Page 71 - 50.La Biennale di Venezia issue of World of Art Magazine

BIENNALE VENEZIA

50TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION 2003

Dreams and Conflicts - The Dictatorship of the Viewer

ARTE COMMUNICATIONS

NAVIGATING THE DOT

la Biennale di Venezia HONG KONG ARTS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL,
RTISTS FROM HONG KONG, CHINA

Arsenale, Castello 2126, Ramo della Tana, 30122 Venice
2nd participation of Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Commissioner: Darwin Chen
Deputy Commissioners: Peter Wong King-keung, Wong Shun-kit
Curator: Para/Site Art Space

Jaspar, LEUNG Wan-yee Janice, LEUNG Chin-fung Jeff, LI Man-wai Tim, MAN Ching-ying
Phoebe, tamshui, TSANG Tak Ping, WONG Chi-hang Sara, YEUNG Yang)
HONG KONG EXTRA Artists: Para/Site Collective (CHAN Kai-yin, KAN LIANG Yee-woo Evelyna, LAU Kin-wah
50 BIENNALE Project: Navigating the Dot; Co-ordinator: Arte Communications

The size of Hong Kong on the world atlas is no more than a dot, merely detached from the West. The practice of Hong Kong artists seems to be
visible to those who care. On that of world art, the dot hardly exists. international but, in fact, Hong Kong contemporary art is marginalized
Whenever Hong Kong participates in international art events, the issues culturally from the contemporary art centers in North America and
of visibility, orientation and positioning in relation to her counterparts Europe. The artists struggle between the dream of being members of
emerge. Para/Site collective is well aware of the issues and turns it into the international art community and the reality of the community’s
the strength of their work. control over their reach-ability.
The theme “Dreams and Conflicts - The viewer’s dictatorship” of the Lacking the opportunity to take part in the international art discourse,
50th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia is, in fact, a Hong Kong artists tend to adopt an introspective approach to connect
reflection of the artistic development of Hong Kong contemporary artists. their art with the world. The banality of their lives is repeatedly revisited
Hong Kong contemporary art started to blossom locally in 1990s. The with disconnected cultural references. They search for a transnational
artists see Hong Kong as their base and the international arena as a position in locating themselves. Most of the artists are locally born with
platform to discuss their dreams. Nevertheless, there are conflicts in parents from Mainland China. With resourceful local and international
their artistic pursuit. Diachronically, the contemporary art practice is references, the artists are able to widen the vision of their predecessors
not a continuation of the previous generations. Synchronically, it is and start to rethink the qualities of being Hong Kong Chinese artists.

WORLD of ART 71