H.E.
Schmiede Art Festival, Hallein Austria
Valcellina Award International Contemporary Textile/Fiber, Manlago Italy
2011
Wind Heaped Up, CAMP Talganie Museum, Okinawa, Japan
House Games, Äkkigalleria, Jyväskylä Finland
2010
A.I.R. Group Show, Taipei Artists Village,TAV, Taipei Taiwan
Clamour and Toll - Candahar Bar Project, Playwrights Theatre Centre, Vancouver BC Canada (Performance)
Video Screenings
2017
Kunst Film Festval #3, Berlin Germany
2015
7th Cairo Video Festival, Juried, Cairo Egypt
2014
VAEFF, Video Art and Experimental Film Festival, Juried, Tribeca Cinemas, New York City NY USA
Wayfinding Film Festival, Juried, Traveling festival screening at Force Field Festival, Philadelphia PA & Wassaic Project, Wassaic NY USA
2013
SESIFF: The 5th Seoul International Extreme-Short Image and Film Festival, Juried, Seoul Korea
2012
Portland International Film Festival, Portland OR USA
Make it Short, Juried, NW Film Center, Portland OR USA, Judges Award Winner
Awards and Residencies
2015
Artist Residency, Äkkigalleria, Jyväskylä Finland
2012
Judges Award Winner for Recoil, Make it Short, NW Film Center, Portland OR, USA
2010
Artist Residency, Taipei Artist Village (TAV), Taipei Taiwan
Artist Talks / Presentations
2016
Absolute Space for the Arts, Tainan Taiwan
2015
Äkkigalleria, Jyväskylä Finland
2012
Museum of Medical Humanities, Taipei Taiwan
Elliott Louis Gallery, Vancouver BC Canada
2010
Treasure Hill Artist Village, Taipei Taiwan
Selected Bibliography
Keskisuomalainen, Central Finland, “Äkkigallerian näyttely syntyi roskista”, Riikka Mahlamäki-Kaistinen, Oct 29, 2015, pg. 21
Oriental Daily News, Hong Kong, “Boom and Bust 澎呀派”, Po-ying Tai, Nov 3, 2013, pg. E5
Maple Ridge News, Maple Ridge BC, “Artist Duo creates “Portable Walls”, Feb 13, 2013, pg. 19 & 20
Preview Magazine, Vancouver BC, “Portable Walls: Christian Nicolay & Ya-chu Kang, Mia Johnson, February/ March 2013, pg. 30
Collections
Maple Ridge Art Gallery
Äkkigalleria
Private Collections