The power of K

The "14K" T-shirt of G.O.D. got trouble with the police concerning the infamous triad society bearing the same name. It's time to re-consider how much freedom of speech we have and the law we have to comply. Suddenly it's become an obsession of a number with which we all have lived for long time. People might argue "14K" could mean so many different things and all depend on the context. In spite of the restrction of the Societies Ordinance, how wrong/bad is such an idea to bear the name of a frequently media-featured triad society on the T-shirt before the police argued against its unlawful status. It's the law which is supposed to protect us from the crime of the triad. I suppose someone(police?) felt offended by the T-shirt. Then we always remember someone here can be offended by art too. It's just scary that a T-shirt design could put you in jail. It's hard to understand: for the same meaning, "14" is ok but "14K" isn't.

I think there are many other things to put on T-shirt which is lawful but offensive! The drawing above was made after the G.O.D. design, replacing the Chinese characters 拾肆Ｋ(14K) with 廿參條(Article 23 which was about the national security and its drafting caused half a million people to demonstrate against the government in 2003).

Beijing scan II

The "tornado" by Anish Kapoor In Galleria Continua was the best I saw in Beijing this time, really a must-see exhibition.

Panda show of Zhao Bandi

Qiu Anxiong's solo in the Universal Studio was great. Still full of details and subtleties in the spectacular train compartment.

The Nam June Paik solo in Doart was nice. A lot of smaller pieces from different periods, good complement to his Guggenheim retrospective some years ago.

The Egg was not interesting as I expected. Too dry, too big and too much dwarfing the landscape around.

A tacky show rehearsal of dancing jockeys in a shopping mall promoting Olympic equestrian sport in Hong Kong 2008.

Dinner chat, Jeff & Vanessa

Beijing scan I

The current show curated by Huang Du in the Today Art Museum was interesting. The giant steel spine by Wang Jin was one of my favourites.

Koohaus' split CCTV towers in the smog.

In the new Ullens Center, the '85 New Wave show was touching. You could just feel the artists' passion then which is kind of rare nowadays. Huang Yong Ping's seminal work re-made with brand-new washing machines.

Gallery in Fo Tan

Last Sunday the first gallery was inaugurated in Fo Tan, where artists have gathered for studio spaces since a few years ago. It's been common theory that galleries, shops and restaurants always follow artists in the west. And finally artists have to move out again because of high rent. The famous example is SoHo in New York. I'm not sure if the end of Fo Tan will be like this but first wonder if it would actually happen in the beginning too. I'm unsure if there will be more galleries opening here. Hanart got a space last year but it remains a warehouse after the open studio. The new Blue Lotus is operated as weekend gallery before customers or visitors would travel up here to see art during the week. Not even talking about the general mindset on contemporary art here, the preconception of distance of a lot of people in Hong Kong is super conservative. It's always the comfort zone for art from Wan Chai to Sheung Wan. Going beyond that can be "far away" for a lot of art hoppers, although it might be 20 more min in the MTR/KCR, that length of time has so often killed by all sorts of silly activities.

Anyway, there's a community in Fo Tan but not all the time invisible. While hoping things will be flourishing, there may be more substantial to have a place like cha chan tang (local cafe) where artists can have more chance to bump into each other. There are getting more "private" spaces for individuals and "open" space for public during the open studio events but that kind of communal space among artists are still missing.

Just miss the cool and clean air in Canberra

Loss of space

Yesterday I went for a walk in the hills of Sha Tin, a trail exactly the same as I did nine years ago. I remember last time I left the hill and came to a small lawn before entering to the town centre which I enjoyed much with BB. This time the lawn has gone and it sits a huge ramp of the expressway.

Hong Kong for taitais

Hong Kong, such a small arts community, is hardly attractive to the international players but love means a lot here. I have so far met a few art professionals including curators/directors and editors of major art museums and magazines who relocated to Hong Kong in the name of love as their partners had to come to Hong Kong for their business and career. They were female art professionals and gave up their career for their husbands. Some of them continue their career (in smaller scale and capacity) in different ways but some might simply become a wealthy tai tai, occasionally doing some volunteer work for art organizations or other charity.

Mmm... maybe a lot of local artists are similar too, perhaps just not wealthy. Once Chan Yuk Keung said making art in Hong Kong just like doing for charity! I respect them all anyway.

70% Urban

I just visited the National Museum of Australia today and really got something different from when I biked past it the other day. I guess it somehow built as a touristic attraction but it's no compromise to its substance. Seeing inside it's far more than a photo spot.

I like it in a way not too didactic although all the time you sensed the political correctness as the national museum would have. The racial issue is something so serious here in Australia but is simply overlooked and ignored in Hong Kong. It's so much a memorial for reconciliation. After all, instead of being overwhelmed by all those historical artifacts, there are quite a lot of contemporary art works here. Art works more often pose questions instead of answers. Although the tone is quite set, audience could still have this space to think about the issue.

Especially I like the temporary exhibition "70% Urban". Unfortunately I walked to that part when the museum was almost closed. in a pretty rush I walked thro' the show. It's such dilemma and tension between tradition and new in many post-colonial discourses. It's a resonance of the rethink of orientalism in Asia which a lot of internalization takes place because of globalization and tourism. You always have this arguement of authenticity..... I probably have a revisit as the good thing of this museum is free admission.

One of touching display is about the 70s movement for civil rights and social justice. There was an Aboriginal Tent Embassy set off the old parlament house, where now has become a listed heritage. It means a piece of history of thiry years. Now look at our Queen's Pier. Where is the gut of our government to preserve our history (of both of the colony and the civil rights)?

Who needs development?