ok-block

Just come across Stella’s old writing exercise about On Kawara while i was preparing the class tomorrow…

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I send electronic mail every day since I moved to London. When I came across On Kawara’s work I am still alive in Ikon Gallery, I asked myself, ‘am I verifying my own existence or does he feel disconnected being a traveler?’

Kawara left his native country Japan at early stage and became a cosmopolitan who traveled ceaselessly around the world. As he puts it, ‘like a tourist’ has important implications in this work. A series of tables was located in the gallery. More than 150 old telegrams were displayed under glass. The artist started to send telegrams to friends and colleagues since 1970. This was an artwork in progress and the message of each telegram simply read ‘I am still alive’.

The essence of the work lies in its contradiction in nature. Rather than being a means to elucidation, it tends to foster obscurity. For me, it is similar to Martin Creed’s Don’t worry (2000) while reminding us to worry and the flashes on and off is worrying in itself. The reiteration of the telegram evokes a tense and uneasy atmosphere as telegrams traditionally imply urgency. On one hand the recipient feels embraced by the artist regarding the personal telegram; on the other the artist distances himself through the deadpan message. Despite the monotony of the concept, the insipid telegram surprisingly offers a visual impact: it comes in all size, color, name and address of the recipients and date and place of transmission. It is a profound conceptual work that not only the idea is essential, but perhaps having a significant aesthetic effect overall. In terms of literal communication, the status as an artwork also conveys the transformation of telegram from a private to a public mode of viewing.

Another interesting feature is its relation to time. Kawara uses time to measure and document his own existence. The time lag between different countries; the time gap between transmission and reception of the telegram; and the time slot the audience view the work imply the reverse of the message may now be true. The announcement is, however, a great challenge to the viewer.

The use of common material is another predominant concern of the artist. Telegram is an ordinary, everyday means at that time. Kawara shows an unparalleled sensitivity to build communication with the viewer by incorporating such ordinary form into his work. It seems that what makes this ambitious theme extraordinarily simple and impressive is, after all, his use of communally-based materials.

I am intrigued by the work and, the subtly ‘muttering’ of Kawara. He reminds people of himself through the message, and further proceeds from the truism that we are all still alive but unexpectedly might not be. I believe that his constant preoccupation with human consciousness is not necessarily derived from his nomadic lifestyle. But perhaps, if nothing else, the unforgettable legacy of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in his childhood that drove him to the ultimate question of life and death.

Stella Fong 2002

Published in MingPao Daily 25Feb 2007

published in Mingpao Daily 25Feb 2006

Finally, the new site is up and running.
Visit www.writingmachine-collective.net

Another new start! Hopefully it could make some difference to the new media art scene in Hong Kong.

農曆新年一早起床，看見電視又做那些賀年節目，找來二三流歌手咪嘴唱些賀年歌….是否我們這一代巳對這些傳統節日巳失去與趣？還是只是我們對「歡樂」巳失去了想像力？
想大家發財但吾想祝大家發財，明吾明？

Published in MingPao Daily 18th February, 2007

香港藝術學院與Para/Site 藝術空間呈獻，美國觀念藝術家 Lawrence Weiner的講
座，將於二月二十七日假香港藝術學院教學中心舉行。

Lawrence Weiner亦會與Para/Site藝術空間合作舉行其在香港的首次個人展覽。他將
利用激進手法把文字呈現於獨特的場所中，特地製作包含英文、簡體及繁體中文的牆
上裝置作品。

關於Lawrence Weiner
出生於紐約， Lawrence Weiner 是當代其中一位最具代表性的藝術家，從六十年代
開始便成為觀念藝術的代表性人物。他認為觀者只需閱讀藝術品的文字抽述，便足以
經驗該作品。不久之後 Lawrence Weiner 便開始利用文字作為他創作理念的主要載
體。像其他於六七十年代成名的觀念藝術家般，Lawrence Weiner 善於探究新的藝術
形式和表現手法，挑戰人們對藝術品本質上的認知及藝術品與觀者間的關係。單一的
字體，單純使用文字和標點符號，構成 Lawrence Weiner 的牆上裝置作品，及他唯
一的創作媒介。他甚少自行把文字畫到牆上，認為只要讓工匠按指示把文字畫上牆就
可以了。雖然他的作品意在探究文字作為獨立藝術形式的潛能，但其文字短句往往意
有所指地與牆周遭的環境及觀者的經驗有直接的聯繫。

Lawrence Weiner 的作品曾在全球多個重要的藝術館展出，並將於二零零七年終在
Whitney Museum of American Art 舉行回顧展。

佳士得榮譽贊助世界知名的觀念藝術家Lawrence Weiner 首次香港個人展覧及講座。

Conducted in English 英語主講

Free Admission. Seat reservation is required. 免費入場，敬請留座。
Please email to info@para-site.org.hk or call 2517 4620 to reserve your
seat. 請電郵至info@para-site.org.hk 或致電2517 4620登記留座。

Enquiry查詢 : ParaSite/Art Space Para/Site 藝術空間 - 2517 4620 / Hong
Kong Art School 香港藝術學院 - 2922 2822

Good resources on Curating new media art….
from University of Sunderland.

http://www.crumbweb.org/crumb/phase3/index.html

“Search Your Name” is a short online game, the purpose of which is to provide the user with the brief illusion that they are a celebrity.
On the surface, “Search Your Name” looks no different from the usual search engines we use on the Internet, except that this one reminds participants to search using their own name. Once the user inputs his or her name for the search, the results of numerous and authentic links of news, legends and debates apparently about him or herself are returned, coming from major web and news sites. No matter when or where, no matter who the user is, as long as someone searches using their own name in this real-time engine system, the results will show that they have turned into a personality that attracts world wide attention.
“Search Your Name” is a search engine that is in fact, an anti-search engine. The results collected from this search engine look completely authentic but are not. The work plays with the idea that it’s very difficult to ensure that the information we find on the Internet everyday is truly authentic.

enter Search Your Name
http://www.ica.org.uk/?lid=62

http://www.metamute.org/Web-2.0-Mans-best-friendster

Published in MingPao 11 February, 2007