Seen&Scene: A SPRING Evening With Qiu Zhijie

Last Saturday brought a balmy and drizzly Spring evening to Hong Kong, but at the Wong Chuk Hang Industrial District, it was all smiles and pleasant conversations as the arts community rallied around Spring Workshop’s latest artist-in-residence, Qiu Zhijie, one of the mainland’s most celebrated artist and thinkers of his generation.

Inspired by Spring Workshops’ delightfully expansive and flexible space, Qiu began making full use of the large areas of of wall and floor for a very specific mapping exercise which only can be accomplished in such a site.

The neutralness of the walls and the beige floors allowed Qiu to think of them as a blank canvas, a datum in which ready-made objects, “found, made, free, and confined”, can be categorized and mapped, with a help of students from all of Hong Kong’s schools and universities, namely the University of Hong Kong, City University, Baptist University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Arts School, HKICC/Jockey Club Ti-ICollege, Diocesan Girls’ School, Hong Kong Academy and Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College.

And when we went there last Saturday… he was close to completion…

But more was left to do. The exhibit officially starts on May 23rd.

Also a work in progress, but in a completely different scale, is the work of Eric Shuldenfrei and Marisa Yiu of Eskyiu in the back garden area, titled, Industrial Forest. 

Below, Marisa sits within her work as she takes photos of me taking photos of the landscape. Behind her stands Laurent Gutierrez of map office, another celebrated mult-disciplinary architectural studio doing great work in / for the city.

The Industrial Forest is a forest composed of metal “bamboo” rods securely placed on artificial topography. This synthetic nature comes alive, the rods swaying back and forth, with the affect of use and natural weather conditions. Imagine a typhoon!

You can find the scale model of the project in the office.

… As well as the architectural drawings.

So many friends and supporters were there that night to rally around the artists as well as founder, Mimi Brown’s non-profit arts initiative. Also spotted were Art Basel Hong Kong’s Director Asia, Magnus Renfrew (Check out our interview with him last year), art patron and writer Alex Seno, restauranteur and creative Alan Lo, art muse Xue Tan, Art Basel Hong Kong’s VIP coordinator Deborah Erlich, creative consultant Louise Wong, write and curator Christina Li, artist/educator Leung Chi Wo, and my pals Katrina, Jason S, Jason R, and Susan.

Dinner was served on the beautiful lawn and deck area outside.

There’s a map on the table…

Balls on the floor can be kicked around to create new word structures, concepts, ideas… the purpose of which to create a more dynamic version of mapping which involves the user and the space, via the propositions of the artist.

Can’t wait to see more from Spring Workshop? Go take a look for yourself. The doors are now open.

VISIT Qiu Zhijie and Eskiyiu’s Industrial Forest @ Spring Workshop, 3F Remix Centre, 42 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, HK

JJ.

Para/Site Moves Up With 2012 Art Auction

It’s Fall at the end of the year, and you know what that means… Art Auctions. Yes, we attended the Annual Para/Site Art Auction this year located at Lane Crawford’s very cool One Island South company digs and was hosted by Board of Directors, William Lim of CL3, Yana Peel, Executive Director/Curator, Cosmin Costinas, with live auctioneer, Jehan Chu of Chaiwanese. 

Cosmin and Jehan below. 

It was really interesting to attend this particular auction, especially because i’ve been going to Para/Site auctions ran by Jehan for so many years now. I still remember when the auctions were small and held at the KEE Club back in the day. And now it’s a full dinner affair with friends and supporters. Very neat to see how far Para/Site Art Space and its programs have evolved over the years.

Ignacio checks out works on display for Silent Auction.

Some of my favorite pieces include this abstracted architectural topography by Joao Vasco Paiva, titled High Tide (2012) which sold at live auction for 42K HKD. The work was graciously donated by the artist and Saamlung Gallery.

This metallic skateboard by Olafur Eliasson, Your Mercury Ocean (2009), was donated by Vitamin Creative Space, and sold for 100K HKD.

I really liked Lot 62, a selection of prints by Sunjung Kim, Anton Vidokle, and Nikolaus Hirsch.

This one I liked, a DVD by Ming Wong, called Honeymoon In The Third Space (1999).

A good seller, Heman Chong’s, muted geometric composition from Never Let Me Go (2011), caught my eye. This painting on canvas sold well at 50K, and is a donation from Vitamin Creative Space.

Are you cool on your island? I absolutely loved this work by MAP Office, titled Honeymoon Island (2011), which I hope found a great home via silent auction.

This print, Cheng Ran’s Still of an Unknown Film (2008), sold at 60+K HKD, and a donation by the artist.

And there was no way I can do a post about Hong Kong art, without a work by my favorite artist, Nadim Abbas. This piece, Chernobyl_Core.gif (2012), is a print donated by Abbas and Saamlung Gallery.

The work of emerging artist, Trevor Yeung drew plenty of fans. Here G.O.D.’s Benjamin Lau and Alan Lau admire Yeung’s work, Sleepy bed (Sao Paulo Hostel 1) (2012). Yeung photographs subjects, usually male, all around the world, and turns them into multi-layered compositions which involve the photographic image as well as an overlay of illustration.

Next to the work, Lot 30, is a piece by Antony Gormley. Body XI (2011), was the biggest seller of the night and sold at 160K HKD by an absentee bidder. The work was donated by the artist, and Vitamin Creative Space.

In attendance was artist, Adrian Wong, and Xue Tan. Adrian was actually working on the composition for his Fall 2012 Saamlung show with his rabbit. Dont Ask.

We also spotted Alex Seno and Lane Crawford’s Eliot Sandiford. Thanks Alex for the invite!

Great to finally meet Claudia Albertini of Platform China.

The room was full of super couples as well. There’s no art shindig without the following… Tangram’s Igancio and Paola who will soon be unveilinga new collection in December. Here they are channeling the work of Chow Chun Fai, aptly titled Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera (2011), which sold at live auction for 75K HKD. Perfect.

Supercouple #2, FIOL Prosecco addict Pietro and Whitney of the Gagosian Hong Kong. 

Supercouple #3, Tim and Marc, here standing next to Yuk King Tan’s The Mandate of Heaven (2011). Love.

Supercouple #4, cool peeps Michelle and her husband, Varun. Great to see them here.

Twitter Supercouple Bonus, my gal, artist Yuk King in Tangram. Hello Yuk!

The tables at the canteen.

Whitney’s favorite works.

Pals on my table, Benjamin and Alan. Nice to meet you both!

Para/Site IS Hong Kong’s leading contemporary art space, the oldest, and most active. They exhibit, they publicize, they create discourse, and you wouldn’t think that based on their tiny space in Sheung Wan, that they are paving the way for many emerging artists. The point is, they’re moving spaces and adding curators, and they’re thinking big. Check out the works that were at auction here.

That said if you missed out on the Para/Site auction, but would still love to purchase work as well as contribute to a good cause, the Asia Art Archive Annual Fundraiser site is now up, and you can actually bid on your favorite work online. Yes. Contemporary Art at your fingertips. Many of whom had works that sold well at the Para/Site Auction. Good luck!

ART Para/Site

JJ.

White, Minimalist, and Hot; Saamlung Opens With Palimpseptic

Supporters of the arts were out to celebrate the launch of Robin Peckham’s newest commercial gallery space Saamlung in downtown Central Hong Kong on Friday. The press release did state that the exhibition opening for a much awaited solo by João Vasco Paiva, was supposed to be a softer launch, but in fairness to the turnout it ended up turning into the opposite of “soft”. Saamlung was big enough, and the ceiling heights incredible, but if people were spilling out into the hallway, no amount of aircon was available to turn down the heat emanating from the event. Nasty evening rain couldn’t keep the crowds away either.

The artist, João Vasco Paiva, with Leung Chi Wo.

The works, a series of paintings, a sculpture, and a video installation, all deal with symbols, signs, wayfinding, codes, and armatures, inspired by Hong Kong’s relationship with the MTR, the city’s subway system. Joao works with all media in an effort to expand on his subject matter from all possible angles. All subjects seem familiar, but at the same time devoid of their original context, because the figures depicted are stripped entirely of text and number, making the piece of work completely new and foreign to the viewer, despite its familiarity.

Video Installation.

The Turnstile.

The paintings complimented the sculpture and vice-versa, with the all white space completely perfect for the minimalist art.

Spotted: Tangram’s Ignacio Garcia (left), Robin Peckham (center), and Jehan Chu of Vermillion and Chaiwanese (right), with a friend.

I’m a big fan of art editor/author/blogger, Xue Tan (middle). She was really down to earth which I love, here chatting with MAP Office’s Valérie Portefaix.

If you don’t remember, Xue Tan was responsible for the amazing portraits of graphic designer, Lingzi Zhang for Tangram’s S/S 2012 Campaign.

Other funny spottings, Valerie’s son within a wall gap serving drinks to guests. It was a bit performance art. Valerie proudly snapping shots of her son below.

Osage’s social media guru and #HKFashionBlogger Sybil Kot with the multi-tasker/Asia Art Archive/Saamlung Gallery Manager (i’m sure i’m missing something), Natasha.

Osage’s Jade.

Other cool peeps at the show. I love her glasses.

Xue Tan’s friend.

And me and Xue.

This was some really great work by João. Also kudos to Robin for an amazing gallery space. It really reminds me of the kind of galleries you see in New York. Additionally you REALLY should check out Xue Tans website, The Creators Project, right now. Its the kind of content I’d love to do if I did blogging full time. She works on it in conjunction with Intel and Vice. Her latest article is about China as the World’s Architectural playground.

MVRDV’s China Comic and Animation Museum below.

Hope to collaborate with Xue Tan in the near future.

RELATED ARTICLE: Saamlung Pre Opening, Works João Vasco Paiva

João Vasco Paiva: Palimpseptic / Saamlung, 26/F Two Chinachem Plaza, 68 Connaught Rd. C., Central District, Hong Kong / http://www.saamlung.com

JJ.

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