ARTIST

Ho Tzu Nyen (b.1976) incorporates a wide range of elements into his works, including diverse cultural references from East and West, art history, theater, film, music, and philosophy. By blending mythical narratives with historical facts, he explores various understandings of history, its documentation, and its transmission. The central theme of his work is a long-term study of Southeast Asia’s multicultural identity. He perceives Southeast Asia as a region of immense diversity in terms of language, religion, culture, and external influences—a complex space that cannot be explained merely as a geographical area or through basic historical frameworks. This perspective is reflected in his works, which integrate various knowledge systems, narratives, and modes of expression. Ranging from documentary research to fantasy, his works employ archival images, animation, and film to create immersive and dramatic installations. 
 
One-person exhibitions of Ho Tzu Nyen’s work have been held at the Hessel Museum of Art (2024), Art Sonje Center (2024), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2024), Singapore Art Museum (2023), Hammer Museum (2022), Toyota Municipal Museum of Art (2021), Crow Museum of Asian Art (2021), Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media YCAM, Edith-Russ-Haus for Media Art (Oldenburg, 2019), Kunstverein in Hamburg (2018), Ming Contemporary Art Museum [McaM] (Shanghai, 2018), Asia Art Archive (2017), Guggenheim Bilbao (2015), Mori Art Museum (2012), and The Substation (Singapore, 2003). He represented the Singapore Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011).