Andrew Luk, Samuel Swope - Ready \ Set \ Fulfill

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Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope

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FULFILL 1

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READY \SET\ FULFILL Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope

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CONTENT

Ready \ Set \ Fulfill Exhibition Forward《Ready \ Set \ Fulfill》展覽前言

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Artist Statement 藝術家展覽聲名

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As hangs the flexible rope《輕柔的繩懸掛著》

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Inverted Fulfillment《倒裝現實》

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Dragon Cloud Gate《騰龍雲閘》

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Liphium《Liphium》

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Honeycomb Accelerator《蜂巢加速器》

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The Threatening Birds & Beasts《 The Threatening Birds & Beasts》

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Waggle《擺尾舞》

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Horizon Scan《地平線掃描》

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Glass Curtain Dive (22.2488808, 114.1630336) 《鏡中俯衝 (22.2488808, 114.1630336) 》

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Floating Citadel《 浮動城堡》

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Lucent Turbulence《澄瑩氣流》

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First Person View (FPV) Drone Footage 第一人稱視角（FPV）無人機片段

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Artists Biography 藝術家簡介

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Artists CV 藝術家履歷

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Hong Kong

Ready\Set\Fulfill is a special collaborative project by Andrew Luk and Samuel Swope, a Hong Kong-based artist and technologist. The exhibition is comprised of new artwork, including sculptural and multimedia installations that collectively form a sprawling drone racecourse throughout and around the gallery space. First Person View (FPV) competitive drone races are scheduled to occur during the course of the exhibition. Ready\Set\Fulfill opens 13 March and runs through 8 May. The emerging sport of FPV drone racing features prominently in the exhibition, both as live performance and as recorded video work. The races advance a conversation about humanity’s relationship to speed and progress at large. They exemplify Philosopher Paul Virilio’s concept of “dromology,” (the science or logic of speed), a term he coined positing that the development of society and culture is akin to a race—with the fastest competitor being the most successful. Further still, drone racing collapses the boundaries between man and machine. As pilots wear immersive VR headsets to pilot the drones via onboard cameras, their vision becomes the drones’ vision and their movements become the drones’ movements. This melding of man and machine manifests the collective desire to transcend our physical, mortal bodies and accelerate towards a more efficient, faster, and cybernetic existence.

Drawing inspiration from Amazon.com Inc.’s patent application for hive-like fulfillment centers, the exhibition also explores the history and future of architecture as well as humanity’s relationship to speed and technological progress. Reminiscent of skyscrapers, Amazon’s proposed fulfillment centers are intended to be the nexus for a colony of thousands of drones delivering packages at a moment’s notice. However, the exhibition addresses not only this vision of the future, but also architecture’s long-held fascination with hives. The thinking of renowned architects like Robert Hooke (1635-1703), Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), Le Corbusier (1887-1965), the Metabolism movement, and the Archigram group are all referenced within the installation-cum-race course. Artworks double as obstacles for the drone racecourse and include hanging catenary curves, specially designed “Gaudi loops,” and more.

The exhibition is intended to be experienced in two ways—one through the eyes of humans, and the other through the lenses of drones. The drones’ perspective will be live streamed during races and played on loop during regular exhibition hours. Information regarding races may be publicized at a later date, in keeping with relevant Covid-19 prevention measures.

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香港 《Ready\Set\Fulfill》是陸浩明和駐香港藝術家兼技術專家Samuel Swope 合作的特別項目。展覽由全新的藝術作品組成，利用雕塑和多媒體裝置在畫廊 空間和周圍形成一個龐大的無人機賽道。展覽期間計畫呈現數場第一人稱視角 （FPV）無人機競賽。《Ready\Set\Fulfill》將於3月13日開幕並持續展出至5 月8日。 新興的FP V 無 人機 競 速 運 動 會在 展 覽中以現 場 表 演和影像記 錄兩種 形式呈 現。FPV無人機競速推動了我們討論人類與速度和進步之間的關係。競賽是哲 學家保羅·維希留（Paul Virilio）的「競速學」 （Dromology） （速度的科學或 邏輯）概念的例證，這個術語是他杜撰假定社會和文化的發展就像一場競賽— 最快的競爭者即為最成功。此外，無人機競速還打破了人和機器之間的界限。 飛行員佩戴沉浸式的VR頭盔，並通過機載攝像頭操控無人機，此刻，他們的視 覺以及動作會與無人機一致。這種人與機器的融合展現了一種能超越我們人 類肉身的集體願望，加速走向一種更高效、更快，以及融合模控學的存在。 本次展覽的靈感來源於亞馬遜公司申請專利的「蜂巢塔」物流運營中心，也探 討了建築學的歷史和未來，以及人類和速度、技術進步的相互關係。亞馬遜擬 議的物流中心讓人聯想到摩天大樓，這個巨型樞紐帶讓數千架無人機在接收 到通知後即刻派送包裹。然而，展覽不僅表達了對未來的展望，也表達了建築 學對於蜂巢塔的長期迷戀。羅伯特·胡克 （1635-1703）, 安東尼·高第 （18521926），路德維希·密斯·凡德羅（1886-1969），勒·柯布西耶（1887-1965）， 代謝運動（Metabolism Movement）和建築電訊派（Archigram）等著名建築 師的思想，在裝置和競賽賽道中都被引用到。藝術作品在無人機跑道中設為障 礙，包括懸掛懸鏈曲線和特別設置的「高第環」 （Gaudi loops）等。 本次展覽旨在通過兩種方式來體驗：一種是通過人們自己的眼睛，另一種則是 通過無人機的鏡頭。無人機在比賽中的視角將會現場直播，並於常規展覽期間 則循環播放。為了配合新冠肺炎的預防措施，比賽相關信息會在稍後公佈。

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ARTIST STATEMENT

The internet of our future, in attending to our immediate desires, will lead to a de-accumulation of stuff via higher efficiency and with it will come an increased frequency of consumption and waste output. The fulfilment center of today is a vague location for outsourced inventory and logistics management in the e-commerce process. It involves flotillas of cargo ships, fleets of trains, planes and trucks, armies of robots, and workers in a type of non-stop coordinated unison typical of an insect colony. Tomorrow this colony will be automated and more rapid, and buildings like Amazon Fulfilment Centers will be as iconic as skyscrapers; fully automated architectural wonders, alive with hive-like buzzing and whirring as drones of all sizes land and take off from the thousands of landing pads bolted into the sides of the structures.

A swarm of drones crossing the harbour gently zip across the sky in front of a waning sunset, ensuring your order will arrive in minutes.

In 1675, the scientist Robert Hooke recovered “the true manner of arches for building,” which he summarized with a single phrase: “As hangs the flexible line, so but inverted will stand the rigid arch.” This axiom was used by bees for millennia to build their hives. Each bee grips onto the next, forming a wriggling rope of furry bodies attached to a tree branch at both ends and dangling in the shape of an arch at the middle - forming the catenary curve, the ideal outline for the outer walls of their new hive. Using similar techniques, Gaudi’s upside-down models made of string and fabric accurately determined the curvature of archways and buttresses before construction began. Mies Van der Rohe’s Honeycomb (1921), the first glass skyscraper office building in the world is not coincidentally named. At the time, manmade beehive boxes with panes of glass through which one could view the bees at work were already common. Architecture’s mimicry of hives and honeycombs is an extension of its sociohistorical legacy rooted in its ability to impact society; in this context, to create idealistic, utopian, hive-like societies. Le Corbusier’s call for “Architecture or Revolution’’ states that architecture would be a sufficient substitute to social upheaval, but also suggests that new society with new architecture is unavoidable.

Japanese Metabolist Architecture and to a lesser degree 1970s Archigram, in a similar vein, act as predecessors to the Amazon Vertical Fulfilment Center, consisting of manufactured, repeatable, irreducible units that are “plugged in.” Form is determined only by function.

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In position, arms extended, fingers on controls, eyes absorbing screens: the human being embodies the soaring drone. The mind and the machine are in sync. Movement and data feedback are rendered virtual due to the remote nature of drone operations. And so, the conglomerate, the hive-like Center, the operators, the code, and the semi-autonomous busy drones work together, a hybrid of sorts, to prioritize and fulfill your order.

As your package drops gently from the sky, a fantastical techno-utopia promising efficiency and fulfillment begins.

There is an intensity at which technology progressively replaces and augments human beings. In 1977, philosopher Paul Virilio coined the term ‘dromology’, defined as “the science (or logic) of speed.” He compares the activity of racing with society at large, in that what is faster dominates what is slower. And thus theorizing the compulsion to accelerate. In Drone Art, Professor Thomas Stubblefield cites Virilio’s Dromoscopy, or the Ecstasy of Enormities, “since [his] diagnosis forty years ago, not only has the windshield come to merge with the computer screen via ‘head-up displays’ (HUDs) of contemporary automobiles, but so has the screen itself reproduced depthless experience of ‘speed pictures’ in the form of racing simulators and first-person shooters.”

Competitive arousal as well as the desire to experience flight are both related to our human fascination to overcome our mortal earthly bodies. First person view, or FPV, drone racing

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culture tends to suggest that the feeling is as if one’s own body is flying. Despite being remotely separated from the drone, the VR goggles provide a window of endless ‘speed pictures’ that “confuse ‘ocular reality’ and its instantaneous, mediated representation.” As this new technological sport evolves and expands towards mass appeal, a question arises: Is the colosseum that normalizes and decontextualizes the use of drones as aerial racers also an accelerator that will in due course affect society at large?

Ready\Set\Fulfill uses materials that engage with the imagery on which the current emerging technotopian promise resides. A future of ethereal information clouds, radiant beams of light speed, and transparent air invisibly saturated with signals. Forms take shape as connective tissue, referencing a historical legacy of myths from past hive-based utopias of which the Amazon Vertical Fulfilment Center blueprint is the most recent. Simultaneously, the sculptural work also doubles as an FPV drone racecourse, borrowing the infrastructural language from the emerging e-sport, thereby subjecting itself to both human and machine vision. With each lap around the course, the vision blurs: notions of art, sport, utopia, warfare, and entertainment begin to fuse.

The mead as well as the ambiance of the drone is intoxicating. We are in it. The trajectory is total.

— Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope

藝術家展覽聲名

未來互聯網會為滿足我們即時慾望而更高的效率來處理積 聚物，從而引發更多的消費和廢物產生。今天的運營中心是 處於一個電子商務進程中，委託庫存和物流管理的一個模糊 位置。它涉及到貨輪船隊、火車、飛機和卡車隊伍、機器人大 軍以及像昆蟲部落一樣不間斷、協調一致地工作的員工。未 來這個群體將會更快速、自動化，如亞馬遜運營中心這樣的 建築將和摩天大樓一樣具有標誌性；徹底自動化的建築奇觀， 大大小小的無人機於固定在建築兩側的數千個平台升降，場 面如同蜂巢般充斥著嗡嗡作響的聲音。 一群無人機穿越海港，在夕陽的餘暉下輕輕掠過天空，確保訂 單在幾分鐘內送達。 1675年，科學家羅伯特·胡克（Robert Hooke）發現了「建築 拱門的正確方式」並用一句話總結：「將懸掛的柔性曲線反 轉成堅硬的拱。」幾千年來，蜜蜂一直用這個原理來築巢。每 隻蜜蜂緊緊抓住另一隻蜜蜂，用它們毛茸茸的身體形成一條 蠕 動的繩子，兩端連接樹枝，中間呈拱形 懸掛，從而形成了 懸鏈曲線，這是它們新蜂巢外牆的理想輪廓。高第利用類似 的技術，以繩子和織物製作的倒置模型，在施工前就準確地 確定了拱門和扶壁的曲率。路德維希·密斯·凡德羅（Ludwig Mies van der Rohe）在1921年設計的「蜂巢建築」是世界 上第一座玻璃摩天寫字樓，其名並非 巧合。在當時，透 過玻 璃看見蜜蜂在工作的人 造 玻 璃蜂 箱已經 很常見。建 築 對蜂 巢 和蜂窩的模仿是 其社會歷 史 遺 產的延 伸，根植 於其 影 響 社會的能力；由此而論，去創造理想主義的，烏托邦式的，蜂 巢式的社會。勒·柯布西耶（Le Corbusier）對「建築還是革 命」的呼籲表明，建築可充分成為社會劇變的代替品，但也 暗 示了有著新 建 築的新 社會也是不可避 免的。同樣 被視為 亞洲亞 馬遜 垂直 運營中心的前身，還有日本的代 謝 派 建 築 （Japanese Metabolist Architecture）和1970年的建築電訊 派（Archigram），通過「插入」可製造、可重複、不可約的單 元組成。形式僅由功能決定。 就好位置，雙臂展開，手指置於控制板，眼睛注視屏幕：人類 化身為翱翔的無人機。大腦與機器同步。由於無人機操作的 遠程性質，移動和數據反饋只是虛擬的。企業集團、蜂巢塔

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中心、操作員、代碼，以及忙碌的半自動無人機，如同各類混 合體一起工作，來排序和完成訂單。當你的包裹從空中緩緩 落下時，一個承諾效率和滿足感的夢幻技術烏托邦就此開始。 技術對人類的逐步取代和擴增正在加劇。1977年，哲學家保 羅·維希留（Paul Virilio）創造了「競速學」 （Dromology）的 概念，定義為「速度的科學（或邏輯）」。他以競賽活動和整 個社會作為比較，認為更快的事物將主導著更慢的事物。從 而，理論化了加速的強迫性。在《無人機的藝術》中，教授托 馬斯·斯塔博費爾德（Thomas Stubblefield）引用了維希留的 《競速觀看，或巨大的狂喜》（Dromoscopy, or the Ecstasy of Enormities），「自從他四十年前的診斷，不僅擋風玻璃通 過現代汽車的平視顯示器（HUBs）與電腦屏幕融合在一起， 屏幕本身也以賽車模擬器和第一人稱射擊遊戲的形式再現了 「速度畫面」 （speed pictures）的深度體驗。」 競賽喚起的興奮，體驗飛行的慾望，都與我們人類希望克服 自身平凡肉身的癡迷有關。第一人稱視角（FPV）的無人機競 賽文化讓 人們感受自己的身體在飛行。儘管這副VR眼鏡與 無人機相隔很 遠，但它為看見無盡的「速度畫面」（speed pictures）提供了一個窗口，「混淆了「視覺實境」（ocular reality）和其即時與居中介導的表現」。這項新科技運動的 發展和普及提出了一個問題：這個規範化和去語境化的無人 機空中競賽場，是否也會成為影響社會的加速器？ 《Ready\Set\Fulfill》使用的材料，與當今新興科技烏托邦承 諾的意象有關。未來的信息雲，光速的輻射束，和充滿隱形信 號的透明空氣。事物的形態以結締組織呈現，參考了歷史以 來基於蜂巢烏托邦的神話，亞馬遜垂直運營中心為當中的最 新藍圖。 同時，雕塑作品會兼作FPV無人機的賽道使用，借用 了新興電子競技中的基礎語言，使其同時受到人類和機器視 覺的影響。在賽道上每繞一圈，視線都變得更模糊：藝術、體 育、烏托邦、戰爭和娛樂等的概念開始融合。蜂蜜酒和無人機 的氣氛令人陶醉。 我們已置身其中。 軌道已完整。

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– 陸浩明 x Samuel Swope

Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope As hangs the flexible light rope 2021 LED light rope, transparent plastic bags, transparent fishing line, water, mirror Dimensions variable

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AS HANGS THE FLEXIBLE LIGHT ROPE

As hangs the flexible light rope is comprised of hanging LED light ropes, weighed down by dozens of 250ml bags of water and installed above a floor of mirrors. As the rope is weighed down by water, it forms what is called the “catenary curve”; a shape that was recovered by the 17th century English mathematician Robert Hooke who posited, “As hangs the flexible line, so but inverted will stand the rigid arch.” Similar physics are used by bees when constructing a hive, during which they often hold on to one another and hang themselves in a line from two points to form their own structurally sound catenary curve. Within the history of architecture, this method of construction was very famously used by the Architect Antoni Gaudi to design his work. The historical and frequent architectural references to beehives are reflective of mankind’s long-standing fascination with hives as a utopian model of productivity and industriousness. 《輕柔的繩懸掛著》由懸掛的LED燈索組成，燈索被數十個250毫升的水袋垂掛著，並安裝在一塊 鏡面地板上。當燈索被水袋垂掛並下垂時，會形成「懸鏈線」 （catenary curve）。這種形狀最早由 17世紀的英國數學家羅伯特·胡克（Robert Hooke）提出：「將懸掛的柔性曲線反轉成堅硬的拱。」 而蜜蜂在築巢時也會使用類似的原理，它們會相互緊握，從兩端懸垂成一條線，從而形成一條結構 合理的懸鏈線。於建築史上，著名建築家安東尼·高迪（Antoni Gaudi）便聞名於使用這種建造方 法來設計他的作品。這種在過去歷史上對蜂箱的頻繁參考，反映了人類長期以來對蜂箱的迷戀，也 15 許因為蜂箱是一種生產力和勤奮精神結合的烏托邦模式。

Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope Inverted Fulfillment 2021 Die-cut vinyl Dimensions variable

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INVERTED FULFILLMENT

Inverted Fulfillment is a large vinyl sticker installed across a white wall. Its imagery is based on Amazon.com’s patent for a hive-like drone fulfillment center. The artists inverted the original patent image to further emphasize its similarity to a beehive and then added dozens of images of drones to convey the sense that the structure would feel alive and be buzzing with movement. Inverted Fulfillment is placed alongside the LED installation As hangs the flexible light rope, the two of which share similarity in shape. As you gaze into the mirror below these installations, you see the hanging LED light rope reflected as rigid arches as well as the original image of the fulfillment center. 《倒裝現實》是一塊安裝在白牆上的大型乙烯基貼紙。貼紙圖像是以Amazon.com的蜂巢式無人機 配送中心的專利為根據。藝術家們倒置了原本的專利圖像，以進一步強調它與蜂巢的相似性，並通 過添加數十幅無人機圖像以傳達一種感覺：這個構造會充滿著活力，並隨著動靜嗡嗡作響。《倒裝 現實》與《輕柔的繩懸掛著》因形狀相似而並排放置。當你凝視著這些裝置作品下方的鏡面時，您 會看到懸掛的LED燈索被反射成堅硬的拱形，以及無人機配送中心的原始圖像。

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Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope Dragon Cloud Gate 2021 Plexiglass, mild steel, stainless steel spider fittings, deconstructed smoke machine, rubber tube, lightweight cement blocks, LEDs, water, glycerine, emergency tape, office chair legs 120 x 228 x 160 cm

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DRAGON CLOUD GATE Dragon Cloud Gate visually references glass skyscrapers, particularly those found in Hong Kong. Within the context of the racecourse, its slightly off-center hole is an obstacle for the drones to fly through. The structure billows with wisps of smoke, allowing audiences to see turbulence in the air and space as drones move through it. The smoke also functions as a challenge for the drones’ sight, obscuring their vision the same way a cloud reduces visibility for commercial flight pilots. The blinking red lights on the perimeter of the hole mimic the flashing lights on the top of skyscrapers that serve as warnings for low-flying planes.

In terms of architectural history, the artwork points back to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s “Honeycomb” - the world’s first design for a glass skyscraper. The building was likely inspired by a development amongst beekeepers at the time to keep their hives inside of transparent containers. Since this initial conception, the glass skyscraper has become an almost ubiquitous feature of every major city.

Dragon Cloud Gate also stands on two office chairs, in reference to the more violent use of drone technology—for warfare. The pilots behind unmanned warfare drones are often simply sitting in office chairs, safely in their own homeland. The office chair legs then stand on bricks of concrete, one of the most important building blocks of the 21st century. 《騰龍雲閘》的外觀參考了玻璃摩天大樓，尤其是香港的摩天大樓。作為無人機的賽道，它身上稍微 偏離中心的方孔是無人機需要穿越的障礙。裝置散發著濃煙，當無人機飛越時，觀眾可看見空中的 湍流。這些煙霧亦對無人機的視線構成挑戰，使它們的視野變得更模糊，就像雲降低了飛機師的視 野一樣。方孔周圍閃爍的紅燈模仿了摩天大樓頂部閃爍的紅燈，以警示低空飛行的飛機。 就建築史而言，這件作品可追溯到路德維希·密斯·凡德羅（Ludwig Mies van der Rohe）的「蜂窩」 （Honeycomb）—世界上第一個玻璃摩天大樓的設計。該建築很可能是受到當時養蜂人的啟發，他 們將蜂箱保持在透明的容器內。而自這最初的構想以來，玻璃摩天大樓現在已成為每個大城市中， 幾乎無處不在的特徵。 《騰龍雲閘》亦企立在兩張辦公椅上，以象徵無人機技術暴力和戰爭的一面。在這些無人作戰中，無 人機背後的飛行員通常只是安全地坐在自己家鄉的辦公椅上。而辦公椅的椅腳則企立在21世紀最 重要的組成部分之一混凝土磚之上。

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Samuel Swope Liphium 2020 Performance patent Acrylic glass engraving, mounted on aluminium frame 59 x 42.5 cm

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LIPHIUM

Liphium is a patent for a performative installation.

In the installation a drone by the same name, “Liphium,” mimics the form and behaviors from insects and commercial drones. Airborne, it understands itself spatially according to light, future tech evolving towards the natural with bio-phototaxis-mimetics. The work begins with patent #US9387928B1, a technological implementation for docking drones on top of street lights in urban environments. This patent is another plan for smart street lights, which are growing in numbers to collect a wide range of data. Pull down the light; in the performative installation narrative a smart street light appears to have been pulled down in an act of defiance.

The light continues to rock slowly on the ground; light facing upwards, a beacon. Liphium, once airborne, navigates towards the street light, following its disposition to dock, yet it is unable to do so due to the orientation of the light. Liphium is thus left with the behavior, a moth to a flame.

《Liphium》是一個行為藝術裝置的專利。在裝置裡，與 作品同名的無人機《Liphium》，模仿了昆蟲和商業無人 機的樣式和行為。在飛行過程中，它會根據光線去了解自 己的空間與位置。未來的科技，將通過生物趨光的模擬技 術向自然發展。這項工作始於#US9387928B1專利，該專 利技術實現了無人機順利在城市街燈上停泊。而該專利也 是智能街燈的計劃之一，這些街燈的數量正在不斷增長， 以收 集 各種 各樣 的 數 據。燈 光 驟 降；在 這個 行為藝 術 裝 置的描述裡，一個智能街燈似乎因爲反抗行為而被拉倒。 光繼續在地面上緩慢晃動；然後，燈光提高，一個燈標出 現了。而Liphium一旦起飛後，便會按照內定的停靠方式 朝燈標航行，但由於光線的「方向」，它無法做到這一點。 《Liphium》因此具有自毀的特性，即飛蛾撲火。

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Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope Honeycomb Accelerator 2021 LED light strips, mirror, plexiglass, oneway mirror, pulleys, sailing rope, ratchet straps 133 x 800 x 117.5 cm

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HONEYCOMB ACCELERATOR

Honeycomb Accelerator is an 8-meter-long hexagonal and kaleidoscopic artwork, the interior of which is lined with mirrors on all sides. The artwork is primarily designed for the perspective of a drone. As drones fly through the tunnel, their speed and singular lens distorts the image, creating an intense speed-picture that visually disorients pilots. The drone looks as if it is shooting through a futuristic hive with hundreds of these tunnels, only one of which is real. Honeycomb Accelerator and the speed with which the drones are able to move through it references the philosophies of Paul Virilio, who looked at human progress and history through the lens of speed and coined the term Dromology in 1977. Dromology theorizes that the winners in human history are always the fastest, thus explaining humanity’s internalized need for speed and constant acceleration. 《蜂巢加速器》是一個長達八米的六邊形萬花筒藝術品，其內部四面都是鏡子。該作品主要是以 無人機視角設計的。當無人機飛過隧道時，其速度和奇異的鏡頭變形了圖像，從而產生了強烈的 速度圖像，讓飛行員在視覺上迷失方向。這架無人機看起來像是穿梭在一個有著無數條隧道的未 來主義蜂巢，但其中只有一條是真實存在的。蜂巢加速器和無人機通過它的速度參考了保羅·維希 留（Paul Virilio）的哲學，他從速度的角度審視了人類進步的歷史，並在1977年創造了「競速學」 （Dromology）這一概念。「競速學」 （Dromology）認為，人類歷史上的贏家總是跑得最快的，由 此解釋了人類對速度和不斷加速的內在需求。

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THE THREATENING BIRDS & BEASTS

The Threatening Birds & Beasts series is comprised of engraved sheets of acrylic glass embedded within customized frames made of black packaging foam. The series explores the tension between drones and humanity, AI and our own behavioral tendencies.

The works are produced through a mixture of AI generated processes, as well as the artist’s own touch. It begins with research for drone related patents filed across the world that touch upon a tension between man’s relationship to the unmanned arial machines. Once found, these patents are downloaded as low-res, black and white images and subsequently archived. These images are then collaged in photoshop to build narratives or develop a sense of quirkiness.

They are then exported and fed into a DeepAI that utilizes machine learning to add color to the image. The result is then downloaded and fed again into another DeepAI that enlarges the image. The image is then downloaded and imported in photoshop, where it’s resolution is converted from 70dpi to 300dpi. This process of enlargement is repeated and results in an image that has been so altered, it begins to look painterly. Finally, it is converted into a gray-scale image and crushed into a 150.bmp bitmap file to be laser engraved onto the surface of acrylic glass. After the engraving process, the artist then rubs pigment into in the surface of the work by hand and polishes the piece until he is satisfied with its appearance.

Swope then designs custom frames for each of the acrylic sheets made from packaging foam in a reference to drones’ most discussed future utilitarian function– the delivery of packages.

《The Threatening Birds & Beasts》系列由亞克力玻璃 雕刻板和黑色包裝泡沫的定制邊框組成。該系列探索了無 人機與人類、人工智能與我們自身行為傾向之間的張力。 這些作品通 過 結合人工智能 和藝 術家創作而成的。首先 是 蒐 集世界各地與無 人機相關的專 利，並研究其中涉及 到人 類與無人駕駛機器之間張力的部分。找到相關的專 利後，它們會被儲存為低分辨率、黑白的圖像。然後，在 photoshop中對這些圖像進行拼貼，以建立敘事，展現出 突變的感覺。之後導出圖像並放入DeepAI，以機器學習形 式為這些圖像重新添加顏色。得出的半成品會再次 放 入 到另一個DeepAI以放大圖像的大小。這些圖像會被再次 導入photoshop，並將其分辨率從70dpi轉換到300dpi。 這個 放 大 過程會不斷重複，最 終所得到的圖 像，改 變 甚 大，看起來就像畫家的作品一樣。最後，將圖像轉換為灰 階圖像，並壓縮成150.bmp位圖文件，用激光刻在亞克力 玻璃表面。雕刻過後，藝術家再用手將顏料塗抹到作品的 表面，並拋光，直至他對作品的外觀呈現感到滿意。 然後，Swope為每一個亞克力板設計以塑料泡沫製成的 定製框架，這參考了無人機未來最受矚目的功能之一:遞 送包裹。

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Samuel Swope Threatening Birds & Beasts: Payload Perception 2021 Acrylic paint filled acrylic glass engraving, packaging foam 31 x 40.9 x 1.4 cm (Inner frame 27.7 x 21.5 cm)

Samuel Swope Threatening Birds & Beasts: Drop Site Dialogue 2021 Acrylic paint filled acrylic glass engraving, packaging foam 41 x 31.7 x 2.8 cm (Inner frame 27.6 x 21.8 cm)

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Samuel Swope Threatening Birds & Beasts: Plurality of Whiskers 2021 Acrylic paint filled acrylic glass engraving, packaging foam 34.1 x 47.4 x 2.6 cm (Inner frame 27.5 x 21.2 cm)

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Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope Waggle 2021 Drone propellors, wiring safety reflectors, stainless steel rods, concrete, safety tape, wire shrink wrap, exposed copper wire, control box 10.5 x 213 x 15.5 cm each

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WAGGLE Waggle are freestanding, kinetic sculptures that are sporadically placed throughout the exhibition. They serve as flagpoles that indicate the direction in which a drone should fly around the racecourse. Visually, Waggle references the microscopic image of a bee’s tongue. On the tip of each flagpole sits a drone propeller, which is connected to a motherboard controlling all of the freestanding flags at once. They seem to jitter and dance in communication with one another, and this automation and dance-like movement is a reference to how bees are theorized to communicate. One prominent theory in regard to bee communication is that bees do a timed waggle dance to indicate to other bees the distance and direction to a source of nectar.

《擺尾舞》是獨立的、動態的雕塑，零 星地放置在整個展覽空間。它們充當 旗 杆，指示無人機在跑道上飛行的方 向。視覺上，《擺尾舞》參照了蜜蜂舌 頭的顯微圖像。每個旗杆的頂端都有 一 個無人機螺旋槳，它與主機板相連， 可以同時 控制所有獨立的旗子。它們 的擺動和舞蹈似乎在互相交流，這種 自動化和類似舞蹈的動作，理論上是 參 考了蜜蜂是如何交流的。一 個關於 蜜蜂交流的著名理論是，蜜蜂定時的 擺尾舞是為了向其它蜜蜂表明花蜜來 源的距離和方向。

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Andrew Luk Horizon Scan No.21 2020 Epoxy resin, polystyrene, plastic, paint, c anvas, LED lights 55.5 x 42.5 cm

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HORIZON SCAN

Luk uses homemade napalm in his Horizon Scan series to torch and char painted canvas. The burned remains are then carefully collaged together and occasionally receive another coat of paint before being submerged in layers of resin. Using two rows of alternating LED lights, the piece is then lit from within its frame, illuminating an unfamiliar landscape that seems to exist outside of the wall it rests upon. As minutes pass, the layers appear to shift and slide as the lights change, revealing nuances and subtleties in the mutable patterns; this is a direct reference to Luk’s view of time, which he manipulates by reconfiguring fictional and factual material histories blurring the lines between the manmade and the naturally occurring. Additionally, the violent nature of the material and actions used to create the series reflect upon the real-world landscapes we all live amongst, which, despite their beauty, are often formed by stories of conflict. 陸浩明在他的《地平線掃描》系列裏運用了自製凝固汽油 去燒焦油上顏料的畫布。他隨後將燃燒後剩下的餘物仔細 地拼貼在一起，偶爾加墊一層顏料，再將畫布浸沈於樹脂 材料中。藝術家將兩排顏色冷暖交替的 L ED 燈 設置在畫框 中，點燃作品，照亮這一片彷彿在掛放的牆壁以外的陌生 風景。隨著時間的流逝，在光線的變化下，層次似乎在轉移 和流動，體現了多變的圖案中的细微差别和微妙之處。作 品的表現方式體現陸氏對時間的觀念，透過將實在和虛構 的物料意義重新配置而模糊人造和自然存在之間的界線。 此外，在創作此系列的過程含有暴力性質的動作和材料， 反映著我們身處的現實社會。儘管他們的美麗，他們也是 複雜與衝突故事的堆砌。

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Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope Glass Curtain Dive (22.2488808, 114.1630336) 2021 Video Installation 0’50” Loop

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GLASS CURTAIN DIVE (22.2499909, 114.1630336)

Glass Curtain Dive (22.2488808, 114.1630336) is a large video installation displaying drone footage of a building dive across the surface of the skyscraper within which the gallery resides.

Building dives are a common and exciting challenge for drone pilots. The large projection allows viewers to feel the sense of vertigo that pilots themselves feel as they fly their drones. Piloting a drone is an almost out of body experience that allows pilots to feel freed from their physical constraints. The video also ties the gallery’s site-specific location into the larger conversation about glass building architecture, its relationship to hives, and our own immediate relationship to these structures. 《鏡中俯衝（22.2488808，114.1630336）》是一個大型的 視頻裝置，展示了無人機鏡頭在畫廊所在摩天大樓的表面 做建築物俯衝。對無人機飛行員來說，進行建築物俯衝是 一項常見而又令人興奮的挑戰。巨大的投影讓觀眾感受到 飛行員駕駛無人機時的眩暈感。駕駛無人機幾乎是一種脫 離肉身的體驗，讓飛行員從身體的束縛中解脫出來。該視 頻將畫廊所在的具體位置與玻璃建築，它與蜂巢的關係， 以 及我們自己與這些結構的直接關係等更大的對話聯繫 起來了。

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Andrew Luk Floating Citadel 2020 Compressed particle wood, ceramic tiles, tile grout 121 x 107 x 17 cm

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FLOATING CITADEL

Building on his earlier work Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (2018), Andrew Luk’s Floating Citadel (2020) is a shipping pallet made of compressed particle wood that the artist carefully overlaid with ceramic tiles. Reversing its original structure, the pallet’s legs are now protrusions that rise from a grid-like pattern, appearing as if a bird’s-eye view of monolithic fortresses sitting atop a densely packed city grid.

The utilitarian design of the original pallet is optimised for frequent use, heavy loads, and durability– a non-object that only facilitates the moving of other objects. Yet, by covering its rough original texture with an armour of tiled ceramic, the device becomes immobile and an object of permanence. Allowing us to both consider its role as an important facet of our socioeconomic order, as well as creating the space for our minds to explore its shapes and surface in a new light. 陸浩明（Andrew Luk）的《浮動城堡》（Floating Citadel，2020）以其早期作 品《不要驚動睡著的狗》（Let Sleeping Dogs Lie，2018）為基礎，作品酷似運 輸貨板的外貌由壓縮顆粒木材製成，並用瓷磚覆蓋仔細在上。與原來的結構相 反，貨板的支腳像突出的網格狀圖案，就像是在密集的城市網格上，以鳥瞰圖 俯視的堡龐大壘。 運輸貨板的原來功用，被特別設計為針對頻繁使用、重載和注重耐用性—它是 一個非客體（non-object），只為移動協助其他物體而存在。但是，通過用瓷 磚陶瓷的裝甲來覆蓋貨板粗糙的原始結構，貨板變得無法移動，一件具有永久 性的物體。讓我們既可以把它看作是社會經濟秩序的重要方面，也可以為我們 的思想創造空間，以一種新的視角來探索它的形狀和表面。

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Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope Lucent Turbulence 2021 Plexiglass, mirror, silicone, light Dimensions variable

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LUCENT TURBULENCE

Lucent Turbulence is a space-altering installation in which the artists replaced the gallery’s floor tiles with acrylic, mirrors, and shallow pools of water. Spotlights are pointed at each of the tiles. The light is refracted onto the walls upon hitting the mirror. As drones fly over the installation, the turbulence they cause in the air disturbs the still water and creates ripples that cast their movement onto the walls, providing spectators with a poetic glimpse into the true amount of space a small drone possesses as it flies. 《澄瑩氣流》是一個空間改造裝置，藝術家們用壓克力、鏡子和淺水池替換了畫廊的地磚。聚光燈 聚焦每一塊地磚。光打到鏡面上再折射到牆上。當無人機飛過此裝置時，它們在空氣中引起的湍流 擾亂了靜止的水面，並產生漣漪，將這一系列動作投射到牆壁上，為觀眾們提供了詩意的一幕，讓 他們了解當小型無人機在飛行時所擁有的真實空間。

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FIRST PERSON VIEW (FPV) DRONE FOOTAGE

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ANDREW LUK

Born in 1988 Andrew Luk is a multimedia artist whose practice investigates how civilization regards itself in relation to nature vis-a-vis history, technology, material, architecture, philosophy, science fiction and more. He works across disciplines to create artwork that often defies classification, frequently engaging sculpture, dance, video art, installation, relational art, and video games.

His work has been exhibited internationally including in Next Act, Asia Society, Hong Kong, China (2020); Shifting Landscapes, de Sarthe, Hong Kong, China (2020); Very Natural Actions, Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong, China (2019); Serious Games, HOW Art Museum, Shanghai, China (2019); Appropriate Responses for Featherless Bipeds with Broad Flat Nails, chi K11 art museum, Shanghai, China (2018); A Tree Fell in the Forest, and No One’s There, Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China (2018); Practice, de Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong, China (2017); At Wits’ End, Kula Bazaar ACC, Gwangju, Korea (2016).

His work is included in public collections worldwide, including: Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL, USA; Frank. F. Yang Art and Education Foundation, Shenyang, China; University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, Chicago, IL, USA; and K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong, China. He is the recipient of the 2016 Project Grant from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the 2014 Emerging Artist Grant from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

Andrew Luk graduated from the New England School of Art and Design (NESAD) in Boston, Massachusetts with a BFA in 2010. In the same year, he also graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts with a BA in European History.

Andrew Luk lives and works in Hong Kong.

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陸浩明出生於1988年，是一位多媒體藝術家。他的藝術創作旨在考究文明與大自然之間的關係，以及 歷史、科技、物料、建築、哲學和科學幻想等元素在其中的角色。他的創作跨越傳統的藝術分類，並經 常在作品中運用雕塑、舞蹈、視頻、裝置、關係美學和遊戲等媒體。 陸浩明的作品曾於國內外展出，當中包括:《 續章》，亞洲協會，香港，中國（2020）；《地勢轉移》，德 薩畫廊，香港，中國（2020）；《藏木於林》，大館當代美術館，香港，中國（2019）；《嚴肅遊戲》，昊 美術館，上海，中國（2019）；《予有著扁平趾甲的無毛兩足動物的恰當回應》，上海chi K11美術館，上 海，中國（2018）；《林中樹倒下而沒有人在》，上海當代美術博物館，上海，中國（2018）；《練習》，德 薩畫廊，香港，中國（2017）；《百思不得其解》，國立亞洲文化殿堂Kula市場，光州，韓國（2016）。 他的作品亦被納入各地的公共收藏，包括楊鋒藝術與教育基金會，瀋陽，中國；芝加哥大學布斯商學 院，芝加哥，美國；Smart美術博物館，芝加哥，美國；香港K11藝術基金會，香港，中國。另外，他於 2016年榮獲香港藝術發展局授予的「計劃資助」，於2014年榮獲香港藝術發展局授予的「新苗資助」。 陸浩明於2010年畢業於新英格蘭藝術與設計學院（NESAD），獲藝術學士學位，同年還獲得了薩福克 大學的文學士學位，主修歐洲史。

59 陸浩明現於香港生活及工作。

SAMUEL SWOPE

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Samuel Swope, born in 1984 in Missouri, USA, is a research and studio based artist and technologist. He is most recognized for his research and development of aerial art. Merging multiple media and engineering practices, Swope constructs and controls aesthetic systems that work with air and are often themselves airborne.

Throughout his research and studio practice he concerns the behavioral dimensions of control processes, and he often engages with issues on hybridity, atmosphere, autonomy, agency, and the non-human.

His recent solo exhibitions include Ecotone, Design Society, Shenzhen, China (2018); Currents, Lotsremark, Basel, Switzerland (2017); Dead Air, 100ft Park, Hong Kong, China (2017); Updraft, updraft, A Walk with A3, Hong Kong (2017); and Hyperobject: rendering the non-human, Duo-solo exhibition with Fito Segrera, Chronus Art Center, Shanghai China (2016).

Samuel Swope lives and works in Hong Kong.

Samuel Swope在1984年生於美國密蘇里州，是一位駐工作室，精於研究及富技術性的藝術家。 他以研究和探索空中藝術而聞名。Swope透過糅合多類型媒介及工程學，結合空氣建構並控制出 一套能於空中傳播的美學系統。他在工作室通過各類研究和創作，考究控制過程中的行為層面，並 時常涉及大氣層，混合性，自主性，媒介性和非人類個體等議題。 他的個人展覽包括：《群落交錯帶》，設計互聯，深圳，中國（2018）;《Currents》Lotsremark， 巴塞爾，瑞士（2017）;《Dead Air》，百尺公園，香港，中國（2017）;《Updraft，updraft》A Walk withA3，香港，中國（2017）;《 超體：非人類別的想像 與菲托·薩格雷拉的雙個人展覽》新時線媒 體藝術中心，上海，中國（2016）。 Samuel Swope 現於香港生活及工作。

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Andrew Luk 2010 2010 2005 Solo Exhibitions

2020 2018 2017 2015

Group Exhibitions and Projects

2020 2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2011 2010

Public Collections

Awards

2016 2014 2008

Residencies

2019 2017

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1988 born in Summit , New Jersey , USA ; Currently works and lives in Hong Kong , China B. F. A New England School of Art and Design (NESAD), Boston, USA B. A. European History, Suffolk University, Boston, USA The Penn Summer Art Academy, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, USA Shifting Landscapes, de Sarthe, Hong Kong, China Appropriate Responses for Featherless Bipeds With Broad Flat Nails, chi K11 Art Museum, Shanghai, China Practice, de Sarthe, Hong Kong, China No Fixed Abode, Videotage, Hong Kong, China A’fair, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, China Next Act, Asia Society, Hong Kong, China Very Natural Actions, Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong, China Serious Games, HOW Art Museum, Shanghai, China Scaffolds of Meaning, Mine Project Gallery, Hong Kong, China A Tree Fell in the Forest, and No One’s There, Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China Offline Browser, The 6th Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition, Hong-Gah Museum, Taipei, Taiwan Beckoning the Mutation, Club Pro Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA Emerald City, K11 Art Foundation Pop-up Space, Hong Kong, China The Preservationists, Duddell’s, Hong Kong, China White Cell, WING Platform, Hong Kong, China Autosave: Redoubt, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China The Garden, chi Art Space, Hong Kong, China Debris Constellation, Neptune, Hong Kong, China LIGHT & SPACE, 10 Design Architect Studio, Hong Kong, China “,”, Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong, China At Wits’ End, Kula Bazaar ACC, Gwangju, Korea The Imaginary Order, Gallery Exit, Hong Kong, China The Magnet Palace, Clockenflap, Hong Kong, China Change Seed: Contemporary art from HK & Beyond, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, USA ART MONEY, XXX Gallery, Hong Kong, China Cavity Lab, April 30th, 100 Condor st. East Boston, USA Springboard 2, The Adams Gallery, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, USA Fine Arts Senior Thesis Show, NESAD, Boston, USA Frank F. Yang Art and Education Foundation, Shenyang, China University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, Chicago, USA Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, USA K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong, China Project Grant, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong, China Emerging Artist Grant, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong, China Finalist - Photographer’s Forum Magazine, Annual College Photography Contest, USA Facebook Artist in Residence Program, Hong Kong, China Artist Residency, Centre For Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester, UK Artist Residency, WING Platform, Hong Kong, China de Sarthe Artist Residency, de Sarthe, Hong Kong, China

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Samuel Swope

2014 2007 2007 Solo Exhibitions

2021 2020 2017

2016 2012 2008 Group Exhibitions and Projects

2020 2019 2018 2017

2016 2015

2014 2013

2012 2011

Awards

2016 2014 2012 2006

Residencies

2017 2014 2012

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1984 born in Missouri, USA; Currently works and lives in Hong Kong , China Master of Fine Arts, Art and Technology Studies, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA Bachelor of Fine Arts, Missouri State University, Missouri, USA Fellowship Supported Study, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Ready\Set\Fulfill, a special collaborative project with Andrew Luk, de Sarthe, Hong Kong, China Ecotone, Design Society, Shenzhen, China Currents, Lotsremark, Basel, Switzerland Dead Air, 100ft. Park, Hong Kong, China Updraft, updraft, A Walk with A3, Hong Kong, China Hyperobject: rendering the non-human. Duo-solo exhibition with Fito Segrera, Chronus Art Center, Shanghai, China 2012 ta-ta-ta-ta-ta->. Gallery Exit, Hong Kong, China Subject to Change. G43 Art Space and Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong, China Hunter/Killer, Krupic Kersting Gallery, Cologne, Germany On the Road, Sichuan Art Museum, Sichuan, China Conversations, Krupic Kersting Gallery, Cologne, Germany On the Road, CityU Exhibition Gallery, Hong Kong, China On the Road, Guan Shan Yue Museum, Shenzhen, China The Garden, Chi Art Space (Clearwater Bay), K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong [dis][locate], Chronus Art Center, Shanghai, China LOOP Barcelona, Videotage, Barcelona, Spain Aspirations of Flight, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong, China ->, Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong, China FILE 2015, Sao Paulo, Brazil Este: Coordenadas Itinerantes, Este Salon, Barichara, Colombia Este: Coordenadas Itinerantes, Este Salon, Bucaramanga, Colombia MFA 2014, Sullivan Galleries, Chicago, USA Y’all Ready for Some GIFs?, 2nd Floor Rear Festival, Chicago, USA Live Archive, Carnegie Melon University, Crucible Building, Pittsburgh, USA Real Estate, 6018NORTH, Chicago, USA Looking at Live Sharks in a Tank, The Nightingale micro-cinema, Chicago, USA The Loft Show, Feeltrip, Chicago, USA The Superb Meaningless Invention Exhibition, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong, China <Cotten Tree> Public Art Exhibition, Wong Tai Sin Plaza, Hong Kong, China The Superb Meaningless Invention Exhibition, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong, China Chronus Art Center (CAC), Research Creation Fellowship, Shanghai, China New Artist Society Scholarship. full merit scholarship. School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA Vermont Studio Center Residency Fellowship Award, Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA Freeman-ASIA Award, Honolulu, Hawaii NAIRS, Switzerland Este Salon 2014, Este: Coordenadas Itinerantes, Bucaramanga, Columbia Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA

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READY \ SET \ FULFILL Andrew Luk x Samuel Swope 13 Mar – 8 May 2021

De Sarthe 20/F Global Trade Square, No.21 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11am–7pm T: +852 21678896 F: +852 21678893 E: hongkong@desarthe.com Texts: Andrew Luk, Samuel Swope, Allison Cheung, Willem Molesworth, Julia Li Design & photography: Vivian Yau All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means in whole or part, without prior written permission from the gallery and the artist.

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