At the entrance of an ongoing exhibition at BANK studio on the Bund, visitors will encounter a postcard boutique named God Bless Diana, presented by Singaporean artist Heman Chong. The images on the postcards, ranging from everyday objects to foliage and graffiti, were captured by the ethnic Chinese artist during 2000 and 2004 in Singapore, London, Beijing and New York.

The artist shares his unique perspective of the different cities in the photographs, as well as the character of those places.

It's part of an exhibition entitled Topophilia. The word - in Greek, topos means "place" and -philia means "love of" - refers to a strong sense of place, which is often mixed with a sense of cultural identity.

Curated by Mathieu Borysevicz, the exhibition, featuring a total 16 artworks by 11 ethnic Chinese artists, invites audiences to experience the complex demonstrations of topophilia by the artists.

God Bless Diana by Singaporean artist Heman Chong

Transplanted from Taiwan 

At the center of the exhibition, Michael Lin, a Taiwanese currently based in Shanghai, brings a slice of his hometown through two large logos on the wall - Taiwan Beer and Longlife cigarettes. Against this backdrop are arranged several wooden tables and benches where visitors can sit down and enjoy the beer and cigarettes. This is Lin's 1998 artwork named Import, which marked his foreign debut in Paris.

Lin, who jokingly calls himself a topophilic, told the Global Times that the work was created for anywhere but Taiwan, and that this is the first time it has been shown on the Chinese mainland. He said he expects the piece, which resembles a booth at a food fair, will function as a token of friendship to promote communication between Taiwanese and people from different cultures.

Having lived in Shanghai for seven years, Lin said that what Taiwan impressed on him is still fresh in his mind, but Shanghai and other cities he has lived in have always influenced him and his art.

In 2012, Lin once used the prints of a quilt he bought from a local shop in his mural work that covered six floors of Rockbund Art Museum.

"Every place inspires me to think how I shall enter it, what kind of relationship is between it and me, and how it influences me," said Lin.

Import by Taiwanese artist Michael Lin

Empires's borders

Meanwhile, Lin's Taiwanese fellow Chen Chieh-jen focuses on places of bureaucracy in his video Empire's Borders I, the first part of which looks at the American Institute in Taiwan that grants visas to the US for Taiwanese. The second part tells stories of Chinese mainlanders who are married to local Taiwanese applying for visas to Taiwan in Taipei airport.

The video work was inspired by Chen's personal experience of being denied a visa to the US, after which he set up a blog compiling stories from people who had the same experience. Through the examination of the specific places involved, Chen seems to ponder a much larger space or environment, consisting of territories and politics.

A snapshot of Chen Chieh-jen's video work Empire's Borders I

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Rania Ho Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT

Who we are

Another remarkable work at the exhibition is Jun Yang's short film named The Center of the World, which was produced by the Austria-based artist in Beijing and discusses the relationship of the individual and society.

Featuring a man's everyday life in Beijing, the film questions who we are and who we are expected to be - questions that are likely to resound with many city dwellers. Everyone grows up believing they are the center of the world, but gradually they realize they are no different from others.

Borysevicz believes that in this globalized world where people are moving more frequently and easily, the notion of topophilia becomes ever more complex.

Other artists with work in the exhibition include San Diego-based Victoria Fu, New York-based Amy Yao, Beijing-based Rania Ho, as well as Arthur Ou from Taiwan and Lee Kit from Hong Kong, whose works look at topophilia from various angles, either in terms of real places or abstract environments.

Date: Until May 24, 10 am to 6:30 pm (closed on Sundays and Mondays)

Venue: BANK

BANK空间

Address: 1/F, 59 Xianggang Road

香港路59号1楼

Admission: Free

Call 6301-3622 for more details