【藝術盛會】Meet the Artists（Art Basel 篇）

我在 Meet the Artists (Art Central 篇）提到英國藝術家Nicole Wassall，她原是讀腦神經科 (Neuroscience) ，研究過夢境和腦袋思維，最愛挑戰及訓練人類「未用盡的腦袋」，這類 Conceptual 藝術家，都擅長將意念用不同媒介來處理及呈現 —  裝置、攝影、繪畫、短片、行為表演 — 似乎無所不能。緣份所至，今年 Art Basel 所碰上的藝術家恰巧也有些是 Conceptual 藝術家，觀賞時需多動腦筋。

藝術家真人Show: 活人雕塑

藝術家仰卧著並非「扮死屍」，其實在等待觀者提問。

全名為 Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen 的藝術家，橫躺在長形三角尖頂木櫃內，稱此為Meet the artist 確有啼笑皆非之感。在展區，還擺放了使用「大姆指」壓印出來的畫作、火山灰人腳、雞毛人形雕塑，加上她自己的「活人雕塑」，素材雖取之於大自然，卻又如此詭異。

自稱為「變色龍」的行為藝術家 Lilibeth 是混血兒（丹麥和菲律賓），八歲移居丹麥後卻感疏離，源於對個人身份的質疑，作品常從女性角度探討文化、宗教、人際關係及性別等議題，這些作品是否進一步在思索人類未來的身份危機？看來要請她站起來談談。

「活人雕塑」與「假人雕塑」互相凝視。

畫廊：The Drawing Room 藝術家網址 （按此）

http://drawingroomgallery.com/artist/lilibeth-cuenca-rasmussen/

Wolfgang Tillmans 對香港有 Feel

Wolfgang 與相中人合照，距拍攝之時相隔25年

「巨星級」德國攝影藝術家 Wolfgang Tillmans 個展，與Art Basel 差不多同期開幕， 在卓納畫廊 (David Zwirner) 其個展開幕那天，除了我及一眾粉絲想 Meet the artist 外，還有一位前電視台女記者（面善卻說不出名字！）專程到來與藝術家見面，原來她正是該幀《香港電視記者》1993 的真人，當時女記者正在採訪傳統街市的豬肉店。闊別四分一世紀之後的合照，又成經典一幕。

《香港電視記者》 1993

Wolfgang 是少數以香港作為題材的國際級攝影藝術家，他於1993年拍攝的作品除了《香港電視記者》，還有《香港機場》、《香港街上的菲律賓女人》等。香港桃花依舊，人面是否全非？2018年他腳踏深圳及香港，又捕捉了另一些此地獨有的畫面 — 街頭群眾、靜物、地產鋪外牆、深港海岸兩地邊界等 — 呈現對香港的情懷。（以上提及的作品，均於香港個展展出。）

笑笑談談，真情流露。

畫廊：David Zwirner 藝術家網址 （按此）
https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/wolfgang-tillmans

Morgan Wong  談《一寸光陰一寸金》

香港藝術家 Morgan Wong

「時間」這東西，是概念藝術家 Morgan Wong（黃榮法) 過去十年經常反覆思考、研究及演繹的課題 ：為何「時間」總是如此奧妙？開心時刻倍覺快？無聊時又特別慢？在今次的裝置，他嘗試將抽象的時間觀念「物質化」地理解，中國人的一句老生常談  ：「一寸光陰一寸金」（An Inch of Time; An Inch of Gold) 亦啓發了創作靈感。

錶面上澆注了薄薄的混凝土。

展區特別選取了「有角位」的位置，讓 LED 展示的英文諺語呈現得更具張力；地面上加長了的假金錶帶，砌成流麗的圓線，藝術家還在錶面上澆注了薄薄的混凝土，荒謬地企圖阻止時間流逝，另外又在某混凝土錶面下加入真金，喻意難以辨識的真相。「時間」附隨每人的生命，雖是嚴肅沈重的議題，卻能以優美及耐人尋味的藝術手法呈現，常常在「趕時間」的我們，也是時候停下來思考一下。

畫廊：亞洲當代藝術空間  藝術家網址 （按此）
http://apluscontemporary.org

Pors & Rao  - 高科技感應藝術

Aparna Rao身後的幾何黑板藏感應器，

藝術組合Aparna Rao (印度）和 Pors ( 丹麥）利用科技程式和感應器，增加作品的趣味及互動性。展出的多件裝置，會因應周邊人類的動作及情緒，作出「出其不意」的反應，感染到開心、怕羞、驚恐等情緒。看觀者的反應，也頗過癮，足見互動藝術是大趨勢。數年前已開始留意 Aparna Rao 的 TEDTalk，今次見面有如遇著故友。

會動的幾何圖案，背後藏感應器。

畫廊：GallerySke  藝術家網址 （按此）
http://www.galleryske.com/PorsAndRao/index.html

陸平原 - 《看！我是畢加索》

陸平原出生於浙江，現居上海

八十後的陸平原(Lu Ping Yuan)因為小時候看過動畫電影『反斗奇兵』（1995），印像深刻，引發他創作了模仿「立體主義」的 Mr. Potato Head 雕塑。以前看過他以「故事」為本的藝術作品，在內地藝術家中異軍突起，這《看！我是畢加索》系列有繪畫及雞塑，可見他的領域涉獵多種媒介 — 文本、裝置、影像、繪畫等，沒有既定框框，也無慣用物料，「出乎意料之外」的藝術讓人產生更大驚喜。

作品仿如「再世」畢加索。

陸平原最令人深刻的作品之一，是繼承了日裔藝術大師 Oh Kawara (河原溫 19322-2014) 的《Today》系列，Oh Kawara 離世後，自2014年起延續以極簡形式，記錄行為、日期的藝術手法。藝術家先來了一趟讓 Oh Kawara 復生，是次又讓Picasso 的立體畫法再現，膽子可不小啊！




畫廊：沒頂畫廊  藝術家網址 （按此）
http://www.madeingallery.com/zh-hans/node/290

【藝術盛會】Meet the Artists（Art Central 篇）

記得當年在選修藝術課程時，導師曾問我：「為何你想選讀當代藝術，而不是古典或現代藝術？」我的想法至今沒變 —就是因為可以與在世的藝術創作者對話— Meet the artists! 在藝博（Air Fair）或藝廊是否必然會遇到創作者，聽到他/她介紹自己的作品？事實上Artists的出現怎能強求？在今年的Art Central 及 Art Basel 兩項當代藝術盛會，我嘗試碰碰運氣，玩玩緣份遊戲。

小松美羽 — 最新「神獸象」畫

小松正手舞足蹈地解釋作品。

3月25日以繪畫「神獸」(しんじゅう) 走紅的可愛美女畫家小松美羽(Miwa Komatsu) 從台北趕到香港，出席位於H Queen's 首個Live Painting 即席表演，因事沒緣出席，卻於Art Central遇上。展場所見是她最新創作的「神獸象」系列，線條及色彩質感強烈，彎彎的象牙格外可愛，畫旁均貼上紅點，顯然銷情理想。

小松與新晉藏家Leo在所買的小畫前合照。

八十後的Miwa揚名過程甚具啓發性，她承傳具體派(Gutai) 宗師的Live Performance，現場表演時穿上合氣道白袍在畫布前揮動畫筆，即席將一支支顏料直接「唧」在油畫布上，又在 Acrylic 顏料凝固前以用手(身體)加工，一筆筆將白畫布填滿，完成時舒了一口氣，猶如「入定」後的解放。

在她所繪的神獸畫上，經常呈現多個圈圈，無論那些守護眾生的神獸是獅子、狗、龍、還是鳥等，眼睛均圓圓大大，見過真人眼睛水靈靈的Miwa，以為她繪出自己的影子，其實她是透過畫出眼睛，想觀者與神獸更好地交流「過電」，說得也蠻有道理。

畫廊：Whitestone Gallery 藝術家網址 （按此）
https://www.whitestone-gallery.com/cn/artists/miwa-komatsu/
https://www.facebook.com/MiwaKomatsu/ (觀看Live Painting Video）

VR藝術家 Desmond —  轉化抽象山水

Desmond透過VR作品，增強觀眾對抽象山水畫的領會

Desmond Leung (梁樂森) 向來從事新媒體及數碼影象創作，特別熱衷探索VR（虛擬實景）的藝術應用，讓靜觀平面抽象山水畫的樂趣，進一步轉化為虛擬世界中的全方位體驗，正是今次展出之目的。Desmond 最享受一筆筆繪畫水墨的過程，也為是次展出製成一塊以3D打印出來的石頭，增強觀者對藝術的觸感及體驗。我未有機會嘗試此虛擬體驗旅程，但觀眾配戴上VR頭盔後的種種怪動作，就如有趣表演有點搞笑。

畫廊： 芳草地當代藝術   藝術家網址 （按此）
http://www.parkviewarthk.com/artists/desmond-leung/

張曉棟 - 《紅樓夢》巨書裝幀法

張曉棟是河北人，現於北京創作。

藝術家示範古典的揭頁方式。

束長髮及鬍子的內地藝術家張曉棟 ，用木條子輕輕一翻，即時為我示範《紅樓夢》巨書的揭頁方式。名為經龍裝《清·孫溫繪程甲本圖文典藏版紅樓夢》，作品放在長十多米的長枱上，擺放高低起伏、韵味十足，誠為古雅的藝術裝置。我起初腦袋笨笨，誤以為藝術家是繪本畫家，弄清楚後才曉得原來藝術家是「龍鱗裝」書本裝幀技術的承傳人， 「龍鱗裝」始自唐朝中葉，每頁書紙如龍鱗般粘貼在底紙上，由於技術已失傳，張曉棟祗能靠參考北京故宮博物館的唯一藏品自學研製，歷時兩年完成首本「龍鱗裝」畫，另外四年製成此本紅樓夢。我隨即試試此揭頁法，感受到即使不靠什麼新科技，也可對古代文人閱讀習慣、服飾、慢板生活節奏有點點體會。

畫廊： 芳草地當代藝術   藝術家網址 (按此）
http://www.sinsinfineart.com/zhang-xiaodong.html

Nicole暢談夢境變藝術

藝術家 Nicole Wassall 與她的藝妓作品 -《Flying Geisha Girl - Pure Geisha》2014

有些藝術家創作前埋首於研究大量資料，有些藝術家則天馬行空，甚至發一場夢便出一個作品。來自倫敦的Nicole Wassell 對夢境特別珍視，她早年畢業於腦神經科(Neuroscience)，認為夢境反映心靈狀況，並經常將夢境放進作品中，《Flying Geisha Girl - Pure Geisha》是一個夢中的畫面：穿和服及撐著傘子的藝妓飛馳於葛飾北斎(Katsushika Hokusai)所畫的巨浪上，然而卻被圍困於一個四方形的透視空間內。

藝術家 Nicole Wassall 作品《Remembrance》2017

另一裝置《Remembrance》則仿照珠寶店的陳列品，小轉盤上呈現盛滿薄薄24 Karat 金頁的小瓶子，金頁用來隱喻未能忘懷、情節卻不斷隨日子流逝改變的夢境，當中蘊含各種彌足珍貴的愛恨情懷，甚至較名貴珠寶更為可貴。

畫廊： Fiumano Clase    藝術家網址 (按此）
https://www.fiumanoclase.com/artists/29-nicole-wassall/overview/

Art Basel HK 2018 top works and booths

Hong Kong is proud to present the celebrated 2018 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong (29-31 March) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). As the only Asia-Pacific centric premier art fair, almost half of the 248 participating galleries come from the Asia-Pacific region, with growing numbers of galleries from India and south-east Asia in addition to 24 local Hong Kong galleries. 

There is no doubt an escalating interest for galleries, no matter their place of origin, to show world-class art to the Asian buyers, as Asian sales account for 23% of the global sales in 2017, according to an annual art market report commissioned by Art Basel and UBS. In Hong Kong as an art hub, the optimistic art market outlook is fueled by the opening of H Queen's, aka "vertical gallery street", which is swiftly occupied by heavyweight tenants such as David Zwirner, Hauer & Wirth which just open to coincide with the art fair.

Art Basel Hong Kong is definitely a premium platform to present and access top-notched contemporary art ranging from established household names to emerging experimental artists.  Here's are my top picks as seen in the VIP preview. 

 TOP WORKS

 Shinji Ohmaki Liminal Air Space-Time, 2018

800 x 650 x 825 cm

Cloth, Fan, Light

Encounters

Exhibitor: Mind Set Art Center

Laure Prouvost Cooling System 1(for global warming), 2017

Glass, framed watercolour drawing, wood stick

235 x 50 x 50 cm 

Exhibitor: carlier gebauer 

Morgan Wong An Inch of Time; An Inch of Gold, 2018

Fake Gold Watches, LED texts, concrete, gold

350 x 500 x 450cm 

Discovery 

Exhibitor: A+ Contemporary 

Louise Bourgeois Cell (Choisy II), 1955

Pink marble, steel, mirrors

216.5 x 194.3 x 198.8cm

Exhibitor: Hauser & Wirth

Erwin Wurm One Minute Sculpture, 2000-2018

Size variable

Mixed media

Encounters 

Exhibitor: Lehmann Maupin, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Konig Galerie

Hajime Sorayama Sexy Robot_life size standing model_A, 2016

Fibreglass reinforced plastics, iron, silver and gold plating airbrush paint, LED neon light

H1820 x W600 x D600 mm

Exhibitor: NANZUKA

Subodh Gupta Start.Stop., 2008

Conveyor belt, motors, stainless steel and brass utensils

157 x 420 cm

Exhibitor: Arario Gallery

Laure Prouvost Metal Women Pushing, 2017

Video and metal sculpture

205 x 80x 85 cm

Exhibitor:  Lisson Gallery

Kulim Kim Yin and Yang 4-S 357, 2004

Mixed media on wood panel

30 x 23 cm

Kabinett

Exhibitor:  Arario Gallery

Pablo Bronstein Town, 2017

Digital Work, 4 Channels, Continuous loop

121.4 x 273.4 cm

Exhibitor: Galleria Franco Noero

 TOP BOOTHS

White Space Beijing - Beijing

The Drawing Room - Manila

OTA Fine Arts - Tokyo

David Zwirner - New York, Hong Kong, London

Take Ninagawa - Tokyo

OMR - Mexico City

Societe - Berlin

Galerie Lelong - Paris New York

Victoria Miro - London

Hauser & Wirth - Zurich, London, Somerset, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong

INTERVIEW: FIUMANO CLASE AT ART CENTRAL HONG KONG

Art Central @ Hong Kong 

Art Central Hong Kong has returned to the iconic Victoria Harbourside for its highly anticipated fourth edition. Staged from 27 March - 1 April 2018 (VIP day 26 March), the fair features 103 galleries showcasing a broad range of works by emerging and more established contemporary artists. 

The six-day extravaganza caters to avid collectors and art lovers alike. Film and performance art, interactive installations, and a fascinating talks programme foster discourse surrounding contemporary art practices. Around a quarter of participating galleries are from regions other than Asia-Pacific. 

I interviewed Francesca Fiumano, co-director of new London-based gallery Fiumano Clase, which is presenting exciting pieces in booth D14.

Andres Clase and Francesca Fiumano at Art Central HK

Congratulations to Fiumano Clase on making its Art Central HK debut this year even though you had shown here as Orion Contemporary in 2017 and Fiumano Projects in 2015 before the two entities came together. What do you find particularly attractive about Art Central HK?
 

Art fairs are always challenging. We feel the vibe around this fair remarkably positive. In previous years we've met excellent collectors who have bought from us and then came back. We are very optimistic this trend will continue. We hope this year will be great if not better than in the past. Of course, there are other fairs, but we are not as sure about them.

Sam Burford  The Godfather
C- Type Print, Diasec
83 x 180 cm

Guests holding an Art Basel VIP Pass are welcome to drop by Art Central for free.  Do you find the overlap between Art Basel HK and a younger fair showcasing work at a lower price point such as Art Central beneficial? 

I call Art Central the sexy younger sister of Art Basel and more of a 'discovery' show. We have opportunities to show new, edgy works that push the boundaries of contemporary art. Whereas Art Basel offers all these wonderful things, its artists are often all too familiar.

Installation View at Art Central booth

What is the ethos of Fiumano Clase?
 

We want to be a brave gallery recognised by our identity and our choice of contemporary artists. Andrés (co-founder of Fiumano Clase) and I both studied classical art history, and we are interested not just in the visual aspects of the work but also the position of the artist in art history. We only work with artists we are proud to show and those we like to work along with. When I meet an artist and the first time I see their work, my first question is, Do I want it? The next is, Do I know anybody who wants it? It's about really believing in the work we show.

Tell us about the artists and some of the highlights you are showcasing at the fair.

We have selected four artists we think to work well together. Herman Lohe and Joakim Allgulander, both previously from Andrés's gallery, come from Sweden and their tranquil nature-inspired paintings are showcased alongside a challenging installation by Nicole Wassall and the conceptual photography of Sam Burford.

Herman Lohe Untitled Night, 2015
Oil on canvas
193 x 183 cm

Installation View at Art Central booth

Here, this installation entitled Channelling Baroness Von DaDa by Nicole is a triptych paying homage to Baroness Von Freytag-Loringhoven whom, there is sufficient evidence to suggest, if not the real artist, was at least a collaborator of the famous urinal artwork of Marcel Duchamp in 1917. The installation poses the question of how female artists have been overlooked by the art world, how they are not given credit and are frequently ignored in the history of art.

Nicole Wassell  Remembrance, 2017
Blackboard paint, Stemple Black paint, 24
Karat gold leaf, glass specimen jar & brass
107 x 36 cm

Nicole Wassell  Channelling Baroness Von DaDa, 2017

Nicole Wassell and her works

Flying Geisha Girl - Pure Geisha, 2014
Hand-finished silkscreen on Somerset 100%
cotton rag paper
112 x 76 cm

Nicole Wassell and her works

Installation View at Art Central booth

Sam Burford, who is now doing a Ph.D. at Chelsea College of Art & Design, works on the classic movie and is fascinated with the process of watching images on a screen and the way our eyes read different colors and light. He starts by producing time-lapse photographs of cinematic time using specially constructed cameras. From here, the artist employs techniques to generate ‘portraits’ of iconic movies. In Citizen Kane, he has taken styrofoam and cut a replica of the photographic image, turning the flat medium of cinema into a 3D object.

Sam Burford, Citizen Kane. Image courtesy of Fiumano Clase

How do you balance the commercial pressures of showing at the fair?
 

When you are working in a booth like this which is around 40m2, the whole concept is to show the identity of the gallery alongside the character of the artists in a harmonious way, rather than a jarring way. Aesthetically, we try to make combinations – the more tranquil paintings, the contemporary photography, challenging installations, and difficult works – our four artists represent the ethos of our gallery as well. Realistically, we have an accessible price point; here our most expensive piece is Herman Lohe’s Untitled Night, priced US $17,000.

Francesca Fiumano with Sam Burford's The Godfather

Has 'local taste' come into play in the selection process of your Art Central HK artists? For instance, do you find that the HK market finds specific types of work particularly appealing, and how does this differ to what you would select for a London fair?

I don't believe collectors of a nation or area are homogenous. Each time we prepare an exhibition in a different country, we consider which artists will work well together. I think each collector's taste is very individual. Indeed it's tough to pinpoint a distinct style that any one nation, area or city particularly likes. At Fiumano Clase we work hard to understand what each collector's taste is. Through time, the collectors we deal with tend to have a similar interest in art as us.

Has your customer base expanded after your participation in Art Central? Who would you say is your target market in HK and what are its tastes?
 

The majority of our clients are European because we are based in the UK, and London is a superb hub for art. Yes, now Art Central increases our customer base. The customer split here is about half expatriates and half locals. In 2015, we sold to a gentleman from Macau, a gentleman from Shanghai, and a gentleman from Hong Kong. For us, it is more an HK market than the Asian market.
Regarding the demographics, you can never tell. To our surprise, Sam’s classic movie photography is appealing to the locals and not just the expats. We’ll say art taste is not a science!