Hong Kong Arts Development Council Proudly Presents
Empty Space by Vvzela Kook
2 – 24.10 Free Admission
Download link for press release, high resolution images https://bit.ly/3bhIFkJ
(HONG KONG, 3 Oct 2022) Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) proudly presents its final ARTS•TECH Exhibition -- Empty Space from 2 to 24 October at 618 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok for free admission.
Curated by local artist Vvzela Kook, the exhibition focuses on the keyword “liquidity”. A set of interactive motion sensor installations in the shape of “sea wave” are set, with projections of buildings, community facilities and land use in a virtual city, to mimic the fluid movement of “Liquid Modernity” described by the Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman. Visitors are encouraged to move the blocks in the exhibition area to resemble the rapid changes of the cityscapes and experience the never ending modernisation process of a city.
Vvzela Kook says, “In the past few years, various districts in Hong Kong such as Kwun Tong, North Point and Kowloon City have been undergoing redevelopment where old memories melted to clear the site for new orders. In the liquid community, individuals search for the group to which they can belong. Through the exhibition and outreach programmes, visitors can experience the ‘empty space’ under the squeeze of modern construction, the ambivalence and ambiguity between solid and fluid, individual and collective, as well as heaviness and lightness.”
Ms Winsome Chow, Chief Executive of HKADC, says, “Mong Kok is a community where the old meets the new, and Shanghai Street was once the most bustling street in Hong Kong with shops. From the artist’s perspective, Empty Space will bring the audience to an ever-changing cityscape, in order to appreciate the arts and experience the city development of Hong Kong through technology.”
During the creative process of Empty Space, Kook visited Shanghai Street and the neighbourhood to capture the street scenes by quick sketching. Her sketches will be printed on post cards for free distribution. Visitors can also make use of the mobile phones to join the Multimedia walk to explore the mobility of the community by following the special guide site developed by the artist. In addition, free guided tours will be held to facilitate visitors to discover the undefined “empty spaces” in Mong Kok.
Exhibition and Programmes details
Empty Space by Vvzela Kook
| Date | : | 2 - 24 October 2022 |
| Venue | : | G/F, 618 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok |
| Time | : | 12:00 - 20:00 |
| Details | : | https://arts-tech.hk/events/empty-space/ |
| Free Admission | ||
NOT EMPTY City Sketches Workshop
Vvzela Kook will introduce her usual drawing tools and how to use them to do records. She will lead the participants to observe and perform croquis sketching to fill the city’s “emptiness”.
| Date | : | 8, 16, 23 October 2022 |
| Venue | : | 1/F Multi-Function Room, 618 Shanghai Street |
| Time | : | 14:00 - 17:00 |
| Registration | : | https://art-mate.net/doc/63974 |
“Empty Space” Artist Guided Tour
Vvzela Kook will guide the participants to experience the interactive installation in the exhibition, sharing the creative inspiration behind her artworks. Participants will explore the undefined “empty space” in the continuous reconstruction and flow of urban communities.
| Date | : | 7, 8, 14, 16, 21, 23 October 2022 |
| Venue | : | G/F, 618 Shanghai Street |
| Time | : | 11:00 - 11:45 or 16:00 – 16:45 |
| Registration | : | https://art-mate.net/doc/63976 |
All events are free of charge and conducted in Cantonese. Latest information of ARTS • TECH Exhibition is available on the official website: https://arts-tech.hk/en/events/empty-space/.
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About Vvzela Kook
Vvzela Kook is a new media artist who mainly works in audiovisual mediums, including performance, theatre, computer graphics and drawing. Kook’s video works combine technology with her artistic practice to reproduce and convert urban cityscapes into an integrated virtual experience, guiding the audience on a cybernetic journey. The condensed textures in her works connect with sensual levels in our perception and reintroduce the unexplored potential of video as a medium. The narrative plays a vital role in her work, the transmedia storytelling is part of the artistic concept. Especially the mixing of delicate drawings, 3D printing and video game optics in her videos show the wide range of media and materials the artist uses to translate her research-based projects visually.
Kook has participated and shown her works in Kathmandu Triennale (2022), Para Site (2020), C-LAB (2019), MoCA Taipei (2019), Asia Society Hong Kong Center (2019), Tai Kwun (2019), Microwave International New Media Arts Festival (2016, 2018), PuSh Performing Arts Festival (2017), Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (2017), Hong Kong Arts Festival (2015), and “89+” programme (2012) co-curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Simon Castets.
About ARTS • TECH Exhibition
Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) organises its first ARTS • TECH Exhibition to introduce novel interactive arts experiences to the public by connecting arts, technology and community in a real and virtual space. The project invites curators Mr Keith Lam, Mr Leung Kei-cheuk (GayBird) and Ms Vvzela Kook to curate three different thematic arts tech exhibitions at the Urban Renewal Authority’s revitalization projects, namely Central Market in Central, M7 in Wan Chai and 618 Shanghai Street in Mongkok to bring arts closer to the community, and allow the public to discover the endless possibilities of trans-media and trans-disciplinary in the world of Arts Tech.
Supporting Organisation: Urban Renewal Authority
About Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Established in 1995, Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) is a statutory body set up by the Government to support the broad development of the arts in Hong Kong. Its major roles include grant allocation, policy and planning, advocacy, promotion and development, and special projects. The mission of HKADC is to support and promote the development of 10 major art forms in literary arts, performing arts, visual arts as well as film and media arts in Hong Kong. Aiming to foster a thriving arts environment and enhancing the quality of life of the public, HKADC is also committed to facilitating community-wide participation in the arts and arts education, encouraging arts criticism, raising the standard of arts administration and contributing on policy research.
About Urban Renewal Authority
The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) was established in May 2001 under the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance as the statutory body to undertake, encourage, promote and facilitate urban renewal of Hong Kong, with a view to addressing the problem of urban decay and improving the living conditions of residents in old districts. The URA follows the guidelines set out in the Government’s Urban Renewal Strategy in the implementation of its urban renewal initiatives under a “people first, district-based, public participatory” approach. The URA adopts a comprehensive and holistic approach by ways of its two core businesses, i.e. redevelopment and rehabilitation, as well as preservation, revitalisation and retrofitting, for creating a sustainable and quality living for the people of Hong Kong.