DE SARTHE is pleased to present Hong Kong-based artist Chan Ka Kiu's solo exhibition, Late to the Party, concluding the gallery's seventh annual de Sarthe Artist Residency (deSAR). An exploration of the human psyche vis-à-vis notions of fun, fame, fortune, and mortality, the exhibition features newly developed multimedia and installation artworks that collectively form an immersive journey through the artist's imagined heaven, earth, and hell. Interspersed with references to religion, art history, contemporary commodities, as well as frivolous desires, the exhibition is a mischievous yet pensive response to the questions "What happens when you die?" and more importantly, "What does it mean to live?" Late to the Partyopens September 9th and runs through September 30th.

Late to the Party started with the artist's contemplation of the notorious "27 Club" - an informal list of popular musicians, artists, actors, and other celebrities who died at age 27. As the exhibition opens right on the verge of the artist's 28th birthday, its title crafts a self-deprecating remark regarding Ka Kiu's own desire for celebration and success. Utilizing varied found objects, video footage, and Al-generated imagery, the artist marries the familiar and bizarre in a constructed party-like environment. Filled with fictitious partygoers, the exhibition is an interpretation of what happens to humanity following the rainbow bridge.