HONG KONG ART BIENNIAL 2003

HAPPENINGText: Mlee

Like the other regions, Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition, which is an exhibition that showcases artworks selected from an open competition, aims at providing the platform to showcase the local artistic practices and to nurture the new local art talents.


Soong Wei Hsu, Naboon Dragonfly, 2002, Wood, plastic, motor and lights

Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition has been held since 1975. This year, it has marked one more special meaning as it started to commence at a very critical time after the ravages of SARS. Many entries have recorded the painful but unforgettable memory provides opportunity for different art forms and artists to gather and exchange ideas.

All the exhibits and award winners in the exhibition were selected by a group of local and overseas adjudicators. The composition of the adjudication panel this year includes 6 locals with 6 overseas. Besides giving judgment and selection among all the entries, these adjudicators have addressed their views to the overall Hong Kong art scene. This provides a more in-depth overview about the Hong Kong contemporary art culture for the visitors.

The exhibition consists of 3 main parts. One is a collection of more Chinese traditional artworks with the application of Chinese painting and calligraphy. In the other two parts, you can find some installations and works of new and interactive media. No matter the art forms are more traditional or contemporary, you can still see these works are revealing personal aspiration as well as demonstrating the fusion of Chinese and western cultures, which is regarded as one of the major characteristics of Hong Kong art scene.

vspace=”5″It is also founded in the comment by one of the adjudicators, Mr. Pi Daojian, who is the Professor of Art Department of South China Normal University, ‘The fusion and integration of Eastern and Western cultures, pluralism, dynamism and vitality are my impressions of Hong Kong Art.’ While the comment by the Lecturer of the Department of Music and Fine Arts of Hong Kong Baptist University, Ms. Choi Yan-chi, the other adjudicator, has pointed out the unique thinking way of Hong Kong artists, ‘ The urban culture reflected in Hong Kong cannot be fully appreciated in the choice of subject matters. It is manifested in the textile sensitivity, a special quality that can be perceived only through close observation.’

This year, the exhibition also specially features a documentary exhibition “Navigating the Dot” by Para / Site Art Collective at The 50th Venice Biennale, the major showcase of Hong Kong art on the international platform. This successfully shows that the global trend of artistic vision tends to transcend national and cultural boundaries and facilitate new channels in cultural and artistic exchanges.

There are 10 Award Winners in this year's Art Biennial. Yat Sun Wong, Diamond Sutra in Small Regular Script 2002, Ink on paper, hanging scroll / Kin Yat Wu, Waywards, Colour print, a set of 3 / Kwong Cheun Cheng, This is an orange 2003, Colour print, a set of 5 / Lai Kuen Wan, Monuent / Anagama in Shigaraki 2003, Pottery casting, porcelain and cement / Soong Wei Hsu, Naboon Dragonfly 2002, Wood, plastic, motor and lights, Suk Ting Tse, Attire, White porcelain / Seeman Ho, A Tree to be Found 2003, Mixed media / Wilson Shieh, The Duo Clubs, Ink and Colour on golden cardboard, A set of 8 / Fung Yi Man, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Wood and silk / Hector Rodriguez, Res Extensa 2003, Digital moving images

With little boundaries and more respect, we look forward to seeing more ideas exchange in the art scenes between Hong Kong and the other regions.

Hong Kong Art Biennial 2003
Date: November 21st, 2003 – February 1st, 2004
Place: Hong Kong Museum of Art
Address: 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2721 0116
http://hk.art.museum

Text: Mlee
Photos: Mlee

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