距离上一次在空白空间的个展已逾三年，何翔宇原本有条不紊的展览准备过程被一场突如其来的全球疫情中断。如同大多数人一样，何翔宇的活动范围极度限缩，日程表上所有安排也几被清零。艺术家只得困顿在他柏林的家与工作室的两点与一线当中。而现实的境况远比乐观的估计来得更为深刻和漫长，一切陷入令人焦灼的滞留和停摆中。正是在这样的时刻，我们或许才意识到，艺术并不是一场艺术家独自完成的闭门造车。货车司机、画材店员、雕塑厂工人、机构行政人员、设计师、艺术家、写作者、策展人……人们在跨越时空的通讯软件中、抑或相隔1.5m的距离间小心翼翼地关切和问候。正是在这样的时刻，我们也才意识到，艺术，是我们不断沟通、彼此相连、重新相聚的理由。

在艺术家与画廊同仁半年来跨越7个时区的密切沟通中，展览方案曾几易其稿，甚至一度由于现实的限制而有取消的可能。这场名为“硬腭”的展览将是何翔宇与空白空间合作9年来的第6回个展，将展出艺术家实践长达8年并持续至今的“口腔计划”中的最新实践，以及多件全新雕塑及影像作品。9月24日，我们期待着，在艺术家展览现场同你们的再次相遇。

It has been more than three years since He Xiangyu's last solo exhibition at White Space Beijing, whose methodic preparation process has been interrupted by the unexpected global pandemic. And like most people, the scope of He Xiangyu's activity was reduced to the basics, and his schedule was suddenly cleared. The artist was stuck between his home in Berlin and his studio. It turned out that the actual situation has been more profound and prolonged than the initial optimistic prediction. Everything seemed to have fallen in the anxious halt and uncertainty. In such a moment, perhaps we come to realize that artistic practice is not a production of an artist in isolation. The truck driver, the staff at the supply shop, workers at the sculpture manufacturer, the team of art institutions, designers, artists, writers, and curators express their gentle concerns and regards through messaging apps across time zones and places or separated by 1.5 meters. In such a moment, we come to realize that art is the reason for our ongoing communication, connections, and coming together.

Over the half-year across seven time zones, the communication between the artist and the gallery underwent rounds of discussions regarding the exhibition proposal and even cancellation due to Force Majeure. Hard Palate will be He Xiangyu's sixth solo exhibition at White Space Beijing over the last nine years of collaboration, presenting the artist's latest works from his ongoing Palate Project of eight years, as well as new sculpture and video pieces. On September 24th, we look forward to welcoming you with the works of the artist.