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People are being invited to visit an amusement park filled with weird yet cute animals at the Exhibition Gallery of Kwai Tsing Theatre until February 5.
The exhibition, "Kwai Tsing Amusement Park and Xinhua Animal Hunt - Sculptures by Wong Tin-yan", features a series of animal cartoon sculptures including giraffe, crocodile, horse, ox, tortoise and frog, giving visitors a new concept about sculptural art.
A selection of Wong's works will be on display at Xinhua Book City from February 7 to 22. This is also one of the fringe programmes of the Hong Kong Art Biennial 2005.
Unlike traditional sculptures that seek the highest standard of integrity, beauty and timelessness, the works of Wong Tin-yan take on an unusual form, with a raw and rough texture. The materials he uses in his creation are not marble, bronze or steel, but pallets that are seen everywhere, often discarded. Though a cheap kind of wood, pallets are close to our daily lives, and the lines and spots on the wood are marks of unique experience.
In contrast to the weathered appearance of the pallets, Wong's works of ten look funny and humorous. To name a few, the idea of "Horses", came from jargon used by the triad societies; a "Hare", that makes vulgar gestures; "Monkey", with a knife scar on its face; and a "Tortoise", that opens its mouth but with no arms and legs. They all have a witty face and a personality, and a name that bears connotation to Hong Kong-style slang. This tension between friendliness and roughness runs in contrast to our established concepts about sculpture.
Making use of the useless is not a new creative technique. Yet the touch of local culture about Wong's works is the inspirations behind them - the assembling concepts and the methods of display and maintenance. Based on experiences from his own childhood, Wong used various skills to fit his works into the small and narrow spaces in Hong Kong.
The exhibition, fourth of the Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme III, is organised by the Art Promotion Office (APO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Free guided tours will be offered to the public and school groups. For bookings, contact the Community Art Team of the APO on 3101 2712 or 3101 2713.
To learn more about the artist and his work, visit the APO's website: www.artistneighbourhood.info.
The Kwai Tsing Theatre is located at 12 Hing Ning Road, Kwai Chung. The Exhibition Gallery is open from 10am to 8pm and will close at 5.30pm on Chinese New Year's Eve. It is closed on the first two days of Chinese New Year. The Xinhua Book City is located at 1 Leighton Road, Hong Kong and is open from 11am to 9pm. Admission is free for the exhibition.
Ends/Friday, January 20, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:01
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