CHAT Spring catalogue

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21.03.2020 - 26.07.2020

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CONTENTS

Curator’s Essay 策展人語 Exhibition Documentary Video 展覽記錄片 CHAT with Artist 與藝術家聊天 Bi Rongrong 畢蓉蓉 Ham Kyungah 咸京我 Kato Izumi 加藤泉 Byron Kim 金允寧

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06 22 26 50 66 82


94 106 124 152 172 178

2020 Spring Catalogue

David Medalla 大衛 · 梅達拉 Kawita Vatanajyankur 卡葳塔 · 瓦塔娜嫣恩 Samson Young 楊嘉輝 CHAT Reads Selection CHAT 索引選書 List of Artworks 作品總覽 Acknowledgement 鳴謝

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

目錄

Contents

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CURATOR'S ESSAY 策展人語 CURATOR'S ESSAY 04


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METAPHORICAL PATCHWORK FOR THOUGHT EXPERIMENT TAKAHASHI MIZUKI CURATOR OF THE EXHIBITION The variety of textile methods and techniques are as rich as that of paintings. Traditionally, weavers achieve different textures and surfaces on textiles by weaving various structures; dyers imbibe fabrics with myriad colours. Stitching is used not only for patching

worn out, broken fabrics but also for ornamental purposes, with embroidery techniques ranging from cross stitch, back stitch, satin stitch to French knot, all of which can be used for creating motifs and three-dimensional surfaces onto fabrics. Similarly, various painting

意象連綿 的思維實驗 高橋瑞木 展覽策展人 紡織的方法和技術之多可媲美繪畫。傳統上,編織 者透過織造結構達至紡織品不同的紋理和表面; 染 布者將五彩斑爛滲染織物;針線活不僅用於修補, 還用於裝飾,還可以配合多變的刺繡,如十字繡、 回針繡、緞面繡、結粒繡等,都能為織物製造構圖 和立體感。這方面與繪畫林林總總的技法如出一轍, 如厚塗、滴彩、染色和潑濺,在平面的畫布上展現

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創新的風格,造就引人入勝的畫面。 紡織品的製造方法和技術豐富和擴展了這種材質的 複雜美感,而紡織品的美感觸發我們對物料性的思 考,然而諷刺地,這亦限制我們發掘紡織品在其他 藝術類型的創新應用。在近代藝術發展中,藝術家 也有在挑戰和排斥這些規範,例如路易絲•布爾


Textile methods and techniques have enriched and amplified the complex beauty of this material and the beauty of textiles leads us to focus on its materiality, yet ironically this has also often prevented us from discovering innovative adaptation of textiles in other artistic genres. Artists, however, have challenged and defied this constraint in recent art development. In sculpture, for example, textiles have been used to create organic forms by artists such as Louise Bourgeoise, Magdalena Abakanowicz and Kusama Yayoi. Taking advantage of the flexible and malleable nature of the textile material, the artists made sculptures by cutting, sewing and weaving textiles, thus subverting

the traditional idea of sculpture with hard materials such as metal and stone. Anni Albers, the trained artist, designer and theorist from the Bauhaus school, discovered the analogy among the modernist aesthetic, weaving structures and pre-Columbian Andean textiles, and instituted wall hangings as a medium for modern art. As their works illustrate, artists have used textiles to push artistic limits, experimenting with the unconstrained use of textiles. Textile art has been discussed in relation to craft, design and gender, adding to the ongoing scholarship on interdisciplinary studies and within it, critical discourses in fine art. Acknowledging the longstanding tradition of textile art and its contribution to broaden the horizon in artistic discourse, Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas is an exhibition which proposes an alternative

Kawita Vatanajyankur, Shuttle, 2018 卡葳塔・瓦塔娜嫣恩,《穿梭》,2018

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Curator’s Essay

Fig 1 圖1

紡織藝術是一種特定的藝術形式,常與工藝、設計、 性別相互指涉,並在跨學科研究和批判性的藝術論 述中佔據一席之地。為了尊重紡織藝術的悠久傳統, 及其對拓展藝術論述與視野的貢獻,「意象連綿: 方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」(下稱「意象連綿」)正 是一塊連綿不斷的大拼布,為觀者提供閱讀紡織與 藝術的另一視野。是次展覽邀請了 7 位傑出的當代 藝術家,透過各自迥然不同的藝術實踐,將紡織通 過材料、主題及技術的不同維度進行詮釋,呈現更

2020 Spring Catalogue

喬亞(Louise Bourgeoise)、瑪格達蓮娜 · 阿巴卡 諾維奇(Magdalena Abakanowicz)和草間彌生 (Kusama Yayoi) 已將紡織品用於塑造有機形態 的雕塑。他們利用紡織品柔韌和可延展的特性,通 過切割、縫紉和編織來製作雕塑,推翻雕刻慣性使 用金屬和石頭等硬質材料的傳統觀念。出身於包豪 斯學院的藝術家、設計師兼理論家安妮 · 阿爾伯斯 ( Anni Albers)發現了現代主義美學、織造結構 和前哥倫布時期安第斯紡織品之間的相似之處,並 建立壁掛作為現代藝術的媒介。如他們的作品所示, 藝術家使用紡織品來突破藝術界限,嘗試不受限制 地應用紡織品。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

techniques such as impasto, dripping, staining and splashing have enabled many innovative styles to create illusions on two-dimensional canvas.


way of learning about textiles and art in the form of an open-ended metaphorical patchwork. It aims to present a broader possibility of textile materials, subject matters and techniques through diverse practices by 7 prominent contemporary artists. The artists in the exhibition do not identify as textile artists. Rather, they discover textile materials, subject matters and techniques almost through their artistic experiments, interweaving them into their respective artistic concerns and goals. In saying so, the ambition of Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas is not to subvert the taxonomical classification of and the accumulated discussions on textile art, but to propose room for new ways of thinking about textiles and to draw the attention to the discussion of textile’s contribution to art in general by examining contemporary artworks through the lens of textile.

多的可能性。參展藝術家們並非被界定為紡織藝術 家——他們的作品不在於傳統紡織技藝的展現,也 非著重織物的觸覺質感,或其不斷演變的顏色、形 狀和圖案;他們更多的是將紡織在材料、主題和技 術上的特點,實驗性地運用在各自的創作上,以實 踐其藝術追求。話雖如此,「意象連綿:方法的彌合 與觀念的縱橫」並不意在顛覆紡織藝術既有的分類 和一直以來的討論,而是嘗試以嶄新的角度思考紡 織這一概念,並透過紡織來審視當代藝術創作,從 而開拓紡織之於藝術的討論。 卡葳塔 · 瓦塔娜嫣恩在本次展覽中的作品沒有使用 紡織材料來體現她的想法,而是啟發自孟加拉熱那 大樓倒塌的災難——該大樓內有多家製衣廠,內有 逾一千名工人處於惡劣的環境下工作,因這場災難 而喪生。瓦塔娜嫣恩以表演和錄像作品表達對於受 工業和全球消費主義剝削的工人的關注。她特別關 注必需品製造業例如食品、紡織及成衣。在其作品 中,她把身體轉化為機械工具,重現工業機器重複 而機械化的動作,令工人的身體成為工序的一部份。 在《穿梭》中(圖 1) ,她的身體變成梭子,在從左 到右、右到左的經紗之間運行;在《針織》中(圖 2),

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Fig 2 圖2

Kawita Vatanajyankur, Knit, 2019 卡葳塔・瓦塔娜嫣恩,《針織》,2019

瓦塔娜嫣恩的嘴巴啣著紅線,坐在紅線編織成的蜘 蛛網之中,手腳並用的編織和保持身體平衡。 在錄像中,瓦塔娜嫣恩的肢體動作默默地表達勞動 的痛苦和窒息感,然而在畫面豐富色彩的對比下衍 生了矛盾。藝術家運用商業廣告的典型手法和視覺 元素,故意選用引人注意的顏色,反喻工人們惡劣 的工作條件,往往被所製造的商品掩飾。她的 6 個 錄像作品講述了紡織和服裝生產的不同過程:編織、 針織、染色、梳理、印花和紡紗展示在 CHAT 迴廊, 面向南豐紗廠的店舖,掩飾成經常在商場長期播放 的廣告屏幕。 咸京我是一位謹慎選擇媒介的藝術家,使作品能夠 顯現不為人知、隱形的政治現實和權力結構。有趣 的是,在長期研究的過程中,她經常選擇非常平凡 的事物來呈現複雜的事實,從而表述這些事物是潛 在政治操縱的結果。咸京我以此為前提,認為情人、 家庭成員、國家,甚至手工藝品和博物館之間的任 何關係都代表著政治權力。 她持續進行的刺繡項目《簡訊系列》始於 2008 年, 靈感來自一張吹到父母家的北韓文宣。由於南北韓


多富裕的贊助人和收藏家支持藝術家和藝術機構, 美國的資本財富及經濟增長鞏固其現代藝術的國際 地位。當美國現代藝術在當代藝術領域中積極發展, 韓戰在朝鮮半島爆發,美蘇兩國爭奪世界霸權。因 此,在南北韓兩地冒險所實現的作品,圖像令人眼 花繚亂,甚至帶點迷幻,不僅意味著受干擾的交流, 更代表參與製作此作品的人面對朝鮮半島人民的犧 牲時,批判地介入與挑戰既定藝術「主流」的協定。

咸京我的《簡訊系列》通常只會被論及作品製作的 過程,但是,由刺繡創造的圖像也揭露該項目的逾 越性。朝鮮刺繡是一種貴重的紀念品,通常是由受 過訓練的女性勞動者,以精細的手工製作具象的刺 繡。實際上,任何創造圖像的行為都受國家的監控, 故在北韓並不可能容納抽象藝術。但是,咸京我所 委託的正正是不被允許的抽象圖像,所以跨境傳送 與現代美國繪畫相似的抽象圖像,對於發送者和接 收者來說都冒上很大的風險。

是 什麼 將 紡 織 品 從 實用材料 變為一種 藝 術 形式 —— 當紡織材料弄成雕塑形狀?還是當紡織品過於 複雜,而不再適合用於衣服和陳設點綴?或許是當 紡織品僅用於視覺的愉悅並禁止觸摸時,才可以將 之視為一種藝術形式。掛毯是例子之一。當掛毯懸 掛在牆壁上或有時佔據一個空間,它往往要我們凝 視而不觸碰。縱使質感是紡織品的基本美學元素之 一,唯有只用視覺而非觸覺去賞析紡織品時,它才 會被視為純藝術作品。這種受制、沒有觸感的欣賞 方式往往改變我們面前物件的價值,從而賦予藝術 靈光。

第二次世界大戰後,許多傑出的藝術家從歐洲遷移 到美國,大大推動當地藝術圈的發展,令美國取代 法國成為現代藝術的殿堂。 除此之外,由於越來越

然而,畢蓉蓉的沉浸式裝置通過視覺和觸覺的感官

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Curator’s Essay

人民禁止直接溝通,故兩韓能接觸到的訊息都是單 方面來自對方的政府。藝術家私下與北韓人民溝通, 把製作作品的指示由中間人交給不知名的刺繡工 匠,才能完成《隱藏簡訊系列》(圖 3)。這冗長而 令人倦怠的過程包含了偷運、誤解與等待,北韓工 匠製作的最終成品才能送抵藝術家手中。作品隱藏 了由咸京我傳遞予工匠們的訊息,簡短字句被隱沒 於彩色斑駁的刺繡品中。

While her body movements in the videos silently speak about the pain and suffocation of labour, these videos perhaps appear paradoxical because of their bright colour palette. Adapting the typical methodology and visual codes of commercial advertisements, Vatanajyankur’s choice of colours was actually intentionally made to draw people’s attention as well as to ironically present the realities of labourers’ severe conditions, which are often greatly overshadowed by the consumer products they produce. Her 6 videos address different processes of the textile and clothing production; namely weaving, knitting, dyeing, combing, printing and spinning, and they are installed in the

2020 Spring Catalogue

(Fig 2), Vatanajyankur lies in the middle of spider web of red yarn and knits with her hands and legs, maintaining body balance while holding the yarn in her mouth.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Kawita Vatanajyankur’s works in this exhibition do not use textile materials to convey her idea, rather, they were inspired by the collapse of Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza Building, which housed numerous garment factories and where more than 1,000 employees working in unacceptable working environments perished. Vatanajankur’s practice consists of performances and videos which embody her interest in the exploitation of labour in industries and global consumerism. Her particular focus is industries which produce essential items such as food, textiles and clothing. In her works, she uses her body as mechanical tools and re-enacts the burdens or repetitive movements of industrial machines, which often force labourers’ bodies to become a part of the industrial process. In Shuttle (Fig 1), her body becomes a shuttle, running between the warp from one side to another; In Knit


Arcade at CHAT, facing the shopping area in the building, disguising themselves as advertising videos often playing on the ever-present monitors in shopping malls. Ham Kyungah is an artist who carefully chooses her mediums to articulate and make visible the invisible political realities and power structures surrounding us which are normally concealed from the public. Interestingly, over the course of long research, she often selects very mundane things to represent multilayered facts, so as to comment on the way the objects are the outcome of latent political manipulations. In doing so, Ham posits that political power lies in any kind of relationships, between lovers, family members, nations, even artefacts and museums. Ham’s ongoing embroidery project entitled SMS Series was initiated in

Fig 3

圖3

2008 when a North Korean propaganda flyer was blown to her parents’ house. As the direct communication between the South and North Korean public has been banned, the messages from North Korea to South Korea and vice versa have been always one-sided messages authorised by the government. SMS Series in Camouflage (Fig 3) has been realised through her attempt to communicate privately with the people in North Korea. Ham used intermediaries to send instructions of her work to anonymous embroidery artisans. Throughout the exhausting process that involved smuggling, misunderstanding and waiting, the fine embroidery works made by the hands of the North Korean artisans are delivered to the artist. Her exhibited works blend distorted or blurred messages from Ham to the artisans into the vivid multicoloured embroideries.

Works by Ham Kyungah Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 咸京我作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Historically, America succeeded France as the preeminent authority in modern art after World War II, when many prominent

artists fled from Europe to America and greatly contributed to the art scene there. In addition to that, capitalist wealth and the growth of the America economy also helped to establish the status of American modern art in the world, as more and more wealthy patrons and collectors supported artists and art institutions. At the same time that American modern art was taking its initiative in the contemporary art scene, the Korean War was raging across the Korean Peninsula, where America and the Soviet Union battled for world hegemony. Therefore, the dazzling and perhaps psychedelic images of the works realised by taking a risk in both South and North Korea imply not only their disrupted communication, but also their agreement for critical interventions to challenge the existing artistic canon which stood upon the sacrifice of the people in the Korean Peninsula.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Ham’s SMS Series has often been discussed only in relation to the process of making, however, the embroidered images also reveal how transgressive this project is. North Korean embroidery, a typically prized souvenir item, traditionally portrays figurative images and is generally made by trained female labourers using fine hand embroidery. In fact, the act of creating images is sanctioned by the state and thus abstract art would not exist in North Korea. However, the embroideries Ham commissioned are all abstract images which they are normally prohibited from creating. Therefore, sending abstract images reminiscent of modern American paintings to the North Korean artisans is a big risk for both the sender and the receiver.

2020 Spring Catalogue Curator’s Essay

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What transforms textiles from a utilitarian material to an artistic form? When the textile material is manipulated to form a sculptural shape? Or when the textile becomes too sophisticated to be used for our clothing and furnishing? Perhaps textiles can be regarded as an art form only when it serves no other purpose but retinal pleasure and is prohibited from touch. One example is tapestry. Hung along a wall or sometimes immersed in a space, tapestries urge us to gaze upon it without touching. Only when textiles relinquish the sense of touch in its appreciation can it be regarded as fine art, regardless of the fact that texture is one of the fundamental aesthetic elements of textiles. This restricted way of appreciation – retinal experience without touch – often transforms the value of objects in front of us by giving them an artistic aura.

Fig 4

圖4

However, Bi Rongrong’s immersive installation with textiles retains the ambiguous nature of textiles by stimulating both visual and tactile senses. In her exhibition space, we can find diverse components from animation video, hangings, knitting pieces, murals to carpets. The two different kinds of carpets covering the entire floor still essentially function as carpets, while at the same time embellishing the exhibition space (Fig 4). Since the carpets occupied a large area in the gallery, they were effective in changing the atmosphere of the interior gallery space. This reminds us of the very ambiguous nature that is quintessential of textiles, attaining both utilitarian and aesthetic purposes simultaneously. She also has experimented with different textile methods such as both manual and machinery weaving and knitting,

Works by Bi Rongrong Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong K 畢蓉蓉作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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comparable to the appropriation method often seen in architectural designs in the post-modern era. For Bi, textiles are rich materials with complicated structures, offering infinite possibilities for artistic experiments. Known for his paintings of enigmatic creature-like figures, Kato Izumi has deployed diverse mediums such as wood, soft vinyl, stones and fabrics to push the limits of the conventional pictorial form. Learning about the nature of different materials, Kato adapts their characteristics into his paintings. His playful use of fabrics in his paintings and his way of displaying them are free from the traditional Western idea of a two-dimensional painting of stretched canvas. His utilisation of textile materials and techniques denotes a trace of hand craft and emphasises textile’s flexibility in size, and results in the unique tactile

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

incorporating unexpected materials including LED lights to animate the textile with pre-set lighting patterns. The common thread penetrating through Bi’s diverse pieces is her interest in patterns. The patterns for her works, in fact, were collected from various ornamental patterns from façades, floor tiles of historical buildings and antique utensils in Europe. Detached from their original cultural contexts, Bi combined these patterns to form a new pattern. Historically, patterns are transnational and transcultural because they have moved across borders by trade, and have been transformed or vernacularised by local people in different regions. In the course of adaptation or vernacularisation, the symbolic meaning of patterns gradually disappeared, giving way to an emphasis on aesthetic beauty. That being said, Bi’s instinctive way of decontextualising patterns is more

2020 Spring Catalogue Curator’s Essay

Kong, 2020

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aesthetics in his paintings. Much prior to Kato, the German painter Sigmar Polke executed a series of fabric paintings in the 1960s, transforming the role of the neutral canvas into the central subject of painting per se. As far as Kato’s fabric paintings go, he even abolishes the use of fabric for stretched canvas and instead illuminates the material nature of fabrics by cutting, sewing and stitching. For this exhibition, Kato sourced inexpensive textiles from the local textile market called Pang Jai in the heart of Hong Kong. Interestingly, most of the fabrics he acquired have pre-existing patterns and machine embroideries. For Kato, these given textile patterns and colours provide a fertile ground for him to improvise in creating his paintings. Kato sometimes even patches and attaches unusual fabrics to create unique combinations of textiles for his paintings

Fig 5 圖5

Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2019 (Detail) 加藤泉,《無題》,2019(局部)

and stitches onto the surface of his paintings to create a textured surface. (Fig 5 & 6) Textiles also provide Kato the flexibility to alter the form and scale of his paintings. Since the fabrics are not stretched and attached to the wooden frames, Kato can cut and trim the shape of fabrics as he wishes and hang or lay down the painted fabrics to create a unique form, which obscures its differentiation as a painting or a sculpture. The flexible and supple nature of textiles enable Kato to produce expansive fabric paintings. Byron Kim is known for his series of conceptual minimal paintings such as Synecdoche, which consists of monochrome paintings of human skin colour, and Sunday Paintings, in which Kim executed a single painting of the sky every Sunday since 2001. Based

Fig 6 圖6

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Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2019 (Detail) 加藤泉,《無題》,2019(局部)


To portray different skin tones and the subtle nuances of bruises, Kim dyed the canvas or linen fabrics with colours

Textiles play a significant role in theatre plays and performances, and are in different ways to create an illusion on stage to draw audiences into the fictional narrative of the play. A drop

實驗提供了無限可能。

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Curator’s Essay

加藤泉為人所知的是其神秘人形生物繪畫,使用木、 軟膠、石頭和布料等多種媒介,挑戰傳統繪畫形式。 加藤泉研究不同的自然物料並將其特性融入於他的 畫作當中,在布料運用和展示方式均打破傳統西方 畫布的二維觀念,充滿玩味。他對紡織材料和技術 的運用,保留了手工藝的痕跡和紡織品在尺寸上的 靈活性,並在畫作中產生了獨特的觸感美學。而比 她還嘗試了不同的紡織方法,例如人手和機械編織, 加藤泉更早,德國籍畫家西格瑪 · 波爾克(Sigmar 並採用了包括 LED 燈等意想不到的材料,為紡織 Polke)於 1960 年代創作了一系列織物繪畫,將畫 品加入預設的照明動畫圖案。畢蓉蓉對圖案的興趣 布的中性功能轉化為繪畫本身的中心主題。至於 一直貫穿於她多元的創作當中。她作品的裝飾性圖 加藤泉的畫作,他甚至棄用裱於畫框的畫布,藉著 案都是收集自歐洲歷史建築的外牆、地磚和古舊器 裁剪及縫紉以突出材料特質。 皿。畢蓉蓉從原初的文化背景中抽取這些圖案並重 新組合,創造成另一種圖案。歷史上,跨境貿易促 在這次展覽中,加藤泉在香港鬧市中的本地布藝市 使不同地區的居民改造或同化圖案,使之成為跨國 場「棚仔」(欽州街小販市場)採購廉價紡織品,尤 界和跨文化的產物。在改造或同化的過程中,圖案 其是本來已有圖案和機器繡花的布料。對藝術家而 的象徵意義褪去,取而代之的是對美感的強調。話 言,紡織品的圖案和顏色就如肥沃的土壤,刺激他 雖如此,畢蓉蓉去情境化、直覺的創作模式,好比 即興創作。加藤泉有時甚至在畫作上補綴或加添奇 後現代建築設計中常見到的挪用方法。對畢蓉蓉而 特的布料,創造出獨特的組合,並在畫作縫針引線, 言,紡織品是潛力豐富且結構複雜的材料,為藝術 以製造有質感的表面。(圖 5 及 6)

2020 Spring Catalogue

刺激,保留了紡織品的含糊性質。在她的展覽空間中, 我們可以找到不同的組成部分,包括動畫錄像、掛 件、編織物、壁畫和地毯,而覆蓋整個地面的兩幅 地毯仍然維持其原有的功能,讓觀眾在其上走動之 餘,亦同時裝飾展覽空間(圖 4)。 由於地毯在展廳 中佔據了很大的面積,因此它們足以營造展廳內部 空間的氣氛。這使我們想起紡織品實用與美學兼具 的模糊性質,正正是它的精髓。

extracted from natural ingredients, then stretched them onto frames. The naturaldye technique successfully creates depth in the tranquil colours, as well as a sense of intimacy. Amidst the uneven colours on the canvas, there are countless traces of folds which assumingly came from the process of dyeing, when the canvas was dipped into the coloured dyes. The minute folds on the canvas result in the representation of wrinkles on human skins. (Fig 7) As textiles are often referred to as our ‘second skin’, Kim’s paintings are skin with bruises which are unique to individuals, representing the history, the memory and the emotion embedded beneath.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

on his observation of the details in everyday surroundings, his paintings are often suspended between figuration and abstraction. Like Synecdoche, 13 paintings exhibited in the exhibition look like a series of abstract paintings of blurred colours. However, they, in fact, portray bruises on human flesh. Noticing small details and depicting them in a close-up manner, Kim leaves space for the audience to imagine a whole from an invisible cutout. Kim has been developing this series of ‘bruise’ paintings since 2016, initially inspired by Carl Phillips’s poem ‘Alba: Innocence’, in which Phillips portrays the contemplation of a bruise on a lover’s flesh, associating it with the memory of the time spent with the partner.


curtain divides the real world, where the audience is, from the fictional world on the stage, whereas costumes transform actors’ personas, and reveal the context of the theatre play or performance. In Samson Young’s performance The Immortals (featuring Michael Schiefel, DITHER and Eliza Li), textiles also function to set a contemporary tone for his performance despite of the fact that the performance piece was based on the renowned popular Chinese folklore of The Eight Immortals. The guitar quartet DITHER, Chinese opera singer Eliza Li, jazz vocalist Michael Schiefel and two animation characters play the key roles, performing the scene of the Eight Immortals attending the birthday celebration of the divine Queen Mother of Heaven. The costumes in his work The Immortals have also been carefully chosen and presented so as to visually speak about the identity of each role as

well as the setting of the play. The neon coloured costumes printed with Young’s handwriting graffiti and worn by the performers, DITHER and Michael Schiefel, create a unique contrast with the classic Cantonese opera costume worn by Eliza Li, fusing the past and the present, thus, alluding to the continuity of time. (Fig 8) Young revises the roles of the Eight Immortals into artistic jesters to critically reflect the power structure of contemporary society and interweaves music and lyrics into the performance. He first executed this performance piece for Performa, the international performance festival in New York in 2019, before developing it into a video installation. For the exhibition, he added display windows for the costumes and helmet and constructed a temporary theatre covered with colourful fabrics that were used for the costumes, bringing to mind the colourful paper and messages on the

紡織品還能夠靈活地改變畫作的形態和比例。畫布 沒有木框裝裱,加藤泉可以根據自己的構思裁剪和 修改布的形狀,用懸掛或攤平的方式展示繪畫,以 塑造介乎繪畫與雕塑之間的獨特狀態。紡織品的彈 性和柔韌使加藤泉能夠創作大大小小的織物畫作。 金允寧因創作極簡概念繪畫而廣為人知,如其作品 《提喻》描繪人類膚色的單色畫;另一創作《星期 天畫作》則是金允寧自 2001 年起每週日繪畫天空 的作品。他的畫作總是遊走於具象和抽象之間。在 牆上的 13 幅作品看來像是蘊含模糊色彩的抽象畫, 其實是呈現肉體的瘀傷。藝術家觀察入微,以特寫 方式把它描繪出來,留待看不見的部份讓觀眾發揮 想像。詩人卡爾 · 菲利浦斯(Carl Phillips)的詩作 「Alba:Innocence」描寫詩人對愛人身上瘀痕的 沉思,藉以想起他與伴侶共處的回憶;金允寧受此 啟發,自 2016 年起創作一系列有關瘀痕的畫作。

Fig 7 圖7

Byron Kim, Blue Lift Sandalwood Fall, 2016 (Detail) 金允寧,《藍色漸現,檀香葉落》,2016(局部)

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為描繪不同膚色和瘀傷的細微差別,他在天然物料 中抽取顏料,染在帆布或亞麻織物上,然後把它鑲 上畫框。這天然染色技術巧妙地帶出平靜的色彩,


Fig 9 圖9

Samson Young, The Immortals, 2020 (Detail) 楊嘉輝,《仙》,2020(局部)

2020 Spring Catalogue

Samson Young, The Immortals, 2020 (Detail) 楊嘉輝,《仙》,2020(局部)

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Fig 8 圖8

Curator’s Essay

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ubiquitous Lennon Walls erected across Hong Kong when the performance was made. (Fig 9) By doing so, Young’s work in the temporary theatre looked as if it were a memorial hall of the time. For the work entitled A Stitch in Time by David Medalla, a large piece of plain cotton fabric plays an important role as a participatory platform for visitors to the exhibition. Medalla relocated to New York at the age of 14 in 1966. After studying Greek philosophy and ancient Greek drama at Columbia University, he began to be committed to art making, ranging from poetry to performance, painting and kinetic sculpture. Throughout his life, Medalla has constantly moved and worked from city to city including Berlin, Edinburgh, New York, London, Paris and Manilla and has created local versions of A Stitch in Time in different cities and occasions since the first edition made

Fig 10 圖 10

David Medalla, A Stitch in Time, 1968 - ongoing (Detail) 大衛・梅達拉,《及時一縫》,1968 - 現在(局部)

Fig 11 圖 11

David Medalla, A Stitch in Time, 1968 - ongoing (Detail) 大衛・梅達拉,《及時一縫》,1968 - 現在(局部)

並把我們引入藏在畫中的親密故事。畫布顏色不均 勻的部份有無數的皺褶痕跡,應該是將畫布浸入染 料的過程中產生的。畫布上的微小皺褶產生了像人 類皮膚上皺紋。 (圖 7)由於紡織品通常被稱為「第 二層皮膚」,金允寧的畫作表達瘀傷的皮膚,代表 了個體,也蘊含歷史、記憶和內心深處的情感。 紡織品在劇場和表演起著重要的作用,它們不同的 形態構成舞台上的幻境,把觀眾引入劇情的虛構敘 事中。布幕將觀眾席的真實世界與舞台上的幻想世 界分隔開來,服裝塑造演員的角色,交代劇情背景。 在楊嘉輝的表演作品《仙》(由 Michael Schiefel、 DITHER 和李沛妍演出)中,儘管是改編自著名的 中國民間故事《八仙賀壽》,紡織品在此亦滲出其 當代步調。結他四重奏組合 DITHER、粵劇表演者 李沛妍及爵士樂主音 Michael Schiefel 與另外兩 個動畫人物合演八仙,上演八仙出席皇母娘娘壽宴 一幕。 《仙》的服裝十分講究,令觀眾一眼看出每個角色 的身 份 和 戲份。DITHER 和 Michael Schiefel 穿 著的螢光色服裝印有楊嘉輝的筆跡塗鴉,與李沛妍

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楊嘉輝參考傳統民間故事《八仙賀壽》把八仙的角 色改成藝術丑角,以批判當代社會的權力架構,並 訴諸於音樂和歌詞。他為 2019 年在紐約舉行的國 際表演節 Performa 演出這個表演項目,然後發展 成錄像裝置。在展覽空間,還有展示服裝和安全帽 的櫥窗,並搭建臨時劇院,以服裝相同的彩色布料 覆蓋,令人回溯到演出時,在香港街頭隨處可見的 連儂牆彩色便利貼和訊息。(圖 9)藉此,楊嘉輝設 置在臨時劇院的作品猶如時代的紀念館。

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Curator’s Essay

至於大衛 · 梅達拉(David Medalla)題 為《及時 一縫》的作品,一大塊純棉織物為參與式平台扮 演重要的角色。梅達拉於 1966 年 14 歲時遷居至 紐約,他在哥倫比亞大學修讀希臘哲學和古希臘 戲劇後,便決心投入藝術創作,媒介由詩歌到表演、 繪畫及動態雕塑。梅達拉一生遷移和工作於不同 城市,如柏林、愛丁堡、紐約、倫敦、巴黎和馬尼拉。 自 1968 年在倫敦製作第一版以來,《及時一縫》已 經在不同的城市和場合出現,邀請觀眾在懸掛的帆

2020 Spring Catalogue

身穿的經典粵劇服裝形成了獨特的對比,融合了過 去和現在,並影射時間的連續性。(圖 8)

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

in London in 1968. In A Stitch in Time, audiences are invited to embroider or stitch their small belongings onto the hanging canvas. (Fig 10) In this regard, the audience is expected not to stay as a passive viewer but be an active performer to complete the work. In the course of the exhibition period, the work changes in appearance with visitors’ participation and eventually transforms into a record of the time of the period of display. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March in Hong Kong, Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas was unexpectedly forced to close immediately after its public opening. The blank cotton canvas was left with enormous vacant spaces because the work was only able to embrace the audiences’ participation only for one day. In response, as many cultural events and business activities were moved to the virtual realm, we also


called for remote participation via email and Instagram and invited people to send us images they wanted to stitch onto the canvas. The COVID-19 pandemic, in fact, accelerated the change in the method of participation and engagement from the physical to the virtual, and naturally, the work reflected this shift. Eventually we received more submissions than expected and the images and pictures sent by the online participants actually mirrored the time when people entered the mode of social distancing globally. Among the stitched images, we can find the image of the COVID-19 virus, flower arrangements which might have brightened the sender’s life during the long period of quarantine, and elaborate embroidery which showed how the sender enjoyed the time of hand sewing during self-isolation. (Fig 11) Whenever we received an image, we would stitch it onto the work on behalf of the sender.

布上刺繡或縫上小東西(圖 10) 。故此,觀眾不只停 留在被動的觀者位置,而是擔當主動的表演者來完 成作品。於展覽期間,作品的外觀經過觀眾的參與 而改變,最終成為展覽的時間記錄。 可惜事與願違,香港 3 月的新型冠狀病毒疫情令 「意象連綿」被迫在開幕後立即關閉。巨大的純棉 帆布在僅僅開放予觀眾參與創作一天之後,仍留有 大片空白。當許多文化和商業活動轉移至虛擬領域 時,我們通過電郵和 Instagram 邀請大眾進行遙 距參與。我們邀請大眾發送希望我們代為縫上的圖 像。實際上,疫情加速改變從實體到虛擬的參與方 式,因此該作品自然反映該變化。後來,參與者比 我們預期更多,而我們收到的圖像和圖片,反映了 人們進入全球社交隔離的時代。在縫上的圖像中, 我們可以找到新型冠狀病毒的圖像、在漫長的檢疫 期間為寄件人生活增添色彩的插花,還有精心製作 的刺繡,反映寄件人在自我隔離期間享受縫紉的時 光(圖 11)。每當我們收到圖像,我們都會代表發 送者將其縫於作品之上。

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After a temporary closure of 6 weeks, CHAT could reassume the gallery operation from early May when the number of infected cases dropped significantly. Cultural events slowly started again in their respective physical sites following the protocol of the so-called ‘new normal’. Assuming that people would be cautious about hygiene, we did not expect our visitors to be proactive in the participatory work. However, regardless of restrictions, many visitors turned into active participants, stitching names, messages to loved ones and expressions which echoed the political turmoil in the city which continued from the summer of 2019. Consequently, the Hong Kong version of A Stitch in Time became a very unique artistic archive, capturing a historical moment for people in and outside Hong Kong. Patchwork is an artform which involves

隨着受感染的病例數量大幅下降,CHAT 六廠的展 覽空間在關閉 6 週後,在 5 月初重新開放。遵循所 謂「新常態」的禮儀,文化活動在各個實體場所慢 慢開展。由於人們的衛生意識加強,我們沒預計參 觀者會積極參與。然而,無論有何限制,許多觀眾 都已變成積極的參與者,縫上名字、致愛人的訊息, 以及回應 2019 年夏季在這座城市持續的政治動盪 之訊息。因此,《及時一縫》香港版成為一個非常 獨特的藝術文獻庫,為香港與海外的人捕捉了歷史 性時刻。 拼布是關乎縫製不規則形狀、或新或舊布料的藝術形 式,可以添加布塊來無限伸延,每塊拼布都有自己的 個性和歷史。 「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」 作為拼湊的隱喻,嘗試在長期的討論範圍以外思考 藝術與紡織,審視紡織品在藝術的應用。我希望這 次展覽能夠讓觀眾重新發現和思考紡織品的無限可 能,並從紡織的角度詮釋當代藝術作品及其論述, 詰問紡織對藝術的作用。


Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

sewing together irregular pieces of new and used fabrics, and it can be infinitely expanded by adding another fabric piece, with each piece of the patchwork having its own character and history. Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas as a metaphorical patchwork is a thought experiment which ponders both art and textiles beyond the long-standing discussion formula, examining instead the artistic application of textiles. I hope this exhibition can offer audiences the opportunity to rediscover and revisit the unconstrained possibilities of textiles and a viewpoint to interpret contemporary artwork and its discourse from a textile angle, interrogating what textiles do in art.

2020 Spring Catalogue Curator’s Essay

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EXHIBITION DOCUMENTARY VIDEO 展覽紀錄片 EXHIBITION DOCUMENTARY VIDEO


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CHAT with ARTIST 與藝術家聊天 CHAT with ARTIST


BI RONGRONG

畢蓉蓉

1982 年生於寧波,現生活工作於上海。每 Born in 1982 in Ningbo and now living and working in Shanghai, Bi Rongrong has collected 當到訪一個城市,畢蓉蓉都會收集當地建 ornamental patterns of architectures in the 築物的裝飾紋樣,並將其經過手工或數碼 cities where she visited and has applied them 加工,從而形成包括了繪畫、拼貼、織物、 to textiles, paintings, animations and immersive 影像、場域特定的裝置等多種媒介在內的 installations. In her works, the applied patterns 綜合性創作手法。那些出現在她作品中的 lose the original context and appear as pure 碎片化紋樣失去了原有的語境,卻以另一 abstract forms. In doing so, Bi transforms the 種抽象的形式將空間轉換為圖像風景。 space into pictorial landscape. 畢蓉蓉於四川大學中國畫山水畫專業取得 After completing an MA in Chinese Traditional 碩士學位,繼而在荷蘭獲得 Frank Mohr Landscape Painting at Sichuan University, she 學院繪畫專業藝術碩士學位。她近來的個 studied for an MA at the Painting Department of 展包括中國上海玻璃博物館「穹頂」 (2017) the Frank Mohr Institute in the Netherlands. Her recent solo exhibitions include Wave at Shanghai 和中國成都千高原藝術空間「紋樣 XI- ∞」 (2019);她亦有在國內外參與公共藝術項 Museum of Glass, China (2017); Pattern XI-∞ 目。 at A Thousand Plateaus Art Space in Chengdu, China (2019) and she has also participated in public art projects in and outside China.

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas 2020 Spring Catalogue

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Artist profiles, installations

Bi Rongrong, Re-encode—Pattern XXXIX—Aumbry Door—LED Fabric, 2019-20 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼—紋樣 XXXIX—Aumbry 的門—LED 織物》,2019-20


Works by Bi Rongrong Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong K 畢蓉蓉作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

Kong, 2020

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CHAT with BI 畢

RONG 蓉

RONG 蓉

NOTE Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas had to suspend its public opening from 23 March 2020 to 7 May 2020. All planned on-site events, including artists’ talks and workshops, shifted from the physical to the virtual world. The following pages contain the edited transcriptions of artists’ talks which were uploaded onto CHAT’s YouTube channel. Based on edited interview between Bi Rongrong, Wang Weiwei (CHAT) and David Chan (CHAT) on 16 April, 2020.

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備註 因 2019 冠狀病毒病疫情,展覽「意象連綿:方法 的彌合與觀念的縱橫」於 2020 年 3 月 23 日至 5 月 7 日需暫停開放。所有已計劃的現場活動,包 括藝術家對談和工作坊,因此由現實世界轉至虛 擬世界, 部份已上載至 CHAT 六廠 YouTube 頻道。 以下篇幅是相關與藝術家對談環節的編輯文字。 編輯自畢蓉蓉、王慰慰(CHAT 六廠)和陳信騫 (CHAT 六廠)於 2020 年 4 月 16 日的訪問。 BRR: Bi Rongrong 畢蓉蓉 WWW: Wang Weiwei 王慰慰 DC: David Chan 陳信騫


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Bi Rongrong, Re-encode—Pattern XI—Laforet’s Tile—Fabric 1, 2018 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼—紋樣 XI—Laforet 的磚片,織物 1》,2018

DC

你好,蓉蓉,今天很高興在線上與你談論你 在「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」 展覽中的作品,稍後 CHAT 六廠策展人王 慰慰也會與我們對談。每當你到訪一個城 市,都會收集當地建築物的裝飾紋樣,並經 過手工或數碼加工,從而形成多種媒介在內 的綜合性創作手法。這次在 CHAT 六廠的 裝置展示了混合紋樣及媒介獨特的藝術實 踐。

BRR 我先介紹這 6 件編織物組成的作品。(圖 1)

BRR I want to begin with my knitted work of 6 pieces hanging on the wall. (Fig 1) I gave them the same title, Pattern XI. There is a small story behind the title. In 2017 I was in a residency in Lake Maggiore of Italy. There was a castle from the 15th century; I will pull up some

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CHAT with Artist

我給它們編了一個同樣的編號《紋樣 XI》。 這是因為它們背後有一個小故事。2017 年 我在意大利的湖區馬焦雷湖駐留,住在一座 自 15 世紀的城堡,之後可以給大家調出來 圖片,給大家看一下城堡地板磚的紋樣。然 後我在這個地方完成駐留以後,回來閉上眼 睛就經常想起這個地板磚的紋樣,在我心中 好像只有那個城堡的一個符號一樣(圖 2) , 所以我回來以後畫了一張手稿,根據這個手 稿我就想是不是可以繼續再深入下去。所以 大家現在看到的織物作品,是根據這個紋樣 來進行機器針織的一件,也是我第一次嘗試 機器針織這樣的一個手法,把這樣一個紋樣

2020 Spring Catalogue

Hello, Rongrong. Today we have Bi Rongrong here to discuss your works in this exhibition Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas. Whenever you visit a city, you would collect the ornate patterns of architectures, which you would manipulate either manually or digitally to make for your eclectic practice that combines various mediums. Your installation in CHAT indeed illustrates your unique methodology of remixing the patterns and translating them into different mediums.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Fig 1 圖1


reference photos later, so everyone can see the patterned tiles of the castle. After the residency the image of the patterns would return to me often. The floor tiles, to me were like symbols of the castle. (Fig 2) So I made a sketch upon my return and based on the sketch I thought to continue exploration resulting in what you see before you now, which are the tile patterns knitted by machines. It was my first attempt at using machines to knit a pattern like this, which I then rearranged through colour-blocking. There is a large video piece projected on the wall that narrates the process of machine knitting, meaning that this video arose from the knitted work. (Fig 3) I did not decide to make a video at first but in the process became influenced by the computer programmes used to facilitate machine knitting. The process was very interesting and so I wanted to preserve it and give it more variation. I recorded the process of knitting a pattern and made it into a video that gives a sense of space. There is a carpet on the floor which is a custom-made one to make my space more immersive. (Fig 4) I also made a new piece with LED this time. (Fig 5) LED lights shine through the knitted pieces and create different patterns. I also collected patterns from the exibited copper gate in V&A Museum in the UK but I guess they are originally came from Italy. (Fig 6) Copper is a very hard material. I thought about how I could turn that into some form of a textile, as I was involved with textile work then. I simplified the pattern into crocheted textile. Once I had added LED lights, it expanded into more patterns and structures as though it was endlessly growing. The transformation of mediums

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給織出來,然後通過色塊的方式來進行重新 組合。 這個大型的錄像裝置講述一個織物的機器針 織過程,也就是說這個視頻其實是由這件織 物發展出來的(圖 3)。一開始我並沒有要 去做一個視頻的想法,經常這個機器針織的 電腦程序給了我一個啟發。它的編織過程非 常有意思,我想把這樣有意思的過程保留下 來,甚至讓它變得更有意思,所以我就通過 針織,從怎麼開始到慢慢變成一個紋樣,將 一個過程做成一個有空間感的視頻。 展廳地下有一幅地毯,目的是讓這個展覽空 間變得更沉浸式(圖 4)。我亦為這個展覽 創作了一件新的 LED 織件作品(圖 5)。 LED 燈透過織品產生不同的圖案,這是我 從英國的 V&A 博物館一扇古代銅門上收集 的一個紋樣,應該來自古代意大利(圖 6), 銅門上面取的紋樣。銅是一個非常硬的一個 材質,然後我當時在想我是不是可以再把它 轉化成一個織物。我把這個紋樣簡化為鉤針 編織的紡織品。當我添加了 LED 燈,它便 好像不斷擴展成為更多的圖案和結構般。 因為最近一直在做跟織物有關的一些作品, 所以就是不停的會有這樣的轉換,通過手工 的鉤針手法來把這樣的紋樣呈現出來,再加 上一個電子編程,把 LED 跟織物給接合起 來。當時我想的是這兩個材料會是一個非常 強烈的對比,就是織物和 LED 燈,但是實 際上做的時候才發現這個 LED 的製作過程

Fig 2

圖2

The floor tile in Castello di Frino, Ghiffa, Italy, built in the 15th Century Source material for the works by Bi Rongrong Courtesy of the artist 迪弗日諾城堡的地板磚,吉法,意大利, 建於 15 世紀 畢蓉蓉的作品素材 藝術家提供


CHAT with Artist

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2020 Spring Catalogue

因為是一個定製,可能幫我製作的朋友他也 沒有接觸過這樣子的一種開發,所以他的這 個手工程度並不比編織的過程弱,整個就是 一個手工焊接,手工慢慢來縫線,把這個 LED 燈縫上去,然後手工來盤線。所以其 實 LED 燈編織的過程,跟後面那個紡織物 的編織過程非常相似。 在這件作品的下面,我們能隱約看到另一塊 地毯(圖 7)。這片藍色底的,上面有各種 紋樣的一個地毯作品,是由我收集的各種瑣 碎紋樣,然後我再重新把它們排列、組成這 樣的一個陣列來製作了地毯。上面的動物 和植物紋樣都是我在柏林佩加蒙博物館收集 (圖 8) ,我亦從伊絲塔城牆上取了石獅的圖 案,並根據它畫了草圖。現在看到的這個畫 面上面,牆上有一個像鏡向的壁畫,就是這 張地毯的一個延伸。所以我在做這一系列的 作品的時候,一直在考慮空間和作品之間的 關係。這個壁畫也是這次第一次嘗試這樣一 種粉本的方式(圖 9) ,我們把底稿進行激光 打孔,打孔以後用拓印的方式把顏料通過這 個孔給打上去。其實這有點像古代畫壁畫的 方式。他們為了提高工作效率會做這樣的粉 本,所以我們用這種粉本的方式把地毯鏡向 到牆面。 在我展廳的出口旁邊我們在邊牆上會看到一 個很小的視頻(圖 10)。這個小視頻其實也 有點像是這個地毯作品的再延伸,雖然它裡 面的紋樣可能有一些不一樣,但是它們也是 我採自各種紋樣的一個集合,然後慢慢用一 種漸變的方式,其實剛才的 LED 燈裡面雖 然只有一個紋樣,但是我們也看到了有一種 漸變的方式在把那個紋樣進行變換。這個小 的視頻會看到從一個符號,比如說簡單的一 個圓圈慢慢延伸出去愈來愈多的細節,它從 一個細節又轉換成另外一個細節。所以是一 些紋樣之間的變換,通過色彩、通過造型。 在桌上,我們能看到有一件這次和 CHAT 六 廠 一 起 合 作 的 一 件, 跟 G2G 的 合 作 單 位, 我 和 他 們 一 起 嘗 試 來 做 了 這 裡 一 件 (圖 11)。桌子上還有一件,就是兩件針織 作品。這個紋樣也是來自於我採集的一個 紋樣的一個啟發,因為有一個特點是這次 G2G 用的線是回收的、是再利用的,從衣 服上回收回來再重新做成新的回收線。所以 我覺得這個意義也非常好,對我的挑戰是它 的色彩可能會有一些限制。 在它的旁邊有一件手工編織的小織物,這個

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

is common for me. In this case, the pattern is rendered through crocheting. An electric circuit is added to connect the textile with LED lights. At the time, I thought that the textile and the LED lights would form a nice and strong contrast. I later realised that because LED lights must be custommade and because my helper may have had little experience with the work this manual process turned out to be more difficult than knitting. The process of attaching LED lights required soldering and hand sewing. This process of crocheting LED lights was, therefore, quite similar to the knitting of the textiles we just saw. Underneath this work, you can see another carpet. (Fig 7) This one that is on a blue background and with patterns on top. It is a compilation of various patterns I had collected and arranged to display on a carpet. There were some animals and plants which are the pattern which I collected in The Pergamonmuseum of Berlin. (Fig 8) I took the lion motif on the Ishtar Gates there and made sketches based upon it. Along the top of the screen you can see a mirrored mural, which is like an extension of the carpet. As I was making this series of work I often considered the relationship between my work and the space. This mural was also my first attempt to try a traditional method of image transfer. (Fig 9) We first cut holes on a stencil with a laser, then we applied pigments through the holes. This method is similar to ones used in ancient times, which made mural painting more efficient. Using this method we mirrored the carpet onto the wall. Near the exit of my gallery space is a small video. (Fig 10) Actually, this video is like another extension of the carpet despite some patterns


Fig 3 圖3

CHAT visitor views the video work of Bi Rongrong Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong K 參觀者在欣賞畢蓉蓉錄像作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT with Artist

Kong, 2020

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being different. It is also an amalgamation of collected patterns that meld into each other. The LED work contained just one pattern, but here we will see patterns melding into each other. Sometimes, a small symbol on the screen, for example a circle, would extend and give rise to ornate details, which would then transform again into other ornate forms. The video is about the transformations of patterns through colour and form. On the table, there are pieces I developed together with CHAT and our collaborator G2G. (Fig 11) This pattern is also taken from my collection. G2G is special because they use recycled yarns that are made from old garments. I thought that that was very meaningful. To me, the challenge was then to work with the limited colour palette. Next to it is a piece knitted by hand, also of a similar pattern but which forms a striking contrast when placed next to the machine knitted pieces. It is made in a manner similar to making fishing nets. There is another piece made by hand on the wall. (Fig 12) Throughout this exhibition I attempted various techniques such as the handmade carpet, knitted works by hand and by the machine. There are also videos from the process of machine knitting, as well as works combining crocheting and LED lights. DC

小織物也是類似的紋樣,但是它和旁邊的機 器編織會形成一個非常鮮明的對比,像鉤魚 網一樣的鉤針方法。 還有一件在牆上的作品是以手工編織的。在 這個展覽當中我有嘗試用不同的手法去表演 各種元素。剛才看到有手工的地毯、手工的 編織、機器的針織,然後有機器針織延伸出 來的視頻,還有鉤針編織的織物和 LED 燈 結合的作品。

DC

剛剛你分享整個展廳一些創作的方向,你會 先開始在不同的地方可能會看到一些不同的

As you have just shared regarding the exhibition space and your creative process it appears that you start by going to different places to see architectures and patterns, which you would then make sketches of in the studio. These sketches then become works of various mediums. Fig 4 圖4

BRR I thought it was interesting how

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Bi Rongrong, Re-encode--Pattern XI-∞--Fabric 1, 2020 (Detail 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI- ∞ -- 織物 1》,2020(局部)


Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT with Artist

l)

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through this method of collecting one is able to experience different cities across different times. These patterns are like the skins of architecture. Although I did not investigate deeply into their back stories I am still able to experience them with intuition. Then, I would turn them into source materials. Through my creative process they change as though they are alive. Perhaps our ancestors derived inspiration from nature, which they collected together. And I, similarly, through collecting them allow them to continue growing in an organic manner. One by one, my works came to be. My works invent themselves as they are adapted to a specific space. There is actually something similarly inventive in the process of collecting. I often have little in common with the times and spaces that I collect from. I am merely there to collect, which is an experience that feels quite unreal. And then arriving at an exhibition space like this. I have to invent a new space for them. The process is all very interesting to me. DC

It is like these patterns are collected from different places and placed into an organic dialogue with one another in the gallery. Fig 5

BRR Yes. DC

圖5

In this exhibition you have continued to use a lot of different mediums such as the crocheted LED piece you just mentioned. I would like to ask if you have encountered anything special in the process. For example, how has these experimental collaborations affected your creative process?

BRR In fact, every new material poses a challenge and with them, surprises. I actually was not very confident

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Bi Rongrong, Re-encode—Pattern XXXIX— Aumbry Door—LED Fabric, 2019-20 (detail) 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼—紋樣 XXXIX—Aumbry 的 門—LED 織物》,2019-20(局部)

建築、不同的圖案,然後你會在工作室再畫 一些不同的草圖,可能會做不到類型、方向 的作品。

BRR 我覺得很有意思的就是你能通過這種採集感 覺到不同時空裡面的各種城市,或是各種地 方的一種皮膚。在建築物上面它們就像皮膚 一樣,雖然我沒有深入去研究這些紋樣背後 的故事,但是通過我這種很碎片化的,從直 覺的去體驗它們,回來以後它們就變成了非


Fig 6

圖6

Aumbry Door, Copper gilt, Italy, 16th Century Source material for the works by Bi Rongrong Courtesy of the artist 裝飾門,銅鎏金,意大利,16 世紀 畢蓉蓉的作品素材 藝術家提供

DC

BRR 其實每次用新的材料,對創作都會有挑戰、 有驚喜。其實我是很沒有把握地去做這件 LED 作品。

DC Thank you, we now welcome Weiwei to join our conversation.

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CHAT with Artist

在這個展覽之中,你繼續用了很多不同的媒 材,包括你剛剛說到的那個 LED 織物。 你當中有沒有遇到什麼特別之處,如通過不 同實驗性的合作,對你的創作有什麼影響 呢?

2020 Spring Catalogue

常多的一些素材,我就一步一步的轉換和 創作,一步一步地生發,好像這些紋樣它 們一直是活的。可能以前的人們從大自然 拿到了靈感,先概括出來,然後我再通過 採集,能夠讓它們不停地生發、有機地生 長。所以作品之間也是這樣一件一件地生 長出來的。然後再到一個具體的空間裡面, 我再會根據空間把它們形成一個新的虛擬 空間。其實這種採集過程,本身它也是挺 虛擬的,因為我跟當時、當地是沒有任何 關係的。我只是做一個隨機的採集,然後 我覺得它們其實很不真實地再來到一個這 樣的展覽空間,它就好像形成一個新的虛 擬空間,所以這個過程對我來說是很有意 思的。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

working on the LED piece. At first, I was influenced by a material testing lab in Shanghai. They were collecting all sorts of materials one of which was an LED material developed by Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It could not be programmed, but could be embedded into materials for washing. That combination of properties was very memorable to me. I began to think about how to introduce the material into textiles. Finally, I made it into a work that also helps to animate patterns. I shared this idea with a friend and we decided to do it, even though I actually had no clue how to. I simply let my curiosity lead me, which is often the case as I work across mediums. Sometimes, I would not know if something would work out until when the exhibition opens. But this allows interesting things to happen. To me, this uncertainty is like the process of drawing. I never really like to plan when I draw. I would rather start with a point and let it expand, without knowing its direction and outcome. When I first graduated, exhibition organisers did not have high expectations. So I worked on installations as though they are drawings, starting with a point, without knowing its end. I believe that as long as you put in the effort and time, the results will always surprise you. Exhibitions today have higher expectations and limited freedom for exploration. They now require you to provide detailed proposals and plans. But even under these circumstances, I try to preserve an element of uncertainty, such as a new medium to work with, so I know that I am always trying something new for every exhibition.


Fig 7

圖7

Fig 8

圖8

Carpet designed by Bi Rongrong Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 畢蓉蓉設計的地毯 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

Ishtar Gate, Babylon, coloured, glazed bricks, 604-562 BC Source material for the works by Bi Rongrong Courtesy of the artist 伊什塔爾城門,巴比倫,彩色,釉面磚,公元前 604-562 年 畢蓉蓉的作品素材 藝術家提供

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圖9

(Upper 上方) Bi Rongrong, Re-encode--Pattern XI-∞-mural 1, 2020 (Detail) 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI- ∞ -- 壁畫 1》, 2020(局部)

(Lower 下方) Bi Rongrong, Re-encode--Pattern XI-∞-Fabric 1, 2020 (Detail) 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI- ∞ -- 織物 1》, 2020(局部)

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Fig 9

2020 Spring Catalogue

Re-encode--Pattern XI-∞--video 1, 2018, Video, 2’ 13” (Video still) 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI- ∞ -- 視頻 1》,2018,錄像,2’13”(錄像截圖)

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CHAT with Artist

Fig 10 圖 10


WWW Hello Rongrong, I was listening to you talk about your creative process and works for this exhibition. I have seen a lot of your works and exhibitions, but I have found this one to be different. There appears to be a stronger cultural and even historical connotation to the patterns like the lions and the flowers. I haven’t seen so much of this in your previous exhibitions. Is this a new direction you have developed in recent years? BRR Actually I do not give myself directions. As I mentioned, my process is very organic. I let my process inform me, so my directions are not defined. Perhaps my interest in patterns stem from my academic background. I used to sketch in nature a lot so maybe that is why natural elements are more abundant. WWW Right. You have a background in traditional Chinese painting, correct? Tell me, how has traditional Chinese painting affected your process? In fact, it is not easy to tell that you have a background in traditional Chinese painting. In traditional Chinese painting, there are developed libraries of motifs. I wonder if, through your creative process, you have developed something similar, by compiling patterns and prints into your own library, which you can extract motifs from. Is there a connection between your work and traditional Chinese paintings? Would you mind explaining? BRR Yes, that connection is very strong. I can explain that through two points. First, traditional Chinese painting has given rise to a creative process that is organic.

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Fig 11 圖 11

(Left 左 ) Bi Rongrong, Re-encode—Pattern XII—The Window—Woven 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼—紋樣 XII—窗—織物 1》,2018

最初是受到一家上海的材料實驗室影響。 他 們 在 收 集 各 種 各 樣 的 材 料, 其 中 有 幾 片 布 料 是 瑞 士 和 英 國 製 作 的 LED 布 料, 但 是 不 能 編 寫 程 式, 也 會 把 LED 燈 放 入 水 洗 的 布 料 裡 面。 這 種 結 合 給 我 印 象 特 別深刻,我就在想能不能在手工編織裡, 把 這 些 材 料 放 進 去, 又 同 時 進 行 一 個 發 展, 所 以 最 後 把 它 變 成 一 個 能 夠 讓 紋 樣 運 動 的 一 個 作 品。 當 時 把 這 個 想 法 跟 一 位 朋 友 溝 通, 我 們 就 決 定 來 做 它, 其 實 心 裡 卻 是 沒 把 握 的。 可 是 就 是 一 種 好 奇 心 帶 著 我 走, 很 多 媒 材 是 一 邊 做, 甚 至 到展覽前一天都不確定這些東西到底會 不 會 成 功, 但 是 在 展 覽 中 就 會 有 一 些 有 意思的東西出現。 其實我覺得這種不確定性有一點像畫畫 的 一 個 過 程。 像 我 以 前 畫 畫 的 時 候 不 太 喜 歡 打 手 稿, 就 是 我 會 從 一 個 點 生 發, 從 一 個 點 開 始 畫, 慢 慢 讓 它 延 展, 成 果 不 知 道 會 怎 樣。 剛 剛 畢 業 的 時 候, 很 多


(Right 右 ) Bi Rongrong, Re-encode—Pattern XIV—The Door—Fabric 3, 2020 畢蓉蓉,《再編碼—紋樣 XIV—門—織物 3》,2020

CHAT with Artist

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2020 Spring Catalogue

展 覽 對 我 方 案 的 要 求 沒 有 那 麼 高, 所 以 Even as I work on installations, I follow that sort of logic. Actually, 我 對 於 那 一 些 裝 置、 空 間 的 裝 置, 也 像 as I worked with Takahashi Mizuki, 畫畫一樣,從一個點發展,最後做成怎麼 curator of this exhibition, I would 我也不知道。但是如果你用心去經營一個 often decide to add an element 畫面以後,其實結果往往會給你一個小驚 one week and then add another 喜。 所 以 雖 然 說 肯 定 是 會 有 遺 憾, 但 是 element the next. If the exhibition 現 在 的 展 覽 要 求 也 都 越 來 越 高, 需 要 有 had been pushed back for another 方 案、 平 面 圖, 要 更 具 體。 在 這 樣 的 情 few months, I’d probably still be 況 下, 我 還 是 讓 裡 面 留有很多不確定性。 adding. So I would say that the 像剛才提到的,很多是新的媒材,讓我每 mentality involved with traditional 次展覽都想去嘗試一點點新的東西。 Chinese painting has changed me. Secondly, you just mentioned about DC 好吧,現在請王慰慰跟我們一起對談。 these libraries of motifs. I have always felt that traditional Chinese painting existed between figuration WWW 蓉蓉,剛才聽到你說很多關於作品,包括這 and abstraction and leverages 次展覽的介紹。之前也看過你其他的創作和 that liminality to read into the 展覽,這次覺得有點不同,有非常清楚的文 natural world. Traditional Chinese 化指向性,甚至歷史指向性的一些圖案,包 painting is programmatic, in a way, 括一些花卉或獅子。這些在你以前的展覽裡 because there are existing symbols 面比較少看到的,這是否是你最近幾年對圖

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Textile 1, 2018


案的採樣、以及收集的一個方向呢? and forms to borrow from. This approach to understanding nature has made it easy for architectural BRR 其實我並沒有特地來確定這樣的一個方向。 ornaments to capture my attention 剛才說到我的創作方向其實是很有機的,讓 during my travels. It is like the 它來告訴我,我不給它定一個具體的方向。 underlying lexicon of traditional 對紋樣感興趣,其實是跟我之前學習的背景 Chinese painting, which is also 有一點關係,因為我之前常去大自然寫生, about collecting, only that I am no 可能令創作的自然元素比較多。 longer collecting just nature but also the city and history. I slowly WWW 對,因為我知道你是學國畫出身的,對吧? realised that I do not collect like 學習國畫帶來了怎樣的影響、或是有怎樣的 a historian but do so purely on a 關聯嗎? visual and intuitive basis. Through 其實很難看得出你是學國畫出身的。國畫有 collecting across different times 一個發展得非常完善的圖譜系統,不知道在 and spaces, I realised that patterns 你的創作當中是否也有形成自己的一個圖 coalesce and influence each other. This helps bring me from one place 譜,包括把圖案、紋樣收集起來編成圖譜, of collection to another. This all 隨時地使用它。 makes for a very fluid, creative process. BRR 國畫與我的創作有很強的關聯。你剛才講到 One of the questions David asked 的我可以從兩點講解。第一點,國畫對我的 is for me to define my creative 影響就是,剛才反覆提到的一個生發式的創 convictions, but it is actually very 作思維,包括在裝置中我也會用到這樣的一 hard to explain in a sentence or 個邏輯去思考。其實這次展覽我跟策展人 two. I would liken it more as a way 高橋瑞木討論方案的時候,我是過幾個星期 of living that leads you forward, 就給它加一點東西,過幾個星期又加一點東 naturally, which makes me think of 西。我覺得如果這個展覽再往後推幾個月, traditional Chinese painting again. 說不定我還在發展。所以其實畫國畫的感覺 After I collect a pattern it becomes 已經徹底地影響到我的創作思維了。 taxonomised, like in a dictionary, 第二點就是慰慰你剛才提到國畫有圖譜。我 or in the Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden. You cannot just hold 一直覺得國畫在抽象和具象之間,去解讀大 onto these details. They must exist 自然、或解讀這個世界,包括我們去寫生。 embedded within our lives. A lot 國畫會有一種程式感,它並不去想,卻又有 of what I have collected are from 符號、又有形象。當時就是對大自然有這種 the West but I also combine them 認知,所以在遊歷的時候建築表面的一些紋 with ancient Chinese materials 樣一下子就能抓住我,好像就跟我以前學習 and with contemporary materials. 的語言是契合的。這種契合讓我最初在大自 These fragments are rearranged 然的採集,變成了去城市當中或是歷史當 and juxtaposed in a new exhibition 中去採集。這個採集很有意思的就是會慢 space, and suddenly they become 慢發現原來我並不是從歷史學家的方向去 my own work. And so I think that 探索的,完全是從視覺、直覺的角度去探 when it comes to being in these 索。但是探索的時候會發現不同地域、不 spaces, the contexts of these 同時間,很多紋樣會重合、互相滲透,讓 symbols and patterns are no 我從採集一個地方,指向我去採集下一個 longer relevant. When they are in my space, they are like part of a 點,存有流動性,這也是我創作的過程。 drawing. They become blocks of 其 實 David 他 也 給 我 前 期 提 問 關 於 整 個 colours and strokes of lines, dotted 裝置的理念。我想說這個理念很難用一兩 around here and there. It brings me 句話講清楚,它其實就有點像一個生活方 back to the feelings of creating a 式引導你往前走一樣。所以國畫絕對是很

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Fig 12

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Works by Bi Rongrong Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 畢蓉蓉作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱 橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港, 2020

CHAT with Artist

BRR I can start with the spatial composition for this exhibition. I

2020 Spring Catalogue

You first remove the imageries from their original historical and societal contexts then you rearrange them. I believe that everyone will interpret these images differently, regardless of nationality and cultural backgrounds. Each of your audience will develop an interpretation that is uniquely theirs. Another interesting point you brought up is skin. You said that these patterns are like skins of the city. As I was listening to you speak on your work, I felt a strong sense of viscerality and spatiality. In your travels, you unpeel the layers of skins from architecture and have them enter your libraries of motifs, which you then stitch together for them to reemerge as a new patchwork in space. And as you said, you have more and more exhibition requests. But since you are removed from these sites, you must work through twodimensional means. Working remotely, you must have to imagine these spaces through computer simulations. I am interested to hear how you transform and translate spaces. I would imagine there are lots of difficulties involved such as when you had to design for the spaces of CHAT during the health crisis, which may last for a long time. This may become a new trend, as artists may no longer be able to work on on site and in person. How do you feel about the transformations and discrepancies across space? Or you can also consider working in the studio versus how your work manifests in the gallery. What are the connections, difficulties and surprises?

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

traditional Chinese painting.


深入的在影響著我,包括採集紋樣以後, think it results from my numerous experiences creating within spaces. 我開始像芥子園畫譜一樣把它再編號,編 In school, I studied how to animate 成一個字典,因為你總不能仔細拿著那些 drawings which are extracted from 東西,你肯定要去看到自己生活的世界當 physical space. I have always 中。其實我現在有的很多也是西方古代的 grappled with these topics related 東西,但是我把中國、西方、古代、今天 to the transformations of space. 的,全部用碎片的方式通過這樣新的展覽 And so I would draw endlessly 空間把它們整合起來,把它們變成我的東 in the studio, not to make a big 西。所以我覺得整合到這個空間中,這些 mural, but in order to confuse the 符號、這些紋樣,原本的上下文已經不重 scales between a drawing and 要了。它到我的空間裡,可能就是自己的 my body. I would draw and erase, 繪畫空間,就是這裡有色塊,那裡有色塊, draw and erase. These practices 這裡有線條。所以它又可能回到我最初學 have formed my understandings 國畫經營畫面的一種感受了。 of space. For example, I would request my instructors to let me hang things in atrium spaces. And WWW 你把很多的圖像剝離它原本的一個歷史或 so even until the recent Bi-City 者社會文化的語境當中,然後去把它們進 Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture 行 一 個 重 組。 對 於 許 多 觀 眾, 包 括 不 同 of 2019 I continued to experiment 國 籍、 不 同 文 化 背 景 的 人 來 說, 他 們 對 with similar entrance spaces. But 於 這 些 圖 像 都 有 不 同 的 解 讀, 也 會 有 屬 I do not want to master space. I 於 他 們 自 己 一 個 內 心 的 圖 像 的 呈 現。 我 want space to continue to pose 覺 得 很 有 趣 的 是, 你 說 到 這 些 紋 樣 就 像 new challenges for me. For CHAT, I 城 市 的 皮 膚。 我 在 聽 你 在 介 紹 作 品 的 時 had to use the SketchUp software 侯, 其 實 我 會 強 烈 感 受 到 一 種 空 間 感 和 to conceptualise the space from 身 體 的 體 會。 你 從 你 的 旅 行 當 中, 從 建 various angles. During the actual 築空間裡面去把它們這一層皮膚剝下來, installation, I encountered many 然 後 進 入 到 你 自 己 的 圖 譜。 在 做 展 覽 和 unexpected situations. The 6 做創作的時候又把那些皮膚重新去縫合, knitted pieces, for example, were 在這一個空間裡進行重現。 not supposed to be on the wall but to be freestanding in space. Due to 如 前 面 提 到, 你 對 展 覽 方 案 的 要 求 會 越 various unforeseen safety reasons, 來 越 多, 那 其 實 它 是 一 個 離 開 空 間 的 東 I had to adapt. With help from the 西, 你 需 要 在 平 面 或 電 腦 中 進 行 重 組, curator, I was able to get a good 也 可 能 在 一 個 遠 距 的 空 間 裡 進 行 重 現。 grasp and feeling of the space 我 對 當 中 的 空 間 轉 換 比 較 好 奇, 你 是 如 despite not being able to be there 何 去 達 成 的? 我 相 信 會 有 許 多 的 困 難。 physically. 譬 如 這 次 在 CHAT 六 廠 的 空 間 裡 面 去 呈 You also mentioned the challenges 現, 因 為 疫 情 關 係, 而 我 相 信 疫 情 可 能 of working remotely from the actual 會 持 續 比 較 長 的 時 間, 可 能 也 會 變 成 未 site. I actually don’t think much on 來 的 某 種 方 向, 藝 術 家 可 能 沒 有 辦 法 直 the issue. Maybe it is because I 接 到 現 場 去 完 成 這 個 作 品。 那 你 對 空 間 start with a sketch anyway, which, 轉 換 有 什 麼 感 受? 或 者 說 你 現 在 自 己 工 as I mentioned, spawns organically 作 室 創 作, 跟 在 展 廳 空 間 裡 展 覽 的 呈 現 into the works themselves. With 之 間 會 有 什 麼 的 聯 繫, 當 中 有 困 難 或 是 just videos and sounds, I can already interact with space. 驚喜? Having just a few works in mind and knowledge of the exhibition BRR 首 先 說 這 次 空 間 的 佈 局, 我 覺 得 挺 多 來 space I can imagine how my 自於我不停在空間當中做創作的經驗。因 work can enhance the space and 為從上學開始我就對於怎麼把寫生的素材鮮

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WWW I understand. Last question. Being in Shanghai, I imagine that you must be working from your studio. Can you give us an idea of your upcoming projects this year or new directions?

放大,就沒有辦法是由我自己來完成,就 需 要 到 工 場 製 作。 所 以 去 年 就 是 跑 工 場、 跑現場,工作室的工作很多時要麼就手稿, 要麼就是電腦圖完成。 工作室現在很空,一直到香港這個展覽結 束,然後我大概休息、偷懶了一陣子,接下 來放慢節奏。沒辦法做更多現場的東西,所

WWW Yes, it will be a time to reflect. I know that you have recently worked more with textiles. Industrial techniques like those used for your carpets and knitted fabrics are very different from when they are done

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CHAT with Artist

BRR This year presents a great opportunity to really remain and work in the studio. Last year, I had an on-site project every month. They were all big projects, which often required large objects to be made. When works are large in physical scale, I sometimes simply cannot make them myself so I would also have to run around to production houses. Last year was spent running around exhibition venues and factories. I only made some small sketches in studio now and then. Or I’d do it on the computer. There isn’t too much going on in the studio right now. Perhaps when this show in Hong Kong ends, I may finally take a break and slow down. Since there will be fewer on-site projects now, I may slow down and return to work on some personal works. I might make some drawings and some graphic works. I think graphic and two-dimensional WWW 現在你在上海,我相信你都在工作室工作 works are very important for me. 吧。可以簡單介紹你接下來包括今年有什 They are the first step towards 麼新的創作或方向? creating a space. If I do not give this initial step enough time, what BRR 其實今年會是一個比較好的機會,老老實 follows will be affected negatively. 實的待在工作室,因為去年每個月都有一 So my plan for the rest of the year is 個在地的項目,在地項目的作品比例也要 to remain in the studio.

2020 Spring Catalogue

活地在真實空間取過來,再回到這樣一個 空間當中去。我從那個時候就對這個話題 很感興趣,所以我會不停在工作室畫。其 實我的目的不是畫壁畫,我是想把畫跟身 體的關係徹底變調。縱使畫了刷、刷了畫, 就是這些前期的訓練,我對空間的認識就 積累起來。然後我向導師要求,可不可以 用這個中空的空間掛一些東西。所以慢慢 發 展 成 去 年 (2019) 年 底 在「 深 港 城 市 建 築雙城雙年展」上,我用了幾個入口的空 間,其實它們對我來說都是一些實驗。當 然我不希望自己變得很熟練,因為每一個 空間我也都想要有一些新嘗試嘛。譬如說 CHAT 六廠的空間,我會反覆在 SketchUp 裡面用各種角度去想像它,在真實佈 展過程中,當然也確實遇到了跟我想像不 一樣的狀況。比如說這 6 片本來不應該掛 在牆上,我想像當中它是立在那個空間中 央,因為現場種種安全的因素,所以它會 有 一 些 改 進, 策 展 人 會 對 我 有 一 些 幫助, 她說可能這樣更好。人去不了現場,只能 通過我們現在這樣的方式去感受和想像。 你還提到工作室和現場的區別,在工作室 創作的時候我很少去考慮這樣的一個空間。 我可能就是從一個手稿開始,慢慢生發出 來一個動態的作品,一個視頻、有聲音的, 它其實已經有空間介入了。有這麼幾個作 品準備的時候,我知道了下面一個具體的 展覽空間之後,我就會想這個作品是不是 可以再進一步去跟這個空間有更多的對話。 所以它又會衍生出來一件作品,就像剛剛 那個地毯一樣。所以它是一步一步發展而 非一下子構思。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

suddenly a new work may emerge. The carpet came about just like that. Slowly, but not all at once.


completely by hand. Have you made any textiles with your own hands? Including embroidery?

以我就可以再回到內在、內心的一些東西, 就慢慢地畫一些畫、做一些平面的創作。我 覺得平面創作對我來說很重要,它是我所有 這些空間衍生出去前的第一步。第一步如果 說自己一直不去深入它的話,我覺得後面也 都會有影響,所以今年的計劃就是好好待在 工作室。

BRR Actually, I rarely involve my own hands in my process. I have exchanges with the knitwear students of the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art. They are quite interested WWW 嗯,這會是一個積累的時間。你也開始嘗試 in contemporary art, and some are 做織物,有在工場製作的如地毯,也有手工 willing to assist my work. Textiles 的織物。你自己有做一些紡織包括刺繡的手 are very time consuming to make. 工作業嗎? The handwoven piece at CHAT, for example, would take up to 30 BRR 其實製作過程我是很少出手來完成的。我 or so days to complete, even if 有跟上海視覺藝術學院針織系交流,他們 you worked for 8 hours everyday. Once you commit to something like 也對當代藝術挺感興趣,有些學生就會願 this you must set aside everything 意來打一些零工。因為它是一個非常花功夫 else. Over here, I work with an 的事情,比方這次在 CHAT 六廠掛的、我 assistant. They will work according 們講到最後的一件手工編織,你可能每天工 to my directions so my works are 作 8 個小時,也需要 30 天去完成。如果你 completed with the help of their 一旦做了這件事情,可能你就要放下所有手 hands. 頭其他的事情來專注做這件事。我跟小助手 I became interested in textiles 一起,他們一邊做,我一邊可以說:「這裡 because it reminded me of 要不我們改變一下幾個材料」。所以他們就 traditional Chinese painting. From 跟我共同完成,只是我借助他們的手。 a single thread, you can weave 我會對織物特別感興趣也是因為它有點像國 something much larger, which is not 畫時一樣,一根線開始慢慢越編越大,越編 unlike the making of an installation. 越大,就跟我做整個裝置感覺也很像。一開 Didn’t I mention earlier that when I 始我不是說對城市的紋樣特別感興趣,到 first become interested in patterns I investigated their histories in 博物館去看古代的東西,發現非常多有意思 museums. There, I found lots of 的織物。比方說中東地區的地毯,對當地來 meaningful textiles such as carpets 說也是一個城市的皮膚,因為他們是遊牧 from the Middle East, which I liken 的,人蕩來蕩去,地毯到那裡,家就在那 to the skins of their cities. Since 裡。所以,我從收集這些紋樣開始越來越 they were nomadic, their homes 關注織物。繪畫的時候我就在想,我的繪畫 were where their carpets were. So 是不是也能轉化成織物,是這樣子開始,從 in the process of collecting these 2016 年開始做織物的。 patterns, I became exposed to textiles. When I draw, I think about if my drawings can become textiles. WWW 我們剛剛談到國畫跟織物之間的關係,因為 我小時候也有學過國畫,但我現在發現尤其 So I began to make textiles in 是在國畫裡面,很有趣的是它的一筆,但是 2016. WWW As we were talking about textiles and traditional Chinese painting, I was reminded of when I learned traditional Chinese painting as a child. It is interesting that if one were to render a brushstroke with

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在織物裡要有很多密密麻麻的針線才能形成 這一筆,所以它其實完全是把時間都織到這 一筆裡面去。也許你也可以嘗試自己用手工 織,織一幅畫之類的。

BRR 現在正好就是小助手不能來嘛,他們都還沒 有開學,所以我確實有幾張未完成的我打算


自己來完成。我有試過自己做,跟他們照著 我的稿子來做的區別就是我自己做會更靈 活。我的手沒有他們那麼熟練,但這個過程 中變數可以更多。我就說今年的好處是自己 慢慢弄點東西吧。

BRR Yes, because my assistants are not able to come to my studio. I do, in fact, have some pieces I plan to complete on my own. I’ve tried it myself, working according to my own sketches, but my hands are just not as practised as theirs and there are endless variations to the process. As I said, this will be a good year to work slowly for ourselves.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

threads and needles, it would take a long time to complete. In that sense, textiles are charged with notions of time. Maybe you can try to weave a picture with your hands, too.

2020 Spring Catalogue CHAT with Artist

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Born in 1966 and currently based in Seoul, Ham Kyungah has delved into the subject of power structure and its distorted, imbalanced aspects in reality through her embroidery paintings, installation, video and performance. Most of her works require a complex, lengthy process including research, seeking the right collaborators, and gaining their trust to take risks to embody her ideas. Whilst highlighting latent political manipulations and realities in mundane things around us, Ham’s poignant observation is intricately interweaved with her examination of contemporary art’s constantly evolving expressive means.

生於 1966,現居首爾。咸京我透過刺繡畫作、 裝置、錄像和表演,探索權力的架構和現實中 被扭曲和不平衡的傾向。她的作品大多需要漫 長而複雜的研究過程,並找尋合適的合作者, 與他們建立互信以實踐她的大膽意念。她著眼 於潛藏的政治操縱和日常事物的真實性,並把 這些令人悲傷的觀察交織著她對當代藝術圈不 斷演變的表達手法的檢驗。 她 曾 在 德 國 柏 林(2017) 和 西 班 牙 馬 德 里 (2019)的 Carlier Gebauer 畫廊,以及香港 佩斯畫廊(2019)舉行個展;其作品亦曾受邀 參展於國際雙年展和三年展,如新加坡雙年展 (2011)、利物浦雙年展(2012)、釜山雙年展 (2012)、廣州三年展(2015)和台北雙年展 (2016)。她分別在 2011 年和 2016 年得到新 加坡美術館的亞太釀酒基金會傑出藝術獎及韓 國國立現代美術館的年度藝術家獎。

2020 Spring Catalogue Artist profiles, installations

Her works have been exhibited in solo shows including Carlier Gebauer in Berlin, Germany (2017) and in Madrid, Spain (2019); Pace Gallery in Hong Kong (2019) and selected to international biennales and triennials such as the Singapore Biennale (2011); the Liverpool Biennial (2012); the Busan Biennale (2012); the Guangzhou Triennial (2015) and Taipei Biennial (2016). She was the recipient of art prizes, including Asia Pacific Breweries Signature Art Prize Exhibition in Singapore Art Museum, Singapore (2011) and Artists of the Year 2016 by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul.

咸京我

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

HAM KYUNGAH

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(Left 左 ) Ham Kyungah, Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Thou, If you are like me BC 01-001-02, 2014-15 咸京我, 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/汝,如你跟我一樣 BC 01-001-02》 ,2014-15

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas 2020 Spring Catalogue

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Artist profiles, installations

(Right 右 ) Ham Kyungah, Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Big Smile BC 02-001-01, 2014-15 咸京我, 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/大微笑 BC02-001-01》 ,2014-15


CHAT visitor experiences the work of Ham Kyungah Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong K 參觀者在 CHAT 六廠欣賞咸京我作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

Kong, 2020

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Works by Ham Kyungah Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong 咸京我作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

Kong, 2020

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CHAT with HAM

KYUNGAH

京我

NOTE Like other participating artists, Ham had to cancel her trip to Hong Kong in March. Her strong conceptual artwork integrating the fine embroidery by North Korean artisans amazed CHAT’s audiences. Unfortunately, we were unable to conduct an artist’s talk with her. In the following correspondence, Ham shares with us her decisions in using embroidery as an artistic medium and her ideas behind the aesthetic styles and forms employed in her SMS Series.

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備註 如同其他參與藝術家,咸京我在 3 月時也只得取 消訪港行程。她所擅長的概念性作品,融合北韓 工匠的細緻刺繡,為 CHAT 六廠訪客帶來驚喜。 遺憾這次未能與她進行對談。在以下文章,咸京 我與我們分享她以刺繡作為一種藝術媒介的原因, 還有她在《簡訊系列》中採用的美學風格和形式 背後的想法。


我們生活在一個真實與非真實之間顛倒的世界。 有時候,世界似乎取決於意識形態的幻像或幻覺, 以及虛假或未經證實的資訊。我的作品主要是透 過原本已經存在的強大力量,將無法改變的事物 帶到公眾眼前。除了可以看到的圖像和文字之外, 其實還有其他未被注意到但真實地存在的人。當 他們精緻的刺繡作品一旦被發掘,就會映出一種 藝術光芒。 這項目的創作靈感源自個人經驗,有一天,我在 家附近意外地收到一些北韓文宣。面對這些冷戰 時代留下的歷史痕跡,我開始想像以藝術為媒介, 與北韓不知名的人進行交流。將圖像和文字偷運 到北韓的過程有猶如間諜電影中的情節,我的設 計只能由中介透過第三國交付給北韓工匠,他們 的刺繡作品大約在 7 至 12 個月完成後才送抵我 的手上。在每個步驟,雖然保密都是至關重要的, 但由於部分無法控制的因素,某些作品還是丟失

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CHAT with Artist

The impetus behind this project came from a personal experience. One day, I came across some propaganda flyers from North Korea in my neighborhood. In

關於展覽作品

2020 Spring Catalogue

ABOUT THE WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION We live in a world where an inversion between what is real and what is not causes much confusion. At times, the world seems to hinge on apparitions or illusions of ideology and fabricated or unconfirmed information. My work seeks to impose visibility on otherwise indiscernible things that shift and intervene with the world by the sheer force of their existence. Beyond images and texts visible to the eye, there exist unnoticed yet real people. When their elaborate hand stitches come into existence, the result is an artistic aura.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

CHAT visitor appreciates the work of Ham Kyungah Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 參觀者在欣賞咸京我作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020


Works by Ham Kyungah Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong K 咸京我作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT with Artist

Kong, 2020

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the face of such vestiges of the Cold War Era, I started to imagine communicating with unknowable people in the North using art as a medium. The process of smuggling images and texts into North Korea could have come straight from a spy film. My designs could only be delivered to North Korean artisans by intermediaries via third countries, and their embroidery works were smuggled back to me some 7-12 months later. Secrecy was paramount every step of the way. Even then, some of the work became lost or confiscated due to force majeure. Nonetheless, the handstitched embroidery works from the North served as media of communication that overcame the ultimate physical inaccessibility between one another. The artisans’ invisible labour embodied the artistic vision embedded in those images. For the first piece in the series, titled Text & Subtext, calligraphic messages from internet news articles were converted into embroidery. Unfortunately, the work was confiscated by the Communist authority before it could be completed. Although the physical manifestation of the work was hindered by censorship, the analogue and labour-intensive conversion into embroidery – in contrast with the digital era where any information is just a click of the mouse away – would have given the North Korean artisans enough time to mull over the news articles and let their imagination take flight. For that reason, I consider the first piece a success. In the SMS (Sending Message Service) series, such potentially ironic messages as ‘Are you lonely, too?’, ‘Money never sleeps’, ‘Big Smile’, ‘Greedy is good’ and ‘Imagine’ have been camouflaged into lavish abstract images. The work obscures texts insofar as possible. The captions contain words and phrases like ‘middle man’, ‘smuggling’, ‘bribe’, ‘anxiety’, ‘censorship’, ‘confiscation’, ‘ideology’ and ‘secret code.’ This series can be explained not only by the hours

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Ham Kyungah, Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Are you lonely too? C 01-01-01, 2013-2014 (Detail) 咸京我, 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/ 你也寂寞嗎? C 01-01-01》,2013–2014(局部)

或被沒收。儘管如此,來自北韓的手工刺繡作品 還是成為了我們溝通的媒介,克服了彼此在物理 層面上無法靠近的情況。工匠的無形勞動體現了 被鑲嵌在這些圖像中的藝術視野。 這系列的第一份作品《文本與次文本》是以刺繡演 繹源自網上新聞的書法文字。不幸的是,這項工 作在完成之前,就被共產黨當局沒收了。儘管審 查限制了作品的展示,但與數碼時代相比,將模 擬和勞動密集型的作品轉換為刺繡是很困難的。與 數碼時代相反,人們只需點擊鼠標即可獲取資訊。 但在缺乏數碼化生產的情況下,北韓工匠反而有 足夠的時間去細閱新聞報導,發揮他們的想像力。 因此,我認為第一份作品是成功的。


Ham Kyungah, Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Thou, If you are like me BC 01-001-02, 2014-15 (Detail) 咸京我,《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/汝, 如你跟我一樣 BC 01-001-02》,2014-15(局部)

您怎樣應對新冠疫情? 對大多數藝術家來說,社會隔離措施雖然有著孤 立性和隔離性,但並不構成嚴重挑戰。無論如何, 這就是藝術家的生活。更重要的是,多個展覽一 再推遲或取消,這意味著我不再定期去世界的各 個角落。幸運的是,首爾沒有實施封鎖。然而,出 於顧慮,我讓我的工作室人員休假了幾個月,只 剩下我獨自一人。鑑於刺繡藝術的特性,除了各 種大小任務外,我一直承受著壓力和焦慮。以前, 即使我精疲力盡或是因懶惰而推遲工作,我仍會 在內心深處感到內疚。有人曾經說過:「從別人的

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CHAT with Artist

Taking a step back from the intricate network of relationships around me and no longer bound by deadlines, I could breathe easy. At last, I could let my hair down and enjoy ‘thinking’ about things. Every day, YouTube had no shortage of news about tragic consequences of COVID-19 raging around the world. Apparently, the new normal changed our lives forever. I became anxious about the future for which I was not yet prepared, as the arts sector experienced many changes. There was one piece of dark terrifying news after another – further outbreak of the coronavirus, political tension and conflict, climate disasters and Black Lives Matter protests. I had never spent so much time on YouTube before. However, I appreciated the

2020 Spring Catalogue

HOW HAVE YOU COPED WITH THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC? The social distancing measures – as well as solitude and isolation thereof – do not pose a serious challenge for most artists. That is what the life of an artist is like anyway. More importantly, so many exhibitions have been repeatedly postponed or cancelled, which means I no longer regularly travel to different corners of the world. Thankfully, Seoul has not undergone a lockdown. Yet, out of apprehension, I let my studio staff take a few months off and thus ended up completely alone. Given the nature of embroidery art, I’ve always been burdened by stress and anxiety in addition to various tasks both big and small. Before, even when I became burned out, or put off work out of laziness, I felt a heavy sense of guilt deep inside. Somebody once said ‘Things are urgent when seen through other people’s eyes, but you must rely on your own perspective to judge what is really important.’ Pushed back on the priority list by so-called urgent tasks, I would grow skeptical of myself as an artist.

在《隱藏簡 訊 系 列 》 系 列 中, 我 將《 你 也 寂 寞 嗎?》、《 金 錢 從 不 睡 覺 》、《 大 微 笑 》、《 貪 婪 是 好 》 及《 想 像 》 等 潛 在 的 諷 刺 訊 息 偽 裝 成 奢 華 的 抽 像 圖 像。 這 份 作 品 盡 可 能 地 掩 蓋 了 文 本, 標題包含「中間人」、「偷運」、「賄賂」、「焦慮」、 「審查制度」、「沒收」、「意識形態」及「暗號」等 單字和詞語。這個系列不僅可以用勞動時間來解 讀,也可以用政治事件、違法、等待及突發來解讀。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

of labour, but also in terms of political events, illegality, waiting and contingency.


(Left 左 ) Ham Kyungah, Phantom Footstep, Detail from SMS Series 02, 2017-18 咸京我,《鬼魅腳印,簡訊系列 02 局部》, 2017-18

(Right 右 ) Ham Kyungah, Mr. Vitamin B is lying on smoke, Detail from SMS Series 05, 2017-18 咸京我,《維他命 B 先生躺於煙霧,簡訊系列 05 局部》,2017-18

unexpected yet meaningful break in the midst of the difficult times, and began interacting quietly with those present in books and films.

角度來看,事情很緊急,但是你必須依靠自己的 觀點來判斷什麼才是真正重要的。」當我被所謂 的緊急工作推至優先處理事項上,我會對自己的 藝術家身份產生懷疑。

Several months passed, but I could only be certain about the uncertainty of the future. I started to worry about my work. One of my international projects had long since been halted and the coordinator was out of contact. I later found out that many of her loved ones had contracted the novel coronavirus and suffered a great deal. As it turned out, they could neither go to a drugstore to get medicine nor seek medical treatment at the hospital; they had no choice but to stay at home hoping for recovery. Outbreaks like the coronavirus discriminate against the poor.

當我從周圍錯綜複雜的人際關係中退後一步,不 再受制於最後期限,我可以輕鬆地呼吸,可以放 開 所 有, 盡 情 享 受 對 事 物 進 行「 思 考 」。 每 天, YouTube 上都不乏有關 COVID-19 在各地肆虐的 新聞。顯然,新常態永遠改變了我們的生活。由 於藝術行業經歷了許多變化,我對尚未準備好的 未來感到焦慮。一個又一個負面及可怕的消息接 踵而來,像是冠狀病毒的進一步爆發、緊張局勢 和政治衝突、氣候災難,以及「黑人性命攸關」 抗爭運動。以前,我從未曾在 YouTube 上花過這 麼多的時間,但我還是感謝一切在困難時期中意 外發生而且具有意義的突破,並開始與書本和電 影中的人默默地進行互動。

CHAT has so far been the only institute to host an exhibition open to the public – despite a slight delay in schedule. [Note] Indeed, I’ve not been able to see for myself the responses my work has drawn from visitors. To my regret, the exhibition

幾個月過去了,但我只能確定未來充滿不確定, 我開始擔心我的工作。我的一個國際項目很早開 始就被迫停止,跟協調員也失去了連繫。後來我 發現她許多親人都受到新型冠狀病毒病的感染, 並遭受了很多痛苦。現在才知道,他們既不能去 藥店買藥,也不能待在醫院接受治療,他們別無 選擇,只能待在家等待康復,冠狀病毒病等爆發

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

has been closed and re-opened a few times. Nevertheless, I am truly grateful for this invaluable opportunity. Last but not least, I’d like to thank the organisers at CHAT for their hard work and perseverance in making this exhibition happen.

迄今為止,CHAT 六廠是唯一一個向公眾開放展 覽的機構,儘管時間安排稍有延遲。[備註] 確實, 我無法親自看到參觀者做我作品的回應。雖然遺 憾的是,那個展覽已經關閉並重新開放了好幾次, 但我還是非常感謝這個寶貴的機會。最後,我很 感謝 CHAT 六廠的籌劃人員在舉辦這次展覽上付 出的所有時間和毅力。 備註 CHAT 六 廠 2020 春 季 項 目 於 2020 年 3 月 21 日 向公眾開放,但鑒於公共衛生情況及政府限制, CHAT 六廠在 3 月 22 日暫時閉館。 在關閉了 6 週 後,於 5 月再次向公眾開放。

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CHAT with Artist

NOTE CHAT launched its Spring Programme 2020 to the public on 21 March, 2020, but CHAT had to close on 22 March due to the public health situation and government restrictions. CHAT opened to the public again in May after a closure of 6 weeks.

的確會歧視窮人。

2020 Spring Catalogue

Ham Kyungah, Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Are you lonely, too? BK 03-0101, 2018-19 咸京我,《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/你也寂寞嗎? BK 03-01-01》,2018-19


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加藤泉

Born in 1969 in Shimane, Japan, Kato Izumi currently lives and works in Tokyo and Hong Kong. Known for his paintings of enigmatic creature-like figures, Kato has deployed diverse mediums such as wood, soft vinyl, stones and fabrics to push the limit of conventional pictorial form as well as to depict the boundary between human and nature. In 2018, he formed a rock band called THE TETORAPOTZ with 4 other Japanese artists and has performed and conducted workshops.

1969 年 生 於 日 本 島 根 縣, 現 生 活 工 作 於 東 京和香港。加藤泉因其描繪神秘生物的畫作 而 廣 為 人 知, 他 運 用 多 種 媒 介 如 木 材、 軟 膠、 石 頭 和 織 布, 以 打 破 傳 統 的 圖 像 形 式, 以 及 描 繪 人 與 自 然 的 界 限。 在 2018 年, 他 與 4 位 日 本 藝 術 家 成 立 了 搖 滾 樂 隊 THE TETORAPOTZ, 進 行 表 演 和 舉 行 工 作 坊。

2020 Spring Catalogue

Kato’s works have been invited in major art museums and international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (2007), A4 Contemporary Arts Center in Chengdu, China (2012); 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan (2013); Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Japan (2014); Centre PompidouMetz, France (2017); Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, China (2018) and Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Japan (2019).

加藤泉的作品受邀參與各大美術館和國際性展 覽,包括威尼斯雙年展(2007) 、中國成都麓 湖 · A4 美術館(2012) 、日本金澤 21 世紀美 術館(2013) 、日本東京都現代美術館(2014) 、 法國龐畢度中心梅斯分館(2017) 、中國北京 紅磚美術館(2018)和日本原美術館(2019) 。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

KATO IZUMI

Artist profiles, installations

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Works by Kato Izumi Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 加藤泉作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠 (六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2019 加藤泉,《無題》,2019

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Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2020 加藤泉,《無題》,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2020 加藤泉,《無題》,2020

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Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2020 - ongoing 加藤泉,《無題》,2020 - 現在

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

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CHAT with KATO

加藤

IZUMI

NOTE Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas had to suspend its public opening from 23 March 2020 to 7 May 2020. All planned on-site events, including artists’ talks and workshops, shifted from the physical to the virtual world. The following pages contain the edited transcriptions of artists’ talks which were uploaded onto CHAT’s YouTube channel.

備註 因 2019 冠狀病毒病疫情,展覽「意象連綿:方法 的彌合與觀念的縱橫」於 2020 年 3 月 23 日至 5 月 7 日需暫停開放。所有已計劃的現場活動,包 括藝術家對談和工作坊,因此由現實世界轉至虛 擬世界, 部份已上載至 CHAT 六廠 YouTube 頻道。 以下篇幅是相關與藝術家對談環節的編輯文字。 節錄自羅港俊(CHAT 六廠)與加藤泉於 2020 年 4 月 14 日的對話

This text is based on the interview by Felix Lo (CHAT) with Kato Izumi on 14 April, 2020.

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圖1

Works by Kato Izumi Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 加藤泉作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

在紗廠坊懸掛著三件用織物製成的作品(圖 1) , 其中兩件的首次展出是在北京紅磚美術館(圖 2) , 另一件的首次展出則在京都清水寺(圖 3)。由於 這布料作品的形態可靈活改變,因此在 CHAT 六 廠展出的方式與過往的有所不同。 在展廳一,展出的紡織作品共有 6 件(圖 4),這 些都是新作品,其布料都是我在香港採購的。展 廳一的紡織作品被擺設成四足動物。這是直覺的 決定,也是新穎的創作。我無法堅定地解釋我為 什麼要這樣做,如果我了解自己在做什麼,我將 失去動力創作,亦會失去創作的意義。可是,我

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CHAT with Artist

There are three artworks hanging in the Hall that are made of fabric. (Fig 1) Two of them debuted at the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing (Fig 2) and one debuted at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto

大致來說,我認為現今的藝術家分為兩類:一類 是起源於杜尚的西方當代藝術傳統;另一類別是 普通的藝術家,就如我這樣的畫家:拉斯科洞窟 壁畫、印象派畫家如梵高和日本的浮世繪,這些 例子便是具象藝術的作品和藝術家,而我是歸於 後者的類別。製作具象圖畫的優點是我們可輸入 我們的想法和意念等資訊,並將資訊以視覺呈現。 我覺得這是很完美的事情。

2020 Spring Catalogue

Roughly speaking, I think there are two types of artists making works today. There are artists of the western contemporary art tradition that began with Duchamp and artist who focus on making figurative images such as the cave painters of Lascaux, impressionists like Van Gogh, ukiyo-e printers from Japan and myself. I am an artist good at making figurative images, using various materials to make artworks such as paintings and sculptures. The strength of making figurative images lies in the fact that we can input information of our ideas and thoughts and have the information appear as visual. I think that this is a wonderful thing.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Fig 1


Fig 2 圖2

Installation view: Izumi Kato, Red Brick Museum, Beijing, 2018 Photo: Takahashi Mizuki 展場圖片:加藤泉,紅磚美術館(北京),2018 攝影:高橋瑞木

(Fig 3). Since the forms and postures of the fabric works can be changed, they are installed differently at CHAT than at their previous venues. I’ve tried many new things this time. Inside Gallery 1, there are 6 fabric art pieces. (Fig 3) These are all my new works, which are made from the textiles I selected and bought from a local textile market in Hong. The fabric works are posed as tetrapods, which is both an intuitive decision and one that is novel to my work. I cannot explain with conviction why I do this. If I understand precisely what I am doing, I will lose my motivation to make it and the purpose of creation will be lost. However, I make works because I am motivated and think it is interesting. That is the manner in which

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做作品是因為我認為是有趣和具推動力,這就是 我創作的態度。 只有一件作品是有標題的,名為《紡紗者》,是我 在 30 歲時製作,大概是在 20 年前。當時我會給 作品標題,但後來我不再這樣做了。其中一個原因 是因為創作了太多作品,標題主意都用光了。另外, 標題會影響參觀者對作品的看法,所以我便不再 使用標題。我想對一些人來說,作品標題是很重要, 但我卻不喜歡分析藝術作品。我不閱讀作品標題, 甚至我不會認識藝術家的名稱,我覺得這對我而 言不太重要。 在紗廠公園的這類作品是我職業生涯裡首次嘗試 的(圖 5)。雕塑的頭部是一如以往由石頭製成的 作品,身體部份則種植了花朵,花朵的部份有賴 園藝專家的幫忙。這想法是由 CHAT 六廠的首席 策展人高橋瑞木提議,我同意,然後便製成這作品。 CHAT 六廠的員工製作了相關草圖和方案,因此我


There is only one series of tableaux which has a title, namely Spinner. (Fig 4) I made them when I was 30, around 20 years ago. At the time, I titled my works. Some time later, I stopped giving them titles. The reason is because I was making too many works and I had run out of title ideas. And viewers’ impressions of the works are affected by given titles. That is why I no longer do it. It is important that there are people looking out for titles. Since analyzing art is not something I enjoy, I never read titles. Sometimes I don’t even know the name of the artist. That kind of information is not so important to me.

圖3

Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2019 Installation view: Saimon, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto, 2019 Courtesy of the artist Photo: Takashima Kiyotoshi 加藤泉,《無題》,2019 裝置圖片:清水寺西門(京都),2019 藝術家提供 攝影:高島清俊

們從一開始就分享著共同的想像。當我在石頭上繪 畫面孔,把它放置在紗廠公園並以土壤建構其身 體,我相信那是每位參與此作品創作,所理解和 達成的共識,然後我們便去實現它。然後我們便 去討論一些細微的事項,如花朵顏色。當我們工作, 我們便開始理解我們所追求的圖像,及後我便把 製作交給他人,我只負責檢查,而我認為結果亦 令人滿意。在這作品中,我們種植了用作藍染植物, 待展覽完成後長出藍染植物,CHAT 六廠便會開辦 藍染工作坊。這想法來自 CHAT 六廠。在南豐紗 廠的紗廠公園內有 5 個作品,只有一件種植了藍 染植物。製作這作品和其他在紗廠公園的作品時, 我不感到孤獨。這些作品是與他人一起構造,我 不慣常與他人一起創作,但我享受這經驗。相信 他人合力完成製作,這感覺很新鮮。雖然以往我 曾展出結合樹木而成的作品,但這是我首次使用 需被照料的素材。

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CHAT with Artist

我經常使用樹葉、青草和石頭這些天然素材,但 我亦會使用人工的素材,我覺得這些全部都是天 然的。我不只喜歡使用非手造的東西,我也喜愛 手造的東西,而我認為人類也是自然的一部份。 畢竟所有東西都是自然的,沒有事物是非自然。 我的每件作品都是獨立的,大部份作品都是人型 的。有些人會把它們看成是一個系列,但有些人則 不會,這方面的判斷就交給參觀者自行決定。我 的作品是沒有任何訊息,我覺得參觀者可按他們

2020 Spring Catalogue

The artworks at The Park of The Mills are new attempts in my career. (Fig 5) The painting on stone is my usual work, but the body is made of living plants. The plants were made possible with help from gardening specialists. The idea was proposed by the chief curator and I agreed with her to try. The staff of CHAT made sketches and plans, so we may begin with a common image. I first painted the face on the stone, then put it in the garden and constructed the body with soil. I believe that everyone involved in this work understood and reached a consensus when they saw my production process. We began to realise what it is we were making. We then discussed minor matters, such as the colour of the flowers. As we worked, we all began to understand the image we were to pursue. And so I left the production to the others and only examined it afterwards.And I think great results were achieved. In this one, we planted indigo which is used for dyeing. At the end of the exhibition period when it is fully grown, CHAT would organise a dyeing workshop with the indigo. The idea comes from CHAT. There are 5 works at The Park of The Mills, we planted indigo for just one of them. I did not feel alone making this piece, the same goes for the other works on the Park,

Fig 3

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

my works are made.


Fig 4 圖4

Fig 5 圖5

Kato Izumi, Untitled, 2020 (Detail) 加藤泉,《無題》,2020(局部)

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Kato Izumi, Spinner, 1998 加藤泉,《紡紗者》,1998


Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT with Artist

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which were conceived with the ideas of others’. I don’t usually make works with others, but I enjoyed the experience. It felt fresh to trust others with my artworks. Although I have exhibited artworks that incorporated living trees in the past, this is my first time using materials that need to be tended for. I often use leaves, grass and stones, these so-called natural materials. But I also respond to decidedly artificial things. I believe all things to be natural. I do not only enjoy things that are free of human touch. I love man-made things too. It is to my belief that humans are a part of nature. Everything is natural, after all. My artworks are independent from each other. But since they all manifest as humanoids, some may see them as a series while some may not. I will leave the judgment to the audience. I am fine for the viewers to enjoy my works as they like. There is no defined message in my works. For me, it is more important for the viewer to feel and think for themselves, such is how art should be. To put it simply, what I mean by a good painting is exactly the opposite of road signs. Road signs are extremely visual, conveying direct but limited information. In that regard, age, nationality and languages are not barriers for knowing when to stop on a road. Road signs are pictures that convey direct but little information. Conversely, what I think is a good painting is exactly the opposite. It is simple, but with a massive amount of information. A tremendous amount of information in simplicity. If there are 100 people, 100 people will think differently. I believe a good painting contains such a massive amount of information. All good painters are able to achieve this. And I want to make good paintings in my way. While I don’t know how to be a good painter, and of course, I am not a good painter yet. I don’t know how they become good painters. The only thing I can tell you is: like sports, you have

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喜歡的方式欣賞我的作品,讓參觀者自己感受和 思考,這是很重要的,藝術本應如是。簡單而言, 對我來說,一件好作品是,與道路標誌完全相反。 路標是非常視覺化,傳遞直接和有限的資訊,因 此,年齡、國籍和語言不會阻礙他人得知何時才在 馬路前停下來。路標就是一張傳達直接但很少訊 息的圖片。而我認為好的作品剛好是相反,是簡 單,但具有大量資訊的。從簡單的作品能看到大 量資訊,100 個人看會有 100 種看法的作品。我 認為好的畫作需具備龐大的資訊量,好的畫家也 有能力做到,我也希望我能以自己的方式創作好 作品,雖然我不知道如何成為一名好畫家。那當然, 現在的我並不是一名好畫家,我不知道他們如何 成為一個好畫家。唯一能告訴你的是必須多練習, 就像做運動般。你要持之以恆地練習,而且要懂 得自我審評。還有,不斷重複相同的練習是沒有 意思的,你必須常常自我反省,才能繪畫一幅好 作品。這些實踐是不可或缺的,不可能一步登天。 對我而言,或許「緣份」是最重要的,在日本稱 作「緣(En)」。例如我到香港工作,然後得到展 出的機會,遇到 CHAT 六廠的首席策展人高橋瑞 木,她亦是日本人。緣份是每天都在發生。不只 是我而是在我們所有人身上,這大概給了我很大 的影響。不是由我推動什麼而發生,是緣份或巧 合推動了很多事物發生。我一直都在尋找這些偶 然的事情,當偶然的事情向好的方向發展,我亦 會創作到好的作品。我感到這些奇蹟就像家常便 飯,每天都在發生,而我亦希望在我身上發生更 多偶然的事情。可能這對我的影響是最大。


Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

to practice a lot. You have to practice constantly and learn to critique yourself. Furthermore, there is no point to just repeat the same practice. You have to do a lot of introspection to make the best painting. That is the whole practice and this is necessary. It cannot be done suddenly without doing anything.

2020 Spring Catalogue

For me, probably ‘fate’ or ‘chance’ is most important, which is called en in Japanese. For example, I came to Hong Kong for my work, then was invited to the exhibition, and met Takahashi Mizuki who is Japanese and the Chief Curator of CHAT. This kind of unexpected chain reaction happens everyday to anybody. I think this has affected me the most. It is not something you can call forth or control yourself, these are serendipities and coincidences that make things happen. I am always seeking things that happen by chance. I can make good works when that goes well. I feel like those kinds of miracles are a daily occurrence, and I always wish that would happen to me. Probably this is what influences me the most.

CHAT with Artist

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金允寧

Born in La Jolla, California in 1961 and currently living and working in New York, Byron Kim has been known for his series of conceptual minimal paintings such as Synecdoche which consists of monochrome paintings of human skin colour and Sunday Paintings, a series of paintings of the sky executed every Sunday since 2001. Based on his observation of the details in everyday surroundings, his paintings are suspended in-between the figurative and the abstract.

生於加利福尼亞州拉霍亞地區,現生活工作於 紐約。金允寧因創作抽象極簡繪畫而廣為人認 知,如其作品《提喻》,即為描繪人類膚色的 單色畫;而另一創作《星期天的畫》,則是金 允寧自 2001 年起每週日繪畫天空的作品。他 對日常事物細微的觀察,讓他的畫作遊走於具 象和抽象之間。

2020 Spring Catalogue

He has participated in exhibitions hosted by the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, USA (2013); the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, USA (2015); and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, USA (2017) and invited by the Sharjah Biennial (2015) and the Gwangju Biennale (2018). His works are included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Berkeley Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the National Gallery of Art, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

他曾參與多項展覽,如美國紐約新當代藝術博 物館(2013)、聖地牙哥當代美術館(2015) 和美國紐約惠特尼美國藝術博物館(2017)。 他亦獲邀參與沙迦雙年展(2015)和光州雙 年展(2018),其作品也收藏在芝加哥藝術博 物館、柏克萊美術館、布魯克林博物館、赫雄 博物館、聖地牙哥當代美術館、國家藝廊、沃 茲沃思雅典神廟藝術館和惠特尼美國藝術博物 館。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

BYRON KIM

Artist profiles, installations

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Works by Byron Kim Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong K 金允寧作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

Kong, 2020

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Works by Byron Kim Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for H 金允寧作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,202

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

Artist profiles, installations

Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020

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BYRON KIM

允寧

IS THE SKY STILL BLUE?

NOTE Byron Kim was invited to come to Hong Kong for installation and an artist’s talk, but unfortunately was unable to come due to the imposed travel restrictions as a result of COVID-19. Kim kindly accepted CHAT’s invitation to contribute a piece of writing to this catalogue which captures this challenging period faced by the world.

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備註 金允寧獲邀來港佈展和參與藝術家對談,可惜因 2019 冠狀病毒病引致的旅遊限制,使他未能訪港。 金允寧接受了 CHAT 六廠的邀請,為圖錄撰寫一 篇文章,記錄這段全球都在面對的艱難時刻。


Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT with Artist

Byron Kim, Resist, 2016 金允寧,《抵抗》,2016

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6206B Evening Way La Jolla, CA 92037 July 1, 2020 July 1, 1984 Byron Kim 5230D Magnolia Street Oakland, CA 94607 Dear Byron, Today, I’m making a landscape painting of the clear blue sky. The sky is still blue in 2020. Though it is square and depicts only the sky, I call it a landscape, because the brushstrokes are horizontal. In La Jolla, where we were born, I always have to add a little gray when I paint the sky. Other than that we never saw La Jolla as gray. In high school, a friend took you to the moon. You ran south in the dark along Windansea Beach until we got to where the moon’s yellow light, itself a reflection of starlight, mixed with the blue algal chemistry, which we catalyzed with our bodies. The lights mixed in the tide pool, which was like a crater, but did not make green. You’re going to China soon! I’ve been many times. Hong Kong first, always just passing through, or to meet a friend, or to make a friend. Hong Kong is a time portal centered on Kowloon, maybe Chungking Mansions, but that’s an early 90s sentiment. In 1997, exactly between your time and mine, the lease runs out. The Hong Kong crucible continues to burn. Worrying gets you nowhere. Yes, I know, that makes you worry. Twice, lots of people nearby are going to get sick. The first time is now. Reagan’s lack of compassion will kill lots more people with AIDS. And the next time is now. There is always the problem of a we and a them. In the bigger picture we are making the Earth sick, but, really, we make ourselves sick. The Earth will be perfect even when the Sun burns out. Advice never works, so I’m trying to stick to the facts. You are sitting in an empty room worrying about how useless it is to be an artist. Yet without art, we have to admit, life would hardly be worth living. Being able to bring new experiences, no matter how small, is a luxury worth pursuing. This kind of freedom is paramount. Of course, wherever freedom is concerned, there is always the problem of a we and a them. But it doesn’t really need to be that way. I have only these few words, so this last claim will sound like advice, because it is. In the end you have only yourself, but it can be wonderful to ask for help. Love, Byron

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2020 年 7 月 1 日

1984 年 7 月 1 日

金允寧 玉蘭路 5230D 號 屋崙,加州,94607 親愛的允寧:

今天,我正為晴空作一幅風景畫。2020 年的天空依舊藍。儘管方形畫布內只有一片 天空,但仍不失為風景,因為我的筆觸維持水平。每當我為我們的出生地拉霍亞作 畫,我都會在天空中加入一點灰。但除此以外,我們眼中的拉霍亞從不見灰暗。 高中的時候,曾經有一位朋友將你帶到月球。你沿著溫丹西海灘,摸黑往南跑,抵 達的一處,由星光反射出的淡黃月光混合了由我們身體催化而成的藻藍。光線在有 如隕石坑般的岩池裏交融,卻沒有調出綠。

擔心是多餘的。是的,我明白,這句話只會使你擔心。將會有兩次,許多身邊的人 會生病。現在是第一次。列根的冷酷無情,將枉殺更多愛滋病患者。現在是下一次。 「我 們」與「他們」之異是個長存的問題。由始至終,都是我們使地球生病,但我們真 正使生病的卻是自己。當太陽耗盡,地球將完美如故。

忠言逆耳,所以我還是多說實話。你坐在空蕩蕩的房間裏,為藝術家的徒勞而感到 憂愁。但我們都必須承認,沒有藝術的人生,都不值得活過來。任何能夠造就新體 驗的,縱使輕如鴻毛,都值得追求。這種自由是至關重要。當然,談及自由,都總 會牽涉「我們」與「他們」之間的區分,但其實不用默守成規。我還有想告訴你的事, 聽起來可能會有點囉嗦,但都是肺腑之言。終歸,你只有你自己,提出索求也可謂 美妙之事。

2020 Spring Catalogue

你即將前往中國了!我曾經多次到訪,都是過境香港,來去匆匆,與朋友會面、或 為結識朋友。香港是一條時光隧道,以九龍,甚至以重慶大廈作中心,但或許這都 是懷 90 年代初的舊。在介乎你我之間的 1997 年,租約期滿。香港繼續無間冶煉。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

日落徑 6206B 號 拉霍亞,加州,92037

允寧 字

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(Left 左 ) Byron Kim, The Swarm to the Hive , 2019 金允寧,《從一群到蜂群》,2019

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(Centre 中 ) Byron Kim, Resist , 2016 金允寧,《抵抗》,2016

(Right 右 ) Byron Kim, Cosmos Pathos , 2016 金允寧,《宇宙感染力》,2016


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大衛 · 梅達拉

Born in Manila in 1942, David Medalla moved to New York at the age of 14. After studying Greek philosophy and ancient Greek drama at Columbia University, he began to commit in art making. Throughout his life, Medalla constantly moved and worked from city to city including Berlin, Edinburgh, New York, London and Paris. His work ranges from poetry to sculpture, kinetic art, painting, installation and performance. In 1994 he founded the Mondrian Fan Club in New York with Adam Nankervis. Embracing unexpected changes and consequences, Medalla’s works capture ephemeral states of things.

1942 年生於馬尼拉,大衛 · 梅達拉在 14 歲時 移居至紐約。他在哥倫比亞大學修讀希臘哲學 和古希臘戲劇後,便開始投入藝術創作。在他 的生命中,梅達拉總是遊走和工作於不同的城 市,如柏林、愛丁堡、紐約、倫敦和巴黎。他 的創作涉及詩歌、雕塑、機動藝術、繪畫、裝 置和行為。1994 年,他在紐約與亞當 · 南克 維斯成立了蒙德里安粉絲俱樂部。梅達拉的作 品捕捉事物轉瞬即逝的狀態,而意想不到的改 變和結果也成為他作品重要的一部分。

2020 Spring Catalogue Artist profiles, installations

He was invited to numerous important exhibitions and biennales including Live in Your Head: When Attitudes Become Forms curated by Harald Szeemann at the Kunsthalle Bern in Switzerland (1969); DOCUMENTA 5 in Kassel, Germany (1972); the 2nd Johannesburg Biennale, with Adam Nankervis, the Mondrian Fan Club (1998); Performa 07 in New York, USA (2007); the 16th Sydney Biennial in Sydney, Australia (2008); the 9th Mercosul Biennial in Porto Alegre in Brazil (2013); the 8th Asian Pacific Triennale in Brisbane, Australia (2015) and The 57th Venice Biennale (2017). In 2016, he was shortlisted for the inaugural Hepworth Prize for Sculpture.

他獲邀參與多項重要展覽和雙年展,包括由 哈洛 · 史澤曼在瑞士伯爾尼美術館策劃的展 覽「 Live in Your Head: When Attitudes Become Forms」(1969)、 德 國 卡 塞 爾 第 5 屆卡塞爾文獻展(1972)、在蒙德里安粉絲俱 樂部與亞當 • 南克維斯一起參與第二屆約翰 尼斯堡雙年展(1998)、美國紐約 Performa 07 雙年展(2007)、澳洲悉尼第 16 屆悉尼雙 年 展(2008)、 巴 西 波 爾 圖 阿 萊 格 里 第 9 屆 南 方 雙 年 展(2013)、 澳 洲 布 里 斯 班 第 8 屆 亞太三年展(2015)、 第 57 屆威尼斯雙年展 (2017)。在 2016 年,他入選首屆赫普沃斯雕 塑獎。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

DAVID MEDALLA

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David Medalla, A Stitch in Time, 1968 - ongoing 大衛・梅達拉,《及時一縫》,1968 - 現在

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David Medalla, A Stitch in Time, 1968 - ongoing (Detail) 大衛・梅達拉,《及時一縫》,1968 - 現在(局部)

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DAVID

大衛

MEDALLA

梅達拉

NOTE David Medalla’s A Stitch in Time is a participatory work which changes in form during its exhibition period. Visitors are invited to stitch onto the artwork, which is a white canvas hanging from the ceiling. As CHAT had to close the gallery from 23 March to 7 May, 2020, we called for remote participation. Participants were encouraged to send in images by email or Instagram post, and CHAT’s staff printed and stitched the submitted images onto the canvas on behalf of the senders. At the end of the exhibition, A Stitch in Time became an archive capturing the time when people had to practice social distancing or were separated and quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. The transformation process can be viewed on CHAT’s social media channels.

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備註 在展覽期間,大衛・梅達拉的參與式作品《及時 一縫》不斷作出形態上的改變。參觀者獲邀在由 天花垂吊下來的白色帆布作品縫紉。但鑑於 CHAT 六廠在 2020 年 3 月 23 日至 5 月 7 日暫停開放, 我們因而改為讓公眾遙距參與。參加者透過電子 郵件或 Instagram 發送圖片,再由 CHAT 六廠職 員代參加者把打印出來的圖片縫在帆布上。在展 覽完結時,《及時一縫》便成為了一個檔案庫,紀 錄人們在 2019 冠狀病毒病大流行期間所經歷隔離 及保持社交距離。整個轉變過程可於 CHAT 六廠 的社交平台觀看。


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David Medalla, A Stitch in Time, 1968 - ongoing (Detail) 大衛・梅達拉,《及時一縫》,1968 - 現在(局部)


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Born in 1987 and currently living in Bangkok, Kawita Vatanajyankur’s works consist of performance and video works that represent her interest in the exploitation of labour in industries and consumerism. In her performance pieces, she uses her body as mechanical tools to evoke repetitive movements which rendered them machine-like. Her colourful video works which employ visual codes of commercial advertisement ironically present the covered realities of labourers’ severe conditions which are invisible when their products are in store.

卡葳塔 瓦塔娜嫣恩 生 於 1987 年, 現 生 活 於 曼 谷。 瓦 塔 娜 嫣 恩 以表演和錄像作品表達對於被工業和消費主 義 剝 削 的 工 人 的 關 注。 在 表 演 作 品 中, 她 把身體轉化為機械工具,重現工人工作時重 複 而 機 械 化 的 動 作。 她 那 色 彩 豐 富 的 錄 像 作 品 則 採 用 了 商 業 廣 告 的 視 覺 元 素, 諷 刺 性 地 揭 露 了, 當 商 品 被 一 一 上 架 時, 工 人 們 惡 劣 的 工 作 條 件 和 現 狀 卻 被 掩 蓋 了 起 來。 瓦塔娜嫣恩於澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學藝術文 學學士畢業後,其表演和錄像作品便於多個城 市如紐約、悉尼、台北和東京展出。在 2018 年,她參與了首屆泰國曼谷藝術雙年展。其作 品收藏於新加坡藝術館、新西蘭的達尼丁公立 藝術畫廊和泰國清邁的 MAIIAM 當代藝術館。

2020 Spring Catalogue

Since her graduation of the BA, Fine Art from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, her performances and video works have been shown in multiple cities such as New York, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. In 2018, she participated the inaugural edition of Bangkok Art Biennale, Thailand. Her works are in collection of Singapore Art Museum; Dunedin Public Art Gallery in New Zealand; MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

KAWITA VATANAJYANKUR

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Kawita Vatanajyankur, Shuttle, 2018 (Video still) Photo credit: artist, Nova Contemporary, Bangkok 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《穿梭》,2018(錄像截圖) 圖片提供:藝術家、 Nova Contemporary(曼谷)

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Kawita Vatanajyankur, Dye, 2018 (Video still) Photo credit: artist, Nova Contemporary, Bangkok 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《染色》,2018(錄像截圖) 圖片提供:藝術家、 Nova Contemporary(曼谷)

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Works by Kawita Vatanajyankur Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 卡葳塔 · 瓦塔娜嫣恩作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」, CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港,2020


CHAT with KAWITA

卡葳塔

VATANA-

瓦塔娜嫣恩

JYANKUR

NOTE Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas had to suspend its public opening from 23 March 2020 to 7 May 2020. All planned on-site events, including artists’ talks and workshops, shifted from the physical to the virtual world. The following pages contain the edited transcriptions of artists’ talks which were uploaded onto CHAT’s YouTube channel. Based on edited interview between Kawita Vatanajyankur, Bruce Li (CHAT) and Vennes Cheng (Independent researcher and curator) on 29 April, 2020.

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備註 因 2019 冠狀病毒病大流行,展覽「意象連綿:方 法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」於 2020 年 3 月 23 日至 5 月 7 日需暫停開放。所有已計劃的現場活動,包 括藝術家對談和工作坊,因此由現實世界轉至虛 擬世界, 部份已上載至 CHAT 六廠 YouTube 頻道。 以下篇幅是相關與藝術家對談環節的編輯文字。 編輯自卡葳塔・瓦塔娜嫣恩、李勺言(CHAT 六廠) 和鄭秀慧(學者及獨立策展人)於 2020 年 4 月 29 日 的訪問。 KV: Kawita Vatanajyankur 卡葳塔 · 瓦塔娜嫣恩 BL: Bruce Li 李勺言 VC: Vennes Cheng 鄭秀慧


Going back about 9 or 10 years ago, when I first started my performative video work, I used other people’s bodies. My art practice has always been about how people, especially labourers and female workers are suppressed or forced under unkind treatment and objectified by society. When I was the only one behind the camera, I didn’t know how it would feel, and I wanted to know how it feels to be treated in that way, or how it feels to be objectified so I can explain it to the audience – so I can develop my own work, or that feeling that I have. I know that these labourers have been treated this way and have been objectified for all of their lives and this is only a glimpse. My performance only lasts 5 minutes to one hour and it doesn’t compare with what they are facing or what they have been faced with. But I really want to understand even if it’s just a glimpse of how they feel. So by using my own body, by being objectified, by being treated as if I am only an object, a tool or a machine, it makes me understand them a little bit more. And each time I do my performances, I would know how it feels to be an object. And it has been a very essential tool

CHAT visitor appreciates the video work of Kawita Vatanajyankur Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 參觀者在欣賞卡葳塔 · 瓦塔娜嫣恩的錄像作品 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱 橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館),香港, 2020

VC

首先,我真的很想知道為什麼你在作品中使 用自己的身體,而不是別人的身體?

KV

大約在 9 或 10 年前,當我第一次開始創作藝 術表演的錄像作品時,我使用了別人的身體。 我的藝術實踐一直都是關於人們,特別反映 勞動者及女工如何被強迫接受社會的不友善 待遇及被物化。當我在鏡頭背後,我不知道 當中的感覺,我想體會被這種方式對待或是 被物化的感覺,再向觀眾解釋,這樣就可以 塑造出專屬於自己的作品或見解。我知道這 些工人現正受到這種對待,並且一生都受控 於被物化, 然而這只是其中的冰山一角。 我的表演只會持續 5 分鐘到 1 個小時,與

CHAT with Artist

KV

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First of all, I really want to know why you use your own body in your work, instead of others’?

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VC

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for my work – to be an object, to be a tool, to be my own performer. VC

KV

It’s very interesting that you connect to concepts such as objects and feelings. It’s quite paradoxical in some sense, but it’s a very interesting connection, because usually an object, which is probably the machine in your work, doesn’t generate any feelings. But you keep telling that you want to feel how it is like being suppressed, how you want to feel like a factory worker being forced for a very long time. How do you feel about these two concepts coming together or clashing together in your work? Being an object, being a machine, in some sense you really want to feel that sense of exhaustion. For example, from my field research and field trips that I have gone on and when I have spoken to these labourers and workers, what I find is that they often tell me that they feel as if they are machines, because they have to work continuously and repetitively as machines. And they are also feeling as if they are treated like machines, even though they have feelings. Even though they are human beings, and not objects, or tools or machines. It is an interesting concept is how could you treat a human being or someone, or anything that is in a form of living that has emotions, feelings and thoughts, as if they are not humans, as if they don’t have feelings and as if they don’t even exist in your own eyes? This is what happens with labour exploitation in our current capitalism where there are different levels of society, and because there are these levels of society, we always look up, and we always want to climb this ladder, levels, of society. And a lot of the times, we don’t look

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他們正面臨的或曾經面對的情況無法比擬。 但我也想了解一下,即使只是當刻短暫的感 受。 因此,通過使用自己的身體,感受被 物化,把自己當作只是一件物件:工具或機 器,我認為這令我更加了解他們。每次表演 時,我能夠體會成為一個物件的感覺。 我 認為這對我的創作非常重要──成為一件物 品,成為一個工具,成為我自己的表演者。

VC

你這個連接自己到不同概念,例如物件及感 覺之類的做法非常有趣。從某種意義上說這 很吊詭,但它卻是一個非常有趣的聯繫,因 為通常一個物件(可能是作品中的機器)不 會擁有任何感覺。然而,你不斷表達出你想 要感受自己像被壓榨一樣,想要感受自己像 工廠工人被長期壓迫般。你是如何看待這兩 個概念在作品中互相融合或衝突?從某種意 義上,作為一件物件,作為一台機器,你是 真的想感到那種疲憊感。

KV

例如從我進行的實地研究和實地考察中,當 我與這些勞動者和工人交談時,我發現他們 經常告訴我他們感覺自己就像是機器,因為 他們必須像機器一樣不斷地重覆工作。即使 他們是人類,不同於物件、工具或機器,擁 有各樣的感覺,他們也覺得自己好像被當作

Kawita Vatanajyankur, Knit, 2019 (Video still) 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《針織》,2019(錄像截圖)


KV

Yes, that is correct. And I always view my work as candy-coated. And by candy-coated I mean it seems very candy-coated on the outside, but then it can be poison on the inside. It applies to the current capitalist world where there are a lot of advertisements, medias, posters and billboards with beautiful graphics, beautiful advertisements, beautiful people selling products for the industries. So people can only see the illusion of that product – the illusion that the product would give us beauty, something to be satisfied with if we consume the product and if we keep consuming the product. That’s how the system works: they often make it out as if we are not enough, so we have to keep consuming, we have to keep chasing this ideology of what we should have or gain. And so it is a never-ending consumption. Because of this never-ending consumption, the advertisement has to be attractive and make us feel as if we want to jump into it and to purchase and to consume it. But then in reality, the performance behind the candy-coated poster, the performance behind the candycoated video, is what’s behind the scene, it is what is hidden behind walls of factories, behind walls of something that is very un-viewed.

VC

How do you compare their impact

VC

你提到了當今資本主義世界的不被看見。這 就是為什麼你使用鮮明的顏色凸顯這種現象 的原因嗎?

KV

對,沒錯,而且我一直認為我的作品是由糖 衣包裹著,我所說的糖衣是指在外面看起來 很甜美,但是裡面可能有毒。這適用於現今 的資本主義世界,那裡有許多廣告、媒體、 海報和廣告牌,上面有漂亮的圖像,廣告及 人為各行各業銷售產品。因此,人們只能看 到產生的錯覺──那些產品可以為我們帶來 美感,以及繼續購買那些產品能滿足我們某 些需求。 這就是系統的運作模式:它們常常使我們看 到自己的不足,因此我們必須不斷消費,我 們必須不斷追隨那些我們應該擁有或即已獲 得的意識形態。因此,這促使了成就永無止 境的消費。 由於這種永無止境的消費,廣 告必須具有吸引力,並使我們感覺要跳進 去,並購買和消費當中的產品。但是我想實際 上,那些由糖衣海報及影像背後的作用,是隱 藏在工廠牆壁之內,而且很難被看見的東西。

VC

我想知道你有否進行過現場表演。你如何比 較它們對參觀者或觀眾的影響? 就他們的 詮釋而言?

KV

我認為無論在製作期間還是演出期間,觀眾 的反應都大有不同。針對那些需要成為影片 的作品,我經常選擇影像方式進行創作。例 如,作品中一些重覆的內容會使觀眾繼續 觀看;一些作品時間不長,你可以在 4 到 5 分鐘內看完;一些作品引導觀眾去感受,或 是對這種感覺感到好奇,令他們一直保持感

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You mention invisibility in the current capitalist world. Is that the reason why you use sharp colours for your video that make the phenomenon visible?

2020 Spring Catalogue

VC

機器一樣對待。這個有趣的概念是,你怎麼 能夠對待人類或某人,或者任何具有情感、 感覺和思想,有血有肉的事物,就好像他們 不是人類一樣,好像他們沒有感覺,好像你 眼中甚至沒有他們的存在? 在當今社會中,資本主義中存在不同階層, 產生了剝削勞動力的問題。正是因為社會有 不同的階層,我們總是仰望,我們總是希望 在社會的梯子及階級往上攀爬。在很多時 候,我們不會回頭關心為我們服務的人;誰 在物質的背後,我們所消費的背後。 因此, 無視他們或不放他們在眼內,我們在這些意 義上將他們的人性褫奪了。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

back at the people who are serving us; who are behind the materials, behind anything that we consume. By ignoring them, or by not seeing them, we are dehumanising them in that sense.


between your performance and video to the viewer? In terms of their interpretative rendering? KV

I think both during the production period and during the performance period, the reactions from the audience are very different. I often choose, for video works, the work that is meant to be a video. For example, something that is repetitive, something that will keep someone watching. Something that is not long, that you can see in 4 to 5 minutes and it’s done. Something that will make people feel, or want to know how it feels, to keep people interested all the time. Making a video is very hard in that sense. Also with the video work, it needs a lot of practice. Before I am able to become the machine or tool in my video, it takes almost 3 to 4 weeks. Before that, there is a lot of failure. I can fall, there could be a lot of things that could go wrong. I could do it again, and I could do it again, and I could do it again. When you shoot the final video work, you can still fall, it can still fail. Then when I fall, I can restart it again. And then I get the best shot, the best performance, and that is shown in my video work. So there is often something that is very hard, or something that is very dangerous. But there is a sense of safety that I can restart the performance in the video form again. But with the real performance, it is actually very difficult. You can’t miss anything. You can’t fail. For example, my live performance of Knit takes around 1 hour in order to knit the circle of fabric, the circular net. I think that because it takes such a long time to do, it is meant to be a live performance. With video, people don’t really spend 1 hour to see the whole thing, because there are other video

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Kawita Vatanajyankur, Printing, 2018 (Video still) 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《打印》,2018 (錄像截圖 )

興趣的狀態。因此,我認為製作影像非常 困難。進行影像創作需要大量練習,在成 為自己錄像中的機器或工具之前,大約需要 3 至 4 週。在此之前,有很多失敗經驗,可 能會跌倒,可能有很多事情會出錯,我可 能要再做一次,一次又一次。當你最後開始 拍攝作品時,你仍然可以摔倒,仍然可能會 失敗。然後當我跌倒時,我可能要重新再做 一次,但我得到最好的鏡頭、最好的表現, 得以在我的錄像作品中呈現。因此, 有時候 事情很難,或者很危險。但有一種安全感, 就是我可以從錄像創作上重新開始。 不過實際上在真正的演出中做到是非常困難 的。你不能有任何差錯,你也不能失敗。例 如,我的現場表演《針織》要花大約 1 個小 時才能編織出圓形織物,即是圓形的網。我 認為這需要花上很長時間才能完成,所以需 要進行現場表演。有了錄像,人們不會花上 1 個小時來觀看整個錄像,因為他們還想看 其他錄像作品。他們可以到處觀看,也許又 回到這個地方。但是隨着現場表演,由於我 掙扎、摔倒、響起重新起來的聲音,類似的 事情出現,令人們希望看到表演的每一秒鐘, 而事實上他們是真正地在觀看現場表演。所 以我認為這作品真的需要用現場的形式表演。 這就是區別。在現場表演中的每分每秒,觀 眾都會關注著我,直到織物完成,但是對於


Kawita Vatanajyankur, Spinning Wheel, 2018 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《紡車》,2018

你是否認為你提到的糖衣作品及其顏色是引 導人們擺脫現狀的一種方法?我看到有兩種 方式:一種是觀眾在觀看你的作品時,可以 真正意識某事情出現了問題,而另一種方式

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CHAT with Artist

BL

2020 Spring Catalogue

錄像作品,我必須選擇更危險的事物,這樣 使人們不但對作品保有興趣,而且還須簡短 精要,使人們不會對它感到無聊,因此他們 可以再次觀看。那是兩種平台及媒介之間的 區別。 我真的很想分享一個故事,關於青蛙的故 事,故事裏有一個沸騰的鍋,還有一隻青蛙, 鍋裏有熱的滾水。青蛙不會跳入鍋裏,因為 青蛙知道跳入鍋裏將會被煮熟而死。但是, 如果你將青蛙放入注滿常溫水的鍋內,然後 慢慢增加熱力,直到溫度越來越高……然後 當然青蛙會被煮熟,但牠它不會知道發生了 甚麼事情。因為身體一直在適應熱度,所以 察覺不到差異。因此,在現今的資本主義世 界中,在政府或大企業統治下,一件大多數 遵循規則的人都在做的事,縱使是你認為的 一件錯事──你的道德水平或其他信念將它 評估成錯誤的,你也會很輕易地被誤導,開 始跟隨規則。我認為我們所有人都把自己去 人化,令自己可以混合及融入至社會當中, 以換取被社會接受,而沒有意識到你實際上 對幕後的人做錯了甚麼。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

works they want to see. They can go look around and maybe come back to this one again. But with the live performance, because of the sound of me struggling, of me falling, of me getting up again, something like that, it makes people want to see every second. And they are actually really watching the live performance. So I think this one is actually meant to be a live performance. So that is the difference. In the live performance, the audience is always paying attention to every second and every minute of what I do until the fabric is finished. But with video work, I have to choose something that is more dangerous, so that I can keep people interested in seeing the work, but also short and brief enough so people don’t get bored of watching it, so they can keep watching it again. That is the difference between the two platforms and mediums. There’s a story that I really want to share, it’s about the story of a frog. So there is a boiling pot, and there is a frog. The pot has hot, boiling water. The frog would not jump into the pot, because the frog knows that it will die by jumping into it and be boiled. But if you put the frog inside normal temperature water, inside the pot, and then you slowly increase the heat until it gets hotter and hotter, and then of course, the frog will be boiled, but without realising what’s been happening. Because the body has been adjusting to the temperature, so it does not know the difference anymore. With the current world of capitalism ruled by, for example, my government or the big industries, when you see something and you think that it is wrong, but the majority of people are doing that thing and following that rule, you


can easily be mistaken and follow that rule, even though it goes against your morals or beliefs. This is a way we all objectify ourselves in order to blend in and merge with and be accepted by society, without realising that you are actually doing something wrong for the people behind the scenes. BL

Do you suppose that with your work and its colours, which you mentioned is candy-coated, is a way to draw people away from the status quo? I can see this in two ways: one, someone could really realise that something is wrong when viewing your videos. But the other way is that, because the videos loop and feel so infinite, it also may become another normalised thing. So I wonder if you want to pull someone away more, or if it is the irony of capitalism and advertisements that you are more interested in bringing forward.

KV

I think both. What I aim to do with my work is to bring what is behind the scenes into the light. For example, if the news is about these people, people would not watch it. Because it is violent and too sad. People in Thailand, for example, already have problems with their daily lives, let alone problems of others that they might not care about. It would be hard for them to watch [the violence of sadness] especially during the hard times. By bringing in sharp and vivid colours and something that is candy-coated, people will want to see things that are exciting, fun and relaxing. It creates an irony because people don’t want to hear sad stories even though they are true, or even though they are responsible for it. They don’t want to know they are responsible for it. It’s ironic in that way, that you are going towards

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Kawita Vatanajyankur, Dye, 2018 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《染色》,2018

是,由於錄像循環播放像是沒有盡頭,它也 可能成為另一種標準化的概念。因此,我想 知道你是否想將某人拉得更遠,或者你更熱 衷於表現對資本主義及廣告的諷刺。

KV

我認為兩者皆是,我的工作目標是將幕後的 事物顯露出來。例如,如果新聞的主角是這 些人,人們根定本不會觀看,因為這是過於 暴力和悲傷了。例如,在泰國的人們,他們 的日常生活已經出現了問題,遇到別人可能 不在乎的問題。我認為他們很難看到「悲傷 的暴力」,尤其是在困難時期。透過帶來鮮 豔色彩和糖衣包裹的某些東西,人們希望 看到令人興奮、感興趣及放鬆的內容。之所 以很諷刺的是,人們不願聽到悲傷的故事,


BL

You mentioned the difference between your video works and your live performances. When I watch your videos, I know that you don’t fail. I know that you might look like you’re struggling, but I know that it’s safe, it’s a comfortable thing to look at. Whereas, even though I have not seen your live performances, I would imagine that one of the greatest values of your live performances is that it could fail, and it’s possible that the observers want you to fail.I am asking this because I want to know if you have thought of alternative versions to your videos, or future projects, where you fail intentionally. Of if there have been failures in your process that have led you to new directions.

即使事實確實如此,甚至他們應該承擔起 部分負責,他們不想知道自己對此的責任。 這很諷刺因為你正在朝着對你有吸引力的 東西前進,例如廣告。你想一直看到廣告, 想要看到人們愉快地購買某些產品,因為 你在消費時可能會感同身受。從這個意義 上說,你將邁向更傾向觀看錄影作品。「這 是甚麼?」、 「這看起來很美,一定很有趣」, 然後,真相被揭示了──慢慢地,然後你 就會明白。「好吧,這是另外一個故事」、 「這實際上在現今社會中,呈現出美麗外表 背後的對比」。

BL

你提到錄像作品和現場表演之間的區別, 當我觀看你的錄像時,我知道你不會失敗。

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CHAT with Artist

I think failing is a very normal thing. Even though it is this video work where I fail, it will, of course, add something into the work. I have performed about 10 times already, the work that is called Knit. And of course, there are maybe a couple of times where I did fail horribly. Where everything just got stuck in my eyes, all the strings forced my eyes close and I couldn’t go further. But what I had to do was just to keep going

Kawita Vatanajyankur, Shuttle, 2018 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《穿梭》,2018

2020 Spring Catalogue

KV

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

something that is so attractive to you, for example, advertisements. You want to see the advertisements all the time, you want to see people happy, consuming something, because that might be how you feel if you consume something too. And in that sense, you are going towards the video work. ‘What is this?’ ‘This looks beautiful, it must be fun.’ And then the truth is revealed, and is slowly revealed, too, because then you see: ‘Okay, this is another story.’ ‘This is actually the contrasting story behind what is beautiful on the outside, in this current society.’


without seeing what is happening. Covering my eyes, I have to figure out where the poles are and where my body should go. I think it adds more to the work, because in life, and I imagine for these labourers, they are not comfortable doing all the work, repetitively every second of every day. Of course, they struggle and fail in the process of their work. Yes, falling and failing have become a part of the live performance. VC

Some of your videos are quite long in duration. When you are doing your performances, do you ever predesign or predetermine the time and duration? Duration seems very essential to your work.

KV

Yes, so I think that I usually want the performances to be around 30, 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how long my body can endure. For example, Knit is supposed to be a very long work, because it takes time in order to knit the red fabric, this whole web. Yes, it does take a while. But I remember that there were times during the Bangkok Art Biennale when I performed this so often, I believe every week during the Bangkok Art Biennale, that I became so comfortable doing the performance, that I could finish everything in 20 minutes. So I think there were times when the body adjusts itself to the point where it became a tool, this thing, and then I just went very fast. And I would finish the whole thing in 20 minutes.

BL

Is that scary to you, that that is possible?

KV

I think that feeling is very scary for me. For every work, for example, there is something that is dangerous, something that will hurt

120

我知道你可能看起來很掙扎,但是我知道這 很安全,看起來很舒服。儘管,我沒有看過 你的現場表演,但我可以感覺到你的現場表 演其中一個最大的觀看價值就是它可能會失 敗,觀眾甚至可能希望你失手。我這樣問是 因為,我想知道你有否對錄像作品或將來故 意失手的表演上產生別的想法。或者有否出 現過一些失敗的情況,使你有了新的方向。

KV

我認為失敗是很正常的事情。 即使我在這 錄像作品中失手,它也會為作品增添些元 素。我已經演出了大約 10 次,作品名為《針 織》。當然,也許有幾次我確實不慎地失手 了。所有東西都卡住了我的眼睛,所有的 毛 線 都 讓 我 閉 上 眼 睛, 我 無 法 走 得 更 遠。 但是我要做的就不顧一切地繼續進行。我 的眼睛被遮住,我必須弄清楚柱子在哪裏, 以及我的身體應該去哪裏。 我認為這對作 品賦予更多意義,因為在生活中,我想對 於這些勞動者來說,他們不願意將每一天 的 每 一 秒 全 都 花 在 重 覆 的 工 作 上。 當 然, 他們在工作過程中經歷掙扎和失敗。是的, 跌倒和失敗已經成為現場表演的一部分。

Kawita Vatanajyankur, Printing, 2018 卡葳塔 • 瓦塔娜嫣恩,《打印》,2018


KV

Usually, it doesn’t happen that way. I think the scary thing is that it doesn’t happen that way at all. Usually when you get to the end of the work, you are not exhausted. The more you do it, the more you don’t feel. You feel in the first couple of minutes that it may be too painful for your own body and you can’t go forward. But once you cross that border of feeling, it is like crossing a border of being you, as a human being. You become this object that has no feelings anymore. Every time that I do the performance, my mother is the one who records the video. She would be the one to say, ‘stop, it’s okay now. It should be over, otherwise you’d hurt yourself.’ And she would really stop recording. And I would wonder, ‘why did you stop recording!’ I think I couldn’t feel anymore. I think I could do it for hours. And I would think ‘why are you stopping it?’ But then after stopping the performance, the next day, I would have bruises. Or, for example, my eyes and face would turn red for one to two weeks. The psychological self understands that you can be adjusted because it happens slowly. I am like the frog in the pot. It happens slowly, and you don’t really feel you are adjusting yourself, so you are in

Exhibition view: Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas, CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile), Hong Kong, 2020 展場圖片:「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的 縱橫」,CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館), 香港,2020

VC

你某些錄像作品的時間很長。在表演時,你 會否預先設計或預定時間?持續的時間似乎 對你的作品來說,是非常重要。

KV

是的,我通常希望表演時間落在 30、45 分 鐘至 1 小時內,具體取決於我身體能承受 的能力。例如,《針織》應該是需要很長時 間製作的作品,因為完整地編織紅色織物 (整個網)是需要時間的。是的,確實需要 一段時間,但是我記得在曼谷藝術雙年展 期間,我很頻密地演出,我相信在曼谷藝 術雙年展的每個星期,我都覺得自己可以 很自在地演出,並在 20 分鐘內完成。因此, 我認為有時候身體會自我調整到工具模式, 讓我可以很快地完成這件事。我會在 20 分鐘 內完成整個過程。

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CHAT with Artist

Or until you are physically affected. Or when you are really exhausted, then that’s the point you can’t take anymore, you have to stop.

2020 Spring Catalogue

VC

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

me, but as I perform, I don’t feel that anymore because I would become this complete object by convincing myself that I am no longer here, I am no longer this person, this self. So I lost this sense of self, and then I became something else – an object. So really, I couldn’t feel anything until the performance is finished.


that zone of being dehumanised. But the physical self really gets hurt afterwards. BL

KV

BL

KV

I think it’s interesting that the intention is to feel like an object, but also at some point it feels like a meditation, you are in a state of flow, you are very present. It is also, in some way, to be very human, very aware of your body and aware of the moment that is right now, not thinking about other things. I think that is an interesting paradox. I feel that too. I think the point before doing the performance was not this. I wanted to know what it means to struggle and to be treated as if I am a slave, as an object. But I had to find ways to really be an object, and the only way that I could do that is to stay at present and, of course, there is meditation that keeps me going. It keeps me feeling that I could continue even though the situation is hard to bear, because I would only be, at that second, in the present moment. I also think that for a lot of people, not only workers and labourers, life may be hard, and the only way to survive is to be at present and just continue. I would like to hear what some of your new projects are. You said that you’ve performed Knit at least 10 times already. I also know that what we are showing at CHAT right now is your series called Performing Textiles. I don’t know if it’s convenient for you to share in a few short sentences, if there is something else you are interested in now, or if it is another industry. What’s it like for you in the near future? I was going to be at CHAT, actually. Before this, I went to India to learn

122

BL

這對你來說很可怕嗎?

KV

我覺得這種感覺很可怕。例如,對於每件作 品,例如一些有點危險,有可能會傷害自己 的作品,但是在我表演時,我不再有這種感 覺了,因為 我 會 說 服 自 己 我 已 經 不 存 在, 我 不 再 是 一 個 人, 不 是 這 個 自 己。 所 以 我失去了自我意識,然後我變成了別的東 西,一件物件。所以說真的,直到演出結 束前我甚麼都感覺不到。

VC

或直到你受到身體上的影響。或者,當你 真 的 筋 疲 力 盡, 那 就 是 不 能 再 忍 受 的 時 侯,你必須停下來。

KV

通 常 這 種 情 況 不 會 發 生。 我 認 為 可 怕 的 是,這種情況從來沒有發生過。通常接近 表演結束時,你不會感到疲憊。做得越多, 感覺就越少。在最初的幾分鐘內,你可能 覺得自己的身體太痛了,無法繼續。但是, 一旦你跨越了感覺的界限,就如同跨越了 身為自己、身為一個人的感覺。你成為那 件 不 再 有 感 覺 的 物 件。 每 次 表 演 時, 我 的母親負責錄製影片,她是會說:「停下 來,現在可以了。應該要結束了,否則你 會傷到自己。」然後她真的停止錄製。我 會 想:「 你 為 什 麼 要 停 止 錄 製!」 我 想 我 失去了感覺,我甚至可以做上幾個小時。 我 會 想:「 你 為 什 麼 要 停 止 它?」 但 是 在 停 止 演 出 後 的 第 二 天, 我 的 身 體 會 出 現 瘀傷。例 如 我 的 眼 睛 和 臉 部 可 能 會 變 紅 一 、 兩 個 星期。 心理上的自我理解可以調整,因為它發生 得很慢。我就像鍋裡的青蛙,改變很慢地 進行,你並沒有真正感覺到自己正在調整 自己,並踏入被去人化的區域中。是的, 所以我的身體在表演之後的確受到傷害。

BL

我認為最終的目的是要感覺像一個物體,是 很有趣的,在某種程度上,感覺就像是一種 冥想,你處於一種流動的狀態中,你擁有很 強的存在感。在某些方面,它也非常人化, 對身體及當下那一刻的意識很高,不在意其 他事與物。 我認為這是一個有趣的悖論。

KV

我也這樣認為,我認為表演之前的重點不是 這個。我想知道掙扎而且被視為奴隸或者物 件是什麼意思。但是我必須找到真正成為物


件的方法,而我唯一能做的就是活在當下, 當然,冥想使我能繼續下去。這使我感到即 使在很難忍受的情況下也可以繼續,因為我 只會存在於此時此刻。我還認為,很多人, 不僅是工人和勞動者,生活可能很艱難,生 存的唯一途徑是活在當下並繼續前進。 我想聽聽你的一些新項目。 你說過《針織》, 你已經完成了至少 10 次。我也知道,我們 現在在 CHAT 展示的是你的系列──《演 示紡織》。你會否方便分享一些想法,它是 你現在感興趣的方向,或者它屬於另一個行 業。 你在不久的將來會有怎樣的計劃呢?

KV

實際上,我本來要去 CHAT 六廠的。在此 之前,我去了印度了解棉花產業,與棉花種 植者和採摘者交談,並了解與農夫相關的問 題。 然後我回到泰國。我們已經沒有主要的棉花 產業了,但是我去找農民和工人們聊天,看 看所面對的問題是否相似。當然,在泰國農 民也有自殺的情況,因此這成為我構思新系 列的主要研究──「Field Work」,它發生 在工廠及農業過程之前。我認為這對我來說 正是時候,因為泰國將簽署一份文件。你 知道印度的基因棉花問題嗎?在泰國,我們 也愈來愈接近這個問題,因此我們在網上抗 議。因為如果農民不能擁有自己的種子,不 能擁有屬於自己的任何東西,我們將面臨更 多社會問題及農民債務問題。因此,現在這 是我的創作焦點。我認為在農業過程及工廠 內部的工人都是我們沒有真正談及的,他們 都在幕後做一些沒人知曉的工作。 這 就 是 我 正 在 研 究 的 系 列, 稱 為「Field Work」。 我 已 經 完 成 了 其 中 一 項 工 作, 這 將 會 是 CHAT 六 廠 的 一 場 演 出, 名 為 《Spade》。不過由於病毒的關係,我採用了 錄像方式,製作已經完成了。 因此,在下 一個項目,我將要飾演在農業過程中,堅 硬、尖銳、沉重的公用工具。

2020 Spring Catalogue

BL

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas CHAT with Artist

about the cotton industry and to speak to the cotton farmers and pickers, and to learn about the issues involved with the cotton farmers. And then I returned to Thailand. We do not have major cotton industries anymore, but I went to talk to the famers and labourers to see if the problems are similar. Of course, we also have suicide cases among farmers in Thailand, and so this has become my main research for my new series, which is called Field Work, and it is about the process before the factory processes, the agricultural process. I think this has come at such a right time for me, because Thailand is going to sign a paper. You know how India has the problem with GMO cotton? We are going towards that direction as well, in Thailand, so we are protesting online about that. Because if the farmers cannot have their own seeds, if the farmers cannot have anything of their own, we will have even more societal problems and problems of debts for the farmers. So this has been my focus for now. I think the agricultural process as well as workers inside the factory are all people that we don’t really talk about, they are people behind the scenes, in the fields doing unnoticed work. So that is the series that I am working on now, called Field Work. I’ve done one work from that, which was going to be a performance at CHAT called Spade. But because of the virus, I have made the video work for that, and that’s finished. So for the next one I will also be acting as hard, sharp, heavy utility tools in the agricultural processes as well.

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出生並生活於香港。多媒體藝術家楊嘉輝受作 Born and living in Hong Kong, multi-disciplinary artist Samson 曲訓練,2013 年在普林斯頓大學取得音樂創 Young was trained as a composer 作博士學位。楊嘉輝對於聲音在社會、文化和 and graduated with a PhD in 政治中的影響抱有極大的興趣,他透過跨學科 Music Composition from Princeton 研究探索有關身份、戰爭和文學等議題。 University in 2013. With an interest 2017 年,楊嘉輝獲邀代表香港參與第 57 屆 in the social, cultural and political 威尼斯雙年展,於香港館進行個展;他的作 dynamics of sound, Young 品也於以下場所展出:紐約 Performa 19 雙 investigates recurring topics related 年展(2019)、愛丁堡大學 Talbot Rice 畫廊 to identity, war and literature through (2019)、 芝 加 哥 的 Smart 美 術 館(2019)、 cross-disciplinary works. 阿姆斯特丹的 De Appel 藝術中心(2018/19)、 He represented Hong Kong in a solo 美國的紐約所羅門 · R · 古根漢美術館(2018)、 project at the Hong Kong Pavilion of 日本大阪的國立美術館(2018)、香港的 M+ the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 and his works were presented in Performa 展 亭(2018)、 曼 徹 斯 特 的 華 人 當 代 藝 術 中 心(2017)、 韓 國 首 爾 的 國 立 現 代 美 術 館 19, New York (2019); Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh (2019); SMART (2017)、第 14 屆卡塞爾文獻展:文獻收音機 Museum, Chicago (2019); De Appel, (documenta radio)(2017) 和 杜 塞 爾 多 夫 Amsterdam (2018/19); Solomon R. 藝術館(2016/17)。他的作品收藏於紐約所羅 Guggenheim Museum, New York 門 · R · 古根漢美術館、香港 M+ 視覺文化博 in USA (2018); National Museum 物館、日本森美術館和耶路撒冷以色列博物館。 of Art in Osaka, Japan (2018); M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong (2018); Centre for Contemporary Chinese Art in Manchester (2017); National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea (2017); DOCUMENTA 14: documenta radio, Kassel (2017) and Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (2016/17) among others. His works are held in the collections of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; M+ Museum, Hong Kong; Mori Art Museum, Japan and the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

SAMSON YOUNG


Samson Young, The Immortals, 2020 (Detail) 楊嘉輝,《仙》,2020(局部)

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Samson Young, The Immortals, 2020 (Detail) 楊嘉輝,《仙》,2020(局部)

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CHAT with SAMSON 楊

YOUNG

嘉輝

NOTE Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas had to suspend its public opening from 23 March 2020 to 7 May 2020. All planned on-site events, including artists’ talks and workshops, shifted from the physical to the virtual world. The following pages contain the edited transcriptions of artists’ talks which were uploaded onto CHAT’s YouTube channel. Based on edited interview between Samson Young, Wendy Wo (CHAT), Paola Sinisterra (CHAT), Gabrielle Wong (CHAT) and Eliza Li (Cantonese opera performer) on 16 March, 2020.

備註 因 2019 冠狀病毒病大流行,展覽「意象連綿:方 法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」於 2020 年 3 月 23 日至 5 月 7 日需暫停開放。所有已計劃的現場活動,包 括藝術家對談和工作坊,因此由現實世界轉至虛 擬世界, 部份已上載至 CHAT 六廠 YouTube 頻道。 以下篇幅是相關與藝術家對談環節的編輯文字。 編輯自楊嘉輝、胡敏儀(CHAT 六廠)、Paola Sinisterra(CHAT 六廠)、黃昭穎(CHAT 六廠) 和李沛妍(粵劇表演者)於 2020 年 3 月 16 日的 訪問。 SY: Samson Young 楊嘉輝 WW: Wendy Wo 胡敏儀 PS: Paola Sinisterra GW: Gabrielle Wong 黃昭穎 EL: Eliza Li 李沛妍

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SY

Samson Young, The Immortals, 2020 (Detail) 楊嘉輝,《仙》,2020(局部)

SY

WW 剛剛聽你簡單形容了整個空間,即你今次 的新裝置作品。據我所知,整個作品由昨 年已經開始發展。如你剛才所述,一進去 右 邊 的 那 套 戲 服, 以 至 錄 像 的 一 些 片段, 都是由上年的某個演出作品而來。不如先 說說創作過程的開端? 其實整個系列是一個完整作品。去年那個 創 作, 是 因 為 11 月 我 在 紐 約 Performa 藝術節有一個演出(圖 4)。這個演出已醞 釀兩年,到了上年某個階段,我想做一些 戲服,剛好那時正跟 Mizuki (高橋瑞木, CHAT 六廠執行董事及首席策展人)聊一 些合作,於是提議這個作品可否跟 CHAT 合作,一同做布料部份,然後把這個演出轉

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CHAT with Artist

SY WW Samson, just now you briefly described the space of your new installation work. I know it actually began from last year, as you mentioned, from the costumes on the right to the footages from the

觀眾一進來這個展覽空間,在右邊會看到 我們為這演出做的三套戲服(圖 1);中間 有個頭盔,也是戲服的一部分(圖 2);左 邊會看到一個像機舖的電視框般的裝置, 另外還有個錄像投影(圖 3),框上有一些 拼布,是我們用戲服的布料做出來的。房 裡大概可以見到的就是這些,就像一個劇 院。因為這裡有點吵,我們先出去再聊 。

2020 Spring Catalogue

At the entrance corridor of my exhibition space, the viewers can see the three costumes custommade for this performance on their right. (Fig 1) Facing the middle is a safety helmet which is also part of the costumes. (Fig 2) And on the left, you would see an installation seemingly like TV frame in a gaming arcade, and there is a video projection. (Fig 3) On the frame, there are patchworks made by fabrics the same as costumes. This is how the room is like, like a theatre. The volume is high here, let’s move out to continue.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Fig 1 圖1


video. Tell us how it began. SY

All works are indeed one single work. The creation was a performance in New York’s performance festival called Performa last November. (Fig 4) This had been in discussion for two years, then at a certain stage last year, I wanted to make some costumes. I happened to meet Mizuki for collaboration, then I proposed if CHAT could be involved in the fabric part of this performance and then bring back the work in the form of installation to Hong Kong. So the installation we see now is the conclusion of the whole.

WW When you said all works are one single work, and I know the performance had a playlist of over a dozen songs, was it a site-specific work? How did you choose the site? SY

The site was called Castle Williams, meant to safeguard the coastline of New York. After retiring from coastal defense, it had been converted to a nursing home and community centre, even as a residence for coast guards. The site was chosen and proposed by Performa. My request to them was a site for crane dance, a place where spectators can view the crane performance at a short distance, which leaves us with many options. The original thought was putting spectators on top of the building, and have cranes surround them. And this site was the most ideal among the options.

WW What was the performance about? As I know there were songs?

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Fig 2 圖2

Samson Young, The Immortals, 2020 (Detail) 楊嘉輝,《仙》,2020(局部)

化成裝置藝術,再帶回香港展出,所以我們 現在見到的裝置,是整個創作過程的一個總 結。

WW 既然你說整個系列是一個完整作品,而你主 要的演出有十幾首歌,這個演出可算是場域 特定藝術。你是怎樣選那個場地?

SY

那個地方名叫 Castle Williams,是紐約以 前用作守衛海岸防線的堡壘,後來沒有海 防的作用之後,經歷了幾個轉變,曾成為 療養院、社區中心,亦有些海防守衛曾經 住過一段時間。這個地方是 Performa 找 的,也是他們提議的。我最初的要求,是 要讓升降台移動,做一個升降台舞蹈表演, 令演出者和音樂家能在較為接近觀眾的距 離移動。因為不是很多場地可以做到,起 初在紐約找的時候,有想過把觀眾放到大 廈頂層,然後升降台圍著觀眾,這一點是曾


It’s like an album, a compilation disc of new releases and selected ones. The road safety one was composed not particular for this production while one was a cover of The Police’s song, ‘Spirits of the Material World’. The rest were fully composed with Michael (Michael Schiefel). The way I usually work with Michael is this, I first come up with the idea with lyrics, and he would improvise based on existing melodies. However, this time was different. We also have four musicians and Eliza that they need to log in a grid. So I composed the songs and skipped the improvisation.

經考慮的。後來找了幾個不同場地,這個似 乎大家最滿意。

WW 當你選了這個場地並構思這個演出時,整個 演出有幾多首歌?

SY

WW When you said the project was conceived two years ago, when did you compose the songs? SY

WW 你說整個作品由兩年前已經開始醞釀,這些 歌主要是什麼時期寫的?

SY

主 要 是 最 後 三 個 月 寫 的,2019 的 暑 假。 有兩首歌很早就已經知道是作品的中心。 〈Spirits in the Material World〉不是我自 己的歌,是 The Police 的,跟今次也會播 的另外一首〈Jester of the Ruling Class〉 是一對的。這兩首都是比較早有決定,其他 歌可當作是填滿音樂專輯而做的。

WW Then you created this performance like an album.

WW 即是當成製作音樂專輯一樣去製作這個演

SY

SY

Not so much conceptually, but the working process is similar.

又不是那麼概念性,不過製作過程有點似, 有如編寫一張音樂專輯。

WW 我較好奇你是什麼時期寫這些歌,因為當我 閱讀你的歌詞時,或會對號入座,有些好像 在說 2019 年香港經常會對應到的一些事。 或許這是過份閱讀,但我有點好奇你是什麼 時候寫這些歌。

SY

不是過份閱讀。那當然會有的,你在做一 件事的時候,身邊發生的事也會進入你的視 野。

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WW I am particularly interested in the period in which you created the songs. Perhaps I over-interpreted the meaning, but when you said most of the songs were made in 2019, and I read the lyrics, it echoed the situation in Hong Kong.

出?

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Towards the last three months of the production. Summer of 2019. Two songs were made much earlier which serve as two anchors – one is the cover song of The Police, which was paired with the new song, ‘Jester of the Ruling Class’. The others you could say were album fillers.

就像一張音樂專輯一樣,有一些新歌,有 一些精選。其中有一首是交通安全歌,不 是特意為今次而寫的;亦有一首是翻唱歌, 由 The Police 的〈Spirits in the Material World〉改編而成。除此以外,其他歌都是 through-composed(通作式)。 我 跟 Michael(Michael Schiefel) 合 作, 很多時候是我有個靈感,我會寫歌詞,但 我的旋律會用一些舊的、已有的歌,交給 Michael 改編。今次則不是這樣,今次比較 特別,因為除了 Michael 以外,還有四個 其他音樂家和 Eliza ,大家要參照一個格式, 那麼就不要改編了,索性全都我寫好了。所 以音樂部份跟平時和 Michael 合作的方法 有點不同。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

SY


SY

Certainly not an overinterpretation. Indeed, when things happen around you, they naturally become part of the creation.

WW From the performance to the installation and video work showing now, as you said you discussed with Mizuki, you already proposed an installation in Hong Kong, what was your consideration in this transition? SY

The process of creation is not precise, as we needed to tackle some problems, for example, all I have is the fabric, the costumes, the video. But I didn’t want to merely show the documentation of the performance. When I did the editing for the video, I took a lot of references from rock concert documentaries. DVDs of rock or pop concerts are becoming scarce but I still took references from those. When I attended a live concert, how does the documentary differ from the live performance, for instance. The editing style appropriated those DVDs that I seldom adopt in my previous videos, say super slow motion, stutter framing, live footages featuring the spectators and performers are set in rich colour saturation with different colour tones for different characters – those are frequently seen in live concert DVDs but not my style. And you would see flashes between scenes, a signature style of Susan Au. During the editing process, when you think these are for the sake of artistic style, to me some are for problem-solving. Say in DVDs, the stutter treatment is to overcome the problem of using handheld cameras without stabilisers. Originally this is meant to be a solution for the problem, but then when everyone does this,

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WW 再繼續回到有關演出,再引申到今次的裝 置加上錄像。像你剛才所說,一開始和我 們的策展人 Mizuki 聊合作,做完戲服之後 可以帶回香港,做個一整系列的裝置。這 個轉換過程,你又考慮了什麼?

SY

其實整個創作過程並沒有很精確的路線, 因為過程當中有些問題需要解決,例如我 有的材料就是布料和戲服,但最主要都是 錄像,我又不想好像直接播放表演的紀錄 片一樣,所以考慮了很多事,例如剪這條 片時,看了很多搖滾演唱會的紀錄片,現 在已較少搖滾或流行音樂演唱會出版光碟, 雖然仍有人這樣做。 看過紀錄片和現場演出之後,我會思考到 底光碟和現場演出有什麼不同。我剪的方 法有些是模仿演唱會的光碟效果,有些是 我平時剪接不會用的,例如慢鏡、抖動畫 面(stutter),或是將現場表演的片段與觀 眾和表演者的片段,把顏色飽和度調到很 高、用不同色調分開他們等,這些我平時 剪接不會用,但現場演唱會光碟經常用的。 還有例如 Susan Au 最喜歡用作轉換畫面 的閃動效果。我那段時間在看這些東西。 剪片過程中,有些風格上的藝術處理其實 可能是為了解決問題,例如為什麼光碟時 常用 stutter 的鏡頭?是因為你通常都是用 手持式鏡頭,當你用手持式的時候不能加 一個穩定器令片段的動作更加整潔,其實 那是一個解決問題的方法。當每個拍攝現 場演唱會的人都用這個方法解決問題,就 成了一個共同方式,變成一種風格。我認 為這挺有趣,所以今次剪片的時候有刻意 用到這些風格。

WW 雖然你有參考搖滾音樂會的風格 ,但內裡 亦有很多你自己本身的元素,兩者怎樣融 合?

SY

如果那些是我自己本身的創作風格,自然就 會流露出來。我的創作是即興的,所以你會 見到一些是視覺性的節奏,但有些是個人的 選擇,無論做什麼題材都會流露出來。

WW 對的,我記得有一些外來的片段。 SY

對, 那 個 是 Mary Poppins( 魔 法 保 姆 ), 但那個不是風格,而是將不同參考材料剪貼


WW So you have mentioned those styles were adopted from rock concert DVDs or documentaries which you rarely used before, would you tell us more about ones frequently seen in your works these recent years? How you merge those two together? SY

在一起,這種剪貼方式是我常用的做法。但 Mary Poppins 應該只在那個動畫出現,沒 有在演出引用。

WW 今次作品的一大元素還包括粵劇、八仙電影 的片段,以及之前和合作夥伴的一些演出。 這些是否很意象主導?例如覺得某個場面令 你想起某些事,就放進作品裏?

SY

My own aesthetic style would show naturally in my works, more spontaneous on visual and rhythm. Those are preferences and would show across different topics.

WW I recall some external footage in the video. SY

WW 雖然你說是由八仙開始,那麼八個神仙在戲 劇裏也有不同道具,你亦應用了某些元素放 在表演者的戲服上,譬如我們在展場看到的

2020 Spring Catalogue

One of them is Mary Poppins. But that one is not a matter of style but a collage of references, and putting references together is my usual practice. Mary Poppins, however, is what I referenced in the video, not in the performance.

是的,類似剪貼一樣。其實與粵劇不是很相 關,但是如果說八仙的話,你可以說演出與 八仙無關,亦可以說與八仙完全有關。 之後大家聽我跟 Eliza(李沛妍)聊天的片 段,就可聽到用了粵劇當中的什麼元素。基 本上當我思考、閱讀、和其他人聊起八仙時, 會讓我想起一些問題。看了八仙的例戲如何 「沒有內容」,會令我想到一些問題。所以是 由這些問題延伸出來的,最終誕生了自己的 看法,已和八仙距離很遠。但這些問題的來 源是由八仙而起。

WW More like an important component of this work, Cantonese opera footages and transitions, and the movie visual identity of The Eight Immortals, and a past performance of you and your associates. But were these driven by the imageries, say you thought of them and put them in? Yes, sort of a collage. The work isn’t related to Cantonese opera, but you can say the work is related to The Eight Immortals or not. Later on, you will hear my conversation with Eliza about the Cantonese opera element. Basically, when I researched The

Fig 3 圖3

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Samson Young, The Immortals, 2020 (Detail) 楊嘉輝,《仙》,2020(局部)

CHAT with Artist

SY

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

it becomes a common practice, a style. So I also deploy those editing styles in the video.


Eight Immortals and discussed it with people, it triggered some questions. Say how this set piece is lacking of content, which leads to some questions and from the questions, they lead to some ideas deviating far from The Eight Immortals. But the set piece was the point of departure. WW Even if so, you adopted some props from the characters of The Eight Immortals. Like the helmet we would see in the work with the donkey. Was that a reference to the traditional props too?

安全帽,上面有一隻驢,這是參照八仙人 物的道具製作出來的?

SY

WW 就是你說的〈Jester of the Ruling Class〉。 SY

SY

Those props or the writing on the costumes do signify the characters, but I didn’t intend to do the same for every character or take every component into it. And they may not be apparent to the viewers what they stand for. When you read the lyrics, though the story loosely does contain a plot, which is that The Eight Immortals crossed the sea and had a fight, I didn’t intend to present the whole plot to the viewers. The whole piece anchored on two songs, representing two contrasting positions.

這些道具或者戲服上面有一些字句,都是 參考某些角色,但不齊全,我沒有把所有 東西放進去,沒想要向觀眾清楚解釋我在 做關於八仙的創作。 如果你看那些歌詞,雖然那個鬆散的故事 是有根據的,即八仙過海賀壽然後打了一 場架的結構,但我並沒想給觀眾一個完整 的故事。中心點都是圍繞那兩首歌,各代 表兩個立場。

或者〈Spirits of the Material World〉 。

WW 〈Jester of the Ruling Class〉在戲服上都

WW Which are ‘Jester of the Ruling Class’, SY

and ‘Spirits of the Material World’.

WW The words ‘Jester of the Ruling Class’ appear repeatedly, in your own handwriting, or printed in the usual way onto the costumes. Just now when you described the work in the space, you mentioned ‘gaming arcade’ on the left and the projection. It seems you also appropriated the stools and the overall feeling. How did this come about? Is it simply because

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Fig 4

圖4

Samson Young, The Immortals (feat. Michael Schiefel, DITHE and Eliza Li) , 2019 Photo: Caroline Budge 楊嘉輝,《The Immortals (feat. Michael Schiefel, DITHER, and Eliza Li)》,2019 圖片提供:Caroline Budge


SY

哇,這個要解釋得很遠。我們先由這兩首歌開 始說起,如果你還記得一開始我嘗試詳盡解 釋我的想法時,我是在思考藝術家在社會的身 份。 我認為這兩首歌代表了兩種想法。 拉遠點來 說,每個地方看藝術家都會有點不同。以香 港而言,我們怎麼思考藝術家的身份,我個 人覺得是從中國傳統裡藝術家處於什麼位置而 來的。在中國我們沒有藝術家這個角色、這個 職業。那是從哪裡來的? 其實在「士農工商」當中, 藝術家是比較像「士」 的。按照傳統社會的角色, 「士」要麼是制衡者, 因為你有可能是做官,或者是做統治階級的老 師,所以對藝術家的道德要求很高。如果藝術 家不想擔當這些角色,就不如做一種比較遠離 社會的文人形態,和社會有點隔離。但在西方 傳統中的藝術家,形象卻有點不同,他們不是 與統治階級互相制衡,而是服侍統治階級,可 能是為教會或統治者寫音樂、做藝術等。這種 相對入世的藝術家定義,在華語世界是沒有的。 我覺得這兩種看藝術家的方法是互相衝突的, 而這兩首歌就是在思考這些事。但中間有一個 大家都會忽略的元素,就是玩樂性、有趣、滿 足自我、純粹作為自我表達。這個玩樂的行為 就是意義的來源,這一點也許大家沒有想到。 我自己比較覺得是這樣的。

WW 這兩種中西方對藝術家的角色或功用,會不 會是你這幾年有愈來愈多參展機會,或是多 了跟國際機構接觸,從而產生的感想 ?

SY

其 實〈Jester of the Ruling Class〉 是 一 個直接引用來的。第一次和 Performa 洽談 演出時,Performa 在兩屆前剛剛來香港參 加 Art Basel,我幫他們做了一個演出。那 一年就吃了頓飯,我遇到一個藝廊家很失望 的對我說,你知不知道藝術家就是 jester of the ruling class(統治階級的小丑)?我 回答 :啊是嗎?後來就開始思考是否如此。

WW 那你當下的對應是怎樣的?

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CHAT with Artist

WW For these conflicting ideas from eastern and western worldviews on artists’ roles and functions, were they developed through your own experiences and selfreflection during the past few years working with overseas and international institutions and art events?

SY

2020 Spring Catalogue

Well, this would be a long story. But let’s go back to the two songs. Do you recall how I first described the concept in detail? I was reflecting on the role of artists in society. I think the two songs represent two schools of thoughts. Every culture perceive artists quite differently. I believe the way we in Hong Kong view artists is influenced by traditional Chinese culture. ‘Artist’ was not an occupation in Chinese culture. Among the four classes in ancient China – scholars, farmers, craftsmen, traders – artists are like scholars. Then in history, scholars were either the ruling class like officials or teachers with high moral standards, or literati who did not follow the social norm, like hermits. In the western world, artists were not the counterbalance to the ruling class, but to serve them, by composing music or arts for churches or the rulers. This definition of artists is absent in the Chinese-speaking world. And these conflicting views on artists are conveyed through these two songs. But one not-soobvious element is playfulness, self-serving one’s desire to express. The act of play is where the meaning comes from, which may not have occurred to viewers. This is what I think.

有重複出現,有你手寫的字,或者用你慣常 的方式印在戲服上面。來到這裡,聽你剛剛 介紹這空間時曾經提及電子遊戲機中心。你 形容左邊看錄像的空間就像電子遊戲機中心, 還有櫈子以及感覺上都有參照它們。這個感 覺來自哪裡?是否純粹因為喜歡玩遊戲機?

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

ER,

of your interest in gaming?


SY

‘Jester of the Ruling Class’ is an exact quote. As I said, the Performa production was in discussion two years ago, when they came to Art Basel Hong Kong and I did a performance. Over a dinner occasion, a gallerist who was somewhat disillusioned told me: Artists are jesters of the ruling class. I replied: Really? Then I thought about whether this is the case.

SY

WW What’s your immediate response?

就記在心上。這些問題是要面對的,我也是 要生活的,會與商業機構合作、參加藝術展, 你會感受到其他人對藝術家的期望是有點 不同的。那麼你就會想這個不同的期望是 從哪裏來呢?那都不是無中生有的。我會 思考當中的衝突。 我 認 為〈Spirits of the Material World〉 是一個出路。你見到八仙這群人在中國社 會沒有一個原型,因為他們都是怪人,只 是做自己想做的事,然而社會卻容許他們。 這個玩樂性強的角色很特別,是存在於我們 「士」的想法或 18 世紀前西方社會視藝術 家為統治階級的侍奉者以外的。他們其實 很獨立。我對這特別感興趣。

WW 嚮往嗎? SY

I took it in. These are the situations I would face, I have to make a living, and I would have with work with commercial galleries and art fairs, and you would feel the expectations from others are somewhat different. Then you would think about what leads to the difference in expectations. There must be a reason, and I would think about the underlying conflict. I think ‘Spirits of the Material World’ is a way out. The Eight Immortals in Chinese myth do not have a prototype; they were a bunch of bizarre people doing what they enjoyed most. Somehow, they were accepted by society and their roles beyond scholars or jesters to serve the ruling class in the 18th century are playful, special and independent. I am drawn to this.

WW Is this something you desire for yourself? SY

SY

WW 你提到主力的這兩首歌,算是代表兩個立 場或崗位去界定藝術家,然後又說其他歌 就像一張音樂專輯裏用作填充用途。但我 覺得其他歌都非常用心,雖然說有兩個極 端,但中間的亦非常吸引。不如你再說說, 你的創作時份是 2019 年年中,亦有牽涉當 下發生的事情,那你是怎樣把其他歌編進 專輯裏的?

SY

如果某些作品早些出現會更好,覺得是「錯 的時機」?

SY

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寫歌詞的時候,這些就像下意識地滲透入 去。有些像是不明所以的被安插進去,例 如王母蟠桃這首歌,其實也是關於藝術家 的身份。藝術家說的預言可能太早或者太 遲 ,藝術家的作品有時會回應社會,但未 必 具 即 時 性, 講 述 的 那 個 時 刻 並 不 準 確, 不能做到社會預期藝術家要回應社會所達 到的效果。如要達到那個預期效果,藝術 家必須是一個占卜師。然而藝術家不會在 所有範疇都是專家,所以藝術家的評論最 終都只是一種自我表達。

WW 回顧自己,你可有一些經歷會令你去想:

I am not sure, I’m still thinking.

WW You talked about the two songs representing two opposite stands for artists, and the rest of the

不知道啊,還在思索中。

沒有覺得是錯的時機,但有些作品做完之 後,會覺得很意外。 比 方 說 我 有 件 作 品《 史 丹 利 》, 有 些 彩 色 打印紙本,也有霓虹燈寫著:Nothing we

WW


SY

As I am writing the lyrics, they subconsciously trickle in. Some appear in an odd way. Like the song about the Queen Mother’s peaches is also about the role of artists. The prophecies of artists are either too late or too early. Artworks occasionally respond to the current circumstances, but not necessarily in a timely manner; if the artwork is about social topics, the outcome does not precisely happen as the society expected; to achieve that, one would be a fortune teller. Artists are not experts in everything, so their commentaries are ultimately a form of self-expression.

did could have saved Hong Kong it was all wasted(香港已經無藥可救,做 什麼也是徒勞)。這個作品第一次創作出來 的時候,是在雨傘運動之前,跟雨傘運動 完全無關。其實這個作品來自舊時的赤柱 拘 留 營 的 一 個 故 事, 當 時 在 做 口 述 歷 史, 說起那時加拿大的年輕士兵其實不用如此 犧牲自己,香港已經救不回了。所以那是 完全無關的,但當時的情緒是覺得怎會說 出這樣的話,於是就抽取了這一句,實際的 內容其實與香港當下的環境沒有太大關係。

WW 那你覺得作品放在這個背景之下,是對的嗎? 當一個之前創作的作品,再放在一個新的討 論脈絡之下,你覺得是怎樣的?

SY

其實這沒什麼對與錯。對與錯是指作品是否

2020 Spring Catalogue

WW Looking back at your works, do you think any of them was created in a wrong timing? SY

Fig 5

Samson Young, The Immortals (feat. Michael Schiefel, DITHER, and Eliza Li), 2019 Installation view: Performa 19 (New York), 2019 Photo: Elan Kantor Costume Production by CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile)

圖5

楊嘉輝,《The Immortals (feat. Michael Schiefel, DITHER, and Eliza Li)》,2019 裝置圖片:國際表演節 Performa 19(紐約), 2019 圖片提供:Elan Kantor 服裝由 CHAT 六廠(六廠紡織文化藝術館) 製作

139

CHAT with Artist

Never a wrong timing. Sometimes I have done something, and I also feel ‘wow’. For example, Stanley, with a neon sign that reads: ‘Nothing we did could have saved Hong Kong it was all wasted’, was created before the Umbrella Movement; it was based on a piece of history in Stanley Internment Camp, and the line came from an oral history persuading the Canadian young soldiers not to defend Hong Kong anymore. So it was not related but the sentiment was so provocative and filled with anguish. The line did not share similarities from the context and the situation in Hong

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

songs are supplementary to the album. To me, the other songs are equally attractive and show a lot of efforts. You said the time of creation was mid-2019 and also incorporated current events. How did you include them into the album?


Kong back then.

服務某個目的。我是忠於自我表達,因為 Day Joyce(營中的助護)的床單、因為這 句說話,所以我的作品就成為這個模樣。如 果我是因為社會事件而把作品在展出之前修 改,那就不是忠於作品。所以去問對錯並非 一個對的問題。當然,人對作品的感受會隨 時間而不同,或是因社會發生了一些事而會 有不同感受,但這是作品以外的事情。

WW Would you think, when a work is put into a new context, if it is right or not? SY

There is no right or wrong. When you judge it as right or wrong, you are talking about whether it serves a particular purpose. What I am true to is my expression, which derives from the inscription on the bedsheet of Day Joyce (an auxiliary nurse at the camp) and the line of dialogue. If I alter my work afterwards due to a social incident, then it’s not true to (my expression). Asking right or wrong is not the right question. How people feel about a work transforms over time, given the situation in society. But this is beyond the work itself.

WW For this new work, do you think the songs you created last year would be understood differently or become a fable or prophecy after some time? SY

Not exactly. That was what happened at that time and I absorbed it. This is different from Stanley. But the song sung by He Xiangu (the female character in The Eight Immortals) is about the role of artists; but even if the lyrics I wrote are related to events in Hong Kong last summer and now, the songs do not aim to change anything or convey an advocacy. The lyrics are in fact jumbled together and contradictory. Contradiction happens as I follow my stream of consciousness, things which I may not say outloud when I converse with people, or which I am not aware of. But when I don’t selfcensor, the lyrics come as they are.

140

WW 你昨年寫的這些歌,有些位置會明顯讓我感 到在對應香港當下的事情。你可覺得在時機 方面,你在直接感受當下的時候做了這一批 歌,若干時間之後再回頭看,又會像預言一 樣?

SY

這倒沒有。這是當時發生的事情我吸收了, 這個情況跟《史丹利》不同。剛剛提到何仙 姑的歌比較多在說藝術家的身份,但就算我 寫的這些歌詞與香港上個夏天或現在發生的 事情有關,也不是要去改變什麼,裡面沒有 鼓吹成份。你看我寫的歌詞不單混亂還前後 矛盾,那個前後矛盾是哪裡來的?我讓我的 意識流自由行動,所以有些事情,跟其他人 聊天可能不敢說,但其實心是這樣想的,或是 我不知道我是這樣想的,但當我讓自己的意 識不受自我審查時,歌詞就會這樣誕生了。

與 Eliza 的對話──粵劇元素 SY 現在這一刻,Eliza(李沛妍)在紐約。紐 約現在是封城狀態,所以 Eliza 你已經有兩 星期沒有去唐人街了對不對?

EL

對的……(大笑)你們的店舖都有營業,我 們的基本上全都關門,除了超級市場,都是 大型的,小型的都未必開門。

SY

Eliza 是這個作品一個很重要的合作者。這 個製作有幾個很重要的合作者,如 Eliza、 Michael 、Dither 電子結他四重奏和幫我 們製作戲服的 CHAT 六廠。Eliza 你會形容 自己為一個粵劇演員吧?

EL

對的。

SY

而你自己是有一個戲班的,我有看過你們戲 班。

EL

我是有自己的劇團的。


SY

At this moment, Eliza is in New York, which is in lockdown. So Eliza, you haven’t been to Chinatown for two weeks, right?

EL

Yes (laughs). Shops at your end still open; ours are all closed except mega supermarkets.

SY

Eliza is one of the important collaborators in The Immortals. There are a few important collaborators in this performance, including Eliza, Michael, DITHER the electric guitar quartet, and CHAT who made our costumes. So Eliza, do you describe yourself as a Cantonese opera performer? Yes.

SY

And you have a troupe. I have watched your performance.

EL

I have my troupe.

SY

In this production, you have two characters – He Xiangu and Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy). You can tell us later why you become Guan Yin. Basically, all Cantonese lyrics in this production were written by you, the two stanzas sung by He Xiangu. Please describe the lyrics to us.

EL

EL

何仙姑這個角色是懂算命的,但你給這個人 物的設定是她很多時候算不準……(大笑) 所以我會根據這個角色去推算她為什麼喜歡 算命。我想她一定很喜歡觀察人生變化,所 以歌詞是關於她怎樣從算命去理解人生變 化。為什麼她算命經常算不準,是因為人生 真的不容易單憑算命就可知道結果,當中有 太多變數。這段曲詞不太長,但大意基本上 是跟著這個方向走。

SY

數字歌那段也有一個結構的吧,那個亦是有 個因由,由數字開始?不如說說那個變化。

EL

粵劇有種叫「官話」的舞台語言,跟廣東話 有點不同,所以在唱數字的段落裏,我將舞 台官話數「123456789」的發音都用來唱, 不是純粹唱口語的廣東話,而是用舞台官話 來發音。

SY

邀請你寫這個廣東話詞以及今次的合作形 式,其實是因為和你見面之後,知道你之前 和 Ming Wong 有過合作。那個形式亦是很 開放的,你也有類似的參與。那次跟他的合 作是怎樣的?

EL

其實那次合作跟今次有點相似,也是他給我 一個想法,例如他想要什麼結構、想表達什 麼,當我們見面後,我會給他看一些參考, 他又給我一些意見,然後我根據他想要的感 覺,在粵劇當中找一些元素、一些可以交流 及切合他適合用的東西,例如將一個折子的 段落,放在他的劇情當中我覺得可以應用的 位置。 其實與今次和你合作的形式也有點相近,我 們見了幾次面,然後我給你一點參考,大 家再傾,就發現可以抽取某些東西內容來運 用,例如一些歌、選擇的音樂、用什麼樣的 歌詞等。我們有一段曲詞,也是用傳統粵劇 的曲詞和唱法,是 1870 年很舊很舊的「牌 子」 。那是關於賀壽的,我們也是聊著聊著 才發現這一段可以拿來用 。

141

CHAT with Artist

He Xiangu is a fortune-teller, but your pre-condition is that her telling is not accurate (laughs). Based on this setting, I thought about the reason why she is fond of fortune-telling. She must be keen on observing changes in life, but at the same time know that life is unpredictable and full of

Eliza 在這個製作主要扮演兩個角色,是何 仙姑也是觀音。基本上這套劇的廣東話歌詞 都是你寫的,有兩段何仙姑的廣東話唱詞都 是你寫。先和觀眾形容這兩段唱詞是唱什麼 的?

2020 Spring Catalogue

EL

SY

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

INTERVIEW WITH ELIZA LI – ON CANTONESE OPERA


uncertainties. The lyrics are not too long, so this is the general direction. SY

For the Numeric song, you have a structure, a prompt, starting from numbers?

EL

Yes. The stage dialect in Cantonese opera is a bit different from Cantonese. So I sang the numbers 1 to 9 in stage dialect, rather than colloquial Cantonese.

SY

Before our collaboration, I know that you have worked with artist Ming Wong, in an open collaboration, which you’ve done before. Can you describe your experience working with Ming?

EL

SY

That was similar to yours. He explained to me the idea, structure and message. Then we met up, I showed him some references and he gave feedback. We tried to identify elements in Cantonese opera as the connection based on his expectations, for example, putting a plot in a traditional excerpt. Similarly, you and I met up a few times and I also showed you some references, then we decided what elements could be extracted like the choice of song, music, lyrics. There is a piece from the old tune suite in 1870 on celebrating birthday that we followed the exact music, lyrics and way of singing. This idea arrived through our discussion. We know this, between ourselves. Let’s describe the 1870 original tune suite and how we integrated it, though no one really cares apart from us.

142

SY

這個是你與我之間都知道的。不如跟觀眾 形容一下那個 1870 年原本的八仙牌子,我 們怎樣混合進作品裡?

EL

對,但整件事很有意義。幾年前我參加嶺南 大學藝術節,他們重塑了兩段牌子曲,是 近幾十年粵劇沒唱過的。的確是有這段音 樂,他們有不斷表演「賀壽」這節,我們 叫做傳統例戲。這段傳統例戲是有演奏過, 但從來沒人唱這段曲詞。三年前他們重新 發掘這段文字,我們其中一個音樂師重新 將這段曲詞放回音樂裡,我們就演出了一 個有這段曲詞的版本。今次跟 Samson 的 合作就將這段曲詞抽出來,放到我們一開 始的時候唱,也是用舞台官話唱,詞是清 朝的版本,所以我覺得很有意義。後面就 是我寫的曲詞,是有點像逾越似的。

SY

先和聽眾解釋一下,為什麼嶺南大學這個 1870 年的唱詞,這個台下合唱為何那麼有 意義?因為《八仙賀壽》這個例戲,平時 根本是沒人唱的。不只沒人唱,對我來說更 是一個沒有內容的戲。這八個人在舞台上 自我介紹後逛了個圈,就當是賀壽了,然 後劇情後來的發展跟之前很割裂。但這個 例戲的結構就是這樣,對我來說幾乎就是 一個儀式。

EL

是的,我們粵劇每一次有賀誕的時候,譬 如慶祝一個節或一個神仙,例如天后誕或 神功戲, 基本上一開始都會有《賀壽》這 個例戲。所以真的是一個儀式,對於我們 粵劇來說也是一個儀式。

SY

這個儀式很有趣,內容是有的,但是形式 非常扎實,形式是有固定的一套。對我來說, 它的意義甚至是從形式而來,所以這非常 特別。我們平時不會這樣思考藝術的,傳 統西方藝術中「真誠」(sincerity)的概念 就是要知行合一,創作的形式和內容要有 聯繫;但這是一個很特別的例子,形式和 內容完全割裂。這也是我看完八和做這齣 劇的資料搜集才知道,這樣很有趣。除了《八 仙賀壽》之外,粵劇有沒有其他這樣形式和 內容割裂得那麼厲害的戲?

EL

其實我又不覺得是割裂。我們有一些既定的 程式,叫做「排場」,那些動作我們學了之


SY

But this is meaningful. I joined an art festival at Lingnan University few years ago where they remade two tune suites which have not been performed for several decades. The set piece ‘Eight Immortals Bestowing Longevity’ has been mostly played with musical instruments, but the lines have never been sung. Three years ago, they discovered the lyrics and a musician remade the lyrics into the tunes; and it was performed. In Samson’s production, I put this piece in the beginning and sung in stage dialect. This version originated from the Qing Dynasty, which is very meaningful. Following that are the lines I write, which may seems rather transgressive.

Indeed. Whenever there are celebrations or festivals such as birthday of Tin Hau, Goddess of the Sea or Ghost festival, we perform this set piece. So it is indeed a ritual in Cantonese opera.

SY

This ritual has no content, but the form is solid and set. To me, its meaning comes from the form which is unique and contradicts how we approach art. In the western context, sincerity in art is about authenticity, form connecting with content. So this is a special

PS

我們是從去年初夏(2019 年)展開製作, 但時間很有限,有好有壞吧,我們要很快作 出決定,這點有利於這個合作。你提出的原 本想法很瘋狂,要為升降台穿衣,而表演者 的服裝你則想要很立體,我們就試驗一下。

GW 我們與 Samson 合作,要為升降台製作芭 蕾舞裙,為表演者製作戲服。我們第一個疑 問,就是怎樣將這些網紗變成一條像芭蕾舞 者穿的蓬蓬裙,由一塊薄紗變成幾乎像雕塑 般立體的裙,而且要吊在半空中(圖 5) 。 那時我們就想,不如嘗試做很多層吧,但試 來試去也達不到飄起來的效果。我們做了許 多嘗試後,才成功做到像空氣雕塑的效果。

PS

一個有趣的觀察,你在揀選布料的過程也樂 在其中。當我們挑選了布料就馬上和車衣隊 試驗,卻發現有些布料做不到預期效果,有 些太薄,有些不夠凸,因為原意是想要誇張 的裙子。這個就是挑選布料的步驟,所以我 們與車衣隊緊密溝通,也是我們 CHAT 實驗 室的最大優勢,他們經常協助藝術家製作, 也慣於構思有別於成衣或時裝業常見的方 法,能夠因應不同的瘋狂想法來調節。

SY

我自一開始就打算給這些升降台製作服裝, 在最初版本的想法,因為我不太熟悉布料的 特性,所以想法較接近雕塑,第一個版本的 服裝和芭蕾舞裙也是團狀的,人的服裝像 波一樣,芭蕾舞裙甚至是像發泡膠般撐出來 的。但這個設計在布料特性甚至力學上也是

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CHAT with Artist

EL

與 Paola 和 Gaby 的對話-戲服設計 SY Paola(Paola Sinisterra)和 Gaby(黃昭 穎)是這個製作很重要的合作者,所有服裝 以及裝置的拼布,都是這個團隊製作的。

2020 Spring Catalogue

Let me explain to our listeners about the off-stage chorus in Lingnan University and its significance. The lyric of ‘Eight Immortals Bestowing Longevity’ is rarely performed. Even to me, this set piece does not have a plot. 8 characters show up, introduce who they are, circle on the stage and that is it. The plot that follows is unrelated. But the structure of the set piece is almost like a ritual.

後就可應用在不同場合,像一個情緒一樣。 例如有一組動作叫「水波浪」,基本上在每 一套粵劇都會見到。每一套戲的劇情和故事 各有不同,但當一個人物面對一個兩難抉擇 時,就會見到主角走水波浪的動作。有點像 百搭一樣 ,這算不算是割裂?也可以算是 割裂的,其實水波浪本身只是一組動作,但 用來表達某個情緒,放在不同的劇情都可適 用。賀壽的時候,他們做的也是一組動作, 當其他戲要跟人祝壽,在《賀壽》的一節抽 一組動作放進去,也可應用得到。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

EL


situation that the form and content disconnect. This is what I found out after watching and researching this play. Are there any other pieces showing disconnection of form and content? EL

I wouldn’t say disconnection. We have pre-set formulas called paichang, or choreography that we can adopt into different occasions. For example, a movement called ‘tidal wave’ can be seen in most pieces. Depending on the characters and the plots, whoever comes across a dilemma will perform this tidal wave. You may call this movement disconnected from the content, but it simply represents an emotion in different scenarios. Likewise, the movements in ‘Bestowing Longevity’ can be extracted to other scenes to represent celebration.

CONVERSATION WITH PAOLA AND GABY – ON COSTUME MAKING SY

PS

Paola and Gaby from the CHAT’s textile team are the important ones involved in the costumes in the production and the patchwork in the installation. Now let me switch the language to talk about the process of costume making. I think we started first at the beginning of the summer (in 2019). One of the good and bad things was we had very limited time and we had to work with it. That actually helped us to make decisions really quickly, which is something that I think works quite well. Originally, you came up with this crazy idea to dress these cranes and you wanted something quite three-dimensional for the costumes for artists.

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不容許的。

PS

對我們來說,參與這類項目就是藝術家有 其專長媒介,譬如你也提出在立體形鋪上布 料,我們就思考有哪種布料會因應形狀拉伸, 你從大陸製作立體,我們則鋪布料,但這個 方法感覺不對,加上時限工序過於複雜。我 們討論時也很開放,各人把自己知道的、能 做到的都提出來,找出問題所在,最終找到 解決方案。你想要立體,那我們找些很挺身 的布料,尺碼也較人的比例大,穿起上來就 有點像機械人,後來布料也有印刷部份。

SY

不如說說我們合力造出來的服裝。

GW 我們服裝的最終設計,是用帆布去做一件比 較大的衣服。表演當時正值紐約的冬天,所 以我們構思衣服時,考慮了表演者在戲服裡 面需穿保溫衣物。當我們試穿這件大碼服裝 時,意外發現外形很討好。

SY

我對服裝設計和布料特性沒太大概念……

PS

你學得挺快。

SY

我有好的導師,造出來的效果是我獨力不能 達成的。裝置部份亦然,現在的拼布相比起 我原來的構思,我更喜歡現在的。但當然這 牽涉很多思考和布料的限制。

PS

同樣地,我們構思裝置時,也考慮到造服裝 時剩下的布料和我們有限的存放空間。我喜 歡這個裝置最後反映了香港、不止於當下的 香港,而存放空間也是香港常見問題,我記 得之前跟你說過,我們不能再存放剩下的布 料了,問你要送回你的工作室還是丟掉。於 是我們開始研究把布料妥貼地拼好包著整個 木框,車衣隊也準備好了,卻突然(因為新 冠肺炎疫情)要在家工作,我們沒充足時間 縫合拼布了。他們也想好了方案,就是趕不 及去車縫這樣剛剛好的拼布。整個創作過 程,我們不是常常在 CHAT 六廠,那我們交 換概念圖、想法或照片,而你當時也不在港。

SY

對的,有很多不同外部情況和因素才形成現 在的結果。

PS

也達至更好的效果。


SY

Since the beginning, I wanted to put the cranes in costumes. But as I am not familiar with the fabric behaviour, my design was more sculptural. The first concept was more of a mass. The costume for performers was like a sphere, while to dress the cranes, I thought of masses of styrofoam protruding from the machines. But then I realised the design was not feasible mechanically and fabric-wise.

PS

說說佈展首幾天,這個裝置是我們率先佈展 的,比其他藝術家的作品都要早。記得第一 天,因為我和 Gaby 曾做時裝,比較習慣即 興,中段發幾張照片給你,而你說好喜歡。

GW 和 Samson 合作是很有實驗性的。當我們 做芭蕾舞裙時,就好像是在 CHAT 實驗室 試用不同布料,直至滿意為止。裝置亦是一 樣,都是用比較創意的方式去解決問題,例 如不夠布的時候,可以剪開布料令視覺上更 豐富,或者尋求後備計劃去配合。雖然新冠 肺炎減慢了進度,但我們也務求在有限時間 內做到符合 Samson 美感的作品。

CHAT with Artist

One of the interesting things also, I guess, is that you had a lot of fun going through fabrics. As soon as we started doing some samples with the sewing team, we figured out that some fabrics didn’t work because they were too flimsy or not spiky enough although our idea was to create some kind of dramatic style of dress. So that was part of the process of finding out which fabric works or not. In that sense, we worked very closely with the sewing team which I also think is the biggest asset we have at the CHAT Lab. The team is used to working with artists and thinking of solutions that are not obvious to the garment or fashion industries. The solutions obviously come from those industries but the team is able to adjust and make possible these unexpected ideas that the artist arrives at.

其實合作就是這樣。 我們經常幻想一個作 品全盤都是刻意計劃的結果,但其實並不 然。很多時候是因為要解決問題而衍生出一 個結果。

2020 Spring Catalogue

PS

SY

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

GW We collaborated with Samson to make tutus for the cranes and costumes for the musicians in the performance. Our first question was how to transform the tulle fabric into a ballerina tutu, adding volume and hanging it from the top. (Fig 5) We thought of adding layers but the fluttering effect was not great. And we had several attempts until we made it like an air sculpture.

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PS

It was actually interesting to work on projects like this for us, with the fact that the artist comes from his expertise. For example, one of your suggestions was to create a three-dimensional moulded shape and to try to put fabrics on top. We therefore thought about fabrics that could stretch over this shape. You sent the shapes to Mainland China to be made and we tried to put fabrics on them. However, it didn’t feel right, it felt too complicated particularly with the timeline that we had. It is interesting to see the process started openly as everyone brought in what they knew, their abilities and expertise. As we got closer to the centre and identified the problems, we found other solutions. Say if you want something three-dimensional, then we would look for fabrics that are very stiff and oversized for the human body so it creates a robotic look. And from that, we are able to achieve making the fabric and printing.

SY

Can we talk a bit about the garment that we are making together now?

GW The final design is made of canvas fabric, oversized, as we knew the performance was held in the winter at New York, so to keep the performers warm underneath. Once we put them on, we found they were quite appealing. SY

Aside from dealing with the costumes and properties of fabric which I know nothing about…

PS

You learned pretty fast though.

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It’s a similar story when we first started thinking about the installation in consideration of the leftover fabrics and limited space for them. I like to think that this installation is a result that not only reflects about Hong Kong but what is happening here, in the sense that we always face the problem of limited space. At some point, I told you that we can’t keep the fabrics here anymore and they would either be sent to your studio or thrown away. So we started to make a patchwork that could fit millimetrically over this cube. We planned to work with the sewing team. The team was prepared to do it but because of the work from home regulations (due to the COVID‑19 pandemic), it was impossible to finish it. You would probably want to mention the CHAT’s sewing team that had done various trials for the process. They even came up with the proposal but unfortunately decided time would be insufficient to finish everything. The making also had to be very precise. We continued our talking and collaboration outside of CHAT. We were just exchanging drawings, ideas and photos as the process evolved. And you were also not in town.

SY

Yes, there are circumstances and factors that led to the final outcome.

CHAT with Artist

PS

2020 Spring Catalogue

I have good teachers. The end results was something I could not make on my own otherwise, and same for the installation. If you remember the first version I had in mind for the patchworks, I actually like the one now much better. Of course this involves the process with thinking about the limitations of materials.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

SY

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PS

But it’s created for the better also.

SY

Collaboration is like that. We always imagine the intentionality of a work is followed through but it’s not quite the case. Most of the times we need to solve problems that lead to the result.

PS

You could talk about the first few days when we started the installation. This was the first installation we installed before any other artists. I remember on the first day we were there, probably because Gaby and I come from a fashion background, it was easier to be a little impromptu. We sent the photos to you and you loved it.

GW Working with Samson is experimental. From making tutu at CHAT Lab, we tested different materials till we nailed it. Likewise, we employed creativity to resolve the problems for the installation. Say we didn’t have enough fabric, we cut them smaller. Or we sought for a plan B given the delays in production during the coronavirus outbreak. We were able to do it within limited time, and show Samson’s aesthetic in this project.

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT with Artist

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CHAT READS SELECTION CHAT 索引 選書 CHAT READS SELECTION 150



CHAT Reads: Spring 2020 CHAT索引:2020春季 What compels diverse artists and writers to converge at the textile medium? Reflecting the concerns and bookending the viewing experience of Unconstrained Textiles, the CHAT Reads publications of the season ranges from the exhibiting artists’ catalogues, workers’ periodicals, textile theory to graphical attempts of archiving time-based performances. The publications share unique connections to the exhibition, some of which are self-evident, others only somewhat relevant and some perhaps even tenuous. 152


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CHAT Reads Selection

書籍以各種姿態與展覽產生獨特的 關係,有些明顯、有些相關,更有 些看似微弱。多元化的選書,鼓勵 不同界別的讀者匯聚,共同發掘文字 與紡織,彼此之間密不可分的關係, 及連綿的可能性。

2020 Spring Catalogue

是甚麼驅使作家與藝術家挑選紡織為 媒材?CHAT索引挑選出一系列書籍及 刊物,以響應「意象連綿」展覽所帶 出的觀點與概念,當中包括展覽藝術 家的作品集、工人期刊、紡織論述, 以至時基作品的實驗性圖錄。

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Through such a collection, multiple entryways are provided for diverse readers to expand on the unconstrained possibilities of and relationships between text and textile.


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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT Reads Selection

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

CHAT Reads Selection

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01

02

SONGS FOR DISASTER RELIEF

SAMSON YOUNG: REAL MUSIC

Year 年份 / 2017 Author 作者 / Ying Kwok, Sonia So, Doryun Chong 郭瑛、蘇婷婷、鄭道鍊 Publisher 出版 / M+, West Kowloon Cultural District

Year 年份 / 2018 Author 作者 / Tessa Giblin, Charlotte Day Publisher 出版 / MUMA, Koenig Books

Samson Young’s multidisciplinary practice blends drawings, installations and performances with the medium of sound. Through a series of essays, interviews and images generated around the artist’s more recent exhibitions, this publication offers readers knowledge and insights into Samson’s artistic ventures. 藝術家楊嘉輝的創作形式多元化,擅長揉合聲音於繪畫、裝置和表演藝術之中。此書籍收錄了跟他 近期的展覽相關的評論、訪問和照片紀錄,讓讀者可深入理解他的創作理念和歷程。

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SOUNDS

Year 年份 / 2019 Author 作者 / Wassily Kandinsky Translator 翻譯 / Elizabeth R. Napier Publisher 出版 / Yale University Press

04 DIVINE THREADS: THE VISUAL AND MATERIAL CULTURE OF CANTONESE OPERA Year 年份 / 2019 Author 作者 / April Liu Publisher 出版 / The University of British Columbia Press

作的開端。

如果要將傳統粵劇中的中國經典民間故事帶到 劇場上,合適的服裝和道具均缺一不可。在眾 多粵劇表演圈子之中,以移居南美洲的華人表 演者最具特色。此書籍可供讀者飽覽 19 世紀 末期到 20 世紀初期的粵劇服裝和道具設計, 與楊嘉輝和 CHAT 六廠共同設計的現代服裝和 道具迥然不同,相映成趣。

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CHAT Reads Selection

Costumes and props are important elements in Cantonese opera, where classic tales and folklore are narrated on stage. Among those who keep these traditions alive, unique practices can be found in performances by the Chinese diaspora in North America. In contrast to the contemporary designs done by artist Samson Young in collaboration with CHAT, this publication provides readers 除了楊嘉輝的創作外,聲音對視覺藝術的影響 with an overview of the costume and 更可追溯到西方藝術史上。此書籍收錄了瓦西 prop designs made for traditional 里. 康丁斯基受聲音啟發的短詩和木板印刷, performers in the late 19th to early 讀者可藉其作品認識音樂與視覺藝術跨媒介創 20th century.

2020 Spring Catalogue

The cross-disciplinary discourses of sound and visual arts can be found in artworks in the past and present, which similar formalities are explored by artist Samson Young. This publication introduces the works of artist Wassily Kandinsky, whose poetry and woodblock prints are considered important beginnings of this art discourse.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

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05

06

IZUMI KATO: LIKE A ROLLING SNOWBALL 加藤泉: 像滾雪球一樣

THE DYER’S DAUGHTER 染布匠的女兒

Year 年份 / 2019 Publisher 出版 / Seigensha 青幻舍 Kato Izumi’s use of paint, fabric and natural objects for making mysterious figures are often intuitive. This publication would unveil the contextual and materialistic concerns of the artist, such that the reader could get a glimpse of his unique philosophy of living that pays homage to ancient Japanese culture. 顏料、織物和各種自然素材是加藤泉創造神秘 人像的常見材料,創作過程富直覺性。此書刊 會深入剖析加藤泉關注的創作議題和形式,讀 者可從中瞥見藝術家的個人生命哲學和對他影 響深遠的傳統日本文化。

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Year 年份 / 2005 Author 作者 / Xiao Hong 蕭紅 Translator 翻譯 / Howard Goldblatt Publisher 出版 / Chinese University Press This book is a collection of short stories written by Xiao Hung, whose writings are inspired by the harsh realities of living in rural China, detailed with personal reminiscences of her life as a woman in a patriarchal society. The short prose in this book presents to us through acute observation and in vivid detail the state of women in society through the lens of Chinese history. Traverse through these moving stories that touch on themes of labour, class, abuse and gender in pre-World War II China. 此書為中國女作家蕭紅的短篇故事集。作家筆 下描繪的中國農村生活艱苦,故事中交集了她 自己作為女性對父權社會的抒發,通過細膩的 觀察和描寫,折射出女性在中國社會的一種狀 態。讀者可從關於勞工、階層、虐待和性別等 扣人心弦的故事,看到中國民初社會的世界。


08

WOMEN AS LOVERS

COSTUME EN FACE

The dire reality of women struggling under capitalist and patriarchal systems have inspired and informed the creation of a multitude of artforms, including artist Kawita Vatanajyankur’s labourious body performance. Written by Elfriede Jelinek, this novel revolves around the lives of two women workers, Brigitte and Paula, as they navigate the banal but precarious rungs of society and weave in and out of love, wifehood and motherhood. This literary text serves as an additional read that will provoke further discussions on the critical context of female identities.

The Japanese dance form Butoh, developed by Hijikata Tatsumi against mainstream modern dance, was iconic for instilling terror and pain into the body movements. This publication would let readers know in depth about the compositional process of Tatsumi through a series of hand drawings and writings. 日本編舞家土方巽的暗黑舞蹈早期因抗衡主流 現代舞蹈的形式而誕生,並因為將恐懼和痛楚 揉合在肢體動作之間而聞名。此書著以手繪圖 像和文字的形式,讓讀者深入理解土方巽編舞 過程的靈感和想法。

女性於資本主義下掙扎生存的艱鉅命運曾啟發 不少藝術創作,包括藝術家卡葳塔 · 瓦塔娜嫣 恩費力的身體表演。這本小說為艾爾芙蕾德 · 耶利內克的著作之一,故事圍繞兩個女工的生 命,兩人摸索著沉悶而脆弱的社會階級徘徊不 定的路與愛情、婚姻生活和親情互相交織在一 起。讀者可藉此小說拓展對女性身份議題的認 識和批判。

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CHAT Reads Selection

Year 年份 / 2015 Author 作者 / Tatsumi Hijikata Translator 翻譯 / Sawako Nakayasu Publisher 出版 / Ugly Duckling Presse

2020 Spring Catalogue

Year 年份 / 1995 Author 作者 / Elfriede Jelinek Translator 翻譯 / Martin Chalmers Publisher 出版 / Serpent’s Tail

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

07


09

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ALIGHIERO BOETTI: SHAMANSHOWMAN

ALIGHIERO BOETTI

Year 年份 / 1968 Author 作者 / Annemarie Sauzeau Boetti Publisher 出版 / Buchhandlung Walther König Similar to Ham Kyungah, artist Alighiero Boetti was interested in embroidery and artisan collaboration. This memoir offers a glimpse into the life of Boetti and his artworks during the first two decades of his remarkable career. 與咸京我一樣,藝術家阿里吉耶羅.波提也同 樣熱衷於刺繡及與傳統工藝師合作。這本回 憶錄記述波提首 20 年藝術生涯的生活及創作 點滴。

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Year 年份 / 2014 Publisher 出版 / Ben Brown Fine Arts Similar to Ham Kyungah, artist Alighiero Boetti was interested in embroidery and artisan collaboration. While this publication is a recollection of Boetti’s embroidery map that expresses geo-political concerns, it also encourages readers to learn about the medium beyond its traditional craftsmanship. 與咸京我一樣,藝術家阿里吉耶羅.波提也同 樣熱衷於刺繡及與傳統工藝師合作。此書籍除 收錄了波提講述地緣政治的刺繡地圖以外,也 同時鼓勵讀者以傳統工藝以外的角度去認識 刺繡。


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BAUHAUS 52 ARTISTS WEAVING 52 ACTIONS: THEORY: FROM SMALL ACTS FEMININE OF CRAFT TO DISOBEDIENCE MODE OF DESIGN Year 年份 / 2019 Publisher 出版 / Thames & Hudson

Year 年份 / 2014 Author 作者 / T’ai Smith Publisher 出版 / University of Minnesota Press

This collection of essays explores the theoretical enquiries of female weavers who studied at Bauhaus School, encompassing a wide range of topics such as the use of textiles in architectural spaces and the relationship between weaving and photography (whose interest could also be observed in artist Bi Rongrong’s practice). By challenging the traditional preconceptions of weaving, these important essays demonstrate in detail 政治藝術近年逐漸成為主流,藝術家嘗試以顛 the visions of the Bauhaus movement 覆性的形式去質問、挑戰甚至投入社會議題。 in uniting art, crafts and design. 此書籍收錄了由德國國立包浩斯學校的女編織 者撰寫的一系列短文,內容包括織物於建築空 間的運用及織物跟攝影的關係等(此篇幅尤其 跟畢蓉蓉的創作實踐相近)。這系列的短文不 但挑戰大眾對編織的固有觀念,更清晰地反映 了包浩斯主義將藝術、工藝和設計合而為一的 理念。

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CHAT Reads Selection

《52 藝術家 52 行動》前身為網上展覽,讀者可 透過此書細味所有曾參與過的作品。咸京我和 楊嘉輝二人的作品均曾回應亞洲政治議題,亦 有被收納其中。

2020 Spring Catalogue

Political art has been on the rise in recent years, through which artists question, challenge and engage with social issues in creative and subversive ways. Originally an online project, readers are able to go through all participating artworks in this publication. Ham Kyungah and Samson Young, whose works address hierarchical power in their geographical regions, are also included.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

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POEMOTION 3

紋樣 XI – 8

Year 年份 / 2015 Author 作者 / Kurashima Takahiro 倉嶌隆広 Publisher 出版 / Lars Müller Publishers

Year 年份 / 2014 Publisher 出版 / Ben Brown Fine Arts

This interactive book invites readers to create new visual patterns within its pages by overlaying foil onto printed images, and demonstrates to full effect how graphics and images can be created, manipulated and even set into motion by visual overlays, a phenomenon echoed in the ornamental patterns found in Bi Rongrong’s artworks. 這本圖書可供讀者互動實驗,讀者可將書中附 有的黑色膠片隨意覆蓋在圖像上,創造出各種 各樣動靜態的新圖案,效果與畢蓉蓉創作裝飾 紋樣作品有相似之處。

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By applying ornamental patterns found in architecture into textiles, drawings, videos and installations in her art practice, Bi Rongrong transforms urban imageries into new pictorial spaces. This publication presents a range of Bi Rongrong’s artworks and inspirations that sheds light on her developing artistic vision. 通過採集建築的裝飾紋樣並轉移到織物、繪 畫、動態影像和裝置藝術上,畢蓉蓉巧妙地運 用城市樣貌帶給她的靈感創造新的圖像空間。 此書籍收錄了畢蓉蓉過往的創作和靈感,有助 讀者理解她的創作理念。


BI RONGRONG 畢蓉蓉 Year 年份 / 2017 Author 作者 / Lise Li 李力 Publisher 出版 / Vanguard Gallery

16 LEAVES OF GRASS: SELECTED POEMS OF WALT WHITMAN 草葉 集:惠特曼詩選 Year 年份 / 2017 Author 作者 / Walt Whitman 華特.惠特曼 Translator 翻譯 / 張家綺 Publisher 出版 / 好讀

First published in 1855, Walt Whitman’s poetry collection Leaves of Grass underwent multiple revisions and renditions. Over time, it is recognised as a central text in American literary canon for its celebration of selfexpression, democracy and equality. With works representing the poet’s notions of humanity and life, this collection has inspired and informed 通過採集建築的裝飾紋樣並轉移到織物、繪畫、 generations of arts and culture, as well 動態影像和裝置藝術上,畢蓉蓉巧妙地運用城 as social and political movements. 詩 人 華 特. 惠 特 曼 的 詩 集《 草 葉 集 》 原 於 1855 年出版,曾多次被修訂和翻譯,並成為 美國當今可體現言論自由、民主和平等精神的 文學著作之一。《草葉集》的詩篇不只是詩人 對人性和生命的一種表達,更是數代西方文藝 發展的啟蒙者,社會運動的指明燈。

165

CHAT Reads Selection

市樣貌帶給她的靈感創造新的圖像空間。此書 籍收錄了畢蓉蓉過往的創作和靈感,有助讀者 理解她的創作理念。

2020 Spring Catalogue

By applying ornamental patterns found in architecture into textiles, drawings, videos and installations in her art practice, Bi Rongrong transforms urban imageries into new pictorial spaces. This publication presents a range of Bi Rongrong’s artworks and inspirations that sheds light on her developing artistic vision.

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

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DOCUMENTA 5 中藥材天然染色 KASSEL 1972

Year 年份 / 2017 Author 作者 / Elita Lam 林綺妮 Publisher 出版 / Asia One Product and Publishing 宏亞出版 Aside from paint, natural dye is an alternative medium used in the creation of artworks. For example, artist Byron Kim has sourced acorns, madder root and indigo to create dyes for his abstract paintings. This publication provides further details about the potential of Chinese medicinal herbs as natural dyes. 除了顏料外,天然染料也是藝術創作的媒介之 一。例如,金允寧會採集橡樹果、茜草根和木 藍等自然素材去製作繪製抽象畫的染料。此書 羅列了各種能用作天然染料的中醫藥材,以供 參考。

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Year 年份 / 1972 Publisher 出版 / documenta GmbH Participatory art invites the public to respond not only as a spectator but a collaborative maker. Enclosed in this catalogue are the exciting works exhibited at Documenta 5 in Kassel, Germany, among which is artist David Medalla’s A Stitch in Time in the context of a larger installation. 參與式藝術的形式獨特,除了觀看之外,觀眾 亦可投入參與創作。此展覽圖錄收納了曾於第 五屆德國卡塞爾文獻展展出的精彩作品,包括 大衛.梅達拉的作品《及時一縫》。《及時一縫》 當年以一個更大型的裝置藝術形式在展覽展 示。


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日本妖怪物語

工人文藝

Year 年份 / 2018 Author 作者 / Kenji Murakami 村上健司 Translator 翻譯 / 蘇暐婷 Publisher 出版 / My House Publishing 麥浩斯

Forging a new channel for workers to share their writings, this quarterly publication shines a literary spotlight on the lives of workers in Hong Kong. Through this publication, readers are invited to see beyond the mundane reality of labourers’ lives to appreciate the personal sentiments of an underrepresented demographic.

167

CHAT Reads Selection

《工人文藝》以季刊的形式鼓勵工人投稿,希 此書籍收錄了一百隻日本人耳熟能詳的妖怪, 望本地勞動者的生活可以在文學界中受到更多 其中有些曾於經典日本文學中被記載過。通過 關注。讀者可通過閱讀各類型的投稿中走進工 細閱妖怪習俗的起源和成因,讀者可以對日本 人的心扉,了解他們在平凡現實中鮮見的一面。 人與他們超自然文化之間的緊密關係有更深刻 的認識。

2020 Spring Catalogue

A hundred legendary creatures, including those recorded in classical Japanese literature, are collected in this publication. Through the origins and formations of creatures presented, readers will gain a better understanding of or develop new insights on the relationship between human beings and the supernatural world in Japanese culture.

Year 年份 / 2019 Publisher 出版 / 街坊工友服務處

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

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CLOTH LULLABY: THE WOVEN LIFE OF LOUISE BOURGEOIS

ART AS ART: THE SELECTED WRITINGS OF AD REINHARDT

Year 年份 / 2016 Author 作者 / Amy Novesky Illustrator 插畫 / Isabelle Arsenault Publisher 出版 / Abrams Books

Year 年份 / 1992 Author 作者 / Barbara Rose Publisher 出版 / University of California Press

Bourgeois’s formative years and family life revolved around tapestries. This illustrated book offers young readers a delightful glimpse into the relationship of the artist and her mother, who was a major influence in her upbringing and career, both artistically and emotionally.

A member of the American Abstract Artists and a believer in the philosophy of ‘Art-as-Art’, Ad Reinhardt was a driving force of Abstract Expressionism, and was known for his black monochrome paintings. Through a series of critical essays, this publication presents his thoughts and ideas and invites readers to explore the tension between the lack and presence of content of his renowned works.

布爾喬亞童年和家庭生活與壁氈緊緊相連。布 爾喬亞的母親熟悉壁氈工藝,無論是藝術上或 情感上,均對布爾喬亞的成長及事業有重要影 響。此繪本以輕鬆愉快的形式讓年幼讀者認識 布爾喬亞和她母親的親密關係。

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作為美國抽象派藝術家和「藝術就應該作為藝 術」的信奉者,艾德.萊恩哈特是西方抽象表 現主義的先驅之一,並以其純黑繪畫系列而廣 為人認識。此書籍收錄了一系列的評論,讓讀 者可理解他的想法和探索在他作品中「欠缺」 和「呈現」內容之間的張力。


Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

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EXPLODING GALAXIES: ART OF DAVID MEDALLA Year 年份 / 1995 Editor 編輯 / Guy Brett Publisher 出版 / Kala Press

2020 Spring Catalogue

Taking a fluid approach in working with a vast range of interests and mediums in his artistic practice, David Medalla is regarded as an artist who embodies a merged philosophical outlook of the East and West. Through this publication, readers are invited to have a detailed look into the evolution of David Medalla’s art practice spanning over half a decade.

CHAT Reads Selection

藝術家大衛.梅達拉的創作風格廣闊,涉獵多 類型的題材和媒介,並以結合東方和西方的精 神面貌而廣為人知。此書刊詳細梳理梅達拉在 過去半世紀有關藝術實踐的演變,可讓讀者更 深入理解他複雜多變的創作。

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LIST OF ARTWORKS 作品總覽 LIST OF ARTWORKS


BI RONGRONG 畢蓉蓉 Re-encode--Pattern XI--Laforet’s Tile--Fabric 2, 2020, Orlon, Dimensions variable 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI--Laforet 的磚片 -- 織物 2》, 2020,奧綸纖維,尺寸可變 Re-encode--Pattern XI--Laforet’s Tile--Video 1, 2019, 2-channel video, 2’ 06” 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI--Laforet 的磚片 -- 視頻 1》, 2019,雙道錄像,2’ 06” Re-encode--Pattern XI-∞--Fabric 1, 2020, Polyester, Dimensions variable 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI- ∞ -- 織物 1》,2020,聚酯纖維, 尺寸可變 Re-encode--Pattern XXXIX--Aumbry Door—LED Fabric, 2019-2020, Linen thread, wool yarn, cotton thread and LED components, 205 x 155 cm 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XXXIX--Aumbry 的門 --LED 織物》, 2019-2020,麻線、羊毛線、棉線及 LED 元件,205 x155 厘米 Re-encode--Pattern XI--Laforet’s Tile--Fabric 1, 2018, Blended yarn and viscose, 170 x 300 cm 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI--Laforet 的磚片 -- 織物 1》, 2018,混紡紗及黏膠纖維,170 x 300 厘米 Re-encode--Pattern XI-∞--video 1, 2018, Video, 2’ 13” 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI- ∞ -- 視頻 1》 ,2018,錄像,2’13” Re-encode--Pattern XIV--The Door--Fabric 1, 2020, Cotton, recycled pre-consumer cotton and nylon, 47.3 x 31.9 cm, 46.2 x 31.9 cm, 40.7 x 31.9 cm 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XIV-- 門 -- 織物 1》,2020,棉、再 生棉及尼龍,47.3 x 31.9 厘米、46.2 x 31.9 厘米、 40.7 x 31.9 厘米 Re-encode--Pattern XIV--The Door--Fabric 3, 2020, Copper alloy and wax thread, 26 x 32 cm 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XIV-- 門 -- 織物 3》,2020,銅合金 及蠟線,26 x 32 厘米 Re-encode--Pattern XI-∞--mural 1, 2020, Acrylic on wall, Dimensions variable 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XI- ∞ -- 壁畫 1》 ,2020,塑膠彩牆面, 尺寸可變 Re-encode--Pattern XII--The Window—Woven Textile 1, 2018, Linen thread, wool thread and polyester thread, 130 x 90 cm 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XII-- 窗 -- 織物 1》,2018,麻線、 羊毛線及聚酯纖維線,130 x 90 厘米 Re-encode--Pattern XIV--The Door--Fabric 2, 2020, Cotton, recycled pre-consumer cotton and

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1, 3, 4, 7, 9 & 11: Commissioned by CHAT 2, 4-6, 8 & 10: Courtesy of the artist and A Thousand Plateaus Art Space, Chengdu 7 & 11: Technical Support: The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel and Novetex Textiles Limited 作品 1、3、4、7、9 和 11:CHAT 六廠委託作品 作品 2、4 至 6、8 和 10:藝術家及千高原藝術空間(成 都)提供 作品 7 和 11:技術支援:香港紡織及成衣研發中心 及龍達紡織有限公司

censorship, ideology, wooden frame, 66 x 101 cm 《無題 03WBS01》, 2018-2019,北韓手工刺繡、絲 線、棉布、中間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查 制度、意識形態及木框,66 x 101 厘米 Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Are you lonely too? C 01-01-01, 2013-2014, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, approx. 1000hrs/1person, 143 x 146 cm 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/你也寂寞嗎? C 01-01-01》,2013-2014,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、 中間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識 形態及木框,單人製作,製程約 1000 小時,143 x 146 厘米

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List of artworks

Persuasive Mr. K’s Crude Humour, Detail From Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series SMS Series 04, 2017-2018, North Korean hand in Camouflage / Are you lonely, too? BK 03-01-01, embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, 2018-2019, North Korean hand embroidery, silk smuggling, secret code, bribe, tension, anxiety, threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, 111 x 55 cm bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, 《具說服力的 K 先生的爛笑話,簡訊系列 04 局部》, wooden frame, approx. 1800hrs/ 2persons, 183 2017 2018,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中間人、 x 183 cm 偷運、暗號、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/你也寂寞嗎? BK 03-01-01》,2018-2019,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、 態及木框,111 x 55 厘米 中間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識 Swimming Glucosamine like a snake, Detail 形態及木框,雙人製作,製程約 1800 小時,183 x From SMS Series 07, 2017-2018, North Korean 183 厘米 hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, secret code, bribe, tension, Untitled, 03WBS01, 2018-2019, North Korean anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, 31 x 54 cm middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, anxiety, 《葡萄糖胺游泳像條蛇,簡訊系列 07 局部》,2017-

2020 Spring Catalogue

Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Big Smile R 01-01-01, 2015, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, Phantom Footstep, Detail from SMS Series 02, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, 2017-2018, North Korean hand embroidery, silk approx. 1000hrs/1person, 145 x 148 cm threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/大微笑 R 01-01secret code, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, 01》 , 2015, 北韓手工刺繡、 絲線、棉布、中間人、 ideology, wooden frame, 48 x 115 cm 偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形態及木 《鬼魅腳印,簡訊系列 02 局部》,2017-2018,北韓 手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中間人、偷運、暗號、賄賂、 框,單人製作,製程約 1000 小時,145 x 148 厘米 張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形態及木框,48 x 115 Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series 厘米 in Camouflage / Greedy is good K 01-01-02, 2017-2018, North Korean hand embroidery, silk Mr. Vitamin B is lying on smoke, Detail from threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, SMS Series 05, 2017-2018, North Korean hand bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, wooden frame, approx. 1000hrs/ 1person, 144 x smuggling, secret code, bribe, tension, anxiety, 144 cm censorship, ideology, wooden frame, 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/貪婪是好 K 01-0140 x 111cm 02》 , 2017 2018, 北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中 《維他命 B 先生躺於煙霧,簡訊系列 05 局部》, 間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形 2017-2018,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中間人、 態及木框,單人製作,製程約 1000 小時,144 x144 偷運、暗號、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形 厘米 態及木框,40 x 111 厘米

HAM KYUNGAH 咸京我

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

nylon, 57.9 x 58 cm 《再編碼 -- 紋樣 XIV-- 門 -- 織物 2》 ,2020,棉、再 生棉及尼龍,57.9 x 58 厘米


2018,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中間人、偷運、 暗號、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形態及木 框,31 x 54 厘米 Big and Pretty Eyes Wink at Arinamin, Detail From SMS Series 03, 2017-2018, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, secret code, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, 48 x 87 cm 《明眸大眼眨向愛利納明,簡訊系列 03 局部》, 2017-2018,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中間人、 偷運、暗號、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形 態及木框,48 x 87 厘米 Big and Pretty Eye Drop Vitamin A, Detail From SMS Series 05, 2017-2018, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, secret code, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, 65 x 51 cm 《明眸大眼維他命 A 眼藥水,簡訊系列 05 局部》, 2017-2018,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中間人、 偷運、暗號、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形 態及木框,65 x 51 厘米 Fussy Riddle, Detail From SMS Series 04, 20172018, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, secretcode, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, 75 x 61 cm 《彆扭謎語,簡訊系列 04 局部》,2017-2018,北韓 手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中間人、偷運、暗號、賄賂、 張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識形態及木框,75 x 61 厘米 Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Thou, If you are like me BC 01-001-02, 2014-2015, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, approx. 2200hrs/ 2persons, 200 x 198 cm 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/汝,如你跟我一樣 BC 01-001-02》,2014-2015,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、 棉布、中間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制 度、意識形態及木框,雙人製作,製程約 2200 小時, 200 x 198 厘米

Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Imagine BC 02-001-01, 20142015, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, approx. 2000hrs/ 2persons, 200 x 198 cm 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/想像 BC 02-00101》, 2014-2015,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、中 間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識 形態及木框,雙人製作,製程約 2000 小時,200 x 198 厘米 Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / At First, it was the dark BC 02-001-01, 2014-2015, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, approx. 1700hrs/ 2persons, 178 x 178 cm 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/起初,漆黑一片 BC 02-001-01》,2014-2015,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、 棉布、中間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制 度、意識形態及木框,雙人製作,製程約 1700 小時, 178 x 179 厘米 Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Are you lonely too? R 02-0102, 2014-2015, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, wooden frame, approx. 1000hrs/ 1person, 148 x 146 cm 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/你也寂寞嗎? R 02-01-02》,2014-2015,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、 中間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識 形態及木框,單人製作,製程約 1000 小時,148 x 146 厘米

Courtesy of the artist 藝術家提供

KATO IZUMI 加藤泉 Untitled, 2019, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and leather on fabric, with aluminum bar, iron and chain, Dimensions variable 《無題》,2019,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革布本, 鋁條及鏈子,尺寸可變

Needling Whisper, Needle Country / SMS Series in Camouflage / Big Smile BC 02-00101, 2014-2015, North Korean hand embroidery, silk threads on cotton, middle man, smuggling, bribe, tension, anxiety, censorship, ideology, Untitled, 2018, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and wooden frame, approx. 2200hrs/ 2persons, 200 leather on fabric, with aluminum bar, iron and x 198 cm chain, Dimensions variable 《刺私語,針國/隱藏簡訊系列/大微笑 BC 02《無題》,2018,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革布本, 001-01》,2014-2015,北韓手工刺繡、絲線、棉布、 鋁條及鏈子,尺寸可變 中間人、偷運、賄賂、張力、焦慮、審查制度、意識 形態及木框,雙人製作,製程約 2200 小時,200 x Untitled, 2018, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and 198 厘米

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Courtesy of the artist 藝術家提供

BYRON KIM 金允寧 Pathos Cosmos, 2016, Glue, oil and pigment on dyed canvas, 45.7 x 38.1 cm 《感染力宇宙》,2016,膠黏劑、顏料及染色布面油畫, 45.7 x 38.1 厘米

Untitled, 2020, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and leather on fabric, with aluminium, iron, 180 x 130 cm Surrender, 2019, Cotton fabric with natural dye, 《無題》,2020,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革於布本, 127 x 106.7 cm 鋁及鐵,180 x 130 厘米 《投降》,2019,天然染色棉布,127 x 106.7 厘米

Untitled, 2020, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and Discipline’s Flag, 2019, Cotton fabric with natural leather on fabric, 74 x 24 cm dye, 127 x 101.6 cm 《無題》,2020,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革於布本, 《約束之旗》,2019,天然染色棉布,127 x 101.6 厘 74 x 24 厘米 米

List of artworks

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2020 Spring Catalogue

Untitled, 2019, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and Cosmos Pathos, 2016, Glue and pigment on leather on fabric, with lithograph and string on dyed canvas, 121.9 x 91.4 cm stone, stainless steel, aluminium, iron and chain, 《宇宙感染力》,2016,膠黏劑、顏料及染色畫布, Dimensions variable 121.9 x 91.4 厘米 《無題》,2019,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革於布本, Resist, 2016, Glue, oil and pigment on canvas, 石版畫及繩於石頭,不鏽鋼、鋁、鐵及鏈子,尺寸可變 116.8 x 121.9 cm Spinner, 1998, Oil on canvas, Each panel 45.5 x 《抵抗》,2016,膠黏劑、顏料及染色畫布,116.8 x 45.5 cm (one set of 6) 121.9 厘米 《紡紗者》,1998,布面油畫,每幅 45.5 x 45.5 厘米 The Swarm to the Hive, 2019, Cotton fabric with (一組 6 幅) natural dye, 116.8 x 76.2 cm Untitled, 2019, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and 《從一群到蜂群》,2019,天然染色棉布,116.8 x leather on fabric, with lithograph and string on 76.2 厘米 stone, stainless steel, aluminium, iron and chain, Muffled, 2019, Cotton fabric with natural dye, Dimensions variable 《無題》,2019,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革於布本, 121.9 x 81.3 cm 石版畫及繩於石頭,不鏽鋼、鋁、鐵及鏈子,尺寸可 《低沉》,2019,天然染色棉布,121.9 x 81.3 厘米 變 Stain, Methylene Blue, 2016, Oil on dyed linen, Untitled, 2020, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and 61 x 63.5 cm leather on fabric, with aluminium and iron, 180 x 《污漬,亞甲藍》,2016,染色亞麻布面油畫,61 x 130 cm 63.5 厘米 《無題》,2020,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革於布本, Distant Ancient, 2016, Dyed linen, 137.2 x 116.8 鋁及鐵,180 x 130 厘米 cm Untitled, 2020, Pastel, acrylic, embroidery and 《遠古》,2016,染色亞麻布,137.2 x 116.8 厘米 leather on fabric, 68 x 19 cm 《無題》,2020,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革於布本, Alba (After Carl), 2018, Natural dye and glue on 68 x 19 厘米 cotton, 142.2 x 147.3 cm 《阿巴(卡爾之後)》,2018,膠黏劑及天然染色棉, Courtesy of the artist 藝術家提供鋁條及鏈子,尺 142.2 x 147.3 厘米 寸可變 The Valleys are Asleep and the Mountaintops, Untitled, 2020, Stones, silicon, plants and soil, 2019, Cotton fabric with natural dye, 157.5 x Dimensions variable 137.1 cm 《無題》,2020,石頭、矽、植物及泥土,尺寸可變 《山谷酣睡與那片山巔》,2019,天然染色棉布, 157.5 x 137.1 厘米 Evidence of a Struggle, 2016, Glue, oil and Commissioned by CHAT, Technical support: Sustainable Ecological Ethical Development pigment on canvas, 165.1 x 134.6 cm Foundation 《掙扎的痕跡》,2016,膠黏劑、顏料及布面油畫, CHAT 六廠委託作品;技術支援:香港有機生活發展 165.1 x 134.6 厘米 基金

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

leather on fabric, with aluminum bar, iron and chain, Dimensions variable (Fabric 510 x 120 cm) 《無題》,2018,粉彩、塑膠彩、刺繡及皮革布本, 鋁條及鏈子,尺寸可變


Blue Lift Sandalwood Fall, 2016, Dyed canvas, 158.1 x 121.9 cm 《藍色漸現,檀香葉落》,2016,染色畫布,158.1 x 121.9 厘米

SAMSON YOUNG 楊嘉輝

The Immortals, 2020, Video installation (HD video, 35’ with stereo sound; wood, acrylic, 2, 3, 6, 7, 11 and 12 Courtesy of the artist 5 and 8 fabric patchwork, repurposed stools, computerCourtesy of the artist and James Cohan Gallery, controlled LED lights; repurposed safety helmet, New York paint on 3D printed PLA; costumes, set of 3, 1, 4, 9, 10 and 13 Courtesy of the artist and screenprint, neon and glitter patchwork on Kukje Gallery, Seoul canvas), Featuring Michael Schiefel, DITHER and Eliza Li 作品 2、3、6、7、11 和 12 由藝術家提供 《仙》,2020,錄像裝置 (HD 錄像、35’ 雙聲道,木、 作品 5 和 8 由藝術家及 James Cohan(紐約)提供 亞加力膠片、拼布、現成櫈、程式控制 LED 燈, 作品 1、4、9、10 和 13 由藝術家及 Kukje Gallery 現成安全帽、著色 PLA 3D 打印,服裝、一套三 (首爾)提供 件、絲網印刷、螢光及亮片布面拼貼布本 ) Michael Schiefel、DITHER 及李沛妍演出

In collaboration with CHAT Textile Programmes and Sewing Team 與 CHAT 六廠紡織項目及車衣隊 合作

DAVID MEDALLA 大衛 • 梅達拉 A Stitch in Time, 1968 - ongoing, Cotton, bamboo, hemp rope, threads, Dimensions variable 《及時一縫》, 1968 - 現在,棉、竹、麻繩及線, 尺寸可變

Courtesy of the artist 藝術家提供 KAWITA VATANAJYANKUR 卡葳塔・瓦塔娜嫣恩 Shuttle, 2018, HD video,3’27” 《無題》, 2018,HD 錄像、3’ 27” Knit, 2019, Ultra HD video, Documentation of live performance, 25’ 47’’ 《針織》, 2019,Ultra HD 錄像,25’ 47” Untangled, 2018, HD video, 21’ 06’’ 《梳理》, 2018,HD 錄像,21’ 06” Dye, 2018, HD video, 7’ 43” 《染色》, 2018,HD 錄像,7’ 43” Spinning Wheel, 2018, 2-channel HD video, 5’ 37” 《紡車》, 2018,雙道 HD 錄像,5’ 37” Printing, 2018, HD video, 6’ 29” 《打印》, 2018,HD 錄像,6’ 29”

Courtesy of the artist and Nova Contemporary, Bangkok 藝術家及 Nova Contemporary(曼谷)提供

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

2020 Spring Catalogue

List of artworks

177


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 鳴謝 We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following organisations and individuals, as well as all those who contributed to the realisation of the exhibition. 衷心感謝以下機構、合作夥伴及與我們 攜手實現展覽的每一位。

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Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

FOUNDING DONOR 創始捐助機構

MAIN DONOR 主要捐助機構

SUPPORTED BY 支持機構

特別鳴謝

A Thousand Plateaus Art Space (Chengdu) 千高原藝術空間(成都) Aratani Tomoko 荒谷智子

Patrick Flores James Cohan (New York/ 紐約 )

Cheng Sau Wai Vennes 鄭秀慧 Jimmy Cheuk (HKRITA) Choi T. W. (Noveland)

179

Eliza Li 李沛妍 Adam Nankervis Perrotin (Hong Kong) 貝浩登(香港)

Acknowledgement

Kukje Gallery (Seoul/ 首爾 )

Yan Chan (HKRITA)

2020 Spring Catalogue

EXTRA THANKS TO


EXHIBITION 展覽

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas 22 March – 26 July, 2020 「意象連綿:方法的彌合與觀念的縱橫」 2020 年 3 月 21 日至 7 月 26 日

Takahashi Mizuki (CHAT, Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) 高橋瑞木 (CHAT 六廠紡織文化藝術館)

CURATOR 策展人

CHAT CREW (as of 22 March 2020) CHAT 六廠團隊(截至 2020 年 3 月 22 日)

Takahashi Mizuki 高橋瑞木

Executive Director and Chief Curator 執行董事及首席策展人

Teoh Chin Chin Co-Director 張晶晶 聯席總監 MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT 管理部門

Chiu Tsz Man 趙子珉

Senior Director, Operations and Finance 營運及財務高級總監

Grace Wong 黃曉恩

Senior Officer, Communications 傳訊高級主任

Marlene Lieu 呂瑪琳

Director, Operations 營運總監

Willis Lam 林泳欣

Zon So 蘇綽玲

Head, Communications 傳訊主管

Dominic Wan 溫志堅

Manager, Operations 營運經理

Senior Officer, Creative Production and Operations (Graphic Design) 創意及營運高級主任 (平面設計)

Ida Chow 鄒詠婷

Senior Accountant 高級會計

Joyce Kwok 郭穎淘

Officer, Creative Production and Operations 創意及營運主任

Stephanie Li 李盈慧

Senior Executive Secretary 高級行政秘書

Leo Yuen 袁建暉

Administrative Assistant 行政助理

Dennis Man 文永亮

Assistant Manager, Creative Production and Operations 創意及營運助理經理

Miki Ho 何燕兒

Senior Associate, Visitor Experience 訪客服務高級專員

Jane Kong 江沅婷

Felix Lo 羅港俊

Senior Officer, Cloris Tsang Communications 曾曉彤 (Digital Media) 傳訊高級主任(數碼媒體)

Senior Associate, Visitor Experience 訪客服務高級專員

180

Senior Associate, Visitor Experience 訪客服務高級專員


Kimmie Pang 彭兼惠

Operation Assistant (Contract) 營運助理(合約)

Cheung Wai Wai 張維慧

Associate, Visitor Experience (Contract) 訪客服務專員(合約)

Kwok Hang Lin 郭杏蓮

Sewing Team 車衣隊

Kiki Chong 莊詩慧

Associate, Visitor Experience (Contract) 訪客服務專員(合約)

Cheung Chi Mau 張志謀

Sewing Team 車衣隊

Tik Yan Yeung 楊狄恩

Associate, Visitor Experience (Contract) 訪客服務專員(合約)

Maggie Tse 謝詠琳

Registrar 館藏管理專員

CURATORIAL DEPARTMENT 策展部門 Weiwei Wang 王慰慰 Paola Sinisterra Wendy Wo 胡敏儀 Bruce Li 李勺言

Taylor Cheng 鄭銘柔

Gabrielle Wong Assistant Officer, 黃昭穎 Textile Programme 紡織項目助理主任 Hazyl Lam Assistant Manager, 林楚穎 Exhibition Management 展覽管理助理經理 Men Tin Lam Senior Officer, Community 萬天琳 and Inclusivity 社區及共融高級主任 Rayven Sin Assistant Officer, 冼慧芝 Learning 共學助理主任

181

Acknowledgement

David Chan 陳信騫

Curator, Exhibitions and Collections 展覽及館藏策展人 Director, Textile Programmes 紡織項目總監 Director, Exhibition Management 展覽管理總監 Assistant Curator, Learning 共學助理策展人 Curatorial Assistant, Exhibitions and Collections 展覽及館藏策展助理 Curatorial Assistant 策展助理

2020 Spring Catalogue

Associate, Visitor Experience 訪客服務專員

Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

Lilian Lee 利欣恩


EXHIBITION PRODUCTION TECHNICIANS 展覽製作技術員

EXHIBITION PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS 展覽製作助理

Choi Wing Chu Belinda 蔡詠茱 Lau Yin Yeung 劉彥揚 Nakamura Masahiro 葉政宏 Mok Chun Kit 莫俊杰 Ng Kai Fung 吳啟峰 Wong Winsome Dumalagan 黃慧心

Cheng Yin Ngan 鄭燕垠 Koon Tak Kwan 管德鈞 Leung Hiu Ling 梁曉聆

DIGITAL CATALOGUE 數碼圖錄 Editor 編輯 Copyeditors 文字編輯 Editorial Coordinator 編輯統籌 Design 設計 Contributors 撰稿 Chinese Translation 中文翻譯

Takahashi Mizuki 高橋瑞木 Grace Wong Wendy Wo 黃曉恩 胡敏儀 Willis Lam 林泳欣 O.OO Design & Risograph Room Takahashi Mizuki 高橋瑞木 P6-21, 30, 58, 74, 88, 100, 112, 130 Sunnie Chan 陳朗晴 P6-21

Luna Ngai 魏家欣 P130-148

Bruce Li 李勺言 P152-169 Taylor Cheng 鄭銘柔 P30, 58, 74, 88, 100, 112, 130

Bruce Li 李勺言 P31-49, 90-91, 113-123

English Translation 英文翻譯

Rebecca Tso 曹海寧 P130-149

Korean Translation 韓文翻譯

Helen Cho P59-65

Japanese Translation 日文翻譯

Translator 翻譯

David Chan 陳信騫 P31-49

Bruce Li 李勺言 P113-123

Photography 攝影

Chris Lusher P7-17, 27-97, 111-135

Dennis Man 文永亮 P18-19, 98-105, 155-157

Felix Lo 羅港俊

Dabinlo Lab 打邊爐創作室

Exhibition Documentary Production 展覽紀錄編輯

182

Hiko Lee 李彥慶 P75-81


Unconstrained Textiles: Stitching Methods, Crossing Ideas

PUBLISHED BY 出版

Mill 6 Foundation Limited 六廠基金會有限公司 CHAT/MILL6 Foundation The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par Street Tsuen Wan, N.T., Hong Kong 荃灣白田壩街 45 號南豐紗廠 CHAT 六廠 T (852) 3979 2301 W www.mill6chat.org E enquiry@mill6chat.org Published in October 2020 2020 年 10 月出版 ISBN: 978-988-79607-4-4

2020 Spring Catalogue

© 2020 the artists, authors and Mill 6 Foundation Limited © 2020 版權屬於藝術家、作家及六廠基金會有限公司

183

Acknowledgement

All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, or review, no part of the contents of this digital catalogue may be reproduced, printed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. 版權所有。除構成合理交易的私人學習、研究和評論外,在未經出版者的書面同意下,均 不被授予任何許可複製、印製或以數碼、影印、攝錄等其他形式發佈數碼圖錄的任何內容。


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