Touch the Historical City: Torino
From Everyday Objects to Eternity Key words
Circle, Sun, history, shape, river, time, horizontal line, vertical line, triangle, water, perpendicular, stone, feather, light, city, street, road, directions, brick, buildings, mountain, church, columns, square, door, fire, house, mirror, shadow, light, heat, safety, electricity, energy, communication, songs, friends, Moon, flowers, food, protection, number, sequence, books, language, distance, boundary, death, body, touch... |
Statement
This is a box to record my life and thinking while I was living in Turin between 12/Oct – 2/Nov. The house was built in the center of the Turin. I walked outward everyday, in different directions, until touching the boundary of the city. I think this is a way to have a more complete vision on Turin. After a week, I found a major characteristic in this city: It is very difficult to get lost in Turin. Then I initiated my first project: Lost in Toino. It is a game to play with the city planners and designers, and also my memory and survival instinct.
The PO River, which is nearby my house, inspired me a lot on my artwork. The flowing water always bring me to think of life, time, history, status of a man… The second week, I focused on the River and the environment beside it. I touch the water and use the water to make some artworks, such as the video work "Historical Shape" and "Triangle"...
The process of living in the green house itself is an artwork. It is a “living sculpture” made by Diogene group artists. I am one of the “living elements” in their sculpture. Start form light and heat, I need to learn about every basic needs of a human being. I need to build up my habits. I need protection and friendship. It is the evident of my living. It also includes some artwork on my daily life.
The Open Studio will be on 5:00pm of 30/Oct. |
Pak Sheung Chuen |  Pak Sheung Chuen was born in Fujian (China) in 1977. He immigrated to Hong Kong at 7 years old. He lives and works in Hong Kong now. Pak is a conceptual and performance artist who is well known as a regular visual art columnist in a local newspaper “Mingpao”. His artwork is conceptual, poetic and humor. Each artwork is a deep thought on everyday life. He was awarded an Overseas Exchange Prize (Chinese Performance Art) from Macao Museum of Art in 2005. He got the Lee Hysan Foundation Fellowship in 2006 from Asian Cultural Council supporting him to work in New York. He published 2 books: Odd One In: Hong Kong Diary and See Walk What on 1 July.
| | 1977 Born in Fujian, China.1984 Immigrated into Hong Kong. 2002 Graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, B.A., Major in Fine Arts, Minor in Theology. 2002 Setup the“2nd Floor 5 Sons Studio”in Fotan with 4 classmates.2003 Started to pose artworks on Mingpao Daily Newspaper. 2004 Columnist of the (Sunday) Mingpao (明報) Daily Newspaper (until 2006). 2005 Published 2 books: "See Walk What on 1 July" and "Odd One In: Hong Kong Diary". Won an Oversea Exchange Prize in the exhibition: "Inward Gazes–Documentaries of Chinese Performance Arts"(2005) Oversea Exchange Prize, Macao Museum of Art. 2006 Participated in a number of oversea exhibitions, such as “Busan Biennale 2006”. Awarded the Lee Hysan Foundation Fellowship (12 months in USA) of Asian Cultural Council. 2007 ISCP residency in New York
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| Breathing in a House Hong Kong artist Pak Sheung Chuen’s installation is the outcome of his stay in an average two person flat (6.7m x 2.7m x 2.2m) in Busan. The artist lived in the small apartment for as long as he took to collect the air that fills this place. Breathing air into transparent plastic bags he left the place when all of them filled up the space. The work is a performative investigation into the everyday living situation of the place of the Biennial as well as a sculpturally investigation into the air-space which is defined as the negative space of the place. |
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| The Horizon Placed at Home Victoria Harbor,Hong Kong. I drew a horizontal line on the map of Victoria Harbor. The horizontal line went through five coasts. I collect a bottle of seawater from every coast. The seawater is of the same height. I put the five bottles of seawater at home. A horizon emerged.(08.09.2004). |
| | |  | Waiting for a Friend (without Appointment)
Kowloon Tong MTR Station 29.12.2006 (12:47-16:38) Without appointment, I selected a place to wait for a friend. This time, Jacky appeared at 16:38. He asked me, “Why do you know I will walk through there?” I told him, “I don’t know… But I have waited you for a long time!”. 29.12.2006 (12:47-16:38) Jacky. |
| |  | Miracle of $132.30 I bought 8 items from supermarket and got a bill. If you read all the second word of each item name, from top to bottom, you will discover something extraordinary. (Answer translated in English: Whoever believes in him should… have eternal life. John 3:16)(13.11.2003 12:46, Shatin CRC Supermarket, Hong Kong). |
| | |  | Valleys Trip Map (1:10.000 / Edition 2006-1) Period: 27-28/2, 1-2/3, 5/3/2007 I opened a map book. Then, I walked along all the gaps* between the left pages and the right pages in it, from the south to the north Tokyo. The pages are arched like 2 mountains and the gap is craved in like a valley. I stood and took photos at every points that were crossed the valleys. |
| |  | A Little Flower for the Passer-by I arranged five one-dollar coins into the shape of a flower and placed them at the street corner. Then I drew it a twig and leaf and date (as a mark), waiting for those “in need” to pick them up. The one who picked them up would be like to receive a flower. The twig and leaf and date would remain, as well as the feeling of luck and blessing.(07/01/2005). |
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2008
