Culture & Leisure

A set of sculptures recently sparked calls of panic. Does Hong Kong appreciate public art? By Emily Cheung When the public art installation "Event Horizon Hong Kong" , first went on display on a rooftop in Central in November, 2015, people mistook the sculpture of a life-sized naked man as a suicide suspect and called the police. "I spotted it a long time ago. But to be honest, I don't know why it has to be there," said Ms Chu Tze-yan, who works nearby. The controversial art project featured 31 fiberglass sculptures by artist, Antony Gormley. The figures stand on streets or rooftops across the city. "The idea was to underline the relationship between human and space," says Mr Gormley. "Public art allows free thinking and the community may not feel comfortable with sculptures like that at first," said Antony J. Chan, the British Council's Head of Art and Creative Industries, who organized  "Event Horizon Hong Kong" . Mr Chan believes that the police calls that resulted from his artwork show a lack of understanding of public art. But Hong Kong is no stranger to public art .  In early 1999, the  government launched  a Public Art Scheme to boost creativity and to bring artistic elements to the public. Since then, more than 20 sets of public art pieces have been on display. What is regarded by some as sophisticated public art, such as Mr Gormley's naked men, is seldom appreciated. Instead, many seem to think that art should be decorative rather than artistic expression. "I don't see the need to  understand those artwork thoroughly. It is fine a long as they  make the place more beautiful and visually attractive ," said Travis Mackenzie, a tourist from Washington. He and many tourists find pleasure in seeing the artwork, though some do …

  by Cecilia Wong Cultural travelling is a vogue for travel agencies to bespeak their cultural exploring tours, it goes beyond merely visiting a place, but allows experience as a member of a culture and undergoes transformations of lives. Cultural travelling is to go local and dig into authentic, genuine stories in a country, said Chan Shing-kwan, one of the co-founders of Eastern Vision and Glo Travel which both organising international travel programmes in a unique way. Chan said that they attempt to modify traditional travel tours, which tend to load customers to various tourist spots for merely shopping and eating, by providing comprehensive, intellectual but fun experiences. Tours organised by Eastern Vision and Glo Travel try to break stereotypes and "bridge" different people, he said. "Reading a lot about North Koreans, but had never talked to them, I lost track," said Niklas Pape, a German exchange student at The University of Hong Kong. He joined an Eastern Vision's tour to North Korea last year and agreed that through interacting with locals during the visit, participants gained a "different perception" towards North Koreans.  "Only after talking to them, I know they are very same as human beings," he said.   Unlike a semester exchange which is long enough for complete immersion, the tours are limited by short travelling periods. Thus, he described the tours as just a "tool" for people to gain basic information of a country and open people's doors to cultural exchange in the future, as well as to build habits of delving into or at least research a country's background before visiting. Cultural experience is about physical engagement and, of equally important, idea exchange. "Only by going local, talking to local communities, and involving in an environment can people understand the conditions -- political, social and economic …

  by Terrance Zheng On the night of November 22, after winding up a 10-day exhibition, a group of people gathered in a studio in old Shanghai Street. They include artists, volunteers and neighbours who were reminiscing about Woofer Ten, the workshop that would no longer be theirs. Wong Yin-mong, a neighbour working next to Woofer Ten, said she was astounded when she was told of their coming removal. "The products they make are very interesting. Some show the original image of the community, which is unknown to most young people today." Community art is a revival and representation of a community's culture and history. It embodies communal lifestyles and beliefs, and helps to distinguish among different communities, says Mr Lui Yat-nan, a key member of Woofer Ten. Unlike other art forms, community art should be deeply rooted in the community, says Dr Leung Mee-ping, an associate professor of visual arts at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and an expert in community art. "Artists' group should establish long-term relationships with community residents, and that's what Woofer Ten tried doing", Dr Leung says. Starting in 2009, Woofer Ten twice bid for and was awarded the running of the community art project at 404 Shanghai Street. But the Hong Kong Arts Development Council decided to cut the funding and in July 2013 instead accepted the bid from the Centre for Community Cultural Development. Dr Leung says community art studios need to enact communal identity and connectedness if they want to thrive in the neighborhood. "No artists' group wants to rely on government sponsorship for the long run, but it's quite impossible for them to self-sponsor given Hong Kong's soaring rents," he says. Mr Lui, of Woofer Ten, says the hegemony of developers is hindering the development of community art in Hong Kong. Businesses would rather let art groups do exhibitions in their stores than sponsor low-rent areas for community art projects. Dr Chew Ming-tek, associate professor of sociology at HKBU says Hong Kong people "are so short-sighted" that capitalists businesses and the government were not willing to pay for something that is seemingly not financially sustainable or for …

  by Herbert Cheung Salmon swimming upstream, snowboarding and rock climbing: just some of the paintings you see on staircases in Tsuen Wan town centre. But are people in Hong Kong ready to welcome community arts with open arms? "In Hong Kong, more people are interested in popular culture than in crafts, such as tea making, ceramic and handicrafts," said Lam Yuk-fai, leader of the artist group, Omni Art. Their members have been painting the murals around Tsuen Wan. "Most of the shops are monopolised by tycoons, leaving no room to promote arts and culture. It is hard for artists to blossom here," he said. Mr Lam thinks Hong Kong does not provide a fostering environment for art, compared with Taiwan and mainland China. Mr Lam believes community art is a great stepping stone to promote art in Hong Kong. But it takes a time for people to develop an interest. His group has been working with the Home Affairs Bureau, but Mr Lam there is not enough government support. He believes Hong Kong has the potential for further art development because it is the world's fourth largest art auction market. According to the Contemporary Art Market Report 2015 published by Artprice, more than $146 million dollars' worth of contemporary art was auctioned off between July 2014 and June 2015. Denise Yeung Tsz-ching, one of the five artists of Omni Art, said residents in Tsuen Wan used to call the police when the artists were working on the stairs because they thought they were vandalising. "We didn't put up any signs stating that the activity was sponsored and approved by the District Council. So there was some misunderstanding," said the 20-year-old artist. "The visibility of the murals allow people to appreciate and participate in art as they walk on the stairs or stop to take photos", Ms Yeung said. Lo Siu-kit, a Tsuen Wan district councillor, thinks murals on stairs are ‘interesting', even though painting the three stairs cost $100,000, according to the council's meeting document. "These may be small changes, but people feel different about the stairs," …