Dazzling Shadow Play by Victoria Harbour

The Avenue of Stars is where movie stars have their hand-prints saved for posterity. Between 10 and 19 November 2006, passers-by at the Tsimshatsui waterfront might have experienced a few minutes of fame gazing at their own silhouettes against the facade of the Museum of Art, piecing together a collage of Hong Kong's very own "Body Movies".

Presented by the Home Affairs Bureau, the interactive exhibition "Body Movies in Hong Kong" was co-organised by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC) and executed by the Hong Kong Arts Centre. The exhibition was kept updated by its designer, the noted media artist Mr Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, with kaleidoscopic images of city-dwellers captured by the cameras of eight talented Hong Kong photographers: Mr Endy Chow, Mr Norman Jackson Ford, Mr Marvin Hui, Mr Franky Lung, Mr Danny Cho, Mr Birdy Chu, Mr Terry Sun and Ms Ivy Ma. Brimming with local flavour, the exterior of the Hong Kong Museum of Art and MTR's vent shaft were transformed into a screen on which images of passers-by were projected by the light-emitting device, weaving a layering of shadows and reflections. The distance-shrinking capabilities of this interplay of shadow and light lattice were brought to full strength as city-dwellers frolicked by the harbour front.

The One and Only: Interplay of Light and Shadow

Since its debut in 2001, the multi-award winning "Body Movies" has been exhibited in major cities like Rotterdam, Linz, Liverpool and London. Since the exhibition was first held in Asia, the ADC set up a working group to formalise and conceptualise the theme and multi-media exhibits. Working group members comprised Ms Ellen Pau, Mr Ip Yuk-yiu, Mr Bryan Chung, Mr Yeung Hei, Mr Sunny Lam and Mr Isaac Leung.

The exhibition was inaugurated on 10 November 2006 by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Patrick Ho, ADC Chairman Mr Ma Fung-kwok, and the Exhibition's guest of honour Mr Andy Lau. Mr Ho and Mr Lau took the lead to demonstrate the whimsical shadow play, welcoming and greeting guests and visitors by positioning themselves at different distances from the projector. Swaying their limbs and bodies, Mr Lau and a group of children splattered the screen with their offbeat and enchanting improvisation, luring the crowd into the dancing frenzy as they took the directorial helm of their own "Body Movies".

A Double Bill: Media Arts in the Contemporary Society

The "Media Arts in the Contemporary Society" seminar was held at the Hong Kong Space Museum before the exhibition's official opening. Speakers included Mr Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Artistic Director of the British Film Institute Mr Eddie Berg and Korean artist/curator Mr Won-il Rhee. Local media artist Ms Ellen Pau served as moderator.

Mr Lozano-Hemmer's participation in the seminar via teleconferencing was a testament to the marvels of new technology in connecting people from different parts of the world regardless of distance. From its inception to its unveiling at various exhibition venues Mr Lozano-Hemmer captured responses to "Body Movies" and other works in his multimedia oeuvre. In his eyes, these interactive projects were more akin to performing arts than visual arts, yielding responses that were the result of the viewers' instant reception. His works continue to explore the relationships between new technology, public space and people.

The convergence of media arts and technology, as Mr Berg noted, did not happen by chance. Media arts, as with any new art-form, did not suddenly come to life and breathe technology but emerged with inventions of the time: being a by-product of computer advances, it prompted artists to contemplate the tides of time. It wasn't until 1989 that London, a glamorous capital at the cutting edge of the arts, preserved these works in their collections. A question raised by critics at that time was whether these should be treated as products of technology or works of art. The need was as great in arts education as in promoting media arts to the public.

With media arts, creativity came before technology, a notion Mr Won-il Rhee warmed up to. All the rage in Korea as in the rest of the world, new media arts was largely shaped by the advance of information technology. The array of media arts networks filled the gaps between technology and culture while a new generation of media artists navigated with ease between the two media wielding their implements with virtuosity and ingenuity. Their works stood as embodiments of the artists' statements and the arts of a time.
 
"Body Movies in Hong Kong" and the "Media Arts in the Contemporary Society" seminar were part of the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum (ACCF) 2006 programmes presented by the Home Affairs Bureau. Closing on 19 November, the exhibition created a unique, engaging experience for the Hong Kong people to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the emerging art-form. And it remains a mission of the ADC to bring world-class media arts presentations to the territory.