從愛到死

眾生皆望愛。

常常有人問，人生最重要是什麼？人們總會回答說：愛過。愛過是圓滿人生的定義，人人張著咀閉著眼吟念著如此一詞 。愛過便不柱此生；愛過便死而無憾。然而，每當卧身思量時，愛過二字總是如此迷濛。

我們誰都好像愛過，誰亦沒有愛過。

愛過不等於長廂撕守，坊間對於愛過的定義大概意謂在人生中找著一個最愛的人，愛一次、愛都盡便是。可是現實每每跟想像各走兩端，有人愛過以後再愛過，有人來不及去愛便說再見。於是，愛過是童話、是夢囈，它變得有如稀世奇寶，人人都想要在有生之年真切地愛過，呼吸其中。可是，日換星移，愛過之人又有幾個？

愛過便是圓滿，到底還是凡人的一種我執。從基督教的角度去看，上帝是愛，上帝的愛如雨灑，只要你信，祂的愛隨傳隨到。又從佛教角度去看，心如明鏡台，只是染了塵所以被遮住了而已，所以愛要自心中求，向心公轉。可是在這個宗教衰亡的年代，上帝已死之後，人類沒靠可依，愛變得罕有，愛過從此變成人生目標。倒帶回到最初，我們其實誰沒有愛過？只是我們習慣把愛分大與小，往往執著於那一份所謂「難能可貴的愛」。愛其實並不稀奇，愛其實是最便宜的東西；它，就是散落一地讓人去撿。家人的愛、朋友的愛、當然還有前度的愛，不夠麼？你可以去愛愛不認識的陌生人，給遠處的人一點溫暖。說到底，愛就是一點點的微溫。執於愛過，其實只是我們都忘了愛其實是原始的，垂手可得的。既然愛如此簡單，那麼人生最重要是什麼？

我說：死過。

人生最重要的是死亡，沒有死亡就沒有人生。道理很簡單，就如那一個遊戲：給你一分鐘在超市內任拿，當然拿得愈多愈好，可是好在哪裡？好就好在有時限。如果沒有時限，誰個會在意拿多拿小？反正沒有限期，明天可以再來。人生是這麼的一個遊戲，因為有限，所以才有價值。可是在現代社會中，死亡卻被建構為另一種異於其本質的「死亡」。死亡是因為疾病，死亡是因為意外，所以保險經紀於是向我們推銷豐盛人生的資本計劃，我們買危疾保、買意外保。然而購買這些保險背後的底層動機是什麼？答案是因為我們都想要把死亡延遲。死亡的意義在現代社會中被轉向為向生的計劃。這些計劃在表面上是正面的，然而，卻只會令我們更遠離死亡，不正視、不思考 --- 人，作為人的「必死性」。因為這樣的一個社會環境，於是死亡被定義為人生的終點，一切灰飛煙滅的根源，因此我們都怕死，不會切心去想何謂死亡，死亡於生又有何意義。又因為這個原因，所以人們變得不再珍惜生命，自殺數字所以上升。只有當我們能夠認真思考死亡，面對「必死」，我們才會知道何謂活著，又如何去活。

那個遊戲的意義在於時限，可是人生比遊戲吊詭的地方是人不會知道自身時限有多少，於是我們盡量不想不談不視。儂曦說：「共生是於他者中看見死亡，了解自身『必死』。」正因如此，所以每當我們看到他人死亡，總會在腦海中閃過自身死亡的一個念頭，可是我們都認為生存與活著比死亡重要，所以都回頭繼續去為現實幹活。直到兩腳一伸才發現勞累一生都不知為何而活。要知所活為何事，單單從「活」的一面去看只會令價值偏差，要參透，要感受，相反地其實要往死裡尋。只有明白「必死」，才會知道那一分鐘該如何花。

人，愛過一定不只一次。瞎了眼去執迷那被推到雲端的「愛過」，只會把人間所有的愛推落盲點。而活不是只是為了活，活著還有一個更重要的事，沒有這一件事，活只是空活與苦活。

死過這事兒。

當下回憶

「發生過」，從來都只有一個面向：曾經如此偶然而已。

如果說「發生過」是一些讓我們可以放在記憶裡面偶爾溫存的畫面，那麼，當中所有的感受與情意都只是我們用現在的思維後加於上的；因為面對回憶，需要的是現在的／當下的一個自己。回憶本身並沒有情操可言，「它」只是一個畫面，一個曾經的偶然被凝定在時間之中。當現在的我去回憶那一個偶然的時候，現在的情、當下的感覺才是關鍵才是觸動情緒的因。

「時間可以沖淡一切」意不在那個「想要被忘掉的事情的本身」，而是在於時間可以改變我們自身的情感意向：下一個當下，下一個現在的情感。在記憶之中的一切，一定存在於本身的記憶內。忘記只是因為遺失 --- 那一個畫面遺失在本體的意識之中，不是「它」被忘記，而是「它」在個體意識中被放到最不起眼的位置。慢慢地，有新的「它」被放入意識，而那個最初的「它」被壓在最底，而我們認為這是忘記。

忘記是不存在的一個狀態，我們不可能去忘記未被忘記的事；只是當我們去按那個搜尋的鍵時，卻找不著那個「它」。其實「它」並沒有被忘記，「它」，只是被封存到意識之中的某一個隙縫裡面。有一日，因為某種原因，「它」會再出現然後又再次被遺失。

既然忘記是不可能的，那麼在「它」未被遺失以前，當下的回憶狀態才是情感的裂點。

當我們回憶時，支配這次回憶的是當下的感情。所以分手以後，每一次回憶，每一次的痛，都是屬於當下的。你不可能在回憶之中找出痛點；只有在現在 --- 眼眶聚焦的一個點才是你最切身的痛。有些時候，回憶不是自願的，相反地是被帶領的。當那一個「它」進入遺失的準備狀態中，會被一些當下外來的因素打擾而中斷了那個遺失的準備狀態。「它」再一次走到最前方，可是如之前說過記憶本身是不帶情感的。痛、愛與苦是因為當下的情，此情可以是懷念，可以是恨，當然，也可以愛慾依然。

所以當我們面對記憶時，不要沉在記憶之中，因為在記憶中不可能找到出口，也不可能找到痛點。我們需要面對的是當下的一切。發生過的只是記憶，是世界萬千偶然的一點而已，而終有一日它會沉下，會遺失…

既然所有的骯髒與枯萎都已吞下，都已成記憶，當下散落一地的碎片又何苦去撿?

去撿，割損的是現在的你。

My Network Drawing

One Square Foot photography by John Fung

I have been extremely busy in the past few weeks, therefore it has been nearly a month which I did not put anything new here. Anyhow, I am back.

Recently there was an exhibition which held in the Hong Kong Center The Jockey Club Gallery – John Fung ‘s photography exhibition One Square Foot. In this exhibition, Fung uses photograph as a medium to question about the environmental and spatial problem in Hong Kong.

Fung, rotates his camera towards the skyscrapers in this small city, and by going through these multi-exposing and overlapping of scenes, therefore a new perspective is shown. As Hong Kong is famous of her high population density, and many of the pictures of Hong Kong emphasis on her highly compacted city-scape. Landscape is rarely seen in Hong Kong, but city-scape. When one walks along the street in Hong Kong, the sky is being torn into fragments. In another words, the skyscrapers in Hong Kong are actually restructuring our vision of naturalness. To the people who live in this small city, looking up to the sky is no longer an unlimited visual experience; instead, it traps, restrains and compresses their perception. And in the past decade, in order to maximize the use of lands and the profits of the developers, screen buildings (or later people calls it Partiperty) were built in everywhere in Hong Kong. These buildings further deepen the problem towards environmental pollution.

This is our sky, this is our city; we already forgot the moral of the tower of Babel.

One Square Foot photography by John Fung

26th Feb - 31st Mar2009

The Jockey Club Gallery, Hong Kong Art Center

Art / History

Human writes history and at the same time, history re-writes human. However, how to read history? how can people position themselves in between current and history?

In 2007, the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department obtained the right to conduct an archaeological investigation of the Former Hollywood Road Police Married Quarters. The excavation of this former site leads to a re-discover of the vestige of the Central School, which was built in 1862 and being destroyed during the Second World War. The revitalization of the Central School has a profound significance: not only to the history of Hong Kong, but also points to the future development of this post-colonial city.

Let’s go back to the question, How do we position ourselves in the stream of history? History is just nothing if it cannot be decoded. In another words, history is vivid only when future is desirous of. This moment is thus alive and The Former Central School Envisioning Days take off. This event offer artists chances to response to a historical space, and at the same times, audiences can take this chance to experience the culture, art and site together in one piece. However, I am not going to dig into the history and future plan of the site in this review, but to evaluate the relationship in between art and site in the entire event. If anyone would like to read more about the history and future plan of the Police Married Quarters/ Central School, please kindly browse the following website.

http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkio/view/44/4401260.pdf
http://genforum.genealogy.com/hongkong/messages/141.html
http://www.amo.gov.hk/form/AAB_Paper131_hollywood_content_c.pdf

So, what plays the most important role in between art and site? Robert Irwin once introduce the term site-specific art.

Site-specific art is created to be placed in certain location, the site becomes part of the artwork and vice versa. This kind of artwork is created to be there but not anywhere else, to move the artwork is to destroy the artwork. It raises an inextricable and indivisible relationship between the work and the site. All physical elements such as the length, depth and height of the venue, the shape and condition of the walls and room, the scale and ratio of the square, existing condition of the sunlight, humidity, ventilation will be taken into account when the artist first planning to create their artwork in that particular site. Other than the physical element, the historical element is also one of the important issues. What happened here before? What is going to happen? And what is the relationship between the artwork and the history? All these questions reflect and enforce in the content of the artwork. Furthermore, the site-specific artwork offer a more intense relationship with the outside world and everyday life. It makes art more directly to the realm of the society. People participate in the conceptualization and production, art, seen as a means to reinforce its capacity to penetrate the social issues of the contemporary life with greater impact and meaning. Therefore, artists who participate in this project are attempted to cut into the deepest part of the site culturally and historically.

One of the installations created by Anothermountainman calls To begin with, there isn’t any matter. This installation expresses a sense of memory of emptiness – sometimes people encounter a deep feeling of “I have been here before” even though they know that this is their first time to come to this place, it indicates a lost in abstraction. Certainly, a lot of significant events had happened at the Police Married Quarters/ Central School, the process of building up, destroy and re-build remind the continuous living cycle on earth. Happening and passing is actually born as one. It is a cycle with no start and end, "As there is nothing from the first, where does the dust collect itself?"

Anothermountainman, To begin with, there isn’t any matter, Paper and Cotton Fabric

Another installation Route, by Leung Ching Man reveals the site in an essentially different direction. Leung hangs a string of colorful film with a tiny black and white drawing at the corner of each film to create a connection of her work and the site. One might not see anything special if they are standing far from the hanging film, but once they get closer they would see that the scene outside is dimly appearing through the film and the tiny black and white drawing is touching the actual scene in the unfilled space in between each film. (Please see the picture below.) The vision of the audience is now being cut into layers and fragments like a puzzle. When one walks from one room to another room, the route of experience is itself a collage.

Leung Ching Man, Route, Flim, B/W Photo on Papers

However, the most impressing part in the whole project is the "football", which placed inside the corner room at the end of the corridor at the upper block. I am not sure if the curators intentionally leave the football there or not. Anyhow, this football tells a story, a story about being-here. It is a matter of timeliness. The footprints of the forefathers create history. They have been here not too long ago, and today, we are being here.

Someone plays the football, someone leaves the football and someone is now looking at the football.

Other Artworks:

Seemanho, in Room 104, Installation.

Kum Chi Keung, Room in the Sky, Installation.

Lam Laam Jaffa, I’m not a curator, Installation.

Art loan from:Luk Ching, Yvonne Cheng, Shirley Lee,Lee Lee, Leo Wong, Elsa Wong, Boy Yiu

Below is 2 Video about the installation:

Former Central School Envisioning Days
Date: 21,22,28/2/09 and 1/3/09
Venue: Former Hollywood Rood Police Quarters (35 Aberdeen St., Central District

P.S. For those who missed the exhibition, The Artist Commune will re-exhibit the photos and selective artworks later.
Date: 14-29/03/09
Venue: Unit 12, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, Kowloon, HK
Enquiry: 21043322
m63@artist-commune.com
http://www.artist_commune.com/

Nothing But The System

Nothing But The System

(A poetic review of the New Media Arts Exhibition Project)

Microsoft is hard.
And the apple is suffering from a nasty bite.
The screen seems to throb in his eye.
However,
His mind is blank.

Sound is English.
But the visual is Japanese.
No subtitle, no gesture and no conversation.
Nothing but the system itself is communicating.

Here the moon is resting,
Thus,
This is the world of the CD-ROM.
It shines above human.
It re-creates the sky.

Warmness is gone.
Blood is frozen.
The legends are buried inside the RAM.
Interactive is their Slogan.

Life is now merely a system,

Getting lost in reverie.
The aroma of human flesh is vanished,

And never to return.

What appears in dream is the mesh of optical fiber.

What is under recording is the weather of today.

Close your eye,
The ice cream is melting,

But the screen stood still.

New Media Arts Exhibition Project – Intermedia Experiment at HKAS

Artists:Samson Young and Christopher Lau
Musicians : Johnny Fong(Clarinet),James Cuddeford(Violin), Chang Pei-chieh(Cello), Mary Wu(Piano)
Performers : HKAS students & other participants of the workshop

Performance : Quartet for the end of time
Venue : The McAulay Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Date and Time :
14 February 2009 (Sat)3pm - 4:15pm
14 February 2009 (Sat) 8pm - 9:15pm
15 February 2009 (Sun)3pm - 4:15pm
Forum Date and Time:15 February 2009 (Sun)4:30pm (after the performance)

Project RED 殷赤绯丹紅

Red, is something immersed with fantasy. Someone may find it dreadful, and someone may see it as a plaintive tale. In a world of red, it ‘s nothing there but only a vast expanse of signifier. Dig into the history of mankind, red is the first color to be recognized and named. In the eddy of time, human gives red different meaning, and Red, thereby, mingles and bequeaths these meaning to the universe. Just one click on the mouse, here red comes.

“Red is the warmest of all colors. Red is the color most chosen by extroverts and one of the top picks of males. On the negative side red can mean temper or anger. In China, red is the color of prosperity and joy. Brides wear red and front doors are often painted red. Red is Tuesday's color. Red roses symbolize passionate love. Ruby rings should be worn on the left hand. Red is the color of Mars. This planet is known as the God of War. Red is the color of blood, and as such has strong symbolism as life and vitality. It brings focus to the essence of life and living with emphasis on survival. Red is also the color of passion and lust.”

This is a project about red; this is also a project about what is red.

Since the mid of 2007, a group of artists affiliated their life with red. They attempt to fascinate people with the weapon of red. This weapon is tender yet ferocious, as though the human on earth. With the ambiguous attitude of this unique colour, these artists thus link it up with the living world – culturally, emotionally and politically. It crosses years and flies upon generations. And red is now incarnated into different forms and medias, pervading the entire exhibition venue.

The project of red is a process with no end. Red interprets itself, and human re-interpret red.

Red, is in its looping motion.

Hiyuki Ogata, Red Tide花潮, Installions, Size Variable.

Winne Fu, Paint It Red 髹紅漆, Video Installations.


Addis Fung, Little Red Pills 美好生活, Installations, Size Variable.


Chan Wing-chiu, Hidden 潛, Installions, Size Variable.

Project RED/殷赤绯丹紅

Featuring Artists: Gred Conradt, Maeva Aubert, Winne Fu, Chan Wing-chiu, Franky Lung, Hiyuki Ogata, Jupiter Wong, Magdalen Wong, Shoutingmute, Addis Fung and Oliver Fung.

Date: 6 -22/02/2009
Venus: A-Link Plus, C C Wu Building, Hennessy Road, Wan Chai

Cultural Industry? Culture is not an industry.

In respect of the local art community, 2008 is a remarkable year, with the gradual successful development of the Fotanian, and also the opening of the Jockey Club Creative Art Center, seems like the alternative art community is now on the right track. However in 2nd FEB2009, there was an article that criticized the JCACC. I summarized the article in a few points:

1) Criticizing the usage of the JCACC (As the reporter says, there were less than 25% of the studios in JCACC is exercising during his 3 visit)

2) Some of the studios are occupied by paper box, therefore the reporter suspects that some of the places in JCACC are being used for the purpose of stock instead of artistic sake.

3) Even the studio is open for the public, but the content of that “artwork” is doubtful. (The reporter miss read the work of a local artist Lee-kit as an interview of Paul Wong, a local rock band – Beyond.)

4) The JCACC is only encouraged to open to the public, and there are no compulsory rules. When the audiences become less, the opening of these studio becomes less too, thus it leads to a vicious spiral.

After this article published in the MingPao on the 2nd Feb2009, there were immediate responses from the artists all over Hong Kong. They urge for a formal apology from MingPao in regarding of their incorrect report on the JCACC. In Hong Kong, freedom of speech is the absolute right for everybody, one can see from the protest that against the Enactment of Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003. However, the right of free speech does not mean that one can say anything without taking any responsibility. As a reporter, his/her basic responsibility is at least – factual. Before the report wrote this report, at least, I would suggest he/she to do some research about art, not to miss read Lee-kit as rock singer.

However, the contingency of this event manifests an essential question: what is the role of the Hong Kong government regarding “art”? It is certain that the aid of the government in local art development is very important, but it seems like it is now becoming an intervention. The entire event, since the very first report until today has already passed a period of 10 days. There are several replies from the artists and also the reporter. (For more information on this please check http://www.inmediahk.net/.) Through these discussions, the gap in between artist and the reporter, and also, artists and the government is being embodied.

Therefore, I think it is definitely imperative for us to re-think the role of the government in the local art community. In Hong Kong, there are now 3 main art community, they are the Fotanian, JCACC and the Cattle Depot Artist Village. The background of these communities are fundamentally different, but they all share the same sake – to make art into the public. If not there would be no Fotan open studio; if not, the JCACC would not emerges; if not, the events which took place in the CDAV are all meaningless. However, what is the role of the Hong Kong Government in advancing the local art development? In another words, does the Hong Kong Government really advancing the art development, or it is just another way to promote Hong Kong as an international city?

The policy of the Hong Kong government in regarding the cultural industry is actually embracing a commercial purpose. Since the very start of the JCACC, the aim of the government essentially not for art sake. As the previous Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho said to the public, the JCACC is a possible place for the tourist to visit. The metonymy behind his word is: the JCACC is just the same as Disneyland, for economy sake, for tourist purpose. Therefore, it is the responsibility for those artist to “do something” to attract people to visit, otherwise, it is a waste of the government resources. And this lead to the news report from MingPao.

Art/ culture is never an industry. The term “cultural industry” is an ideology. From the story of CDAV (the original venue of CDAV is actually located at the abandoned building of the Government Supplies Department. In 1997, the government rent this place to different art communities at a price which belows the market. However, in 1998, the government refused to renew the contract with these art communities due to the further development policy. The latest planing of this place is an area which consists of hotels and shopping mall.), one can find the limitation and also the apathy from the government towards local art. (for example, the 3 months contract renewal which burdened the art communities in CDAV). The different attitudes of the government in between the CDAV and JCACC is therefore a paradox which imbeded the ideology - the ideology behind the term “cultural industry”.

Hong Kong is yet to go through the process of de-colonization. Since the colonial period of Hong Kong, the British government gradually shaped Hong Kong into a financial city or a trade center of the east instead of a cultural one. As a colonizer, the British, of course focused on the financial aspect, which would the most benefit her own. Hence, there is an absent of critical thinking throughout the education system. Critical thinking is actually being taken, as a danger; it awakes people ‘s sense of criticizing the government, and therefore makes the ruling of the colonial people more difficult. And this is one of the reason that the direction of local education is more focusing on the economic side and this economic mindset is subsequently being rooted in everybody’s mind. After the return of Hong Kong in the 1997, in order to keep the image of Hong Kong as an international commercial city, the Hong Kong government follows the British government, even in the aspect of art. Thus, art as a cultural activity is being developed under the discourse of an industry.

However, art appreciation needs critical thinking. Without a critical mindset, how could people understand art? Today’s situation is therefore induced by the fundamental absent of critical training in Hong Kong education system. Hong Kong, definitely has her own potential to become a cultural city, but in order to start with, she needs a essential change in its concept towards art:

Art represents culture and culture is not an industry.


Remarks:

1) For those who would like to know more about the history of Cattle Depot Artist Village an dthe local art community, there is an exhibition calls A Study of Hong Kong Alternative Art Community ( Parallel with Beijing/ Singapore) Documentary Exhibition is now taking place at the 1a space, Cattle Depot Artist Village from 17th Jan – 7th Mar.

2) And also there is a forum which will be held on 13th Feb, 1500 at the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, this forum is organized by The Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) in collaboration with MingPao (Feature Section) regarding the “Roles of Artists Village in Hong Kong”. The main purpose of this forum is to facilitate discussion and exchange on the above issue, with an aim to explore the possible development modes of an artists' village in Hong Kong. ( Too bad that I am currently out of town, hence I cannot attend this forum, but I will bring back some more information regarding this discussion if possible.)

New York MOMA (2) - Artist Choice + Vik Muniz = REBUS

There are several ways to experience an exhibition. Besides concentrating on individual artwork, however, the linkage in between each artwork is also important, someone would calls it the juxtaposition(s) of the artworks. What does it means by juxtaposition? If putting it into the exhibition aspect, it ‘s the dialogue between two seemingly unrelated artworks. Under the spotlight, a single artwork is playing its own monologue, but in an exhibition that contains different artworks, the superficial characteristic of each individual artwork is therefore a signification of the process to the next one. Like orchestra, every instruments plays its own part, they are the atoms of the entire piece. This idea, thereby, marks a substantial concept of the contemporary group exhibition. It is not necessary to harmonize each and another; it can be discordancy, in some way.

To decide which artwork goes first and which comes next is a complicated question, and there is no absolute answer. In this respect, the curator therefore plays an important role. The curator is now the arranger, the melody is the concept and the artworks are the instruments. In this exhibition, Vik Muniz is the curator; MOMA had already organized several exhibitions, which invite the artist to select artworks from the MOMA. In doing so, creating new ideas and offering new perspective to its audiences.

In his work, Vik Muniz inventively questions the function and traditions of visual representation; he takes this chance to render different unlikely subjects to response to his photographs. The arrangement of these different artworks therefore served as a metaphor – Rebus.

H +

= Hear, or Here; Artist Choice + Vik Muniz = REBUS(?)

It is not a matter if one can successfully hit Vik Muniz ‘s purpose or not, it ‘s more significant to let the question rebounds back to everybody’s mind: There is an essential differences in between what you see and what you are experiencing. What you see is the artworks, but what one cannot see are the punctuations in between them. It makes no sense if one miss out the punctuations. And I would say the artworks + punctuations = experience. As Vik Muniz states that he actually intended to use a narrative sequence to create surprising juxtapositions and new meanings.

If talking about audiences, I am definitely not a good one. I walk through the exhibition following his narrative sequences, and then I made my way upstream. With all other audiences and the artworks head-on towards me, isn’t it a surprising experience too?

(These pictures are in Vik Muniz 's narrative's order, not my upstream way.)






As part of the Artist's Choice at MoMA series, Vik Muniz talks to editor-at-large Howard Halle about his choice of works from MoMA's permanent collection for his show "Rebus".

Feel In The Blank

There are 3 main University, which offers professional course of art and design in Hong Kong; they are the CUHK, HKBU and also the HKAS. Every year each university will hold a graduation exhibition for their students, and it marks a completion of their artistic development. Few weeks ago, the graduation show of the Higher Diploma Programmes of Fine Art, Communication Design and Media Arts had just taken place at the HKAS Pao’s Gallery.

What does an audience expect from a graduation exhibition? Personally, I want to see new ideas and new forms of art. As a student who are about to graduate, their work are usually extremely fresh and creative. Their works may not be as mature as those sophisticated artist, but coincidentally, this is also the most exciting part of experiencing a graduation exhibition. Because, for those famous artists, their style and concentration are already well established, therefore, people will have certain level of expectation when they go for those exhibition. However, As an art lover, like myself. Besides those famous artworks and artists, I am also very interested in these new and young artists. As they are just graduated, they name have not being rooted in my mind, hence, every single piece of artworks in the graduation exhibition is kind of an adventure. I would never know what is the next artwork about; and there is no way for me to expect what is going to happen in the next exhibition room. Of course, it brings disappointment, sometimes. But anyways, it still worth to look forward to every graduation exhibition.

Let’s go back to this exhibition, the name calls “Feel in the Blank”. It consists of 3 different aspects: fine art, communication design and media arts. The name of this exhibition is an inkling one. It remind me the Suprematist work White on White 1918, by Malevich, Kasimir, which offers a unlimited spiritual imagination. How would one feel about blank? Is this blank function as a noun or an adjective? I suppose this title is more to be a question instead of an attitude of these new artists. It rises up question in everybody ‘s mind. It makes the audiences keep thinking about the connotation that lies behind the title throughout their entire journey in this exhibition venue.

There is one work in this exhibition that bring an indelible impression: Little Thinker by Vaan, Ip Hoi-lam. It is a series of three ink-painting, which consist of black and white color only. One can find a touch of nostalgia sense within these paintings, like a retrospection of the artist’s own childhood. Besides these paintings, there are also several design items, ceramic works and video works in this exhibition. I would summarize this exhibition as a show of the creative industry by the very new generation in Hong Kong. Which, one can take this exhibition as an opportunity to understand the mind of the 21st generation. Nevertheless, graduation exhibition is not the final scene of their study; but a starting one.

Little Thinker 2008
Ink on Canvas
Vann, Ip Hoi-lam


Paradise 2008
Painting
Chan Ting-wai


Breathe Away 2008
Workshop
Lam Wing-sau


Home 2008
Ceramics
Michelle, Ng Lai-yi


Feel In The Blank
Exhibition period: January 12 - 31, 2009
Location: 4 & 5/F, The Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre,

A Review of the Fotan Artists Open Studios 2009

Fotan, 火炭; an industrial village in Hong Kong. In 2003 The Hong Kong Art Museum made the Open Studios Event in Fotan as a side project, which goes with the Hong Kong Biennale. The Open Studio Event in 2003 calls Fotanian 伙炭. When the Chinese character伙 replaced 火, the meaning of this particular place and event then shifted to a more humanist stage. It represents the spirit of the Fotanian artists, at the same time brings up the idea of the Fotanian as a society, and also a specific cultural activity in Hong Kong.

Fotan was a seashore small village in Shatin, however, during the 60s, the Hong Kong government planned to develop the whole Shatin area as a satellite city. In 1973, the new Shatin town and urban development plan have brought the whole area a brand new face. Fotan, because of its natural character, separated from the living area in Shatin. It gradually turns into an independent industrial city, which prevent the problem of the being too close to the human living area, like Tseun Wan and Kwun Tong.

1997, the Asia Financial Crisis pulled down the rental price in Hong Kong, not only the residence housing, but also the industrial rental as well. Besides the great drop in rental price, the relocation of many of the local industrial factories to Shenzhen and other places in the Mainland China also gives contribution to the development of the Fotanian.

Actually, since the 80s, there are already a few artists such as Leung Chi-wo, who had already set up their own studio in Fotan. However, if one wants to trace the history of Fotanian, the starting year should be in 2001. That year, a group of 8 fine art students from the CUHK decided to set up a studio as a starting point of their artistic career. It marks a significant turning point of the history of the Fotanian. And these 8 students also represent the new generation in Hong Kong who yearns for a new sight of living. In the same year, these 8 students organized the first Fotanian event – the 318 open studio, together with the solo exhibition of Lee Kit at the Lui Chun-kwong studio (now calls the Yiliu Painting Factory). This is the story of the Fotanian, and through 8 years of endeavor, the open studio subsequently becomes one of the very important cultural events in Hong Kong.

This year, 49 studios, and more than 170 artists had join the event. The devotion of these artists are perceptibly active, their desire to tighten the relationship in between art and the public is obviously shows throughout the entire event. By taking this chance to go deep into the artist studio, as an audience, one can see not only the art works, but also the efforts and different working style, which hide behind the scene.

There are several impressive artworks like the Acrylic Skin 2009 by Chester Chu in the galleryMill studio, Deep River 2008 by Sindy, Wong Sin-yi in the 囡 studio, etc. However, the most emphatic work that I admire the most is the Sim City No.6_lost 2009 by Sim, Chan Wing-leung in the Kiss On Fire studio.

Sim Chan is currently studying his BA of Fine Art at the Hong Kong Art School and besides; he also participates in different creative area such as wall painting, graphic design and stage design. In this painting, what Chan is depicting is a city – Hong Kong, which you and I are living in. the work itself offers a breathless squeezing sensation to its spectators. What one can see in this painting at the very first sight is nothing more than a disorderliness abstract form, however, when the sight of the audience becomes crystallized through a few seconds of gazing to the painting, the structure of the whole picture gradually emerges, and it comes like an aerial view of the city. It shows a struggle in between disorderliness and arrangement. I would see this as a metaphor of the contemporary living style, which, agenda and emergent is not absolutely confronting, but also corresponding, just like the city itself and the people who lives inside. In Chan ‘s artist statement, he says, “Architecture determines the appearance of a city, it also represents human’s life. It brings human and space into harmony.” The rise and fall, up and down structure create human life, and also a contemporary sense of beauty.

After spending an afternoon in these industrial buildings, one may find a special feature of the artist studio in Hong Kong – crowded. Usually a group of 5 – 8 artists share a studio around 1000 ft. that ‘s mean 1 single artist would have around 200 to 300 ft as their working space. And also, the artists develop the entire Fotan open studio by themselves without any aid from the government at the beginning; the whole event only becomes a cultural one until 2003. It indicates that there is actually a lack of support of the development of local art from the Hong Kong government. Artists, as a career, is definitely an unprotected one in Hong Kong. That is the reason why, most of the local artists in Hong Kong are a part-time one, they need to have another job to make their living, and at the same time, use their leisure time to continue their artistic career. Therefore, through the entire open studio project, large-scale works are rarely seen due to the lack of space and supports, and this also manifests the limitation of the local art industry. To solve this problem is to developed a better cultural policy, for example like a systematic funding policy from the government to help these artists to continue renting studio and get rid of the crowded working environment. Nevertheless, the Fotan Open Studio event is still a remarkable event in Hong Kong, which links up the artists and the public.

Mixed Media
Acrylic Skin 2009
Chester Chu, galleryMill

Mixed Media

Deep River 2008

Sindy, Wong Sin-yi , 囡 studio

Oil on Canvas

Sim City No.6_lost 2009

Sim, Chan Wing-leung, Kiss On Fire studio

Fotanian: Fotan Artists Open Studios 2009

Date: 10 – 11 & 17 – 18, January, 2009

Time: 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Enquiries: fotanian2009@gmail.com/ 6700 6591/ 6578 8155

New York MOMA - Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawing

Working as a flight attendant offers myself chances to visit different exhibition and gallery. The MOMA museum in New York City is one of my favorite places to go. This museum of modern art contains a worldwide collection of modern arts from the late 19th century and continues to the current contemporary works of art. Despite the permanent collections like the Salvador Dalí's The Persistence of Memory and Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night. (This two works, however is now on loan to the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí and Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.), the MOMA also held different kind of exhibitions, which involve all forms of visual expression. In the role of a modern art museum, the MOMA plays an important role in transcending the national boundaries, bringing all forms of art together to create a dialogue between the established and the experimental, the past and the present.

In this review, I will focus on 3 temporary exhibition in the MOMA, they are the Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawing, Marlene Dumas: Measuring Your Own Grave and Artist Choice + Vik Muniz = REBUS.

Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawing

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #260, Crayon on painted wall, 1975

Drawn by Charles Allen, Andrew Colbert, Anthony Sansotta, and Nobuto Suga

Sol LeWitt is one of the early artists who explores the possibility of art to go beyond the canvas and paper. Sol LeWitt produces more than 1200 paintings, which draw directly onto the wall. In this exhibition, his Wall Drawing #260, 1975 is installed on one of the gallery space in MOMA. In this wall drawing, Sol LeWitt had drawn numerous white arcs from corner and side, and also white straight, non-straight and broken lines on a black wall. Like what Sol LeWitt said, “The white lines maintain their grid and by changing offer clues to the system. The plan is always presented so that the viewer will know that the changes are not capricious but systematic, becoming a language and a narrative of shapes.” Besides the systematic idea, Sol LeWitt ‘s wall drawing also evokes the questioning of the gallery space. Instead of hanging the paintings or drawing on the wall of the gallery, he intentionally put his drawing onto the wall of the gallery, which shows a mergence of the gallery space and the artwork itself. As a conceptual artist, Sol LeWitt offers the priority of an idea and concept than the physical appearance of an artwork. Experiencing an artwork like this is therefore not a two dimension one, but a three-dimensional perception.

Focus: Sol LeWitt
December 5, 2008–June 29, 2009
Fourth floor, MOMA, NYC

IN • ATTIC

If one was being asked about his/her feeling towards Hong Kong, what would be his/her possibly answer? Energetic? Monetary? Or crowded? To me, I would say the most impressive element of Hong Kong is definitely the extremely crowded street. In this small but delicate city, every single inch of space cost thousands of money. Four or even five family members living together in a flat about 500 ft is very common. However, the lack of space is not only a social problem but also affecting every individual’s sensation about the concept of space, the use of space and also their own interpretation of space.

Damon Tong and Stephanie Sin are two freshly graduated artists from the Hong Kong Art School. The exhibition “in • attic” is their first show to appear on the stage, in a sense. As Tong and Sin were my classmate when I was in the art school, therefore, to attend this exhibition is somehow a retrospect experience. In this exhibition, both Tong and Sin show a continuous development of their artworks. Since the school day, both of them were very much interested in the investigation of space already, and now their works had arrived in a much more mature level.

Damon’s painting is about his own sensation of a particular space, one of the most significant inspiration was the table with legs but no top in his studio. He then extended the question of “what is a table” and “how does the table communicates with its own space” as the starting point. Unlike all other paintings, the presentation of his work is not a formal one. Tong puts all his small painting on a rack which every single piece of painting is in a horizontal level. Therefore the audiences can now looking at all these painting from the artist perspective, go deeper to the artist’s working environment. Tong successfully bring his audience to his working studio, even though they are actually in a fine gallery.

Sin’s paintings are all about her own experience of a place which she passed by everyday – the Hong Kong Art School. Like all the ordinary people, Sin lives in a tiny space with all her family members. In this tiny space, she transforms what she had seen and experienced into her abstract painting. And later on, after she graduated from the art school, she then extend her inspiration one step further to the window lattice and its surrounding space. Sin walked through the lobby in art school everyday, and it becomes part of her memory. she wants to trace all these repetitive memories and response to these memories on her canvas.

The development of both Tong and Sin ‘s paintings are evoked from their personal everyday life. As a citizen in Hong Kong, Tong and Sin feel the same as you and I do. Their works are not only response to their personal issue, but also to the social issues, the social problem which everybody living in this tiny city are facing. From their paintings, one can see the local artist’s concernment about the social issue and their endeavors of using art as a medium to response to it.

"in • attic"

Exhibition Opening Reception: January 8, 2009, 6–9pm

Exhibition Duration: January 8 - February 21, 2009

Venue: Sin Sin Annex, 53, Sai Street, Central

Pictures of the opening ceremony from Damon Tong: