Category: art

Artropolis

Now in its fifth year, the theme for Hong Kong Art Week 2017 is “Artropolis”. The 12-day ‘week’ runs from 15 – 26 November and looks to raise awareness of the role that artists, galleries and the art community have in the cultural heartbeat of our unique city.

Organised by the Hong Kong Art Gallery Association ‘Art Week’ features over 50 galleries and a selection of  programmes whose inspiration comes from the city’s vigour and vibrancy and showcase Hong Kong cultural life through exhibitions, performances, charity art walk, activities and talks.

Art Car
Date: 15-21 November, 2017
Venue: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central
Tickets: Free

Art Symposium – Day One
Date: 2:30pm, 17 November, 2017
Venue: Asia Society Hong Kong Center, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty
Tickets: Free, reserve your seat: https://www.ticketflap.com/hong-kong-art-week-2017-symposium

Art Symposium – Day Two
Date: 9:30am, 17 November, 2017
Venue: Asia Society Hong Kong Center, 9 Justice Dr., Admiralty
Tickets: Free, reserve your seat: https://www.ticketflap.com/hong-kong-art-week-2017-symposium

The Gallery Walk for Charity
Date: 5pm, 21 November, 2017
Venue: Various locations: Central, Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun
Tickets: $390 from Ticketflap

Art Day at South Island
Date: 12pm, 25 November, 2017
Venue: Various locations: Wong Chuk Hang, Ap Lei Chau, Tin Wan
Tickets: Free, check in at Sensory Zero, G02, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road

Family Art Day
Date: 11am, 26 November, 2017
Venue: Olympic Square, Hong Kong Park, 19 Cotton Tree Drive
Tickets: Free

Divine Evening @ Seafood Room – 18 May, 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Divine-Evening-Seafood-Room-18-May-2017/i-xgwCTWP

Salvador Dalí’s sinister and sensual paintings for Dante’s Divine Comedy were on display at the Seafood Room together with modern art jewellery from Karpov & Karpova. An interesting and contrasting evening to provoke and stimulate conversation hosted by Galerie Les Noms.
Click on any photo for the full gallery of images

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Divine-Evening-Seafood-Room-18-May-2017/i-gBRS2QW

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Divine-Evening-Seafood-Room-18-May-2017/i-PDSNtgR

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Divine-Evening-Seafood-Room-18-May-2017/i-tDmsLPR

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Divine-Evening-Seafood-Room-18-May-2017/i-3FDBhq5

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Divine-Evening-Seafood-Room-18-May-2017/i-RckvcWN

Virtual Frontiers, Art and Tilt Brush

Hidden away in the corner of the Collectors Lounge is Virtual Frontiers, Art Basel‘s collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, the results of a group of artists who were invited to create works using the Tilt Brush virtual reality app. And if you wondered why you needed to upgrade your pc and buy a VR headset, Tilt Brush a 3D drawing and painting application is that reason. Released a year ago (sadly only for Windows) it is quite amazing both in the creative sense and in the exploration of other’s creations.

The artists invited to explore and create with Tilt Brush for Art Basel included Cao Fei, Robin Rhode, Sun Xun and Yang Yongliang who attended residencies at Google’s offices in Beijing and Paris to create the series of interactive works on display during the show and in which you can literally climb inside and explore the creations.

Eternal Landscape (2017), Yang Yongliang‘s Tilt Brush work uses the ‘Shan Shui’, traditional style of Chinese ink painting that depicts scenery or natural landscapes and is often considered to be one of ancient China’s most important contributions to the history of art. ‘Eternal Landscape’ recreates a traditional Shan Shui landscape in a virtual immersive realm, while trying to preserve the classical aesthetics.

With Gusheshe (2017), which in South African township slang translates to ‘go faster’ or ‘very fast’, Robin Rhode references the BMW E30, a model that was produced and driven on the streets of the townships of South Africa in the early 1990’s, a politically tumultuous time for the country. Rhode took inspiration from the iconic street culture in South Africa and re-imagined ‘Gusheshe’ animated in a virtual setting.

The Previous Life of the Yimatu Mountain (2017) by Sun Xun is a portrait of Yimatu, the highest mountain in Fuxin in Liaoning Province, the artist’s hometown. It focuses on the way the artist imagines what life around the Yimatu mountain would have been like in the past.

Cao Fei’s mixed reality film, titled Derivation Blurs the Virtual and Physical Worlds (2017), declares a utopian future where walls and societal restrictions are broken and new conversations and new possibilities emerge.

In addition to being able to explore the VR artworks the ‘Conversations‘ part of Art Basel features Cao Fei and Yang Yongliang in conversation with Freya Murray, Program Manager, Google Arts & Culture. They will discuss the artists’ approach to making art in virtual reality, the impact virtual tools such as Tilt Brush can have on artistic practice and more broadly on the arts in general. The talk will take place at the fair in the auditorium on level 1, at the entrance of Hall 1A of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, on Wednesday, March 22 at 3.30pm. If you can’t make it, all the talks from the fair can be watch here later www.artbasel.com/hongkong/conversations.

https://youtu.be/EYY-DZ14i9E

Twenty-Five Minutes Older @ Art Basel

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2008/Twenty-Five-Minutes-Older-Art-Basel-21-March-2017/i-f2fBdkS

One of Art Basel‘s off-site exhibits this year is Twenty-Five Minutes Older by local artist Kingsley Ng. Ng’s ‘Twenty-Five Minutes Older’ turns two of Hong Kong’s iconic trams into moving camera obscuras, creating an altered reality and allowing passengers to experience Hong Kong in a new way – in reverse.

Moving images of the city, created via a ‘pin-hole camera’ in the side of the blacked out tram, are accompanied by spoken extracts from Liu Yichang’s famous stream-of-consciousness novella Tête-bêche. The live images of passing street life displayed inside the tram blend and flow alongside Liu’s poetic incantations. The familiar re-experienced in a completely new way – it’s quite surreal as the upside down world floats in the darkness as Liu’s words flow from headphones that remove the everyday sounds.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2008/Twenty-Five-Minutes-Older-Art-Basel-21-March-2017/i-Bqhp7Fs

‘Twenty-Five Minutes Older’, was first presented in 2016 as part of ‘Human Vibrations: The 5th LargeScale Public Media Art Exhibition’ that celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Arts Development Council in Hong Kong, runs on the different parts of the tram tracks until the 28 March. Tickets are free, but must be booked in advance here.

https://youtu.be/4YltmPTlNB8

Art Central VIP Preview @ Central Harbourfront – 20 March, 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Art-Central-Central-Harbourfront-20-March-2017/i-QQcXHmB

The sun emerged, after weeks in hiding, to shine on the start of Art Week and turn Art Central’s two massive tents into impromptu saunas. That didn’t deter the opening day crowds who flocked to see what was on show.

Again there’s a little of something for everyone but the trend still seems to be for massive works that look fine in a big tent, but would be out of place in our space saving flats. Last years paint a massive picture cut it up and give away the pieces has in true HK style been replaced with a massive painting where you can buy a small square…

Art Central runs until the 25 March, click on any photo for the full gallery.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Art-Central-Central-Harbourfront-20-March-2017/i-q7mttRt

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Art-Central-Central-Harbourfront-20-March-2017/i-FnLS6Nv

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Art-Central-Central-Harbourfront-20-March-2017/i-hk3Hb9T

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Art-Central-Central-Harbourfront-20-March-2017/i-kwQ3KGx

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Art-Central-Central-Harbourfront-20-March-2017/i-DcGCZw8

Abigail Reynolds and The Ruins of Time: The Lost Libraries of the Silk Road

British artist, Abigail Reynolds, winner of the BMW Art Journey will unveil her project The Ruins of Time: Lost Libraries of the Silk Road at Art Basel later his month.

A five-month-long exploration into the complex religious and secular narratives of Europe and Asia, Reynolds journeyed along the Silk Road by motorbike to investigate the sites of former libraries she discovered in her research, and document what she found at each location. You can read her fascinating travelogue here http://bmw-art-journey.com/journey/abigail-reynolds

Reynolds said of the project, “A library is a compendium of knowledge, a group identity. I went to places where all that meaning has been voided, recently or in the distant past. The journey itself was challenging and huge, encompassing three quarters of the globe, traversing multiple cultures, none familiar to me. The journey brought me to the edges of my knowing, just as the lost libraries brought me to the edge of visuality.”

Reynolds’ journey took her to sites in China, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Iran dating from 291 BC to 2011. Where she gathered material in various forms including 3D scans, photography, microscope imagery, written text, plans and cataloguing systems. Based on this extensive research, she has created a cluster of book forms, prints, collages and moving-image works which will be on display at Art Basel.

Images, texts and other documents originating from the trip are going to be included in a book – thus completing a journey that both starts and ends with the institution of the library.

Art in March

The art world focuses on Hong Kong in March with four exhibitions bringing thousands of art pieces from emerging and established artists mainly from across Asia.

One man’s art though is another’s trash and you’ll wonder exactly what the attraction of some pieces are – but there’s enough variety that you’ll probably find a few things to discus and enjoy.

Art Central
A contemporary art fair at the Central Harbourfront from 20-25 March 2017 with exhibitors showcasing new talent alongside some of the most established galleries from across Asia and the globe.

Art Central
Date: 20-25 March, 2017
Venue: Central Habourfront
Tickets: $500, $230 from HKTicketing
More info:
20 March: 5-9pm
21 & 22 March: Noon–5pm
23 March: Noon–9pm
24 March: Noon-7pm
25 March: 11am-7pm

Art Basel
Many of the world’s leading Modern and contemporary art galleries will exhibit paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, prints, photography, film, video, and digital art by over 4,000 artists.

Art Basel
Date: 22–25 March 2017
Venue: HK Convention and Exhibition Centre
Tickets: $850, $650, $450, $350, $250 from HKTicketing
More info:
22 March: 5-9pm
23 March: 1-8pm
24 March: 1–9pm
25 March: 11am–6pm

Asia Contemporary Art Show
Artworks from Asia and the world at the 10th edition of the Asia Contemporary Art Show, March 17-20 at the Conrad Hong Kong. Browse and buy original paintings, limited editions, sculpture and photography by artists from around the world.

Asia Contemporary Art Show
Date: 17-20 March, 2017
Venue: 40/F-43/F, Conrad Hong Kong
Tickets: $220
More info:
18 March: Noon–9pm (5- 9pm Friday ART Night)
19 March: Noon–8pm
20 March: Noon–6pm

Harbour Art Fair
A new hotel art fair at the Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel from 24-26 March. Riding on the current trend of Korean culture, the Harbour Art Fair will be exhibiting nearly 60 emerging Korean galleries and over a hundred art works. The fair will also feature art talks, workshops, and tasting sessions.

Harbour Art Fair
Date: Noon-8pm, 24-26 March, 2017
Venue: 7/F, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel
Tickets: $100

Updated: 6 March, 2017