Greedy? 《貪婪?》: Conceptual Art Exhibition 觀念藝術展覽

《貪婪?》觀念藝術展覽

美國《時代週刊》曾發表認為「金融海潚之出現與參與有關市場人士太『貪婪』所致」的文章,表示投資者因貪婪自食其果,招致損失,影響全球金融秩序。中國的毒奶事件,牽連甚廣,最初以為是奶農在攪鬼,後來發現整個生產過程中很多個工序都有人出蠱惑,致令毒害無辜,事件經廣泛報導,罪魁禍首都是「貪婪」。

如果資本主義社會是製造「貪婪」的大工廠,那奉行社會主義、主張共產的中國,與「貪婪」又有何直接關係。貪婪乃人的天性,存在於任何社會,把最近金融海嘯及內地毒奶事件等全球性關注的問題,歸咎於人與生俱來的天性所致,未免太簡單化了。有人認為把最近全球性的問題歸咎於「貪婪」是製造問題的始作俑者轉移「追究」視線的招數,目的是把矛頭分散,避免成為眾矢之的而受世人唾罵,企圖以瞞天過海的迂迴方法滿足人另一種「貪婪」。其實「為甚麼要貪婪」才是問題癥結,並值得認真探討。個人理想與目標、文化基礎、制度的漏洞、社會道德價值等等個人及客觀誘因,都影響人「貪婪」的程度、表現、破壞力及影響力。

在香港,作為一個藝術家普遍身兼多職,廣義來看是十分「貪婪」。撇開其賴以為生的工作不談,單以從事藝術有關的工作看,由藝術品創作、展覽宣傳、設計、網頁製作、記錄、布展、物流等,甚至策劃展覽、寫計劃、寫報告、公關、評論、回顧等屬於另一專業範疇的工作也貪心染指。但本地藝術家這類「貪婪」行為已維持數十年,卻不能令其大富大貴,名成利就,那他們為甚麼要如此默默貪婪?

本展覽邀請六位一身兼多職的本地藝術家參展,包括:陳麗雲、劉建華、李鴻輝、梁展峰、張嘉莉 及 鄭怡敏(阿金),他們都是活躍於藝術界,一面教學,一面創作,又策展、又寫文章、又寫計劃、又做公關,貪心得很。本展覽將展示「貪婪」的他們對個人的、社會的或全球性的「貪婪」所作出的藝術回應。

本展覽邀請六位一身兼多職的本地藝術家參展,是次展出作品媒介廣泛,包括攝影、裝置、雕塑、繪畫、錄像、文獻紀錄等。陳麗雲作品展示從到銀行索取投資章程,到碎紙,到包裹,嘗試以私人的行為進入公眾行為;劉建華作品極富實驗及實踐性,透過回應不同的貪婪事件及回應同場展出作品,去辯證自己對貪婪行為的假設;李鴻輝作品由私人領域談到哲學領域,以探討人迂迴的貪婪歷程;梁展峰企圖突破展覽與展覽之間關係割裂的情況,把多年來精選的展覽資料累積再展出,實踐「藝術支持藝術」;張嘉莉作品從大眾貪婪行為獲得啟發,審視個人不斷的貪婪,其實始於渴望在慾海中得到救生水泡的安全感;鄭怡敏(阿金)作品題為《給貪婪的藝術團體》把個人遇到本地藝團不專業、不尊重地對待藝術家的例子公諸於世,揭示藝術背後鮮為人知的貪婪。開幕日期為2008年11月28日,藝術家講座日期為2008年12月13日(星期六),展期至2009年1月23日,開幕當晚暨李鴻輝新書Foundations: The Consolations of Museology發布會,還有即興行為藝術演出,費用全免,歡迎各界人士參觀。

詳情:

主辦及策劃: C & G藝術單位

參展藝術家: 陳麗雲、劉建華、李鴻輝、梁展峰、張嘉莉 及 鄭怡敏(阿金)

開幕日期: 二零零八年十一月二十八日(星期五),下午6:30

展覽日期: 二零零八年十一月二十九日(六) 至 二零零九年一月二十三日(五)

展覽時間: 下午2:00-7:30,逢星期四、五、六、日、一,(星期二、三及公眾假期休息)

《貪婪?》觀念藝術展覽「藝術家」講座*

講座日期及時間:二零零八年十二月十三日(星期六),下午6:00 - 7:30

講座主題:《自由文化與自由社會:我們可以兼得?》

--劉建華主講,邀得羅文樂作回應講者,並設有公眾討論時段 (除特殊情況,講座將以廣東話進行)

藝術家講座前言:

在十月廿四日,香港大學請來了「共享創意」(Creative Commons)的始創人Lawrence Lessig 給了一個題為「自由文化與自由社會:西方可以兼得?」的講座。由於羅文樂當日臨時事忙,我替他去了聽講。我雖一直對於「共享創意」和現今有關版權的社會議題感興趣,但最後一次聯策的展覽(《斷估唔拉》)嘗試帶出這方面關注的嘗試近乎徹底失敗。十月中,我在未知Lessig會來的情況下,在阿麥書房買了Lessig的(中文版)著作《誰綁架了文化創意》來讀。而在我閱讀該書期間,又收到了C&G藝術單位就《貪婪?》展覽的參展邀約。《貪婪?》的意念使我在閱讀該書時蘊釀出一些特殊對於「共享創意」的睇法,使我有興趣以同樣一個講座的方式,來把這些想法,向大家呈示。我在講座會重溫一些Lessig提過的故事及一些論點,但以展覽的脈絡,提出我的一點另樣想法,並求教於大家。

展覽地點: 香港 九龍 太子 西洋菜南街222號 三字樓 (始創中心後)

'Greedy?' Conceptual Art Exhibition

Responding to the current financial tsunami, Time magazine has published several articles addressing how 'greed' plays a significant role in this crisis. On the other hand, the melanaine issue in China has affected many infants and adults. At the beginning, the milk farmers were thought to bare the main responsibility. Later on, it is discovered actually the whole manufacturing and examination process consist of many problems. After all, many consider 'greed' to be the major cause of all these.

If capitalism is a factory producing 'greed,' then what does 'greed' have anything to do with the pro-communism country, China? Perhaps greed is really in the gene of human beings, existing in any society. However, claiming greed is the only cause for the financial tsunami and melamine crisis probably simplifies the problem too much. Some argue it is the real problem-makers in behind who want to blame 'greed' as the cause for the globalized crisis, and, therefore, try to run away from being caught. Of course, if so, it is just another greedy way in using the term 'greed' for self-protection and self-satisfaction. Working out the answer to 'why greedy' should be more essential then. There are many subjective and objective elements (like personal vision, self-esteem, system flaws, moral values and cultures in society) involved in affecting how 'greedy' a being can turn to be, and how much destruction this 'greedy being' can create.

In Hong Kong, many artists work many different jobs. Broadly speaking, these artists are very 'greedy.' Considering only the art-related jobs, many artists do not only make their own artworks, but also work on exhibit promotion, different designing jobs, web sites, documentations, logistics services etc. Some even curate art exhibits, write proposals and reports, be PR agents and art critics, doing jobs in a different profession. Unfortunately, being so 'greedy' for several decades already, local artists don¡¦t seem to gain much fame or money out of it. Then, why being greedy?

The current exhibition invites six different artists who work many different jobs. They all are active in the art scene: teaching art, making artworks, curating shows, writing about art, writing proposals, doing PR jobs and being quite 'greedy' in fact. This exhibit is going to show how these 'greedy' artists respond to the 'greed' phenomenon over the individual, social or globalized level. This show opens on Nov 28, 2008 at C&G Artpartment.The exhibit is free for entry. Welcome to join us!

Besides, the opening also will have a book launch of Michael Lee's 'Foundations: The Consolations of Museology,' and performance art pieces. An 'artist's' lecture* upon the occasion of the 'Greedy?' Conceptual Art Exhibitionwill take place on 13th December, 2008 (Sat) from 6:00 to 7:30pm. Title of the Talk is 'Free Culture and Free Society: Can We Love Both?' It will be delivered by Jaspar Lau Kin Wah, and followed with a discussion session between Jaspar Lau and respondant Law Man Lok and an open Q&A session afterwards. *(Unless due to special circumstances, the talk will be presented in Cantonese, English speakers however are welcome, for the powerpoint presentation should be mostly in English)

Details:

Curated by: C & G

Participating Artists: CHEN Li Yun(Movana), LAU Kin Wah(Jaspar), LEE Hong Hwee(Michael), LEUNG Chin Fung(Jeff), CHEUNG Kai Lei (Clara), CHENG Yee Man(Gum)

Opening: 6:30pm, (Fri) 28 November, 2008

Exhibition Period: (Sat) 29 November, 2008 - (Fri)23 January, 2009

Exhibition Time: 2:00 - 7:30pm, Thursday to Monday, (Closed on Tue, Wed and Public Holiday)

An 'artist's' lecture* upon the occasion of the 'Greedy?' Conceptual Art Exhibition:

Title of the Talk: ¡§Free Culture and Free Society: Can the We Love Both?¡¨

Time: 6:00 - 7:30pm, (Sat) 13th December, 2008.

--by Jaspar Lau Kin Wah, a discussion session between Jaspar Lau and respondant Law Man Lok and then an open Q&A session afterwards *unless due to special circumstances, the talk will be presented in Cantonese, English speakers however are welcome, for the powerpoint presentation should be mostly in English*

Foreword of the Talk By Jaspar:

On Oct 24, 2008, HKU has invited professor Lawrence Lessig, founder of Creative Commons to give the inaugural L.S.P/L.W.H Distinguished Lecture in Digital Media with the title of ¡§Free Culture and Free Society: Can the West Love Both?¡¨ I was there for Law Man Lok, who had registered but could not make it there that day. I was interested in Creative Commons and the different problematic issues surrounding copyright in our present society, but my effort to try and bring out this topic in my last co-curated exhibition (Chie!) seemed to have failed completely. Without knowledge of Lessig coming to town, I brought the Chinese version of Lessig¡¦s Free Culture ¡V How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity in mid Oct from Mackie Study and in the process of reading through it, I have been asked by C&G to participant in the Exhibition of Greedy?. The invitation inspired me to give a talk over the topic upon the occassion, as the idea of greed help shaped a particulate angle I looked at the issue. In this talk of mine, I will repeat some of Lessig¡¦s stories and argument, but by relating it to the exhibition context, I will try to come up with a different stance, and wish to discuss this tentative idea of mine with everyone.

Address: 3/F, 222 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Prince Edward, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Behind Pioneer Centre)

Invitation Card
Work by Michael Lee
"Self-Portrait - in search of the sense of security
'Body Container' by Movana Chen
Work by Michael Lee: "A Loser's Respite
Work by Michael Lee: "A Loser's Respite
Work by Gum Cheng: "To a Greedy Art Organization"
Work by Movana Chen: "Body Container"
Work by Movana Chen: "Body Container"
Work by Jaspar Lau: "Greedy? Project
Work by Clara Cheung: "Self-Portrait - in search of the sense of security"
Work by Jeff Leung: "ART Supports ART"
Work by Jeff Leung: "ART Supports ART"