Miao Xuan Liu

Hearth Garage 
Jan 24 - March 8, 2025

Curated by Philip Leonardo Ocampo

Biblical in origin, the idiom “at the eleventh hour” imparts resolution to a critical moment, usually in desperation. Implying the stress of time, the tenacity of work, belief systems, and oral tradition, the term’s sentiments appeal to us within contemporary usage.

Spanning painting, sculpture, installation and ceramics, “At the Eleventh Hour” explores the interplay between labour, uncertainty and spirituality in the context of individual / collective experiences, personal / cultural mythologies, and art making as a laborious process. What external forces can carry on the work when we’ve reached our limits?

Referred to as the “deus ex machina” within ancient Greek theater, actors who played angels were lowered onto stage to solve seemingly immovable problems through divine intervention. And so emerges a collective interest in structures of storytelling, theatricality, artifice, and the hero’s journey. In addition to an exhibition, “At the Eleventh Hour” doubles as a stage for 3 play-inspired public performances set to occur towards the end of the show run.

- Philip Leonardo Ocampo