Fine Art

Artist Parade Marks Hong Kong's Fair Week With S&M, Mock ProtestPublished: May 24, 2013HONG KONG — A woman in a scarlet dress walks along the waterfront in Hong Kong while being whipped with belts by men dressed in black. We are at “Paper Rain,” a parade organized by musician Arto Lindsay in collaboration with various artists for the launch of Art Basel in Hong Kong on May 23.  The parade route followed the waterfront path from Central pier to the government headquarters at Tamar Park. The woman would was voluntarily undergoing corporal punishment during the performance is Hong Kong artist Angela Su, known for her high pain threshold — she previously underwent a procedure for an elaborate ink-less tattoo on her back for her series “The Hartford Girl and Other Stories” (a portrait of her marked back is on display at Hong Kong Eye). During the parade, Su marched along with the procession while being subjected to humiliating and punishing acts. At one point the artist held out her arm for her “lover” to put out his cigarette on it. Su hardly flinched from the pain. All this took place while contemporary dancers tumbled in the background and a rickshaw puller danced along to the beat of music blasting from boomboxes. The effect was a surreal and rather melancholy parade, dwarfed by the grand setting of Hong Kong’s waterfront and the monumental government headquarters buildings, a sensitive location for a parade as many political protests take place around here. “This is the dead skin of a protest,” Lindsay told BLOUIN ARTINFO. “What we’re doing is like a political demonstration without content. It is a husk, like when the insect sheds its skin.” The musician held his first parade at Carnival in Brazil in 2004, a collaboration with artist Matthew Barney that became the first of a series of artist parades that Lindsay has since organized around the world. Living and working in Brazil for many years, Lindsay is informed by the procession of trio elétricos that roll through the streets of Bahia every Carnival. Like the floats of Brazil, the artists of Hong Kong’s “Paper Rain” created performances that connect allegorically. Nadim Abbas fabricated foam barricades for his section. Modeled after actual barricades from the streets of Hong Kong, the jokey, oversized blocks were strapped to the backs of participants who enacted choreography, their color scheme (red and white) echoing with Su’s tragic scarlet-clad protagonist in an uncanny contrast of subjugation and subversion. João Vasco Paiva conducted a loudspeaker orchestra, improvising a noise soundtrack from the squawkish feedback of the loudspeaker and his own muffled mumblings. Nearby, an old woman with purple hair moved a pushcart carrying posters for artist Korakrit Arunanodcha.  Most iconic of all are the red and green rickshaws chosen to transport Shane Aspegren’s “Roaming Boom Boxes Sound Tracks.” The choice of this tired symbolism was borne mostly out of necessity, according to Lindsay. Motorized vehicles are not allowed along the route of the parade, so the next best thing was to hire out the rickshaws. He is also exploring the commercialized imagery of Hong Kong as a perfect meeting of history and modernity. “I like this painful postcard image of Hong Kong, and not making it this cool thing,” says Lindsay. To see images of “Paper Rain,” click on the slideshow.

"Fraud (the principal cause of retractions, which are up roughly tenfold since 1975) is not a new phenomenon, but digital manipulation and distribution tools have increased the spread and impact of science, both faulty and legitimate, beyond the confines of the ivory tower."...

"The American system produces the greatest storytellers. In a globalized market, it is the storytelling that wins. The scripts, the production value, the storytelling is how, was, is and always will be the solution to such problems."...

"People were saying: 'I find I can't even have this conversation about equality in the art world' because so many people think it's already been achieved. Because figures like Tracey Emin have defied the statistics, their rare success misleads people into thinking women get an equal shot."...

"We've seen our sales [of single-author collections] decline by over a quarter in the past year, and our sales have halved in the past five years."...

"A violin thought to be the one played by the band leader of the Titanic as it sank has been declared genuine following a CT scan at a hospital."...

For instance, it could make reference to local places which would differ depending on where in the world you were. Or it would mention weather conditions that were dependent on what was happening in the real world - such as replacing the phrase "it's sunny outside" with "it's raining"....

"For example, Time Warner could launch a movie series based on a character you created and not owe you a dime. While the terms state that you retain the copyright, you also give Amazon an exclusive license to your original work and Amazon in turn licenses your work to Time Warner in a license that provides nothing for you."...

"Concerns about the number and scale of museums raised issues about the capacity for an industry-wide restructure, integrated collections and even the possibility of a moratorium on new museum construction for two to five years."...

Asia Contemporary Art Show, Hong Kong's Cool Satellite Hotel Fair Published: May 24, 2013HONG KONG – There are no immaculate white walls at the Asia Contemporary Art Show, nor are the big-ticket art pieces like Andy Warhol’s contemporary silkscreens or Damien Hirst’s provocative installations present. Exhibition booths are substituted with hotel suites at the JW Marriott, where paintings and photographs hang. Some rest on beds and by the windowsills, or are propped up by wine glasses. Many even lean against bathroom mirrors near mini bars. Each hotel room conjures an intimate viewing experience at the show and there is something special about looking at artworks with Hong Kong’s skyline as a backdrop. It is also in this somewhat quirky setting that you might find hidden art gems and surprises, often with wallet-friendly price tags at around HK$20,000 (around $2,500) “I think being the leading satellite fair at this time of year is a great opportunity for both galleries and visitors,” said Mark Saunderson, director of Asia Contemporary Art Show. “They get to experience the glitz of Art Basel and also visit the more engaging, intimate, and fun atmosphere of Asia Contemporary Art Show.” Back for its second edition, the Asia Contemporary Art Show is one of the top satellite events of Art Basel in Hong Kong this year and has grown in size and expanded to a three-day event, hosting over 70 galleries from 16 countries including France, Spain, Korea, the U.S., Australia and, of course, Hong Kong. It runs from May 24 to 26 and spreads over four hotel floors. The fair aims to promote works by young, emerging, and mid-career artists with affordable art pieces. The Gallery Eumundi from Australia, for example, has brought along a series of paintings on music and dance by Madeleine Ekeblad. The artist and her works, which are inspired by free musical rhythm and fluid choreographs (priced from HK$15,800 to HK$38,500 — $2,000 to $5,000), are new to the Hong Kong audience. “I think it’s quite edgy and funky [to exhibit in a hotel room]” said Karen Beardsley of the Gallery Eumundi, who is exhibiting in Hong Kong for the first time. “It’s a bit of a gamble I suppose because it’s our first time here, but we’re very excited and hopefully there is a good mix of people here.” Indeed, at the VIP preview on May 23, guests filled the hotel floors and crowded out the 74 participating galleries. Of the 2,000 art pieces being showcased here, a majority of them are paintings, while some notable artworks are also available. At the VIP view, the crowd-pleasers included works by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at suite 2803, Ai Weiwei at 2704, Pipp Todd Warmoth at suite 3023, and Sanzi at 2807. The show is also playing host to the Hong Kong Art Prize, for which an emerging local artist is awarded for his or her submitted work. This year, 26-year-old Jims Lam Chi Hang won HK$80,000 ($10,000) for his painting “Beacon, Sheung Wan Hours - 01.05,” which is now showcased alongside a selection of shortlisted works at the Wheellock Gallery in Queensway, Admiralty until June 2. “Asia Contemporary Art Show,” May 24 to May 26 at the JW Marriott Hotel. Tickets are available here at HK$240.