PRESS RELEASE
5 May 2007, Hong Kong
"Autobiobliophiles: Artists who make or use books"
Studio Bibliothèque
27 May - 3 Jun 2007
Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book.
- Stephane Mallarme
Autobiobliophiles: Artists who make or use books is an exhibition of book art by 28 contemporary artists from various leading cities in the world, namely, New York, California, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore. It will be held at the newly established Studio Bibliothèque in Hong Kong during 27 May – 3 Jun 2007.
Among the convergences across creative fields that have resurged in recent times is the phenomenon of artists who make or use books. Yet book art continues to occupy a niche position that both extends and departs from more conventional art and publishing practices in terms of creation and reception. Firstly, book art provides a platform on which all kinds of collaboration across the disciplines of art, design and literature may ensue. Consequently, its creation may involve processes shared by or exclusive to artists, writers and publishers such as drawing, painting, photography, writing, printing, binding, exhibition and distribution. Secondly, given its often limited editions, experimental forms and design, the reception of book art may be located on a continuum of private reading in one's personal space to more auratic experiences in the conventional public museum / gallery settings, whilst it may just as possibly be presented as a wall work (e.g., pages of the book framed and hung on walls), sculpture (displayed on plinths), installation (taking up entire exhibitional spaces), as it is in its more bibliographic settings (e.g., in library, on shelves, tables).
As a neologism of “autobiography” (the writing of one's life) and “bibliophiles” (people with special affections for books), the exhibition’s main title Autobiobliophiles brings to focus the varied ways of constructing and consuming the book in the artist's production of self. It addresses the questions: How does the self (re)produce as/in a book? How does one remember, imagine or record aspects of one's life through the book form?
Hot on the heels of the recurrent bird flu in Hong Kong is the impending 'book flu epidermic', consisting of a wide range of autobiographical bookworks exploring mundane and controversial subthemes like love, sex, fiction, biography, tradition, family, travel, writing, solitude, language and war. Among the works are: Tom PHILLIPS' intervention to a victorian novel, James R HOLDSWORTH's throngs of paper aeroplanes flying out of a book, ZHENG Bo's video-and-book installation on his family, Shubigi RAO's pseudo-biography, Michael LEE Hong Hwee's treatise on love, Heman CHONG's science fiction, MAI Ren-jie's Sino-kamasutra, Amy CHAU's almost entirely blanked out diary, the duo DUTTON & SWINDELL's collaborative confessionals, and Reiko KISHIMOTO's dictionary on being a professional foreigner. They fall into one of three categories of audience/reader interaction: offset prints which may be freely browsed by hand; limited editions that require handling through gloves; and finally, the sculptural and installational pieces that are to be viewed but not touched. They are variously presented on walls, plinths, tables, shelves or as part of installations and videos.
This exhibition is the first in the Things artists do… series of exhibition-cum-publication projects addressing the gap in the onslaught of survey projects dealing with theme (e.g, travel) and art form (e.g., video), by focusing on the action and being of artists, e.g., artists who make models, conduct interviews, tell stories, scream, kiss, cry etc… as significant aspect of their practice. This exhibition is part of Fotan Open Studios, organized in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary and graduation show of the Department of Fine Arts in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It is the inaugural exhibition of the newly established Studio Bibliothèque, the work space of artist Michael Lee Hong Hwee, which facilitates experiments in making, writing, curating and learning.
Venue:
Studio Bibliothèque
Room 1812, Block B,
Wah Luen Industrial Centre,
15-21 Wong Chuk Yeung Street,
Fo Tan, New Territories,
Hong Kong
As a neologism of “autobiography” (the writing of one's life) and “bibliophiles” (people with special affections for books), the exhibition’s main title Autobiobliophiles brings to focus the varied ways of constructing and consuming the book in the artist's production of self. It addresses the questions: How does the self (re)produce as/in a book? How does one remember, imagine or record aspects of one's life through the book form?
Hot on the heels of the recurrent bird flu in Hong Kong is the impending 'book flu epidermic', consisting of a wide range of autobiographical bookworks exploring mundane and controversial subthemes like love, sex, fiction, biography, tradition, family, travel, writing, solitude, language and war. Among the works are: Tom PHILLIPS' intervention to a victorian novel, James R HOLDSWORTH's throngs of paper aeroplanes flying out of a book, ZHENG Bo's video-and-book installation on his family, Shubigi RAO's pseudo-biography, Michael LEE Hong Hwee's treatise on love, Heman CHONG's science fiction, MAI Ren-jie's Sino-kamasutra, Amy CHAU's almost entirely blanked out diary, the duo DUTTON & SWINDELL's collaborative confessionals, and Reiko KISHIMOTO's dictionary on being a professional foreigner. They fall into one of three categories of audience/reader interaction: offset prints which may be freely browsed by hand; limited editions that require handling through gloves; and finally, the sculptural and installational pieces that are to be viewed but not touched. They are variously presented on walls, plinths, tables, shelves or as part of installations and videos.
This exhibition is the first in the Things artists do… series of exhibition-cum-publication projects addressing the gap in the onslaught of survey projects dealing with theme (e.g, travel) and art form (e.g., video), by focusing on the action and being of artists, e.g., artists who make models, conduct interviews, tell stories, scream, kiss, cry etc… as significant aspect of their practice. This exhibition is part of Fotan Open Studios, organized in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary and graduation show of the Department of Fine Arts in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It is the inaugural exhibition of the newly established Studio Bibliothèque, the work space of artist Michael Lee Hong Hwee, which facilitates experiments in making, writing, curating and learning.
Venue:
Studio Bibliothèque
Room 1812, Block B,
Wah Luen Industrial Centre,
15-21 Wong Chuk Yeung Street,
Fo Tan, New Territories,
Hong Kong
Opening:
1500h, Sun, 27 May 2007
Exhibition dates:
Sun, 27 May - 3 Jun 2007
Opening hours:
1500 – 2000h daily
Admission:
Free
Artists:
Alexis HY
Ambrose ANG
Amy CHAU Cheuk-ying
Andrew GUTHRIE
AU Hoi Lam
Chihoi
AU Hoi Lam
Chihoi
Darrell LIM
DUTTON & SWINDELLS
Embassy Projects
DUTTON & SWINDELLS
Embassy Projects
Heman CHONG
James R HOLDSWORTH
Jenny HOLZER
Joey LEUNG
K AOKI
James R HOLDSWORTH
Jenny HOLZER
Joey LEUNG
K AOKI
KONG Kee
Lilpinkdevil
Lilpinkdevil
MAI Ren-jie
Map Office
Map Office
Michael C NICHOLSON
Michael LEE Hong Hwee
Reiko KISHIMOTO
Sabrina KOH
Shubigi RAO
Terence LIN
Michael LEE Hong Hwee
Reiko KISHIMOTO
Sabrina KOH
Shubigi RAO
Terence LIN
Tom PHILLIPS
Tozer PAK
Vertical Submarine
ZHENG Bo
Curator:
Michael LEE Hong Hwee
Contact:
(+852) 92497199
Tozer PAK
Vertical Submarine
ZHENG Bo
Curator:
Michael LEE Hong Hwee
Contact:
(+852) 92497199
(+65) 96843200
Nothing Ever Happens (one of the spreads) I don't need a man to be a woman (detail view) Acrylic on found book, 17 x 11 x 3cm Sabrina KOH, 2005 Untitled (installation view) Odd One In: Hong Kong Diary (cover design) Mixed-media assemblage, 75 x 37.5cm
Laser print and ink on paper, Various sizes
Darrell LIM, 2006
Pseudoscience in suitcase & on table, Variable sizes
Shubigi RAO, 2005-6 
The Writer (cover design)Comic album, Ink on paper, 16 x 10.5cm, 62pp.Chihoi, 1997
Notebook (2004-2005 M.B.) (Spread view)Pencil and pen on exercise book, 20.5 x 33cmAU Hoi Lam, 2004-2005
Offset print
Tozer PAK, 2005
Storeys/Stories (series of 7)
Mixed-media objects, 24.5 x 26.5 x 5cm each
Terence LIN, 2004
Poem at 45 rpmAndrew GUTHRIE, 2002
Family History Textbook
Video-cum-book installation, 26min
ZHENG Bo, 2005
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