Untitled (After Dream of a Path), 1996

Dream of a Path, 1996

Silent Impact

Back from London, there are actually not much to talk about No Soul For Sale. Of course, it's such a rare opportunity to participate in anything hosted in the Turbine Hall, however for three days only.
Having received the e-news of Para/Site, I found myself a co-curator without my knowledge. For Para/Site's participation in NSFS, yes, I was asked to co-curate but immediately replied to turn down this conventional curatorial model (curator vs artist) with a proposal of collaboration, where everyone should be engaged in the process of conceptualization and realization.
I once was asked by the "curator" how I should be acknowledged in this project. Finally we settled with "a collaboration conceived by...." Personally I think "to curate" is not only the work of a curator (actually we always curate (to take care) ourselves as artists), but also to maintain a constructive link to the interpretation of the work. To be honest I had some gut feeling towards this project but felt not empowered enough to contextualize it. This is exactly what I expect a curator could contribute to this project.
Now looking back, it's a successful project for the artists in terms of the physical setting and the individual works we produced. As a collaboration, I guess we still have a long way to go to call it ok! The expected dialogue among all participants turned out to be limited. And the segregation between the "curator" and the "artist" was still obvious (at least as Para/Site suggested in its press release.) I think NSFS would be a good occasion to experiment as it's not even an exhibition. Perhaps we're simply too weak to champion this (or to deny it as an exhibition especially when asking for funding because "exhibition" always sounds bigger than just project or collaboration!)
Silent Impact: a collaboration conceived by Leung Chi Wo & Alvaro Rodriguez Fominaya, featuring works by Lam Tung-pang, Lee Kit, Leung Chi Wo, Cédric Maridat, Morgan Wong Wing-fat
"Harmony" and "deep-rooted conflict", are not only popular terms recently referred in local Hong Kong politics by different camps, but also highly charged expressions in a global context for various interpretations. More than static antithesis, between harmony and conflict is not a dichotomous concept. It is a continuum, which can be negotiated for a even bigger impact.
Silent Impact refers to a subtle social engagement within the spectrum between conflict and harmony, where art is positioned to explore various issues of our society, from city to environment and from history to language. It physically revolves around a double-cubic and half-open structure which contains individual contributions from five Hong Kong artists.

Economy Class

It's been amazing to see how video has changed the art world. With a small fund and online resources like UbuWeb and Video Data Bank, you can curate an "international" exhibition of artists like John Baldessari, Francis Alys and Gary Hill, etc. With lesser known local artists, thanks to the light-weighted DVDs, international touring exhibition means only a page of installation instruction, a small package and free of insurance. Para/Site's This is Hong Kong is a typical example. It's been exhibited in Barcelona, Seoul, Hamburg, Birmingham, Berlin, and of course Hong Kong; and on its way to Taipei and Vienna.

Seoul

Leung Chi Wo LOOP Chi Wo Leung

Jens Hoffmann

International Curators’ Talk Series: Public Lecture - Jens Hoffmann

“Curating and Creating” by Jens Hoffmann

Time and Venue: Saturday 28 February, 2009 ; 2:30 pm at Agnes b. CINEMA!, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Limited Seats: 190

New blog

That the new Para/Site director Alvaro writes.

Podcast with Tobias Berger

Tobias Berger talks with Hong Kong art critic Jaspar Lau at the time bidding his farewell to Hong Kong after three and a half year as Executive Director of Para/Site Art Space. From September 2008, Berger will become the Chief Curator of the brand new Nam June Paik Art Center in Seoul. English, 60 min.
Remark: this is the second recording of the interview after a disastrous technical problem of the recorder. However, the technical problem repeated and a ten min-long sound clip was missing in the first quarter of this recording.
Listen

Para/Site Art Space seeks a new Executive Director / Curator

Para/Site Art Space is the leading non-profit contemporary art organization producing, exhibiting and communicating local and international contemporary art since 1996.It is located in Sheung Wan, close to the center of the city. Our main activities include presenting a programme of 10 exhibitions a year in our main exhibition space together with a variety of local and international venues outside of our space. To compliment our programme, seminars, talks and workshops are regularly organized. We also manage Para/Site Central, the smallest exhibition venue in Hong Kong, which is hosted by Hanart TZ Gallery. Para/Site Art Space was involved in various overseas exhibitions such as the Gwangju Biennale 2002 and the Venice Biennale 2003, Guangdong Triennial 2005 and organized Pearl River City – a touring show that traveled through Europe from 20006 – 2008 .Para/Site Art Space also hosts the Para/Site Art Space – Hong Kong Jockey Club Curatorial Training Programme.

Para/Site Art Space is run by the Executive Director/ Curator assisted by a curator and an office manager and governed by a Board of Directors. Apart from receiving support from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council as well as vital contributions from patrons and sponsors, our space also raises funds through an annual art auction.

A suitable candidate should have experience as a curator and a profound knowledge of international, especially Asian contemporary art and curatorial practice.

A potential candidate should have a clear vision to further develop Para/Site Art Space and the Hong Kong art scene in relation to the changing world of the contemporary art. The Executive Director is responsible for the daily operation, the planning and realization of the yearly program as well as budget planning. It is essential to liaise with the art community as well as the funding agencies and sponsors. Experience in publishing, drafting proposals, fundraising and book-keeping are essential.

The Executive Director is responsible to plan, lead and develop the Para/Site Art Space – Hong Kong Jockey Club Curatorial Training Programme.

Applications close 15th July 2008
Please apply via email including a CV and an application letter with your visions and goals for Para/Site Art Space to Tim Li, Chairman of the Board of Directors –
timli@para-site.org.hk.

For more information please contact Tim Li.

Open Space/ Art Cologne

Just did a talk with Tobias in Art Cologne about Para/Site and the project Asia Art Knots. Watch

Art auction

I went to Para/Site's fundraising auction last night, something potentially embarrassing if your work went unsold. It's this situation that it's only a small crowd but as far as there're 2 persons liking the same piece, it could be sold well. It seems something psychological too when people were not 100% sure about the work and other bidders would give endorsement.
I walked away when it was up to my piece. Luckly it was sold. And it was great for Para/Site and the amount raised was more than double of that last year.

Fage

Just completed a new work as a donation to Para/Site. It's acrylic colour on canvas, an image of sky made by writing for thousands times the simplified Chinese characters 发格 (fage) that I found in Wikipedia as "fuck in Shanghainese". There will be a preview in Pacific Place III from today to Oct 29 but the venue management found the title too offensive and censored it. So, you will only see the painting with the clean title "Fage" there.
It's the first piece of a brand new series and has never been exhibited. Also not sure it will be exhibited again if it's sold!

With or without you

Para/Site's AGM was held last weekend and I officially retired from its board. Feeling good. At the same time, I finished a short contribution to a book on artist-run space published by YYZ Books in Toronto. Here I also attach my text:

Looking at the development of an artist-run space, after almost 12 years of involvement, I will sum up with a couple of words: change and let go.

Nowadays, the difference between institutions and organizations is getting smaller and smaller. Once the romantic structure of artists’ organization seems gone. What left behind is in name of professionalization. Artists need to be better organized, like it or not!

The most interesting part of an artist-run organization for me is its existence at different stages, transforming itself until the day when it is no longer regarded as artist-run. The process lasts variedly, from a couple of years to 10 or 15. Its survival deals with its changing environment. It can be so fluid that it may allow immediate failure or success. The opportunity cost can be very low in name of passions. After all, you see yourself growing along with the organization. This momentum may diminish when one cannot keep up with the other.

The infamous example is its core members (in most cases also the founders) are too busy with their own careers to progress the organization. The worst situation is the slow death of the organization which still absorbs certain amount of energy and resources because of its early glory, of those who sympathize.

To fold up or change the organization always stirs up controversy, as there are always people with different ideas. You just need to allow different possibilities and it is always interesting to explore the new. In this moment, you definitely sense the opportunity cost is getting higher. But then it’s time to give the organization a new life, with or without you.