I like this style.

Hank Bull, core member of the first generation of Western Front and great performance artist is like a walking dictionary of contemporary art. I first met him in Shanghai in 2000 and Centre A was just founded by him then in Vancouver. Today I still keep receiving news of its growth. Now he steps down as Founding Director and I really appreciate it. It's very interesting to see an institution to grow to this stage.

CENTRE A EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO STEP DOWN
On May 28, 2010, the executive director of Centre A announced to the board of directors his intention to leave the position at the end of the year.
As the founding director, Hank Bull has played a leading role in establishing Centre A. He makes this decision in order to open the way to renewal and growth for the organization. After working as a curator and administrator for many years, he intends to return to his own personal artistic practice.
The position of executive director will be advertised in the next few weeks and applications accepted over the summer.

From the Executive Director
To the Board of Directors of Centre A

It is with gratitude, optimism and, of course, regrets that I announce my retirement as executive director of Centre A.
Centre A has occupied a considerable portion of my professional career – fifteen years since the idea was first conceived – so it is only after careful consideration that I come to this decision.
My reasons for stepping down are both professional and personal. The long term success of any organization depends, as the word would suggest, on succession. Centre A has developed an exemplary model of succession in both board and staff. Now in its twelfth year of operation, the organization enjoys the leadership and vision of its fourth board president and its fourth curator. Furthermore, many young people have found mentorship in the organization and gone on to professional careers in the arts. The one position yet to be renewed is that of the executive director. In order to enable Centre A to thrive on the strength of its mission, and not simply on the dreams of its founders, it is essential that this key position be handed on to someone new.
Now is a good time. Centre A is in sound financial shape. It has an excellent board and a talented staff. Knowledge and experience are distributed throughout the organization. A succession planning committee has been formed and is part of a comprehensive strategic plan. All this provides the solid footing necessary to support organizational growth and change. We expect the executive director position to be advertised soon and interviews to begin in the early fall.
My reason for leaving also has a personal side. Devoting much of my time and energy to Centre A has meant that my personal life and my own research have had to take a back seat. It is time for my explorations to take a more personal direction. What I will find is still a delightful mystery, even to me, but you may be sure that it will involve, somehow, a life in art.
I would like to acknowledge my appreciation to all of Centre A’s board members past and present. It has been an honour to serve under your direction. To all the staff and volunteers with whom it has been my privilege to work I give my heartfelt thanks. I will miss you a lot and know that great achievements await you. I offer a special expression of gratitude to the donors who have not only been crucial to sustaining the centre but who have also become personal friends. And to the funders, press, peers and audience members who have helped to make Centre A the success that it is today, working with you has been a pleasure.
I intend to remain an active member and volunteer at Centre A.
Let’s keep on pushing.

Hank Bull
Executive Director

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.

10 Commandments

Just got this from FEP, the Federation of European Professional Photographers about copyright. It sounds like common sense, however many would still (mean to) forget.

1. Respect copyright on photographs.
2. Always ask permission from the photographer if you want to use a photograph.
3. Do not trust anyone who claims that he can give permission. Only the photographer can give permission for the use of his photographs.
4. Make sure that there can be no misunderstanding about the way the photograph is used and the fee agreed.
5. Only use a photograph for the agreed purpose.
6. Always try to find the photographer of the photograph you wish to use. Do not use a photograph when you do not know who took it.
7. Always state the photographer’s name next to his photograph.
8. Do not change, crop or cut a photograph without the permission of the photographer.
9. Be aware of the rights of third parties. Also, ask their permission before using the
photograph.
10. Always give the photographer a copy of the publication.

More unusual visitors

Last Friday morning, it was another surprise-visit to my studio. More often the door rang in the morning for delivery or something. So when it rang then, I just thought about another delivery, probably by the same people. When I opened the door, in front me was a mid-age Chinese woman, dressed clean with a vest matched with a shirt and a black half-length skirt like a shipping company office lady. Obviously there was nothing to deliver.... Well... yes, she was delivering the message of God! When I was pondering how I should respond, (thank "God") she already said, "I guess you must be very busy!"
"Yes, I am"
"Would you like to have some pamphlets of inspiring messages from God?" she said before she took them out.
"Hmmm.... could you simply put them in our mail box in the ground floor.... For sure I could get them there." Apparently I forgot we weren't talking about emails. I felt so embarrassed with my stupidity and immediately closed the door. The bell didn't ring again then and I must have been given up by God.
But five hours later, the door bell rang!
Suspecting that Chinese woman was returning, I opened the door slowly. (I probably should install a surveillance camera at the door!) To my surprise, there was a westerner, a woman in a similar dress as that Chinese. "God, it's the Mormon!" but I turned this thought down as I didn't see the black name tag on her chest.
Before I could have any other idea, she asked, "Are you selling your studio?" It was really another surprise (but not too bad as she might ask "Are you selling your soul?")
"No," I replied simply.
"Do you know any space in this floor is available for sale?"
"I have no idea but I would wonder if there is any."
"Thank you."
I closed the door. Perhaps it's not bad if she could buy off all those factories of barbecue food next to us.

Visitors

Recently I had very unusual visitors to my studio. Last week in a late afternoon when I was rushing to leave my studio, the door bell rang, very rare for me at this hour. Two teenagers in school uniform looked a little shy and nervous when I opened the door. "Could we interview you?" the only words they uttered. It was a very surprise and I have never met them before. I simply answered I was too busy then for any interview and said goodbye to them. Indeed they took it easy and left. After closing the door, I felt myself too rude and was afraid they might be hurt. I opened the door again and they were still waiting for the lift out there.
"Good! Please email to me to schedule an interview that I can prepare." I said.
They only smiled and nodded.
"Do you have my email address?" I added.
They turned their heads.
"You can check out my website and find my email contacts there."
They nodded again.
"But do you know my website?"
They turned their heads again.
Then I told it to them. They nodded but didn't write it down. The lift arrived and they disappeared.
"Do they know who I am?" I asked myself.

Student work

Yesterday two of my students counted more than 200 people entering the school at the main entrance but only 9 used the door at centre and the rest from the side. None of these looked like students and it was said your grade point average would be below 3.0 if you did.

Paolo Gioli

The other day I saw a short film programme of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. These years I am far less enthusiastic about the HKIFF for different reasons. It was really long ago that I could see 5 shows a day and very likely I fell asleep in a couple of them!
Anyway, I went to this show this year mainly because of Paolo Gioli, in my own words, crazy great artist who could make a camera out of anything. He was one of the photographers who did workshop with us back in the days of Spilimbergo in Italy almost 20 years ago. Years after, I did a few projects of pinhole camera probably because of him. But then I didn't learn about him as a film maker.
Back to the show, to my surprise it was a very small audience, about 30% full of Agnes B Cinema in the Hong Kong Arts Centre. I hope the film makers from Austria & Japan who specially came to this screening of their short films were not disappointed. The title of the programme was Avant Garde Programme II which was a bit misleading. Actually a few of films in this screening were more about photographic gaze, the very basic nature of photography. Gioli showed a new film I volti dell'anonimo which was made of a found footage with a lot of found still inserts. It was my first time to see his film work which is actually consistent with his photography, exploring the intriguing link between presence, history and photography. A lot of accidental poetics!
I am too outdated: actually Gioli was an artist-in-focus of the HKIFF in 2007!