An exclusive live durational performance by Liang-Jung Chen to activate Ebb is to flow as wax is to wane (2023), her in-situ beeswax installation in collaboration with dance artist Céline HyunJin Barreau. One of only two chances to see Chen’s candle installation lit in the space, she invites the audience to witness its disappearance as a way to celebrate the effort we put into our everyday life and embrace the transience of our existence.

Bow Arts’ East London Art Prize celebrates the talent and diversity of art made in east London. This exhibition will present 12 incredible artworks shortlisted for the second iteration of the Prize. Read more about the exhibition here.

Liang-Jung Chen’s shortlisted work Ebb is to flow as wax is to wane (2023) is an in-situ beeswax installation created by Liang during a two-month residency in Xenia Creative Retreat. The installation is an exploration on labour-intensity and its futility, inspired by Chen’s personal experience of working in cleaning and her obsession over candles. During its installation, the candles are drip-shaped on suspended wicks, burnt down to the wick, crafted once again from the pooled wax, then burnt again, in a repetitive cycle that mirrors that of the endless and mundane nature of labour.

‘Every morning, I would drip the wax strips and let them solidify in the afternoon. At dusk, I would light up the candle structure and observe how they behave. I go to bed when the wax strips are completely burnt. When the sun rises the next day, I craft new candles in a more refined manner, and I see them burn down again at night. This routine is almost identical to when I was cleaning the Airbnb rooms. My labour evaporated into the air. Nothing is left. Day after day.’

Yet Chen’s installation brings a quiet and haunting beauty to these symbols of futility. There is adaptation, as the work changes to fit each space in which it’s installed, and resilience as each candle renews once more after it has burnt out. For the Nunnery’s installation, Chen will work with composers and choreographers to put on live durational performances of the installation, inviting the audience to witness its disappearance.

The performance will take place between 2-4pm in the Nunnery Gallery.

The Nunnery Cafe will be open for the duration of the event, selling drinks and a range of tasty snacks and refreshments.

The development of Liang-Jung Chen’s live performance is supported by The National Culture and Arts Foundation of Taiwan.