Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace

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Blenheim Palace

 

For years, I have wanted to visit the 18th century Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and home of the Dukes of Marlborough; and finally last weekend, my friend and I joined a group to visit this splendid Baroque palace in Oxfordshire. We also managed to see Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei‘s exhibition before it ends on 14th December.

The exhibition is the artist’s largest one in the U.K., showcasing more than 50 new and iconic artworks on display throughout the palace and its grounds. Interestingly, the Chinese connection is evident as the palace itself is filled with chinoiserie and Chinese porcelain pieces from the Qing Dynasty. It is a brave move for the new Blenheim art foundation to install contemporary art work by a provocative Chinese artist in such a historical setting, and the result is both compelling and puzzling.

 

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With no labels or information available, visitors walking through the historical rooms are confronted with art installations that probably make no sense to them. In the Red drawing room, the installation “He Xie 2012” composed of large pile of porcelain crabs covers most of the carpet in front of the fireplace. The crabs may look playful and intriguing (or mouth-watering to the Chinese tourists as they love eating crabs), but one would have to use a bit of imagination to understand the meaning behind them (apparently, they refer to censorship).

One interesting aspect of the exhibition is that some of the art pieces are quietly ‘hidden’ amongst the decorations and historical artifacts. i.e. the 17ft chandelier of glass crystals that resembles an upside down Christmas tree in the main hall and a pair of wooden handcuffs suggestively placed on the bed of Winston Churchill.

 

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The installation that seems most ‘at home’ is the “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Gold in the Grand Saloon. The well-known sculptural pieces are the artist’s reinterpretation of the legendary bronze zodiac head statues that once surrounded the fountain-clock at Yuanming Yuan (Old summer palace), a former imperial retreat that was burnt down by the British and French troops during the Opium war. It’s quite an irony to see these replicas being installed inside a British Palace after 154 years!

 

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We were very lucky with the weather because the rain stopped and the clouds cleared up as soon as we arrived, and we were blessed with blue sky and sunshine while we were at the palace. This allowed us to stroll in the beautiful garden and see the large outdoor installation “Bubble”, comprises rows of shiny blue porcelain bubbles that resemble the Chinese chess game of Go to me.

Unfortunately, due to time constraint we did not have enough time to cover the entire garden, which I am sure will look marvelous in the summer; hence, I will have to make another trip in the future just to visit the gardens alone.

 

Blenheim Palace

 

 

 

Asia Triennial Manchester 2014

I visited Manchester once when I was at university when my friends and I drove to the city and spent half a day there. I don’t recall much except for traffic jams and gloominess; needless to say, I was not particularly impressed. Yet when I found out about the Asia Triennial Manchester this autumn (27th Sept – 23rd November), I was curious and wanted to visit the city again, properly.

I have never heard of the Asia Triennial before, but I was intrigued by what I saw via the media. However, with work getting busier, I only booked one night there, which I later regretted. With only 36 hours in the city, I decided to plan ahead and so I emailed the event’s PR for more information. Catherine was very helpful and emailed me the event brochures and press releases before my trip. Although there are ongoing events and activities (including symposium, film programme and open studios etc) throughout the triennial, most of them had already taken placed as the festival was coming to a close.

One of the main events at the Triennial was “Harmonious Society” exhibition curated by Centre for Contemporary Chinese art. The exhibition re-examined the ‘conflicts’ and ‘harmony’ of China and that of Asia and the world. The Chinese title of the exhibition can be translated as: ‘Nothing (has happened) under the heavens’, which is derived from the current socio-economic vision and political proposition of China’s regime since 2005.

The project invited 30 artists from Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to develop artistic responses that are specially commissioned and site-specific. It took place in six venues across the city centre, though unfortunately one of the main sites, Artwork was closed while I was there.

 

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 At the Manchester Cathedral – Top right: Li Wei’s “A decorative thing”; Main: Zheng Guogu’s “Brain Lines”

 

I didn’t know what to expect before my trip, but I was expecting the weather to be cold, grey and wet. Instead, I left the cold, wet and grey London behind and arrived to find blue sky, sun and warmer weather, whcih took me by surprise and made my trip even more pleasant!

At the historical Manchester Cathedral, Chinese artsist Zheng Guogu‘s “Brain Lines” consists of 13 freestanding light boxes, representing the 12 Apostles and Jesus. The work explores the fine line between faith and science, visually representing the connections both within the brain and between Jesus and the 12 Apostles.

Another piece of work nearby “A decorative thing” is created by another Chinese artist Li Wei. The mirror sculpture is a response to the Cathedral’s Gothic architecture, and its frame is adorned with animals and fantastical hybrid creatures. This provides a literal reflection on humanity, evolution, scientific and religious beliefs.

 

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The John Rylands Library – 2nd row right & 3rd row middle: Samson Young‘s “Muted Situations”; 3rd row right: Zhao Yao‘s ” Wonderlands”; 5th row left: Annie Lai Kuen Wan‘s “Lost in Biliterate and trilingual”; 5th row right: Wang Yuyang‘s “Breathing books”

 

I have visited many libraries in the world, but I never knew that one of the most spectacular libraries in the world is situated in Manchester! The neo-Gothic Grade I listed John Rylands Library was built as a memorial to her husband by Mrs John Rylands. She commissioned Basil Champneys to design the building, which took 10 years to complete and was opened to the public in 1900. In 2007, a £17 million extension project was completed, offering modern facilities and better accessibility.

Several artists’ work could be found in various locations within the library including: Wang Yuyang‘s “Breathing books”, Zhao Yao‘s ” Wonderlands”, Annie Lai Kuen Wan‘s “Lost in Biliterate and trilingual”, Samson Young‘s “Muted Situations” and Jin Feng‘s “Chinese plates”.

In the middle of the spectacular reading room, there was a pile of books on a table, and they turned out to be an installation by Chinese artists Wang Yuyang. I inspected the seemingly ordinary books up-close, and suddenly the books started to move in slow, breathing motion! Elsewhere, there was a display of 18 white ceramic books created by Hong Kong ceramic artist Annie Lai. These white books are moulded from various bilingual dictionaries, and yet they have no text and cannot be opened, thus, transforming the purpose of dictionaries. I was also intrigued by Hong Kong composer and sound artist Samson Young’s video installations (the videos are available to watch via his weblink above) of various sonic situations. The work explores sound layer, where foreground sounds are consciously muted or suppressed, and as a result the less-commonly-noticed layers are revealed (this work echoes John Cage‘s famous piece, 4’33”), challenging the viewers/listeners’ expectations and assumptions on images and sounds.

 

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National Football Museum – Top: Yang Zhengzhong’s “Long live the Great Union”

 

At the National Football Museum, one of the exhibition floor was closed and so I didn’t see some of the exhibits except for Chinese artist Yang Zhenzhong‘s “Long live the Great Union. From the side, the 3-D architectural installation of Tiananmen Square are seen as 9 separate pieces. But from one viewpoint through a hole, the architecture is ‘reassembled’ in front of the viewer’s eyes. A clever and playful installation that coincides with the ‘harmonious’ theme of the exhibition.

 

MOSIMOSI MOSILuxury Logico's Solar, ManchesterChen Chieh-Jen's "Realm of Reverberations" Chen Chieh-Jen's "Realm of Reverberations"Chen Chieh-Jen's "Realm of Reverberations"

Museum of Science and Industry – 3rd row: Luxury Logico’s “Solar, Manchestr”; 4th & 5th row: Chen Chieh-Jen’s “Realm of Reverberations”

 

The Museum of Science and industry is another wonderful discovery during my stay in Manchester. I spent hours here, and I would have stayed longer if it wasn’t for the tight schedule! I have always had a strange fascination with old industrial machines, aesthetically and mechanically (perhaps I am geekier than I realised). At the museum, I felt like a kid in a candy store because the museum is full of beautiful machinery! The museum is huge, and it is composed of several buildings including two Grade I listed buildings: the world’s first railway station, Manchester Liverpool Road and 1830 warehouse.

One unmissable outdoor installation was “Solar, Manchester” created by Taiwanese artists group, Luxury Logico. Specifically constructed for the exhibition, this installation is composed of over 100 reclaimed street lamps from Greater Manchester and are refitted with LEDs to create an artificial sun. The ‘glowing’ sun, symbolising hope and optimism about a high-tech and sustainable future, could be seen by passerby from afar after dark.

Elsewhere at the museum, exhibits included: Hong Kong artist Lee Kit‘s ” I don’t owe you anything” and four Taiwanese artists: Chang Huei-Ming‘s “The last rose”, Kao Jun-Honn‘s “Malan girl”, Yao Jui-Chung‘s Long, Long live” and Chen Chieh-Jens “Realm of Reverberations”

I was especially touched by international renowned artist Chen Chieh-Jen’s subdued “Realm of Reverberations”, consisted of four video works of Taiwan’s first leprosy hospital, Losheng Sanatorium, established in 1929 during the period of Japanese colonisation. The government’s decision to demolish the building and relocate the sanatorium in 1994 for the expansion of the metro system caused outcry and protest amongst the locals because many of the residents had lived there their entire lives. Chen Chieh-Jen’s daunting and powerful videos act as photographed cinema, documenting the eradication of memories, history and ‘home’ (now a ruins) to a vulnerable group of elderly and disabled victims. His works capture the pain and isolation of these victims, and highlight the issues of marginalisation and inequality in our consumer society today.

This exhibition is currently exhibiting in Paris at Galerie Olivier Robert (5 Rue des Haudriettes, 75003 Paris) until 13th December.

 

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Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art – Top right, 2nd & bottom row left: Pak Sheung Chuen’s “Resenting Hong Kong series”; Bottom right: Liu Xiaodong’s “In between Israel and Palestine”

 

It is interesting that the only art organisation in the UK dedicated to contemporary Chinese art is based in Manchester and not London. The Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art has been exploring Chinese contemporary art and visual culture for 28 years through innovative programme of exhibitions, residencies, projects, festivals, symposia and events etc.

At the centre, two Chinese artists responded very differently to the theme. In gallery 1, Chinese artist Liu Xiaodong presented “In Between Israel and Palestine”, a collection of realist paintings, accompanied by video diary and journal excerpts from his one month stay in Tel Aviv and the Holy Land. The artist is known for his documentations of social issues in China through his carefully orchestrated compositions in his work. In this case, everyday life in Israel and Palestine is depicted in a diptych format, which acts as a visual conveyance of the divide in the region.

In Gallery 2, Hong Kong conceptual artist Pak Sheung Chuen explores identity and historical significance in “Resenting Hong Kong series: Resenting my own history”. This exhibition is particularly timely because of what has been happening with the ‘Umbrella revolution’ in Hong Kong recently.

In this project, the artist invited Hong Kong people to donate HKD $1 coins with Queen Elizabeth II’s profile (still found in circulation sometimes) and to stipulate someone in the U.K. to scrape away this profile on the ground. This action separates Hong Kongers and the British, previously connected by the two sides of the coin, and leaves a mark on the ground in the U.K. Some of the coins are assembled into a mirror, creating a moment of reflection on the past and future. During the exhibition period, visitors were also encouraged to participate in this on-going project.

 

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 Kashif Nadim Chaudry’s “Swags and Tails”

 

At the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, Nottingham-based British Muslim artist Kashif Nadim Chaudry is showcasing artwork featuring skulls and stitches at his third solo exhibition, “Swags and Tails” (until 31 January 2015) as part of the festival.

The exhibition explores family traditions, religion, sexuality and politics. Chaudry mixes traditional craft techniques with conceptual, sculptural forms, using unusual and challenging materials. As a gay Muslim, Chaudry is outspoken about his identity and constantly uses his artistic work to push boundaries in relation to his sexuality and religion. Insider the former Victorian fish market, visitors can view Chaudry‘s haunting, beautiful, and skillful pieces installed in various areas within the venue.

Due to time constraint, I was not able to visit all the venues that took part at the festival, but I was glad to have visited the main venues within the city centre. Now I will have to wait three years for the next festival, but hopefully I will be more prepared and have more time to wander (without rushing) next time!

 

 

Contemporary Chinese culture at The Floating Cinema

It’s not an exaggeration to say the ‘dilemma’ that faces many Londoners is not the lack of entertainment/consumption choices, but the overwhelming of choices available. And when it comes to cultural events, we are just spoiled for choice and it’s hard to keep up even if you are subscribed to hundreds of e-newsletters (because you still need to time to read them all)!

I have long wanted to attend events organised by The Floating Cinema, but somehow never got round to it. Finally, when I found out about the Contemporary Chinese culture events curated in partnership with the Manchester-based Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, I was eager to sign up for some events that took place on the canal boat.

The boat was parked by the Granary Square in Kings Cross for the weekend. The outdoor canalside steps are ideal for the outdoor screening of several Chinese films. Due to the boat’s limited seating, most events were full and I managed to book myself onto two events.

 

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Main & bottom left: The Floating Cinema in Kings Cross; Bottom right: Yan Wang Preston

 

The first event was “Both Sides Now“, a collaboration between Jamie Wyld from Video Club (UK) and Isaac Leung from Videotage (HK). The screening included new and historical documentaries and animations created during the 1980s-2000s from China and Hong Kong exploring the impact of three decades of cultural and societal development. The screening was also followed by a discussion and Q & A session.

Some of the videos shown are quite political sensitive, hence they cannot be shown in China. The artists in the programme include: Ellen Pau, Linda Lai, Anson Mak, Kwan Sheung Chi, Lee Kit, Tse Ming Chong, Choi Sai Ho, and other 11 artists from Hong Kong.

For those who are aware of Hong Kong’s current political climate would know that it is far from rosy. The city’s largest pro-democracy rally in a decade took place on 1st July, with around 510,000 protesters participating and it made headline news across the globe. Whenever there is political and social unrest or even economical downturn in a state or region or country, it is also the time for creativity to emerge and blossom… this unsettling period may be a tough time for Hong Kong’s citizens, but it has enabled a new breed of talents to make their voices heard.

One of the most memorable video/animations at the screening was the last one by Hong Kong artist, Wong Ping. His “Under the lion’s crotch” is bizarre, grotesque, graphical and disturbing, but it is also dark and humourous. The animation is the artist’s interpretation of the current situation in Hong Kong and it won an award at the 2013 18th IFVA festival in Hong Kong. Here is an extract from the artist’s website about the work:

“Under the Lion Crotch”
Here comes the end
Our land is brutally torn apart by conglomerates
Redevelopment swept across the city
Their thriving business had left us homeless
Rotten city, rotten crowd
Luxury clothing won’t conceal the stench
Top yourself and throw a curse
Fill the streets with our merry hearses
Is the world going to end
as we’ve been longing for?
Destroy us all together with the chaos
Set us free like
the ashes in the wind

*Beware of the graphical material in this video!

 

No One Remains Virgin “Under the Lion Crotch” MV from Wong Ping on Vimeo.

 

The second event I attended was a talk by an award-winning Chinese photographer and visual artist, Yan Wang Preston. Her talk was on her long term artistic and research project, Mother River, which she has been working on since the end of 2010. Initially driven by a personal desire to reconnect with one’s Motherland, the project focuses on China’s most iconic waterway: the Yangtze River.

The artist also wanted to investigate the impact of the controversial hydroelectric dam that has had on the environment and the local people. The dam was built to prevent flooding and generate power in the local areas, yet the construction also flooded important archaeological and historical sites, displaced some 1.3 million people, and caused significant ecological damages to area.

The artist epic journey across China began from the source of the river (in Tibet) and photographed the 4,000 mile long Yangtze River with a precise interval of every 100 kilometres and 63 fixed points in total. Yan spoke about the difficulties she encountered during her journey, but despite all the mishaps and re-shoot, she finally completed the project earlier this year. Yan‘s photographs of China are fascinating, but what touched me most is her passion, courage and determination. Feeling disillusioned by the ‘new China’ and horrified by what she saw during her first research journey of the damage caused by the construction of the dam, the project became her personal quest to reconnect with her roots, heritage and culture. And the result is an admirable achievement that she should be very proud of.

Here is a video of a symposium given by Yan in 2012 about her work:

 

Yan Preston – Land / Water Symposium 2012 | Water Image from Land Water on Vimeo.

 

Conceptual art exhibitions & performance in London

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Ai Weiwei’s ‘Forever’

 

Last month, I visited Lisson Gallery to see the new exhibitions of two renowed contemporary conceptual artists, Ai Weiwei (until 19th July) and Richard Long (just ended).

I have quite mixed feelings towards Ai Weiwei because I often think that his political activism, colourful character and public relations seem to outshine his art work. Not that the artist lacks substance, but without his arrest and continuous controversy, I wonder if he would still be considered as one of the world’s ‘greatest’ contemporary artists? As a human being, I admire his courage and persistence, but as a viewer, I find some of his work cold, calculating and manipulative.

At the exhibition, his installations of stainless steel bicycles stacked and layered together are part of an ongoing series, ‘Forever’, named after the well-known Chinese bicycle brand that has been mass-produced in Shanghai since 1940. The work mocks the assembling and copying that occur in China and the fact that the symbolic cult design is steadily dying out while being replaced by smog-emitting cars. I found the installations aesthetically interesting to view but that is about it.

Elsewhere in the gallery, there are a variety of hand-carved objects like two marble recreations of his father’s armchair, sets of cosmetics bottles made from jade, marble gas mask, coat hangers, handcuffs and Beijing taxi window handles that are made of glass.

 

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My favourite items at the exhibition are the glass taxi window handles because of the story behind them. In his documentary shown downstairs, he spoke to different Beijing taxi drivers who complained about the government insisting that they removed the window handles for fear that political activists and protesters would transmit their leaflets through car windows near Tiananmen Square. Unbelievable!

The exhibition also displays his well-known ‘A study of perspective’ photo series, where the artist’s middle finger is positioned in front of some of the world’s most notable man-made landmarks around the world. Whether I or others like his art work or not, it’s besides the point because the artist has succeeded in making his statements clear to the world through his art work. In this day and age, talents would not get you very far unless you are able to create hype around you and what you do. And Ai Weiwei is a master of this.

 

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Main & bottom middle: Richard Long’s ‘Four ways’; Bottom left: Richard Long’s ‘With no direction known like a rolling stone’; Bottom right: a piece of ‘street art’ outside of the gallery

 

In the other gallery on the same street, British conceptual artist Richard Long‘s work couldn’t have been more different. His work focuses on the existential notion of the solitary exploration of nature, inspired by walks in rural England and trips from around the world. As someone who became keen on hiking/walking in the recent years, I appreciate Long‘s respect for nature, which is evident in his art work. He usually works in the landscape but sometimes uses natural materials in the gallery. He often arranges them in basic archetypal shapes and forms, which appears to be simple yet surprisingly powerful in a confined indoor space.

The most eye-catching work at the exhibition was ‘Four ways’ installed in the front room, composed of 2 diagonal lines of delabole slate from Cornwall. In other rooms, there were texts/graphics documenting his walks, wall pieces made from clay and mud, as well as a room full of photographs taken while he was in Antactica and the Swiss Alps.

 

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Marina Abramović’s 512 hours at Serpentine Gallery

 

Although Lisson Gallery also supports performance artist, Marina Abramović, her new performance in London, 512 hours is being shown elsewhere at the Serpentine Gallery (until August 25).

I have previously written about Marina Abramović (twice actually on her documentary and institute) and I thought her work, ‘The artist is present’ at MOMA in New York was raw, ground-breaking and powerful. Hence, I was curious about her new performance despite the mixed reviews.

Normally, I hate queues and would avoid them as much as possible. However, this time I was prepared to queue for a while if necessary, so I picked to do this on a sunny and warm afternoon during the week. The queue was shorter than I expected and I waited about 30 mins before I was let in.

After leaving all our possessions in the lockers outside (hence no photography), visitors would enter a large white room full of people sitting at rows of wooden desks counting rice or seeds of some sort. In the other rooms, there were people lying down on beds, sitting on chairs facing the wall and people walking ‘mindfully’ or standing on a plinth in the middle of the room. While there were many assistants (all dressed in black) giving directions to the visitors, Marina was nowhere to be seen.

After spending about 15 minutes wandering in and out of the rooms observing others, I finally saw the artist emerged. She spoke to a few visitors and then held a young girl’s hand and led her up to a plinth. By this time, I was rather bored and decided to leave after spending about 20 mins inside.

An elaborate exercise in mindfulness‘ was how art critic Laura Cumming summed it up in her article for The Observer and I couldn’t agree more. In April, I spent 168 hours doing ‘nothing’ silently with a group of strangers at a Zen retreat in rural Devon, yet nobody saw it as art nor did they think my actions were radical. I understand that Marina is trying to spread mindfulness to the public through her work, but claiming this to be radical is quite ludicrous. I think that most people would have preconceived ideas or judgements before their visits, some may want to be emotionally charged while others may be cynical and dismissive. Hence, it is no surprise that some may be overwhelmed by their experiences while others experienced the opposite. Even though I had no expectations before I went, I left feeling disappointed, so perhaps I was secretly hoping to gain something out of it.

The so-called performance perhaps reinstated the artist’s psychological power and control on her visitors. I found it self-indulgent and it would be hard for the visitors (myself included) not to be self-conscious because they are aware that they are being watched by others including the cult icon herself. How much of the emotions generated in this space is genuine and how much of it is being manipulated? I doubt the visitors can answer it themselves.

When I got home, I couldn’t help but wonder the power of fame on people, especially on artistic people who struggled to get recognition for a long time. When fame arrives one day, it also has the ability to remove certain qualities that these artistic people once possessed. Marina, Zaha Hadid (whom I used to admire a lot) and Wong Kar Wai to name a few. I think that artistic people are most creative and true to themselves when there are creative and financial constraints. The reward of fame or celebrity status may create total freedom for them, but this along with narcissism may also be their worst enemies.

 

Ju Ming – Sculpting the Living World

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Ju Ming’s playful and interactive sculptures outside of the museum

 

Although I have seen some of the internationally renowned Taiwanese artist/ sculptor Ju Ming‘s distinctive sculptures before, I was not aware of what has achieved until I visited his first retrospective in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong museum of Art ( until 15th June). And it has to be one of the best exhibitions that I have seen in Hong Kong.

The exhibition gathers 120 sets of artwork in wood, ceramics, stone, bronze and stainless steel, including the famous Taichi and Living World Series that he has been developing since the 1980s. Before entering the museum, many of his larger-scale/human-size sculptures can be seen scattered around the museum, hence attracting a lot of attention from passerby. These sculptures are playful and interactive, and provide great photo opportunities for the flocks of mainland Chinese tourists as the nearby Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade/Avenue of Stars is their must-stop attraction in Hong Kong.

 

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 Top row: work from his Living World Series; Main: Taichi series

 

In the main exhibition hall, most of the work on display are from the artist’s Living World and Taichi Series. Many of the eye-catching and colourful wooden sculptures from the former series depict ordinary people in movements, and they appear to be very humane and real. I am amazed by Ju Ming‘s sharp observations on people, their behaviour and scenes from everyday life and how they are transformed into simple (in terms of form) but impactful and mesmerising sculptures. Most of his human sculptures are ‘faceless’, there are no detailed facial features nor expressions, yet viewers could ‘feel’ the joy, humour, anxiety, calmness and excitement through the body language, which explains why his sculptures appeal to even those who do not appreciate or care much for art.

 

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Yet what I admire most about Ju Ming is that his continuity to explore new territories, experimenting on new materials, techniques, forms and themes throughout his life. This is not an easy task for many acclaimed and established artists as it is always easier and safer to ‘revise’ a formula that has worked in the past. To constantly break boundaries requires courage, and it differentiates what makes an artist ‘great’ rather than just ‘good’.

 

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Top and bottom right: Imprisonment series; bottom left: Cube

 

On the other end of the museum are Ju Ming‘s newer pieces from his Imprisonment (2010) and Cube series. Unlike his colourful earlier works, the large installations shown here are more subdue and all in black and white. It is fascinating to see how his work has evolved over the years, his new work is described as “back to the core” by the artist, focusing more on the philosophical aspects of life.

One of the pieces in the imprisonment series features a newly wed couple in a white cage, signifying the confinement by social system and ideology constraints. Yet the key is placed in the keyhole inside the cage, revealing that the couple chooses to encage themselves by choice. Another piece shows a half white and half black cage with two people facing each other. The one in the black side has been imprisoned physically, while the one on the white side is imprisoned by his/her own mind, though both could get out of the prison if they want to as there is no wall between them.

The Cube series reflect similar philosophy i.e. mankind creates unnatural matters such as constraints, invasions, obligations and it is our over-civilisation that bring upon disasters to ourselves and the planet. Man creates a cube and ultimately is imprisoned in it.

Ju Ming‘s view on human suffering shares something in common with Buddhism’s teachings i.e. we are all conditioned and shaped by the society, family, education, race and culture. We create our own suffering and imprisonment by our own thoughts and ego, yet we can walk away too by changing the way we think and confronting the prison that we create for ourselves. Maintaining balance and conforming to nature would help to make the world a better place.

 

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Main: Hong Kong specimen (part II) in mini ‘ripped rooms’ by Margaret Chu Cheuk-wai; 2nd row right: Rosanna Li’s Happy Folks; Bottom left: Danny Lee’s Waterdrop

 

On another floor of the museum, visitors can also see “Hong Kong Contemporary Art Awards 2012 — Thirteen Dimensions of Hong Kong” exhibition (until 13th July), showcasing painting, Chinese calligraphy and seal carving, sculpture, photography, installation, video and digital art by local artists. And outside of the museum, the “Heaven, Earth and Man” exhibition showcases some outdoor installations by local artists: Rosanna Li, Danny Lee and Kum Chi-keung, which are on display until 30th August.

 

Hong Kong’s new contemporary art scene

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Top left: Hong Kong eye exhibition at Artistree; top right: Object Oriented Objects by Justin Wong; Main: Down The Rabbit Hole, “TAXI” says Alice by Amy Cheung Wan Man; Bottom left: Counterpoints & Map by Joao Vasco Paiva; Bottom right: In Search Of Primordial Idiolect IV by Adrian Wong Ho Yin

 

Although Hong Kong has always had an art scene, it was hardly exciting nor happening until a few years ago. Once described as a ‘cultural desert’, Hong Kong’s art scene was inaccessible to the general public and local artists were regarded dreamers who were out of touch with the ‘real’ world! How things have changed in such a short time!

Now art in Hong Kong means big bucks, and even international art galleries and organisations like Art Basel ( which will take charge of the Hong Kong Art Fair for the first time this year), Affordable Art Fair, White Cube and Gagosian are joining the club. But will all these change the way the locals view art and have an impact on the younger generation who want to pursue art as their future career?

 

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Top left: Looking for poetry in Wanchai by Annie Wan Lai Kuen; Middle: Upon the esculator by Silas Fong; Top right: Landscape GPS by Kui Ting Leung; Bottom left: Clay work by Evelyna Yee Woo Kan; Bottom right: A Halo Of Counting Down by Otto Lin Tun Lun

 

I attended the Hong Kong Art Fair last year ( see my earlier post here) and took part in the Hong Kong ArtWalk this year. Within a year, new galleries are springing up not only in Central, Sheung Wan, but also in the unlikely industrial areas such as Chai Wan, Aberdeen and even Kwun Tong. However, most of the artists represented/ exhibited seem to be from other parts of Asia ( esp. from China and Korea), local names are still few and far between.

 

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Top left: Ho Sin-tung’s Map: Discreet charm of the Proletartian; Middle: Paper globe of Hong Kong by Sheung Chi Kwan; Top right: Extend 3 by Kum Chi-Keung; Bottom left: Five Tallest Buildings in Hong Kong’ by Wilson Shieh

 

I was pretty clueless about the local contemporary art scene until I saw the Hong Kong eye exhibition on Hong Kong contemporary art currently showing at ArtisTree. And I was quite pleasantly surprised by what I saw especially since I had no expectation beforehand. Founded by Parallel Media Group chairman David Ciclitira and his wife Serenella, Hong Kong eye debuted at the Saatchi Gallery in December ( which I missed), so it was good to catch up on what is going on locally.

Previously, a lack of identity ( and voice) was a major issue that occurred across Hong Kong’s art, design and even music scenes. Perhaps it was partly due to its prosperous and stable economy ( usually the most creative work appears during the most unstable and turbulent times), so it is no surprise that finally more interesting work is surfacing during this unsettling period in Hong Kong.

 

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Hong Kong ArtWalk 2013

 

My favourite at the show is work by Sin Tung Ho, her detailed illustrative maps of Hong Kong esp.Hills won’t healcarry a nostalgic factor with interesting narratives and strong messages behind them. Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based Portuguese artist, João Vasco Paiva‘s video and installation work is also interesting because of his unique identity, which allows him to have a different perspective of Hong Kong.

Earlier at the Hong Kong ArtWalk, I also came across Annysa Ng, a local artist who was trained in Hong Kong, New York and Germany. Her new series of work Celestial Revolution is graphical, bold and unique, which gives a new take on the term ‘East meets West’.

 

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Top left: Spring gallery in Aberdeen; Top right: Anusapati at Sin Sin Gallery; Main & bottom left: Wim Delvoye at Galerie Perrotin; Bottom right: Damien Hirst at White Cube

 

Overall, it is encouraging to see new changes and growing attention on the Hong Kong art scene, but it will still take time for the general public to ’embrace’ art and not see it as something that can only be enjoyed by the privilege. The Andy Warhol exhibition, giant rubber duck and the outdoor sculptures at Mobile M+ Inflation! are helping to break the barrier, so I look forward to seeing a wider variety of art work being shown in the future.

 

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Top left: Yayoi Kusama at Opera Gallery; Top middle & right: Takashi Murakami at Gagosian gallery; Bottom left & right: Andy Warhol 15 minutes eternal exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art

 

Hong Kong Eye: Hong Kong at ArtisTree will end on 31st May.

 

Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 art center & 25Togo shop

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Like I mentioned in the previous blog entry, in recent years, Kaohsiung’s city government has been investing a lot of money and effort aiming to turn Kaohsiung into a more competitive and livable city, and one of the city’s biggest project was the development of an old pier full of abandoned warehouses.

Similar to many former factories or warehouses in Taipei, these warehouses have been converted into art and cultural space to host temporary art/ design exhibitions, and the area is now known as The Pier-2 art center.

 

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Although the area is still being developed, I was very impressed by its outdoor communal area, i.e. turning old railway tracks into cycling lanes and installing large outdoor art pieces for the public to enjoy. Most of the temporary exhibitions are also free, and currently there is a wonderful exhibition, “The delight of Chinese character festival” ( until 14th April) which showcases work by local Taiwanese artists and designers.

 

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Temporary exhibitions including The delight of Chinese character festival

 

Another reason for my visit was because I have been invited by Ashley ( who I have emailed many times but never met in person) from 25Togo to attend a forum featuring several up-and-coming Taiwanese illustrators at their shop in the area. This flagship shop not only sells their own designs but also products by other local designers and some foreign brands. Besides the shop on the first floor, there is also an ice cream parlour on the ground floor as well as an exhibition space on the top floor.

I was greeted by Ashley upon arrival who kindly showed me around the shop and gave me a coupon for two scoops of ice cream at the parlour. All the ice cream is freshly made and changes daily with unusual flavours such as peanut butter and Yakult ( yes, the ice cream was yummy and much appreciated on a hot spring afternoon).

 

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25Togo Bright! ice cream parlour and shop

 

While I was in the area, I noticed several tourist coaches arriving, which means this area has become a major tourist attraction. However, after wandering around for several hours, I did not come across many tourists, most people looked like locals ( or perhaps they were Taiwanese from other areas), so it did not feel like a tourist trap.

It will be interesting to see how this area continues to develop in the future, but I am pretty certain that Kaohsiung will change rapidly in the coming years and may become a key creative hub in Taiwan/ Asia one day.

 

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JCCAC handicraft market & studio visit

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Last weekend, I found out about a handicraft fair at the multi-disciplinary art centre, JCCAC ( Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre) in Shek Kip Mei and decided to pay a visit. I came here with a friend when it first opened in 2008 and it was almost empty with very few working studios. Today, there are over 100 artists, designers and art organisations are working here, and so the vibe is completely different and extremely lively.

 

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This award winning architectural conversion from the former Shek Kip Mei Factory Estate is located in area of Kowloon full of low-cost housing estates, so along the route from the MTR station, you can see the lives of the locals that are not normally depicted in the official tourism brochures.

Many of the original architectural details have been preserved, I especially like the bold typography and numbers of the floors on the walls and staircases. Each floor also display old factory machinery either made in the area or were used within the facility including large letterpress machines.

 

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Surprisingly, there were more stalls and vendours than I expected; however, it was so packed that it was impossible for me to get near to the stalls! Hence, I decided to go upstairs to visit artists’ studios and exhibition areas instead…

I was quite pleasantly surprised by the variety of work on display, and to see so many local artists, illustrators, designers and architects all working within a creative space/ environment was encouraging especially in a city where rental prices are so ridiculously inflated.

 

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Wandering around I came across a studio where I met and chatted to a Nepalese lady who was making bookmarks from dyed paper she brought back from Nepal. She then explained that they are part of YMCA and their project’s aim is to support ethnic minority housewives who reside in Hong Kong. Their Cheung Sha Wan centre also sells other South Asian handicrafts either imported or made by these housewives. In the exhibition area, there were also drawings and art work produced by ethnic minority children and youths who are part of the “Future artist” project, initiated by the Sham Shui Po Community Creative Arts Resources Centre. There is also a website dedicated to the community with videos of their multicultural members sharing their stories in “3-minute stories“.

 

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Projects by Sham Shui Po Community Creative Arts Resources Centre, part of YMCA HK

 

I think this visit has ensured me that the local art and creative industry is growing and being supported by the locals; however, without government’s support, it will be hard for local artists, designers and craftsmen to survive on their own. A thriving creative industry is important for cities around the world now, it adds value and competitiveness to the city, so every government should acknowledge this instead of simply relying on the industries like tourism. Perhaps the World Design Capital can be an incentive for governments to value and understand the importance of this industry.

 

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Old machinery and roof top garden

 

You can click on the link to view more photos via the Facebook album.

 

 

Latitude 22N Studio visit

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Julie and Jesse’s Latitude 22N studio in Chai Wan

 

Since the launch of the e-shop over a year ago, I have had many opportunities to meet with different designers around the globe, though I particularly enjoy getting to know the designers I work with. It is not only about building long-term work relationships, but it is also crucial for me to understand the people and minds behind the products. Being able to work with like-minded designers is not an opportunity that happens to everyone, so I feel lucky that often I am able to meet and work with designers who share similar values and vision.

I discovered Latitude 22N by chance and immediately fell in love with their designs, especially the S.M.L. candle holders that we stock from the studio. I have been communicating with Julie from the studio via emails for a while, and so I was quite excited when she invited me over to visit their studio in Chai Wan, an industrial area in Hong Kong that is becoming more ‘artistic’ thanks to the high rental prices in other more commercial areas of the city.

 

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Main: The S.M.L candle holders and their Night Market collection

 

Interestingly, Jesse, Julie and I all share a New York/ Parsons connection, and so we could compare life in Hong Kong vs. New York. We also spent a long time discussing the local and Asian design scene, and I learned about the difficulties they had to face in regards to crafting and manufacturing ceramics in China. Although Julie and Jesse are not ethnically Chinese, their works capture the Chinese heritage and spirit, yet they are ‘reinterpreted’ in a contemporary way with much care and insight. I especially love their Fragment porcelain vases, which break away from traditional boundaries, and challenge the viewers to look beyond the aesthetics.

 

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Experimental pieces that are as intriguing as the finished pieces…

 

I was also very impressed by their cool and spacious studio, I think they have done an amazing job in converting a factory into a working studio that also regularly hosts art/ design/ photography exhibitions.

A new photography exhibition by Marc Progin,’Mongolia’s land of Nomads, Caravans & Migrations’ will open on 14th March ( until 13th April), so visitors can visit their studio at Unit 16 B, Man Foong Industrial Building, 7 Cheung Lee Street, Chai Wan.

 

Art of change: New directions from China

Try to spot the difference between the main and the bottom left! They are 2 different peopleXu Zhen’s “In just a blink of an eye”. Bottom right: Yingmei Duan’s “Sleeping, in between and patience“.

 

In the past decade or so, we often hear about new Chinese art works fetching millions at art auctions around the world, yet apart from Ai Weiwei, Yue Minjun and Hang Xiaogang, many are still rather unknown outside of China, unless you are are familiar with the contemporary Chinese art scene.

At Hayward Gallery‘s Art of change: New direction from China exhibition, nine Chinese artists are chosen to exhibit their work spanning between 1993 to the present day. I didn’t have much expectations before I arrived ( as I am a bit of a sceptic of contemporary Chinese art ), but luckily, the show did surpass my expectations.

There are many experimental and interactive work that question, observe and reflect on the new changes that have been taking place in China. Moving away from the traditional media, many of the works are performance installation art and videos, which are quite refreshing and entertaining.

 

Liang Shaoji’s Nature series involves a lot of silkworm

 

One of my favourites is Xu Zhen’s “In just a blink of an eye“, an illusionary art installation that involves a real-life performance… from afar, we are led to believe that it is a (wax-like) sculpture, but up close, we are able to see a ‘real’ person who actually blinks and breathes! While I was there, a changeover took place ( curtains were drawn to keep the secret) and then another ‘face’ dressed in the same outfit appeared and ‘floated’ in the same Matrix-like position. So what is the secret? It doesn’t matter because the artist has succeeded in engaging all the visitors there and created a talking point among them.

The artist’s ironic view on our modern society’s obsession with the gym ( which I totally agree with because I find gyms soulless and extremely boring ) is expressed in his fitness machines installation where users can operate the them by just moving their fingers via the remote controls! Yet on the other side of the gallery, The Starving of Sudan questions the limits of voyeurism, human exploitation and moral conducts, which is subtle yet thought-provoking.

Across the main gallery, Liang Shaoji‘s compelling Nature series including various silkworm installations, bringing the visitors closer to nature. In an dark room, visitors can see watch and hear silkworms eat, spin and metamorphose. It is a tranquil experience and reflects the essence of Daoism and Buddhism, two of the most important religions in the Chinese history before the Cultural Revolution.

 

Chen Zhen’s Purification room

 

While I was slightly disappointed by some of the works in the upper galleries, back at the lower galleries before exit, I was quite taken back by the works of Chen Zhen ( who was diagnosed with a blood disease in his 20s and eventually died in 2000). Chen Zhen‘s personal experience and the message of impermanence is reflected in a lot of his work, like his Purification room, where natural materials are used to purify a room full of everyday objects.

 

Main photo: A room full of meat… photos by Gu Dexin. Bottom left: Sun Yuan and Peng Yu’s installations. Bottom right: architectural sculptures made of candles by Chen Zhen

 

The most intriguing part of this exhibition is the lack of personal styles or signatures of each artist, they seem to be constantly exploring new styles, identities and visual languages. In Guardian (read it here), Ai Weiwei heavily criticised the current Chinese art world and indirectly the artists involve at this exhibition, which I think is correct to a large extend but at the same time rather biased and harsh. Although these artists’ works might not have been politically driven or lack shock tactics, I still find it quite encouraging to see them moving away from the traditional media and testing new grounds. While I do believe that contemporary Chinese art is over-hyped, I feel more hopeful about its future after seeing this exhibition, and unexpectedly, it has evoked my renewed interest in a world that Ai Weiwei claims does not exist.

 

Art of change: New directions from China at the Hayward Gallery ends on 9th December.