Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh
Lost and Found
March 1-9, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 1, 6PM to 9PM
Exhibition hours: Noon to 6 PM Daily (closed Monday and Tuesday)
By appointment: contact automataarts@gmail.com at least one day in advance.
Automata presents LOST AND FOUND, a 3-Channel Installation, conceived and created by multidisciplinary artist Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh, a Taiwanese artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. This is Hsieh's first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.
Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh’s work explores the multicultural identity of the Asian diaspora, with a particular interest in reminiscence objects, body memory, and land as a source of identity. LOST AND FOUND is a response to the experience of returning to her childhood home in Dazhi, Taipei, Taiwan for the first time after 22 years. Hsieh began developing LOST AND FOUND during an Automata Residency in 2022.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts.
From the Artist:
Lost and Found explores the act of rediscovering and reconnecting with my childhood home in Taipei, Taiwan—a place I left at age 10. Over time, my memories have faded, further blurred by my move to the U.S.
Lost and Found immerses viewers in a "memory space" where translucent scrims form the contours of an imaginary house. Traveling through the space, the sound, projected animations and light, evokes the fragmented nature of childhood memories. Toy building blocks serve as both symbolic memory objects and tangible materials, reconstructing moments from the past. As a collective memory of play, these blocks embody the cyclical process of construction and deconstruction, mirroring the fluid, ever-shifting act of remembering.
Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh: Two Window Installations
Re_turn left window
Soft Roots right window
Automata presents two window installations by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh in our storefront window galleries. Automata's Windows are visible 24/7 on Chung King Court's pedestrian plaza.
Re_turn (left window) is a performance video in which Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh explores the act of entering and departing her childhood home, through a single red line. In Taiwanese culture, the red line symbolizes blessings and protection; by threading it through her home, she creates a ritual of closure and farewell—a way to both reconnect with and release the memories it holds.
Soft Roots (right window) extends the themes of Lost and Found. The orchid—deeply connected to Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh’s childhood home and emblematic of Taiwan, the “Kingdom of Orchids—takes root within the structure of toy building blocks. Its presence lingers in recollection, shaping the way home is seen and remembered.
About the Artist
Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh was born in Taiwan, and currently lives in Los Angeles, where she works in the fields of projection, installation, performance, and film. Rooted in her Taiwanese heritage and history, her work often reflects the complex identity of the Asian diaspora. She explores the tension between personal memory and documented narratives, with particular interests in land as a source of identity, reminiscence objects, and body memory.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts.