Tête-bêche 對 倒
Our overlapping images spark a blended reality, transcending what either of us intended. It is as unpredictable and inevitable as fate.
Details
Double-exposure
Long format Giclée print
Tête-bêche (對倒) is a collaborative photographic project by Thomas LIN, exploring the intersections of chance and memory. Through the blind exchange of film rolls for double exposure, LIN and his collaborators produce unexpected, intertwined sequences where disparate viewpoints and subjects converge and blur.
This project draws inspiration from Liu Yichang’s seminal novel, Intersection (對倒 Tête-bêche). Borrowed from French philately, the term ‘tête-bêche’ (head-to-tail) denotes an inseparable pair of stamps printed upside down relative to each other.
Projects and exhibitions
2024:
The Cave (洞穴) Hong Kong
A joint exhibition examining Hong Kong’s art education culture, featured Tête-bêche, which was co-created with 11 art students.
2015:
Collection of Hong Kong Heritage Museum (Contemporary Art / Photograph)
2012-2022:
Tête-bêche⇋Paramita (對倒⇋彼岸)
Bristol / Prague / London / Richmond BC / Gansu / Pomona CA / Taipei / Hong Kong
A collaborative project with Vancouver-based installation artist George HO, exploring the phenomenon of “double-reverse migration” between Hong Kong and Vancouver. Separated by the Pacific yet bound by shared past, generations of “Hongkongers” have crossed these waters⎯both departing and returning⎯in an enduring quest for a better life. The title draws from the Buddhist concept of Paramita, which signifies a journey “to the other shore” and the spiritual transcendence it promises.