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Ling U

Ling U

Ling U

Ling U

Ling U

Re · Count

MACAH VIS511 Curatorial Project

Curated by Chan Tsz Kwan, Li Sin Tung Sharyn, Li Wing Huen Vicky, Li Zixiao Vicky

Public Programme Produced by Wang Meiting


VISUAL STUDIES Image ALT

Re · Count

Artists: Elva Lai, June Wong, Kwing Wing Poon, Marcos Vidal Font, Mediha Ting, Wai Kit Lam
Curators: Sharyn Li Sin Tung, Tsz Kwan Chan, Vicky Li Zixiao, Vicky Li Wing Huen
Public Programme Producer: Meiting Wang


Introduction


We are pleased to present the exhibition “Re · Count” (Repetition and Encounter) co-curated by five students of Master of Arts in Curating and Art History. In a wide range of art mediums such as paintings, video images and installations, the exhibition will represent artworks of 4 Hong Kong artists Elva Lai, June Wong, Kwing Wing Poon (Water), Mediha Ting, and the artist group of Marcos Vidal Font and Wai Kit Lam. They are envisioned to transform arts into an interactive medium to present daily encounters, so as to provide visitors a mental stimulation for the re-discovery of an infinite, new oneself from their daily routines.

Social media and online chat tools are at the cutting edge to transform humans’ way of communications in hustle-and-bustle. Regardless of the minimal social connections for a living, people are limiting their social circles into a virtual space where they can hardly identify the reality. As time passes, they may feel isolated and uncomfortable to return back to face-to-face communications, and become less willing to open up their inner selves for any emotional expression. This eventually hampers their capability of recognising the true inner selves.

Two philosophers – Catherine Pickstock and Gilles Deleuze coincidentally proposed that the minimal differences created in each of the regular and repetitive encounter in daily lives can trigger sensory excitement, which are essential to prompt individuals to recognise oneself, each other and things in the world again, and to be freed from the unconscious illusion from the virtual world.

The exhibition is titled as “Re-count” - the abbreviation of the exhibition theme – repetition and encounter. The artists aimed to investigate their hidden memories and thoughts triggered from the minimal differences between each experience of an encounter, hoping to retrieve visitors’ true value in both the physical and virtual world. They are first encouraged to reconstruct their understanding towards their own self, followed by the relationship between oneself and the surroundings: Mediha Ting made multiple attempts to explore her true cultural identity based on her vague memories of upbringing and living across regions. By repeatedly painting the neighbouring city or natural landscape, June Wong and Kwing Wing Poon (Water) desired to construct a space of tranquility for inner encounters with their own peaceful minds. In two specially designed zones, Marcos Vidal Font and Wai Kit Lam re-created a specific setting with video images to compare people’s diverse understandings towards unconsciousness and question the trustworthiness in human relationships, while Elva Lai was passionate about the value of re-created arts and encountering strangers, and initiated to invite visitors to share their experiences to encounter strangers so as to prompt their personal reflection on encounters.

In a joint effort with the six artists, this is an opportunity to recount and revisit each of your own encounters. Here, you are invited to recall your past memories of encountering and recognise the true value and beauty amid the hustling world.

Elva Lai

Elva Lai believes each sensory experience between strangers cultivates “difference in itself” and emphasises the diversity of personal expression. Instead of art appreciation, Lai proposes the true meaning of art comes from a re-creation of art, especially when the creation of art mobilises the audience and explores one’s deep memories. In this exhibition, Lai is inviting visitors to share their comments about encountering, thus leaving a strong impression on one’s day-to-day experience.


June Wong

June Wong is a Hong Kong visual artist who loves to explore city life through moving images and drawing. Ranging from news images to chats from neighbours, all tiny elements from daily life become the essence of her works. In this exhibition, Wong is presenting her latest depiction of windows as intangible encounters with her inner calmness when contemporary urban life has been filled with various complicated feelings.

Kwing Wing Poon

Strongly in love with nature, Kwing Wing Poon is a well-known artist, photographer and film director with all-rounded talents. To focus on his efforts in painting, he has been emotionally attached to the tranquility and simplicity depicted in Chinese water colour paintings, and has a strong belief to share peacefulness by presenting the natural scenery of mountains and blue titled sea waters in Guilin in this exhibition.

Marcos Vidal Font

Living in Spain, Marcos Vidal Font has a rich international portfolio in organising solo exhibitions in overseas galleries and participating in international art events. He graduated from the San Carlos Faculty of Fine Arts at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, in 1991 with a graphic art speciality. He was an artist-in-residence under the V54 Residence Po Leung Kok Foundation in Hong Kong. Vidal Font loves to experiment with furniture pieces for a critical dialogue by incorporating objects from different origins into a fusion of imaginary space.

Mediha Ting

Born in Belgium, and grew up in Hong Kong, Mediha Ting is inspired by the representation of consciousness of repressed memories and the passing of time through the use of fluorescent colors. She graduated from University of the Arts London (former Byam Shaw School of Arts) in 2000. She later earned a Master's Degree in Art Policy and Management at Birkbeck College in London. After 20 years of living and working in the UK, she moved back to Hong Kong in 2012.

Wai Kit Lam

Wai Kit Lam graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2003 and a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Goldsmiths, University of London, the United Kingdom, in 1996. She mainly uses photography, video art, sound and installation as her medium of artistic creation. Lam loves to challenge conventional ideas and rethink humans' diverse representation of relationships and identities. In her exhibit, she emphasises the co-existence of vulnerability and intimacy between humans through a combination of moving images, videos and installations.