February Exhibition Review

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Art Appraisal Club Meeting Note

February

Date: 22nd February 2014

Time: 18:30 – 20:30

Venue:

“Splendorous World” Solo Exhibition of Fiona Wong Lai Ching

16th January 2014 – 15th February 2014
Grotto Fine Arts
2/F, Unit C&D, 31 Wyndham Street, Central
http://www.grottofineart.com/WEB%20ARCHIVE/GrottoExhibitions2013-2014.htm
  • The exhibition adopts a gallery display approach, which limited its artistic quality.
  • Years of experience in the creative industry renders mature manipulation of both materials and techniques. Yet she can be more aggressive in her bare-hand-exploration of the pottery craft.
  • There are traces of spiritual ideas expression.
  • There are little surprises when compared to the last one. The artist is like stuck at forms, self-bounded by quality of materials and techniques.

“Time Traveller” Joint exhibition of Au Hoi Lam and Sara Tse

24th January 2014 – 1st April 2014
LVMH Flagship Store Gallery
5 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Sara Tse:

  • There should be a breakthrough – in the connecting her emotion with an appropriate way of expression.
  • Her ideas in pottery should be intensified and elaborated.
  • Her collection of old items as part of the installation blurred the focus of the work, putting pottery in a supporting role.
  • The occasional presence of items from the organizer inevitably affects the overall impression to the exhibition.
  • The theme has been consistent. She is an emotionally-driven artist.
  • Artists specializing in pottery art are prone to impacts from materials. To free oneself from these confinements one has to deliberate more.

Au Hoi Lam：

  • Conventional codes give way to a series of works easily communicates with audience.
  • In quite a few pieces we see translations into traditional Chinese values. It’s interesting to see links between this exhibition and her former one “My father is over the Ocean” as demonstrated in the tiny details.
  • Innovative use of mirror makes the show smart and appealing, and good spatial treatment

Building M+: The Museum and Architectural Collection

10th January 2014 – 9th February 2014
ArtisTree
1/F, Cornwall Building, Taikoo Place, Island East, Hong Kong
http://www.westkowloon.hk/tc/whats-on/current-forthcoming/building-m-the-museum-and-architecture-collection/
 
  • Workshops in conjunction with the exhibition featuring trials of different materials for the general public make it a highlight of the event.
  • There exists a tendency for architectural exhibitions in Hong Kong to include an amount of written description far beyond audience’s acceptance.
  • The strong constitutional orientations preset the exhibition’s way of operation and presentation

Crossroad . Another Dimension – A Cross-Strait Four Regions Artistic Exchange Project 2013

He Xiangning Art Museum, Macao Museum of Art, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Oil! and Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
 
18th January 2014 – 13th February 2014
1st venue, Exhibition Hall, Hong Kong City Hall Low Block
5 Edinburgh Square, Central, Hong Kong
 
18th February 2014 – 12th March 2014
Oil! (Hong Kong part only)
12, Oil Street, North Point, Hong Kong
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/APO/zh_TW/web/apo/va_crossroads.html
  • It is a joint exhibition touring the four participating cities. It has been a trend since 1990s.
  • The exhibition theme should be general enough to allow respective elaboration from each city.
  • The role of curator is crucial in displaying works in exhibition venues of distinct sizes.
  • Works displayed are rather scattered. There is room for improvement in the area of curation.

Great Crescent: Art and Agitations in the 1960s – Japan, South Korea, Taiwan

22nd November 2013 – 9th February 2014
Para/Site Art Space
G/F, 4 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
http://www.para-site.org.hk/zh-hant/exhibitions/2014/da-xin-yue-liu-shi-nian-dai-de-yi-shu-yu-ji-dang-ri-ben-nan-han-tai-wan
  • Presentation of brilliant ideas is hindered by the size of exhibition venues.
  • More differences than similarities among the three countries emerge in the search of the latter.
  • More explanation should be provided for the choices of participating artists
  • A sole focus on the artistic aspect without due consideration on the ideological differences among the three countries would over-simplify the messages to be brought out by curation.
  • Local art organizations now take their own stance in delivering a discourse on Hong Kong.
  • The absence of locality brings full reflection of globalization.