A trip to Fo Tan in the new territories last Saturday revealed that cultural production does exist in Hong Kong! The Fotanian 2009 Artists Open Studios (http://www.fotanian.com/events.php) was a refreshing reminder of the importance of artistic community.
Fo Tan is an industrial hamlet located about half an hour by train into the new territories where artists have been living and working since 2001. Reminiscent of early Williamsburg or the Brewery in LA, Fo Tan is home to the studios of 170 artists (A handful of well-known local artists as well as recent art school graduates) who live and/or work in light-industrial warehouse spaces.
Studios too numerous to be covered in one trip doubled as galleries for the weekend. We visited fewer than half the participating spaces and saw some interesting work.
Studio Biblioteque presented a drawing show that included hand drawn personal maps by Hong Kong artist Ho Sin Tung (hosintung.com) and stop-motion animated graffiti by Singapore artist Joo Choon Lin. On another floor, Man Fug-yi presented a series of sculptures of welded ‘clothing’, which despite being constructed of 1/8” steel and copper, appeared to drape delicately over invisible figural forms.
Perhaps more interesting than the art was the scene: hundreds of people streaming from floor to floor in building after building, trudging up stairwells, packing elevators, lining up outside studios to enter the small spaces and see (and take tons of photos of) the art. The vibe was laid-back. One space welcomed the crowds with a raucous guitar/piano/violin trio. Another was playing Arcade Fire (sniff…very W’burg).
Walking through the industrial hallways from studio to studio, I imagined the place at night, empty except for a few artists breaking to share a cigarette, music pumping through the stairwells, food cooking on hotplates and the sense that something important is being created.
In this city that serves as the marketplace for some of the most expensive (and often overblown) artwork in Asia, it is reassuring to see that a base of creativity exists and to hope that the work made there, the conversations in the hallways late at night, will one day dictate what moves through the clean, well-lighted spaces of Hollywood Road.
This so clearly belongs in a publication. Seriously. Fascinating, informed, perceptive, descriptive peak into the hk art world. I think you should try to publish it, offer to be a stringer for asian art scene for art mag or for travel & leisure for newspaper. If it would interest you, of course. Love hte posts! Keep them coming! (love you, more!)
ooooh. so good to read all this juicy flesh! catchin up with you is nice….
mb