The Mills (Part 2): Art, design & retail

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Toothpicker

One of The Mill’s main attractions is CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) – a space dedicated to the past, current, and future of Hong Kong and Asia’s textile industry.

Welcome to the Spinning Factory! is the inaugural exhibition designed by Turner Prize winning U.K. architect collective Assemble and UK/HK design firm HATO. Set within the former cotton spinning mills of Nan Fung Textiles in Tsuen Wan, the exhibition tells the story of the cotton industry and the role it played in shaping Hong Kong’s past, present and future. The interactive exhibition features old machinery, vintage cotton products and archival documents and objects. Visitors can also experience the manual cotton-spinning process using traditional spinning instruments, and design and create cotton labels at the workshop stations.

‘Welcome to the Spinning Factory!’ exhibition at the The D. H. Chen Foundation Gallery

An interesting piece of artwork caught my eye outside of the gallery and it was a long piece of knitted textile on a table titied Fabric of CHAT. It was the work by Hong Kong-based artist/designer Movana Chen. Movana is known for her KNITerature, which combines stories by knitting books from people she encounters during her travels. When she first visited the construction site of The Mills, she discovered stacks of old discarded documents, so she shredded and knitted them into a new art form that contains the history and memories of the factory.

Fabric of CHAT by Movana Chen

CHAT’s inaugural exhibition, Unfolding : Fabric of Our Life, curated by Takahashi Mizuki showcases the works and performances by 17 contemporary Asian artists and collectives who use textile as a testimony to articulate forgotten histories and repressed lives through textile production. The thought-provoking exhibition reveals the region’s colonial capitalist exploitation through the use of fabrics and garments. One work that I found quite powerful is called ‘Day Off Mo?‘ by Filipino artist Alma Quinto, who invited Hong Kong’s Filipino domestic workers to speak out about their experiences through a video and their DIY craft book.

Dayanita Singh’s ‘Time measures’, 2016

Norberto Roldan’s ‘Incantations in the land of virgins, monsters, sorcerers and angry gods’, 1999 – 2018

Jakkai Siributr’s Fast fashion, 2015/19

Reza Afisina’s ‘Under Construction as Long as You’re Not Paying Attention’, 2018–19

Alma Quinto’s ‘Day Off Mo?’, 2018–19

I was also intrigued by Vietnamese artist Vo Tran Chau‘s ‘Leaf picking in the ancient forest’, 2018-2019. The name of the artwork is inspired by the title of a monk’s manuscript. Buddha, taking a few leaves in his hand, said to the monks: “All that I have seen and encountered are numerous, just like leaves among the grove, yet my teachings which I have revealed to you are but little, just like this handful of leaves in my palm…”.

The artist collected abandoned clothing from second-hand clothing stores to create her abstract mosaic chamber. Each quilted mosaic references historical photographs of Vietnamese textile factories and reflects the distinct cultural and political climates of North, Central and South Vietnam at different periods of time. The quilts reflect only blurred images as if a metaphor for the fate of the textile factories. Inside the chamber, one sees another side/story in these historical images.

Vo Tran Chau’s Leaf picking in the ancient forest, 2018-2019

One encouraging aspect of The Mills is that the retail outlets here differ vastly from other shopping malls in Hong Kong. Instead of international chained companies, the shops here are mostly independent and with a strong focus on sustainability.

I was glad to see that Book B (which we have worked with previously) has found a new home here. The space is inviting and it also has a nice cafe inside. I think this is one of the best independent book shops in Hong Kong, and I hope it will continue to thrive.

KoKo Coffee Roasters

Book B

Another surprise was to see a garment upcycling shop called Alt:, which is a partnership between HKRITA (The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel) and Novetex (a leading textile firm), together with funding from HKSAR government, H&M foundation and The Mills.

A garment-to-Garment (G2G) Recycle System is placed in the shop for the public to learn how old clothes can be upcycled and made into a new ready-made garment in 4 hours, with the aid of the innovation of upcycling technology. The on-site mill can upcycle up to 3 tons of textile waste per day, which hopfully will help to tackle the city’s fashion waste issue.

Alt: – the upcycling garment shop that can turn your unwanted clothing into something new

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to The Mills; I think it offer an alternative retail experience (which is much needed in Hong Kong), and the new textile centre is an exciting cultural space that showcases Hong Kong’s textile heritage while looking forward to the future.

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Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint at M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Toothpicker

I have always been fascinated by Japanese American modernist artist, designer and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi‘s work, yet I have never visited his museum in New York even though I used to live there. I have seen his work at MOMA and at other art institutions in America, but oddly enough, I have rarely seen his work being shown outside of America. Hence, I was quite excited about his exhibition in Hong Kong before my visit.

The ‘Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint‘ at M+ Pavilion exhibition is based on an ongoing conversation between two artists who never met: Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) and the contemporary Vietnamese Danish artist Danh Vo (born 1975). Vo, who has in recent years explored and researched Noguchi’s life and art, and has included Noguchi’s work in his installations with increasing frequency. This exhibition shed light on each artist’s protean body of work.

Occupying the main exhibition space were Noguchi‘s sculptures, furniture, lighting and worksheets. Noguchi‘s biomorphic sculptures remind me very much of another artist from the same period: Barbara Hepworth. Yet he was also a brilliant designer and landscape architect; his iconic coffee table designed in 1944 is still in production (now by Herman Miller/Vitra) after more than seven decades. Another classic design series are his Akari Light Sculptures, inspired by his trip to Gifu in Japan where it is famous for its manufacture of paper parasols and lanterns. Over the years, he created a total of more than 100 models, consisting of table, floor and ceiling lamps ranging in size from 24 to 290 cm.

In the middle of the room, there was a Chinese-style pavilion Untitled (Structure for Akari PL2) designed by Vo to hang Noguchi‘s paper lamp sculptures, and for visitors to rest. It blended extremely well with Noguchi‘s works.

Outside of the building were a few cargo containers where Vo‘s works were exhibited. Like Noguchi, Vo‘s life was shaped and influenced by Eastern and Western cultures. Due to his refugee background, Vo often addresses the issues of history, identity and belonging in his work. His conceptual works often weave archival fragments together and personal references. He also doesn’t believe in providing explanatory material, hence, it’s up to the visitors to interpret his work. Last year, Vo held a sold exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, so he is undoubtedly one of the most prominent Asian artists working today.

Danh Vo’s conceptual art work

The wonders of Musee Guimet

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Toothpicker

Undoubtedly, Paris is a city with many outstanding world-class museums and art galleries, but sometimes the sheer volume of visitors at Louvre, Musee D’Orsay and Grand Palais is simply overwhelming and off-putting. Hence, I would rather spend my time lingering at some excellent but lesser known or less popular museums. And one of my favourites is Le musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet/ Musee Guimet, which houses one of the largest collections of Asian art outside of Asia.

This museum was established by Emile Guimet in 1889, and it showcases 5000 years of Asian art with a vast array of sculptures, murals, decorative objects, ceramics, paintings, furniture, textiles, graphic prints and manuscripts etc. It is easy to spend a few hours here, and it rarely gets very crowded.

During my visit, I was very pleasantly surprised by French contemporary artist Prune Nourry‘s exhibition “HOLY, Carte Blanche to Prune Nourry”. Throughout the museum, installations of her past ten years’ work could be seen. I thought the most impressive was the giant Buddha statue that has been broken up, and strategically placed on different floor levels like old ruins. On the top floor was the head of the Buddha (where one could walk into it through the ears), a hand on the floor below, and the feet were placed on the ground floor, all of which were covered with red incense sticks. This intentionally fragmented installation reminds me of the blown up Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. It is poetic and mesmerising.

Her Terracotta Daughters sculptures created in 2013, consisted of an army of 108 girls, the eight original ones of which will be shown in the museum, refers to the first emperor’s terracotta soldiers, and is a tribute to the millions of girls that will not be born because

of pre-birth selection.

“HOLY, Carte Blanche to Prune Nourry” exhibition

Japanese graphic artist Hokusai‘s sold-out exhibition at British Museum revealed that traditional Japanese woodblock printing still fascinates the Western audience in this day and age. Unfortunately, the exhibition was so packed that I found myself constantly being blocked by older women who did not want others to get close to the prints or paintings.

Luckily, the exhibition “Paysages japonais, de Hokusai à Hasui” enabled me to enjoy Hokusai‘s famous prints up close without crowds nor disruption. Aside from Hokusai, there were also prints by other famous ukiyo-e artists like Hiroshige, Utamaro, Kuniyoshi and Hasui. The exhibition also showcased some rare vintage photographs of Japan, which were extremely fascinating.

The “Paysages japonais, de Hokusai à Hasui” exhibition

The “113 Ors d’Asie” exhibition

Even though the British Museum has an excellent collection of ancient Buddhist art and sculptures, I think Musee Guimet’s collection is quite staggering too. I particularly love the ancient Buddhist sculptures from Afghanistan that were evidently influenced by the Greeks. The hair and the draping of the robes were more Western than Eastern, which demonstrated that ancient cultural exchanges did have an strong impact on the development of Buddhist art in Asia.

Not far from the museum is Hôtel Heidelbach, a well-hidden annexe that houses a Buddhist Pantheon gallery, a lovely Japanese garden and a tea house for tea ceremonies. Entry to this gallery and garden is free, and it should not be missed.

The Japanese garden and tea house at Hôtel Heidelbach

Asian art exhibitions in London (Feb 2017)

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Toothpicker

Transcending Boundaries by teamlab

Is contemporary Asian art gaining more recognition in the West today? Apparently so. Interestingly, three prominent contemporary art galleries in London held exhibitions on three very different Asian artists/collective around the same period, and one of the most talked about exhibition must have been the immersive “Transcending Boundaries” at Pace Gallery by Japanese interdisciplinary collective, teamlab.

Established in 2001, the collective merges art, anime, technology, design and the natural world to create immersive installations that transcend the physical and conceptual boundaries for visitors. I was unaware that I had to prebook a time slot to visit the free exhibition, and was told that tickets were all sold out upon arrival. Luckily, the kind gallery staff let me and other non-ticket holders in after a brief wait.

In the three dark rooms, visitors were encouraged to interact with the digital installations. Visitors could manipulate the flow of the waterfall; enabled flowers to spread and grow on them; and watched butterflies flap around them. It took me some time to be absorbed by my surroundings, but once I did, I was quite mesmorisized by the interactive experiences.

Back in Japan, the Teamlab staged the largest digital art exhibition “DMM.Planets” last year, and the queues lasted for hours daily. Many trend forecasters and journalists believe that digital, interactive and virtual reality technologies will change and disrupt the art world in the years to come, so it will be interesting to see how the technologies evolve over time.

Pak Seo-Bo’s ZIGZAG: Ecriture 1983-1992 at White Cube Mason’s Yard

At the nearby White Cube, the second solo exhibition of Korean artists Pak Seo-Bo couldn’t have been more disparate in form and style. The 86-year old is a leading figure in contemporary Korean art, and is famous for his Ecriture series which began in the 1970s. He is an artists associated with the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) aesthetics in post-war Korea, which redefined modern Korean art.

The exhibition featured his ‘zigzag’ paintings from the Ecriture series made between 1983-1992. Inspired by Western abstraction in painting, Korean calligraphy, as well as Taoist and Buddhist philosophy, Park’s abstract paintings undoubtedly resemble paintings by American abstract minimalists Agnes Martin and Robert Ryman.

Park said that the repetitive gestures and monochromatic environments of these works are a way of emptying the painting of the self, and achieving a unity with the nothingness in nature. His Zen-like paintings appear to be similar and repetitive from a distance, but up close, it is hard not to be engrossed by the textures and extraordinary subtle tones. Meditative and calming, Park’s works are best appreciated in person because viewing them on paper/ via the computer would not do his works justice.

Do Ho Suh: Passage/s at Victoria Miro

Without forerunners like Park Seo-Bo, the contemporary Korean art scene would probably be quite different today. One of the ‘hottest’ Korean artists of today must be the London-based Do Ho Suh. I have seen works by the artist through print/internet for a long time, but I finally encountered the artist’s Passage/s installations at Frieze art fair a few years ago. Unlike Park Seo-Bo’s understated style, Do‘s Passage/s installations are conspicuous, colourful and distinctive. At Victoria Miro gallery, his nine one-to-one scale translucent fabric architectural structures occupied the 25-metre-long of the gallery, thereby creating a walk-through corridor for visitors to pass through.

Inspired by his peripatetic life, Do Ho Suh‘s works explore the boundaries of identity and the connection between the individual and the group across global cultures. In the globalised world we live in today, finding your identity is no longer easily discernible. Suh‘s attempt in capturing time, memory and space prompted him to create the fascinating man-size installations, which offer an insight into the issues of migration, transitions and identities that many of us face in this day and age. Coincidentally, Suh used to live at 348 W22nd Street in New York, whereas I used live at no. 318 on the same street and around the same period, so it was quite possible that we walked past each other in the street all these years ago.

I was also drawn to the intricate stitched objects inside the installations like water pipes, door handles and hinges, and even fire escape instructions… these familiar and yet seemingly mundane everyday things are wonderfully highlighted in his works.

Top: Entrance, Unit G5, Union Wharf, 23 Wenlock road, London, N1 7SB

Elsewhere at the gallery, there were Suh’s signature architectural pieces compressed into large-scale two-dimensional ‘drawings’; photographic images of interior spaces from various locations are digitally ‘stitched’ together; and a three-channel video Passage/s: The Pram Project, in which the artist, accompanied by his daughters, explores streets in South Korea and around his home in London.

Numerous artists have explore the theme of identities and migration, but Suh’s tactile three-dimensional installations enable visitors to share his memory and experiences in a more direct and tangible way. In the exhibition’s press release, Suh said, “I see life as a passageway, with no fixed beginning or destination. We tend to focus on the destination all the time and forget about the in-between spaces. But without these mundane spaces that nobody really pays attention to, these grey areas, one cannot get from point a to point b.” And I couldn’t agree more with him.

What I learnt at Art Basel Hong Kong…

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Toothpicker

The alluring appeal of Gilbert & George…

I arrived in Hong Kong in the midst of the Art Basel weekend, and ART was the hottest topic in town. From a city that was once nicknamed ‘cultural desert’, Hong Kong has come a long way to become the new art hub of Asia. But what does art or the fair really mean to Hong Kongers? Has it made any positive impact on the local art scene and artists?

Despite my jet lag and distaste for mega art fairs, I decided to check out Art Basel Hong Kong before it ended. Three years ago, I visited the fair’s predecessor Hong Kong International Art Fair (read my entry here); since then, the fair has grown considerably with more than 233 galleries from 37 countries participating this year. With a new Malaysian fair director on board, the fair was divided into six sections including Insights, a section dedicated to 34 Asian art galleries.

Top row: Myeongbeom Kim’s ‘Deer’; 2nd row left: Xu Longsen’s ‘Beholding the mountain with awe’ 2nd row middle: Antony Gormley’s sculptures; 3rd row right: John Baldessari ‘Beethoven’s Trumpet (With Ear) Opus #133’ 4th row left: Leung Mee Ping’s ‘Memorize the future’; 4th row right: Tobias Rehberger; Bottom row: Grayson Perry’s tapestry: ‘you could lay it out for a national picnic’

After spending hours of my afternoon at the fair, I want to summarise my observations and afterthoughts, and so I have created a list on what I learned there and then:

1. The event reaffirmed my distaste for mega art fairs. The issue is not to do with the quality of the art work, but rather the crammed setting/ commercial ambience/ environment.

2. Even though I knew this is the case, but the event confirmed this fact: Mega art fairs are not about art, they are about sales, marketing and making noise.

3. Big art fairs are the worst places to appreciate/enjoy art, because you are mostly like to feel physically and mentally exhausted after seeing all of them in one go. Being overdosed on art does not make one feel inspired.

2nd row middle: Djordje Ozbolt’s ‘Les objects mystique plastique’; 2nd row right: Tanada Koji; Bottom right: Ahmed Mater’s ‘Pre-illumination’

4. Subtleties do not work well at art fairs; showcase the most outrageous and prodigious pieces, then the galleries are most likely to receive the maximum footfall.

5. On the day of my visit, a majority of the visitors (mostly Mainland Chinese) were more interested in photo opportunities/ selfies than the art itself. And after being shoved around by them, I decided to photograph the behaviour of these art-lovers. It turned out to be the most entertaining part of the event.

The efforts required to take the perfect photos at Art Basel

6. Speaking to my local friend after the fair, she also expressed her (and her friends’) disappointments of the event. Their verdict was that the newer and smaller Art Central was more enjoyable than Art Basel. Lesson learnt for all of us.

7. Big names and record-breaking sales transactions at the art fair don’t necessary mean that the general public care more art. If the footfall to art museums and galleries is consistent all year round, then it veritably demonstrates the real impact of the fair.

Bottom left: Wim Delvoye’s ‘Twisted Dump Truck’; Bottom right: Yoshitomo Nara’s ‘Puff Marshie‘

8. Without a world class art museum (M+ is due to open in 2018), art is still fairly inaccessible to the general public in Hong Kong. Most of the art galleries in Hong Kong are targeted at art buyers or investors, hence it explains the popularity of the annual art fair.

9. Due to lack of support from the Government, Hong Kong artists perpetually struggle to make ends meet or gain recognition beyond the city or Asia. This is partly to do with the art education system and misconceptions towards art and other creative industries. Art only became ‘important’ in recent years because of the money involved. Without these transactions, art is merely regarded as a frivolous profession in Hong Kong.

10. Hong Konger are more artistic and creative than people realise… but these artistic activities take place on the streets rather than indoor. The artists are the street vendors, small shop owners, scaffolding construction workers, cupboard collectors and wet market stall sellers etc.

What Hong Kongers fail to understand is that art is around them all the time, and best of all, it is free of charge.

The mysterious man in white shirt who was constantly blocking my view, so I used him as my subject at the fair. I was THAT bored.

Paris Asiatique

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Toothpicker

Musée Guimet

Aside from the Japanese gardens in Albert Kahn‘s museum and gardens, there are many other places in Paris for Asian culture enthusiasts because the French have always had a passion/interest in Asian arts and culture, much more so than the English. Although London is a multicultural city with many great museums, it does not have museums that are dedicated to Asian arts only, but there are two of them in Paris!

The most well-known of the two is Musée Guimet ( 6, place d’Iéna, 75016), which has one of the largest collections of Asian art outside Asia. Founded in 1879 by an industrialist, Émile Étienne Guimet, the museum’s collection is splendid and you would need a good few hours to wander and examine the vast historical artifacts and art work spanning over five millenniums and covers the entire region including Afghanistan and central Asia. This museum is not to be missed!

Musée Guimet

Just round the corner from the museum, the museum has a hidden annexe called Galeries du Panthéon Bouddhique/ The Panthéon Bouddhique (19 Avenue d’Iéna). The gallery is located within a former private mansion of banker Alfred Heidelbach (1851–1922), built in 1913 by René Sergent. The entire gallery is dedicated to Buddhist art, with over 250 works from Japan and some from China gathered in 1876 by Émile Étienne Guimet.

To mark the museum’s 10th anniversary in 2001, a Japanese pavilion was added in the garden where tea ceremony would be performed. This is probably one of the most tranquil spots in the city, and if you don’t have the time to visit the Japanese gardens at the Albert Kahn‘s museum and gardens, then this garden would be ideal if you want to spend some time to reflect or even meditate.

Galeries du Panthéon Bouddhique and its Japanese garden

For a long time, I have wanted to visit UNESCO’s Headquarters ( 7 Place Fontenoy 75007) partly to see the architecture and excellent art collection (including Angel of Nagasaki and works by Le Corbusier, Joan Miro and Henry Moore etc ). But the highlights here are the Japanese garden, Garden of Peace created by Japanese-American the acclaimed artist and sculptor Isamu Noguchi in 1958, and the ‘Meditation space’ designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Unfortunately, a group tour ( 30 mins long) of the building and garden must be made well in advance via email and I was never organised enough to do so, hence I will have to leave this for my next trip.

UNESCO Paris

The second museum dedicated to Asian art is Musée Cernuschi ( 7 avenue Vélasquez 75008) next to Parc Monceau. The museum was founded in 1898 by Henri Cernuschi (1821–1896) and is located in the small mansion which used to be his home. The permanent collection here is mostly ancient Chinese, while others are from Japan and Korea, including a large prominent Buddha of Meguro, a Japanese bronze from the 18th century, collected by Cernuschi.

The museum also some contemporary collection by Asian artists and temporary Asian art exhibitions are held in the galleries on the ground floor. This museum is now one of the 14 City of Paris museums and offers free admission ( another gem is the Musée Zadkine near Jardin du Luxemburg). There many wonderful museums in Paris, but this one is a must if you are interested in Asian art.

Musée Cernuschi

If you are looking for the most unusual and beautiful cinema in Paris, then you must visit the Cinéma Étoile Pagode/ La Pagoda ( 57 bis, rue de Babylone, 75007). This dance-hall turned independent cinema is replica of an antique Japanese pagoda designed by architect Alexandre Marcel in 1896. It was built as a gift from Monsieur Morin, owner of Le Bon Marché department store to his wife probably to save a failing marriage, though it didn’t work because she left him a year later for his associate ( so I guess a beautiful cinema is not enough to save a marriage).

The cinema officially opened in 1931 and has screened many premieres including Jean Cocteau‘s Testament d’Orphée in 1959 and from films The New Wave directors. The cinema was saved from demolition in the 1970s, and now you can still enjoy watching films in the two screening rooms including the exuberant ‘Japanese room’, or have tea/cocktails in the tranquil and leafy Japanese garden.

Cinéma Étoile Pagode

Interestingly, there is another pagoda near Parc Monceau, and it is simply called The Pagoda/ La Maison Loo ( 48 rue de Courcelles, 75008). Originally constructed as a hôtel particulier in the French Louis Philippe style, the building was bought in 1925 by Mr. Ching Tsai Loo (1880-1957), a celebrated collector and dealer of Chinese and Asian art and antiques.

With the help of prominent architect Fernand Bloch (1864-1945), the building was transformed into the Pagoda, aiming to be build a cultural bridge between France and China. It is now a private museum, offering exhibitions and shows throughout the year.

A Japanese Zen rock garden at the entrance of Maison Européenne de la Photographie

Last but not least, Maison de la culture du Japon /Japanese cultural centre ( 101 bis, quai Branly 75015) is a good venue for those who love the Japanese culture. This massive glass building near the Eiffel Tower has a concert hall, theatre, cinema, exhibition area, library and a pavilion dedicated to tea tradition. There is also an interesting bookshop on the ground floor that sells books related to Japanese arts and culture as well as stationery.

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Category Archives: Asian art