THAT WHICH CAN BE IMAGINED 匪夷所思

HONG KONG

匪夷所思 Cover: Photograph of Bhutan, courtesy of Elsa Wong Artist Archive, 2014

THAT WHICH CAN BE IMAGINED 匪夷所思 RMIT University Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition 澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學藝術碩士畢業展

6-22 September, 2014, Pao Galleries, 4/F - 5/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wanchai 2014年9月6-22日灣仔香港藝術中心包氏畫廊四至五樓

Co-presented by 合辦機構

Contents 目錄 5

Acknowledgments 鳴謝

6

Foreword 前言

8

Introduction 簡介

12

Michelle Chan 陳穎昭

18

Adrian Corke

24

Winnie KS Hui 許建生

30

Janet Lee

36

Laurence KM Lee 李景民

42

Isabella Ng 吳國凝

48

Elsa Wong 黃婉湄

55

Contact Details 聯絡資訊

57

Sponsors 贊助

Acknowledgments 鳴謝 The efforts of many people went into organising this catalogue and the exhibition.

We would like to thank RMIT University and Hong Kong Art School for their assistance during the journey through our Master of Fine Art programme. In particular, we wish to give our warmest thanks to Rhett D’Costa, Academic Advisor for the MFA Hong Kong programme at School of Art, RMIT University for guiding us through the development of our artistic voices and for curating the exhibition. Kiki Lau and Kay Wong from the Hong Kong Art School ensured everything ran smoothly for us and we thank them. We also extend our thanks to Associate Professor Kevin White, Deputy Head International Development, RMIT University for his continued support.

Further thanks go to the Hong Kong Art Centre for making its venue available for our graduate exhibition.

We are especially grateful to our sponsors, Antalis (Hong Kong) Limited (paper), Mr. Robert Ng Ka Ki (beverages), Vial Technology Limited (video equipment) and Kinetics Medical & Health Group Co. Ltd (financial sponsorship) who made the exhibition and this catalogue possible.

Final thanks go to our families, friends and classmates for their support and encouragement throughout our journey.

5

Foreword 前言 It is immensely satisfying to witness the artistic development of each of the seven graduates represented in this catalogue. It is a very eloquent testament to the rich and varied outcomes that have been achieved through the commitment and enthusiasm with which each of them have tackled the rigorous demands and challenges of postgraduate study within the Master of Fine Art program. Equally rewarding, is the tangible evidence this catalogue provides of the ongoing development of the collaborative educational partnership between the Hong Kong Art School and the School of Art, RMIT University.

All of these artists were already immersed in their respective art practice prior to beginning this program, but in making the decision to undertake further study at Masters level they not only committed themselves to the further development of their art practice but reaffirmed the importance of art making in defining and making sense of their relationship with the world. Whilst there are many people in contemporary society who consider art making to be an indulgence, it is an enduring activity that has captivated the hearts and minds of human beings from the dawn of civilization and across all nations and cultures. Indeed, it is the making of art more than any other human activity that has defined and continues to define what it means to be civilized and cultured.

In a challenging and rapidly changing global environment, art’s unique capacity to reflect, transform and communicate ways of navigating and perceiving that environment are perhaps more significant and important than ever. If we examine the work of these seven graduates we can discover immensely varied and rich

6

interpretations of the world they live in; explorations of the relationship between the traditional and contemporary; intuitive and abstract responses to cultural displacement; the complexities of the human body and its emotional landscape; pollution and environmental sustainability; isolation, loneliness and the human condition as well as the impact of the global economy and potential for social change.

But let’s not forget that they also present these ideas through a diverse range of traditional and contemporary media, producing paintings, objects, collage, video, photography, installations and performances. Their command of their chosen materials and practices; the beauty and craftsmanship evident in the artwork they produce is central to the communication of their ideas and their desire to challenge existing narratives.

It is with great pleasure that I congratulate all of the graduates on their achievements and wish them a successful and exciting future.

Kevin White Associate Professor Deputy Head – International Development School of Art RMIT University

7

Introduction 簡介 The exhibition That Which Can Be Imagined is the culmination of our two years of research as students of the RMIT University Master of Fine Art Hong Kong programme. While working individually, we are drawn together through an examination of aspects of our lives and how we live in the world. Although explored through different social tensions and using a variety of mediums, all of the artworks have in common our desire to engage your thoughts and challenge existing narratives. The artworks contemplate different realities, attempting to move the debate in a direction that art commentator Alexander Alberro describes as “away from what needs to be opposed and towards that which can be imagined”.

澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學藝術碩士畢業生作品展“That which can be imagined

In this exhibition, Isabella Ng and Adrian Corke consider how our surroundings influence our lives, Isabella through an exploration of the roles and complexities of the human body and Adrian through an examination of how habitat influences our cultural identity and our feelings about home and family. Michelle Chan and Laurence Lee discover the complexities of individual emotions through their art.

Michelle observes different aspects and moments of love and their underlying emotions, while Laurence unfolds the human emotions of isolation and loneliness and the strength gained by experiencing negative moments in our lives. Winnie Hui uses stones to explore memory and how it is shaped by the past, present and future. Like Laurence, Winnie examines these issues in the framework of the interplay between ancient and contemporary Chinese culture. Elsa Wong directly confronts her viewers with her call to address the global issue of air pollution and Janet Lee questions our role in the state of the global economy. Our ideas are explored in this exhibition through a body of artwork spanning painting, drawing, calligraphy, photography, installation, video and performance.

人的角色與身體實驗尋找身份的多重性；Adrian Corke 探討居留地如何影響文化

——匪夷所思”，展示了七位畢業生在兩年課程內的學習和探索成果。“匪夷所 思”出自《周易·渙》，藉以表達大家對“非如一般所想”的藝術境界的追求。 “That which can be imagined” 是藝術史教授Alexander Alberro對21世紀藝術家 的創作意圖的論述——藝術作品嘗試將“應該反對什麼”的討論推展為“可以想 像什麼”，令人對未來有著期待和希望。 是次展覽中有作品對一些社會議題提出疑問，有些則思考自身與外在的關係，雖 然探討內容有異，媒材不同，但都擁有一個期待未來的共同願景。吳國凝透過個 認同及家庭關係；陳穎昭描繪“愛”的各種狀態、活動與其潛在的意義；李景民 探索藝術如何表現“孤寂”及“痛苦”的力量；許建生藉寫石的過去現在及將來 向傳統致敬；黃婉湄使用她獨特手法引導觀眾進入她的藝術空間體驗生活主要元 素； Janet Lee 讓觀者反省個人在全球化經濟環境中的角色 …… 各自獨特的創 作意念，繪畫、攝影、裝置、錄像、行為藝術等多樣的媒介，融合在同一個主題 下，成就了這次展覽。

陳穎昭，Adrian Corke，許建生 Janet Lee ，李景民， 吳國凝，黃婉湄 2014年於香港

It is with great pleasure that we present our artwork to you through this exhibition which we hope will shift your thinking at least a little and encourage you to consider different possibilities.

Michelle Chan, Adrian Corke, Winnie Hui, Janet Lee, Laurence Lee, Isabella Ng, Elsa Wong.

Hong Kong August 2014 8

9

This exhibition contemplates ways to “shift the discussion away from what needs to be opposed and towards that which can be imagined” Alexander Alberro, 2012 術境界的追求。 謂不如平常一般理解，藉以表達大家對“非如一般所想”的藝 “匪夷所思”出自《周易·渙》：“渙有丘，匪夷所思”，意

Michelle Chan’s abstract paintings explore different aspects and moments of love and their intricate underlying emotions. In the art-making process, Chan, a clinical psychologist, applies Focusing, a mind-body technique which accesses the felt sense – the inner knowing that encompasses these emotions. She looks inwards into her subjective, internal reality and translates personal authentic experiences of being into formal visual elements. Chan’s artworks comprise her own personal experiences of love and relationships with partner, parents, relatives and friends. Influenced by contemporary abstract painters such as Mary Heilmann, Howard Hodgkin, Thomas Nozkowski, and Gary Hume, Chan uses vibrant colours, biomorphic shapes, amorphous free forms, symbols and iconographies to expose the complexity, ambivalence and paradox embedded in different love interactions.

It is the artist’s passionate wish to invite all viewers to pause, reflect and sense, in order to experience a mental dialogue with her paintings at a personal affective as well as conceptual and aesthetic levels. 陳穎昭透過抽象畫去探討於生活中所經驗到的、錯綜複雜的、有關人與人之間愛的細 膩情感。作為臨床心理學家，陳穎昭應用了「心靈自覺」技巧在她的藝術創作中，以

陳穎昭

Michelle Chan

覺察丶接觸等步驟去探索個人當下的身心感受，從而領悟箇中深層意義，與及將之轉

6

化成視覺圖像，去捕捉及呈現這一種對自己感覺坦誠的生活態度及臨在、展現真我 的感動和純美。受到當代抽象畫家如 Mary Heilmann、Howard Hodgkin、Thomas Nozkowski 及 Gary Hume 的影響，陳穎昭透過亮麗的顏色、有機的形狀、無定的形 態、符號及圖標視覺藝術詞彙去表達在人與人之間愛的關係 – 諸如愛情、親情及友 情，當中微妙、筆墨難以形容的感覺。她盼望她的作品能夠作為一個平台讓觀眾靜定 下來，與作品有「體驗性的對話」、反思及嘗試感受一下於個人感性及概念層面，和 美學角度的箇中內容。

Shimmering Jittery Boom, 2014

Acrylic on canvas 80 x 60 cm

13

Bliss, 2014

Acrylic on canvas 100 x 120 cm

Bubble Go Go, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 100 cm

14

15

Close to You, 2014

Acrylic on canvas 30.5 x 22.9 cm

16

A Matter of Priorities, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 25.4 x 25.4 cm

17

Adrian Corke is an abstract artist who draws on intuitive and rational approaches to painting and the colours, textures and emotions of his habitats in the creation of his artworks. This body of artwork had its beginnings in the artist’s time living with his family in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The vibrant colours, shapes, textures and energy of the city became the basis for this series of works. The paintings reflect both the physical and emotional environment which the artist inhabited during this time. When creating these paintings, the artist constantly shifted between the intuitive and the rational, the romantic and the classical, searching for a harmony and connectedness which reflected the ambience of Vietnam which he experienced. Adrian Corke is influenced by the colour and collage techniques of artists such as Thomas Nozkowski, Kurt Schwitters, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg.

Adrian Corke 以抽像畫反映個人與處地的關係，及身心如何受環境影響。自舉家 移居越南胡志明市後，絢爛的色彩、糾結的紋理，以及獨特的城市風貌與活力賦予 畫家豐富的創作靈感，是次展出的系列是一個外來者生活在完全陌生國度的寫照。 畫家重覆往返於直覺與理性、抒情與嚴謹之間，多番碰撞後作品展現了上述種種元

Adrian Corke

素並行不悖之美，及其內在相互關係在異地外化所達致微妙和諧之境。影響Adrian Corke 的藝術家有Thomas Nozkowski, Kurt Schwitters, Jasper Johns 及 Robert Rauschenberg等。

Far From Her, 2014 Acrylic on wood panels 101 x 65 cm.

19

Furthermore #1, 2012

Acrylic on 15 sheets of Magnani Incisioni paper, 310gsm 210 x 410 cm

20

21

Thao Dien Shadows, 2013 Acrylic on wood panel, 19 cm dia Tôi ở đây #1, 2013 Acrylic on wood panel, 18.5 x 11 cm

Tôi ở đây #5, 2013 Acrylic on wood panel, 18.5 x 11 cm

Little Pink Plastic Bags, 2013-14

Acrylic on wood panel and frame, 33 x 41 cm

All I See is Little Dots #1, 2014

Acrylic on wood panel, 21 cm dia

22

You Lust #1, 2013 Acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 13 cm Tôi ở đây #7, 2013 Acrylic on wood panel, 18.5 x 11 cm

Tôi ở đây #10, 2013

Acrylic on wood panel, 18.5 x 11 cm

23

Winnie KS Hui paints landscapes with images of stones in her thoughts. Trained as a Chinese painter, Hui draws from the long history and traditions of Chinese landscape painting and calligraphy and gives them a contemporary context. Hui enjoys working with stone as it is matter from the past, existing in the present, and it will be ongoing in the future. Through stone stories, the artist brings the past to the present and highlights the value of tradition for the future. Hui’s artworks are influenced by artists such as Hiraku Suzuki who utilises drawing as an act of ‘excavating’ paper as the site to reveal memory, and Pan Gong-Kai who focuses on the brushstroke itself rather than the likeness of an object. Referencing Chinese aesthetic and philosophical theory, the artist investigates the spirit of calligraphy brushwork through her stone paintings while defining her own visual language as a representation of the world in which we live. 許建生接受的是中國書畫訓練，深被千年國粹之早熟與高邁吸引，嘗試藉認知傳統與 歷史的維度認知自己。透過學習“石”在華夏文化中所象徵的豐富內涵，及認識書法 與國畫之關係，以筆墨重組繪畫語言，探索今昔相承於古為新之路，藉寫“石”的過

許建生

Winnie KS Hui

去、現在與將來向傳統致敬。Hiraku Suzuki 如“溯古”般的創作過程，及潘公凱有

22

關“中國畫很早就不以具象描繪事物作為主要目的”的論述，均影響其作品。

In-Between Space, 2012 Ink on rice paper mounted on canvas 35 x 35 cm x 16

25

Before It Fades, 2013 Installation and detail Colour, ink, acrylic and collage on rice paper Various sizes

26

Physiognomy of Stones, 2012

Ink and colour on rice paper 70 x 70 cm (each panel)

27

Writing Stone Stories, 2014 Ink on rice paper Triptych 140 x 70 cm (each panel) 28

29

Janet Lee’s artwork focuses on the global economy and the potential for social change. Lee considers in what ways art can destabilise viewers, challenging them to consider their role in shaping society and achieving accountability, transparency and a more equitable economic model. Cultural theorist Chantal Mouffe says that society’s models and systems are always contingent because the members of society can change them. Art’s role in those changes is contingent because it is not directly responsible for change but contingent on other forces. In Lee’s view, optimism must be at the centre of critical art, giving spectators the ability to imagine a different future. The artist has extensive experience in the banking industry giving her an insider’s view of the issues she explores, and her own complicity in the current social structure forms an integral part of the content in this body of work.

Influenced by artists such as John Baldessari and Ed Ruscha because of their ability to combine complex ideas with humour and Michelangelo Pistoletto for his work with mirrors and self-reflection, Lee explores her ideas through a body of artwork spanning painting, objects, collage, photography and video.

Janet Lee 的作品以全球化經濟及社會改變之可能性為主題，探討藝術如何刺激觀者思 考個人在社會中的角色，以達致追求一個相對較公平及具透明度之經濟模式。政治理 論家 Chantal Mouffe 曾經提出，社會的制度與模式可以透過群眾的參予而改變；而藝 術雖不會直接引起這種改變，但能

發民間社會思考辯論群眾的角色及其影響的重要

性。Janet Lee 認為具批判性的藝術必須以樂觀主義為中心，為觀者創造一個想像改變

Janet Lee

未來的空間。

22

藝術家以豐富的銀行工作經驗，結合其業內人士的角度以觀照個人與社會架構之相互 關係，以進行此系列作品的創作。受到 John Baldessari 及 Ed Ruscha 以幽默手法表 現複雜的內容的啟發， 以及 Michelangelo Pistoletto 將鏡子用作藝術作品等創作概念 影響，Janet Lee 之作品展出形式多樣，包括繪畫，物件，拼貼，照片及錄像等。

1% Princess: Debt Addict, 2014 Digital photograph on Premier, Art Premium Photo Luster paper, 260gsm 105 x 70 cm Photographed by Reddog Studio

1% Princess: No Wants, 2014

Digital photograph on Premier, Art Premium Photo Luster paper, 260gsm 105 x 70 cm Photographed by Reddog Studio

31

Me, Myself & I, 2013 Acrylic and LED lights 14 x 108 x 7.5 cm

All Eyes on Me, 2013

Video 2.44 mins

32

33

I, You, We, 2013

Digital photograph and mirror on Plexiglas 25 x 57 cm

Re-identification, 2013 Digital photograph on Premier, Generations Alise, Fine Art Paper, Natural White 310gsm 75 x 50 cm (Text: JANET LEE Artist Former Banker Thinker Optimist Photographed in 2013

by Reddog Studio)

34

35

Laurence KM Lee examines human emotions such as isolation and loneliness through Chinese ink paintings, multimedia installations and bonsai creations. His artworks embody the intensity of these personal emotions and at the same time explore how ancient Chinese literati culture can be relevant in contemporary art.

The artist admires master Chinese literati such as Huang Tingjian and Su Shi, both for their artistic accomplishments and their traditional literati virtues. Bearing the humiliation of being exiled and withstanding the immense emotional pain of segregation, they were still able to embrace the endless solitude and reveal their patriotism in their art. Deeply touched by the strength of bonsai trees to withstand the deformity brought about by traditional bonsai techniques, Lee came to see a resemblance with the indomitable spirit of the literati. It became a source of inspiration for his artwork. 李景民透過中國水墨畫、多媒體裝置和盆景創作來表達被隔離和孤獨的感覺。他的作

李景民

Laurence KM Lee

品蘊含強烈的個人情感，並藉著現代藝術反思和探索中國傳統文人思想。

32

李氏欣賞中國文人如黃庭堅和蘇軾等，不僅僅是因為他們崇高的藝術造詣，更佩服的 是他們擁有傳統文人的高尚情操。這些文人承受著被流放的屈辱，強忍著被孤立的苦 痛，卻仍然能夠通過藝術創作排遣心中無盡的孤寂，並以一片丹心抒發對家國的感 情。 作為一個盆景藝術家，李氏被樹木頑強的重生力量所深深感動和啟發，盆景那猶如古 代文人般堅忍不拔的精神， 遂成為他的藝術創作靈感的泉源。

The Red Cliff, 2014 Ink and colour on paper 178 x 92 cm (each)

37

Potted Landscape, 2014 Installation, Cattle Depot, Hong Kong Concrete and sand

Potted Landscape, 2014

Detail (installation view opposite) Concrete, 11 cm dia (each)

38

39

Video stills

Bamboo structural support

Screen attachments

Anybody Here?, 2014 32

Interactive video installation, Cattle Depot, Hong Kong Linen screen, fishing lines, stainless steel springs, concrete rod and bamboo structure

41

Isabella Ng’s artwork investigates the multiple roles and complexities of the human body, the object and the spectator in contemporary performance art in Hong Kong.

According to philosopher Gilles Deleuze, the body is not limited to our physical being but also includes our social constructs, power relationships and innate infrastructures or personal constructs which act to constrain us in everyday life. The body is in a constant state of flux in response to those limitations and boundaries.

Through a series of acts, performances and exercises, the artist examines in what ways the cultural, architectural and provisional space of the city influence the performing body. Ng explores the ways in which performer and spectator traverse and negotiate multiple narratives and diverse spaces. The artist also considers how the limitations and connections in the roles of the human body collide and exchange in a performance setting in the framework of intimacy. 吳國凝的作品探索人體的多義性，同時實驗在當代行為藝術中表演者的身體、道具物 及觀眾間的複雜關係。法國哲學家 Gilles Deleuze 認為，身體受到的限制，除了個體 生理存在外，還受制於社會機制、權力關係及先天的基本結構或個人建構等系統，身 體因這種種限制而作出永恆流動的反應。 通過一系列動作、表演及實驗，吳國凝研究城市的文化、建築及暫時的空間對人體表 演的影響；以及在表演中的多重敍事及空間轉化的過程中，演者與觀者的相互阻撓或

Nothing can heal me but your secret love, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2013

吳國凝

Isabella Ng

妥協的辯證關係，展示人體角色的限制及聯繫在行為藝術表演中產生的碰撞和交流。

43

When we can see the inside and the outside at the same time, 2012

The Heavenly Body Sketch One, The Heavenly Museum, Hong Kong, 2014

Digital photograph 42 x 30 cm (framed)

The way you used to say I love you, The Heavenly Museum, Hong Kong, 2013

44

45

The Body Needs to Rest in a Room, The Heavenly Museum, Hong Kong, 2014

46

Untilted, 2013 Digital photograph on Metallic photo paper 84 x 119 cm (framed)

47

Air pollution is a threat to the world and is profoundly impacting our human right to breathe fresh, clean air. It has become increasingly necessary to give this subject our full priority. Some would argue it is already too late. A solution has to be implemented in a substantial way about where and how we live in the world. Elsa Wong’s aim is to use her platform as an artist to create an awareness of the fragility of our environment so that we can be more proactive in our efforts to bring about positive change in the context of air pollution. The artist exposes people to how this phenomenon affects the nature of ecosystems. Often confrontational, the artwork includes events and interventions in public spaces in order to engage the general public directly.

Wong takes reference from artists exploring our relationship with nature such as Dan Graham, Lauren Berkowitz and Giuseppe Penone. The artist wants to disarm the public, to provoke them to think about the world and air pollution which is a global issue but is intimate to everyone. 空氣污染問題嚴重威脅世界，剝奪人類呼吸空氣的權利，已是急不容緩首要解決 的問題。黃婉湄站在藝術家的平台，帶領觀眾進入她的藝術空間體驗生態自然被 破壞對環境之危害，主動思考如何為這些現象帶來正面的改變。一些在生活空間 由公眾直接參予的活動，激起社會對個人關係與體驗生活主要元素之全球性議題 作出深刻的反省與思考。 Dan Graham，Lauren Berkowitz 及 Giuseppe Penone

黃婉湄

Elsa Wong

等藝術家有關人類與自然的探索對黃婉湄的創作具一定的

44

發。

Green House A, 2012 Installation, Lot 10 Gough Street, Hong Kong

49

Intangible Jeopardy, 2014 (this page and opposite) Installation, Youth Square, Chaiwan, Hong Kong 12 panels with images front and back, 330 x 76 cm (each) 12 acrylic boxes and plants, papers, dried sticks, cloths, brass fruit 50 x 70 x 29 cm (each)

50

51

100 SKY, 2014

Detail (cloths)

100 SKY, 2014 Selected photographs courtesy of project participants 52

53

Contact Details 聯絡資訊 Michelle Chan 陳穎昭 michellechanarts@gmail.com michellechanarts.com Adrain Corke apcorke@gmail.com Winnie KS Hui 許建生 winniekshui@hotmail.com winnie-art.com Janet Lee janetleeartist@hotmail.com Laurence KM Lee 李景民 laurence.km.lee@gmail.com life-is.com/laurence Isabella Ng 吳國凝 llllisabellallll@gmail.com isabella-ng.com Elsa Wong 黃婉湄 wonelsa@gmail.com

55

Sponsors 贊助 Paper sponsored by Antalis (Hong Kong) Limited:

Beverages sponsored by:

Mr. Robert Ng Ka Ki

Video Equipment sponsored by:

Financial sponsor:

57