Archives: Activity

Synopsis:
This talk examines the representation of families in Impressionism. It first explains why family ties became so important in the formation of modern identity in France in the late 19th century. Drawing on comparisons with photographic family portraits from the time, it then reveals how Impressionist imagery created a new, modern model of the nuclear family as a secular community celebrating individualism and egalitarianism. The talk looks in detail at family images by four Impressionist painters ' Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot ' to see how they interpreted their own family relations in very different and sometimes surprising ways.

Speaker:
Greg Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Harvard University and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at The University of Hong Kong. A specialist in 19th-century French art, he has published "Art and Ecology in 19th-Century France: The Landscapes of Th'odore Rousseau" (Princeton University Press, 2000) and will soon publish a new book, entitled "Impressionist Children: Childhood, Family, and Modern Identity in French Art", with Yale University Press. Dr. Thomas has also lectured and published on European interactions with China and is the assistant editor of the 13-volume "Wuming (No Name) Painting Catalogue", recently published by The Hong Kong University Press.

Back for its third year, Art HK 2010 will be held from 27 to 30 May 2010 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The Hong Kong International Art Fair is the leading platform for international modern & contemporary art in Asia. This year, Art HK 2010 will welcome over 140 galleries from 28 countries. Since its inception in 2008, The Hong Kong International Art Fair has attracted and welcomed art connoisseurs, artists and visitors worldwide.

Leading galleries such as Gagosian, Lisson Gallery & White Cube are returning again this year. The Fair will also showcase diverse solo presentations of several of the world's most respected contemporary artists. Highlights include Chinese artist Liu Ye for Sperone Westwater, Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara for Marianne Boesky, Aya Takano for Emmanuel Perrotin and the acclaimed Glasgow artist Jim Lambie for the Modern Institute. Following its debut at the 2009 Fair, the Art Futures section is again dedicated to showcasing the works of emerging artists from new galleries opened within the last five years, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the latest developments in cutting-edge art.

(For the latest updates, please visit http://www.hongkongartfair.com/eng/welcome/)

Do join Vanessa Wong for this guided tour and visit seven selected galleries to view some of the highlights of this year's Fair.

Award winning architect and interior designer Gary Chang is famous for Curio-Box, his 32 square metre apartment which has been featured in the New York Times for its 24-fold transformations according to changing needs and functions. The clever design is based on the notions of Change, Choice, Co-Existence and Connectivity which are the parameters of new urban dynamics and compact living, blurring the boundaries between the building envelopes and the furniture.

Chang's other famous designs include the Suitcase House in the Great Wall Commune, Beijing; Kung Fun Tea Set by Alessi; Broadway Cinematheque; The Organic Pharmacy and many others. He has participated in major international biennial and triennial exhibitions and won numerous prestigious awards in architecture, interior and product designs. Gary graduated from The University of Hong Kong in 1987 with a degree in Architecture.

Due to the small size of the Curio-Box, participants will be divided into two groups: group one will visit the HK Film Archive while group two visits Curio-Box, and then vice versa. Afterward, we shall enjoy lunch with Gary for further design inspirations.

Come and see how tight space is ingeniously designed to the extreme!

There will be a special guided tour of Forces of Nature, an exhibition of works by five of Hong Kong’s most prominent sculptors, some of whom will be on hand to visit with us. The show’s “nature” theme is expressed either through the medium chosen – metal, earth, bamboo, or an idea explored – rocks, clouds and seeds.

Sculptors: Kum Chi Keung (甘志強) makes social commentary with his inventive bamboo installations; Tony Ng (吳觀麟) explores cloud imagery; Mok Yat-san (莫一新) translates mountains into metal; Man Fung-yi (文鳳儀) balances the fragility of seeds and pods with the strength of brass and steel; and ceramist Caroline Cheng (鄭褘) uses clay to fashion amazing garments. You’ll find humour, beauty and thought-provoking ideas in the creative expressions of these five artists.

Sponsored by Hongkong Land and organized with the assistance of Sandra Walters Consultancy Ltd., this show will be exhibited at the Rotunda in Exchange Square from 19 to 29 April 2010.

Chu Teh-Chun is a prolific Chinese painter who graduated from Hangzhou National Art College but has lived in France most of his life. His works combine the East and West, traditional and contemporary, the poetic graces and the emotive mysteries. At 90 years of age, Chu is highly respected in the international art arena and was awarded the honour of Academician by the Institut de France.

Chu is famous not only for his abstract paintings in oil on canvas and ink on paper, but also for his series of painted porcelains, Of Snow, Gold and Sky Blue. This series was inspired by a high mountain drive in winter and was subsequently produced at the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres near Paris between 2007-2009. The abstracted landscapes were expressed through dots and drips of pure white, along with scattered patches of colors in blue, grey, black, brown and gold on white luminous porcelains. These unique compositions encapsulate a vision that leads toward a philosophical path to the mind. The porcelains have been exhibited at the Guimet Asian Art Museum in Paris and Beijing’s National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) before coming to UMAG. We will be guided by international art consultant Philippe Koutouzis, who has curated major exhibitions at Musee Guimet, Taipei’s Fine Arts Museum, NAMOC and London’s Malborough Gallery. Philippe is a regular contributor to various art publications and a feature speaker for Sotheby’s and Christie’s. He is Managing Director of FEASTS projects in both Manhattan and Hong Kong and an advisor to a number of banks on art investments and art funds.

On Easter Sunday, we will have a chance to preview exhibits from Sotheby’s Hong Kong Spring Sales 2010 with Nicholas Chow and Denise Chu, specialists who will guide us through galleries featuring among others, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Contemporary Asian Art. This year’s sale will once again bring to the market exceptional treasures of high quality and provenance. Both Nicholas and Denise will educate and entertain us with stories about some of these special treasures before its auction. Participants are welcome to view the other galleries independently afterwards.

Nicholas Chow is the International Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. A key figure behind many successful theme sales focusing on Imperial works of art, he has brought to the market landmark collections such as the recent Legacies of Imperial Power – Qianlong Imperial Seals from The Estate of Emile Guimet (October 2008), Masterpieces of Chinese Precious Metal Work – Ming and Qing Imperial Gold (April 2008), Important Chinese Art From the Collection of a Parisian Connoisseur (April 2007), and Visions of Enlightenment – The Speelman Collection of Important Early Ming Buddhist Bronzes (October 2006).

Denise Chu graduated from Wellesley College with a double major in Economics and Classical Civilizations followed with a Master’s degree from Stanford University majoring in East Asian Art History. Since then, she has been actively involved in the art world, with working experiences in many major cities including Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, Tokyo, New York and Athens. Specifically, she has worked for Sotheby’s offices in New York as well as Hong Kong.

Do join us for a morning that promises to be enriching and enlightening.

As a lifestyle creator, Sin Sin observes the world through the eyes of art. She started her creative career in 1984 and opened her Atelier in Central, Hong Kong in 1998, which features unique bags in playful shapes, ladies wear crafted with exclusive fabrics, and jewellery in sterling silver and semi-precious stones. A special source of inspiration is her love for fabrics and unique antiquities. Her works are rooted in oriental values with often a mix of influences from the West.

Sin Sin is dedicated to creating a lifestyle where art inspires daily life, and vice versa. Based on this philosophy, Sin Sin opened her Fine Art Gallery to showcase international and local artists with an emphasis in Indonesian art, and at the same time to promote upcoming talents from Hong Kong, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and US. The main gallery is located at Princes Terrace, with an intimate exhibition space displaying modern and contemporary paintings, prints (etchings and lithographs), photographs and sculptures alongside a library of art and artist catalogues. Sin Sin Annex is a sister gallery with an alternative space showcasing objet d'art, art installations as well as performance art. With her spiritual attachment to Bali, Sin Sin has also built three exclusive villas there for visitors to experience first hand, her way of sensuous living.

During this morning's visit, Sin Sin will speak about her world of art and her passion for living. We will tour Sin Sin's Atelier and Annex, and the Sin Sin Fine Art Gallery to view and appreciate the eclectic collection of fashion, jewellery and artworks through the artistic eyes of its creative director.

Those who have visited UMAG's current exhibition of Hong Kong Lyric: Ink Paintings by Raymond Fung, would probably be fascinated by his mystical and charismatic ink landscapes that were designed with discipline and yet free in spirit. In this special demonstration, Fung will speak about his design concepts and show us various techniques he uses to achieve his style of modern ink painting. It will be followed by a private tour of his works for this exhibition.

Raymond Fung (???) began painting as a young man. After receiving his professional degree in architecture from Louisiana State University in the United States, he continued his art studies in the extra-mural programmes of The University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. He combines traditional ink painting with a Western approach to colour and composition. His landscapes of Hong Kong are inspired from his training as an architect and his interest in the visual environment.

A renowned architect, designer and ink painter, Fung has won numerous awards including five Annual Awards of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Ten Outstanding Young Person's Award (HK), Ten Outstanding Designer's Award (HK), the Secretary of Home Affair's Certificate of Commendation, as well as fifty other major design prizes locally and abroad.

Fung was a founding member of the Ink Movement and is currently the Adjunct Associate Professor of Architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Honorary Advisor to the museums of the Government's Leisure & Cultural Services Department, Member of West Kowloon Cultural District Development Committee, Revitalization of Historical Buildings Committee and ACABAS. He co-writes several books on architecture and culture and often expresses his views on the local press.

Described by the Wall Street Journal as a “Renaissance Woman”, Kai-Yin Lo is recognized not only as a jewellery designer of global renown, but also as an authority on Chinese culture, heritage, traditional and contemporary art. She is a recipient of the Silver Bauhinia Star from the SAR Hong Kong Government, and was awarded the “World’s Outstanding Designer, 2007” by the Hong Kong Design Centre for her contribution to the creative industries. Kai-Yin was honoured alongside Cartier in 2005 as one of three jewellers lauded for their “influence, style and excellence” in interpreting Chinese taste by the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The annual Kai-Yin Lo Lecture at Asia Society, New York, is a recognized as an important platform for East/West cultural exchange.

A student of history at Cambridge and London Universities, Kai-Yin also attended Harvard Business School. She has edited four books ranging from Chinese white ceramics to furniture to architecture and the vernacular living environment. Her latest, “House, Home, Family: Living and Being Chinese”, is in the collection of over 400 libraries and is included as reading text in Asian study courses in 30 universities. From organizing the landmark one-man exhibition of artist Wu Guanzhong at the British Museum to curating the forthcoming presentation at the Shanghai Expo’s Hong Kong Design Pavilion in June 2010, Kai-Yin remains an active force in the promotion of cross-disciplinary awareness in art, design and culture.

We shall see how Kai-Yin blends art and design with living and style in her own home and also hear her views on the creative mix and interpretation of the practical with the purely aesthetic. A selection of Kai-Yin’s jewellery, specially priced for members, will be made available.