20140524
20140514
薄如空氣的城市精神
早前參加了由WYNG foundation舉辦的WYNG Masters Award，作品再有在香港及媒體的展示機會。對城市空氣的陳述，應該不單是指涉空氣污染；還有文化傳播的空氣，新聞自由的空氣，知識承傳的空氣，城市精神的空氣？這裡是WYNG Masters Award的網頁連結，下面是今次的簡略作品介紹文字：
最後一渺
薄如空氣，眼睛看不見，但我們都知道空氣的存在。城市的空氣，廣義的理解，可就是「城市的精神」，看不見的，但卻是最確實的存活。
香港自九七年回歸十六年以來，經歷多次百年一遇的厄困。香港人每次皆視之為末日到臨。九七以後屈指數算，高官問責制、母語教學、亞州金融風暴、沙士、七一遊行、雷曼事件、金融海嘯、匯豐供股、禽流感、國民教育、空氣質素、城市光害……香港人到了今天，如果真有末日，就是「香港精神」的萎靡，看不見觸不到，卻在身旁消沉。
要是我在末日前看到香港的消失、白茫茫的最後光景，我希望不同階層的香港人活到最後的有限日子中，都能激勵意志，盡用餘下有限的生命，向這南中國的邊緣城市說句再見。
WYNG Masters Award
WYNG Masters Award 2013 Finalist - Lau Ching Ping WYNG大師攝影獎入圍攝影師 - 劉清平
| 展覽 4 - 16.5.2014, 11:00 - 19:00 |
| 香港理工大學賽馬會創新樓創新展廊三 Innovation Gallery 3, Podium, Jockey Club Innovation Tower School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
| 7 - 19.5.2014, 10:00 - 18:00 |
| 香港中環愛丁堡廣場3號展城館地下 *精選作品展 G/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central * Selected Works |
| Enquiry 6054 1207 |
為方便沒看過為初次展出文字陳述的朋友，這裡把舊文重貼一次。
給2013
如果你在閱讀這篇向後回望的文字，相信已經可以肯定的說明你已平安順利的度過了2012。
作為這個年代的香港人，再會因「末日」的理由作為題旨，無論是因為甚麼樣的事情，想起來自己也感到可笑，畢竟這許多許多年以來，我們每次都由差不多的事件因由而這樣嚇大的。不用說得太遠，從八十年代開始，朋友同學親戚爭相逃離香港，移居外地；爭取居英權；沒有想過或沒有能力離開的，心裡也著實掛著愧疚。九七回歸、董伯伯、母語教學、亞洲金融風暴；紐約九一一、高官問責制、沙士疫情、七一遊行、雷曼事件、金融海嘯、匯豐供股、禽流感傳播。我們都習慣了每次的「百年一遇」。歷史教導我們：今年今月今日遇到的危疾、災難、風暴難關，過了今天再說吧！
末日意識是每個香港人的遺傳基因，每天在腦內操練了幾百次的通識題目。有時讓人煩厭、有時感覺麻木。世故如我會原諒香港以外的世界，確實未曾跟香港有相同的歷練，「2012」畢竟是香港歷來水準以下的末日題材。商業上甚至比情人節或聖誕節更炒不起、更沒市場。
我想我和鄧凝姿都是典型香港人，沒有在世界完結之前，為自己先作打算。沒有先在時間大限之前，我們竟然每月為個人創作的瑣事而會面，沒有比這種不切實際的行動，讓我感覺到自己更像一個見慣風浪的香港人。
拍攝這系列照片時，想象著香港每個飽歷風霜的各個階層人物，在不同的城市角落，為曾經有過生活或文明的痕跡留下印記；當然你會問那誰會最後留下？誰是觀眾？如果你在當下，那正好就是你吧！
拍攝時我在想象著特首辦公的地點，想象著他觀看維多利亞港的視線，拍下他最後見到的香港景象。他最後看到的是西九的對岸？還是剛建成瀰漫著退伍軍人魂魄的政府大樓？想象在大埔道的巴士司機，看到象征著文明進步的高壓電纜；在濾水廠的專業人員、在草地足球場旁的球迷、在公屋居屋豪庭的家庭主婦、在天星碼頭孤獨的推銷員、在海洋公園旁的導遊、在青馬橋下的婚紗攝影師、在沙灘等待陽光流動的小學同學。我架起三腳架，拉開鏡頭，從磨沙玻璃望著倒轉的影像，玻璃的表面反映著另一個身後的光影。裸眼凝視對焦放大鏡再望入磨沙玻璃；對應學習繪畫時，架起畫架，拿著畫筆、眯起眼睛：觀看世界、觀看世界的透視、比例、結構和形態。在創作繪畫最初眯起眼睛的觀看，白濛濛的模糊景觀，竟然跟世界終結時的想象不謀而合，剎那爆發的光芒讓人一樣張不起眼睛。
層層交疊的景象最容易築起感性的觸覺，但形而上的意識又無不跟現實和生活交纏。創作的交談每次都從抽象的想象重返人間，或者每次希望探索宇宙的感性飛船從來都沒有發射成功，每次離地昇空都在空中忽然墮地。事故原因不離無意想到城市生活的空氣、教育、文化。
告別的年代：告別繁體中文字和廣東話、告別香港電影電視節目、最後的兩位廣東歌作詞人、醫院床位、嬰兒奶粉、食物安全、東江水、白海豚的消亡。取而持續發展的是跟香港人無關的民望調查、空喊口號的政治人物、讓康樂成為文化的民政事務局、大學的保安和學術自由的新定義、有自由行自駕遊、有消費和市場成為所有出版作業的核心價值……
如果抱著豁達而積極的態度，大可以說過程比結果來得重要，珍惜每天為生命的最後一天。作為香港人，好像只有沒設日期的告別和沒有限期的末日。每天都是最後，明天不會比今天更好。
我不知道每次的世界末日，能留下的存活率是多少；先要感謝勇敢的鄧凝姿願意和我完成此難得的創作機會。
在電腦螢幕顯現的菲林底片掃描的微塵，比起窗前的天狼星還要大和明亮；想象光速飛行十六年從天狼星剎那往返人間，面前的微塵在意識排序上可能緲小得不復存在。正如現在的你在2013年回望那過去了的時間，大致已經可以忘記得七七八八了吧。
劉清平 2013
To 2013
If you are reading this exhibition epilogue, that means you had survived 2012 safe and sound.
People of Hong Kong that live in this era would still be writing something about world ends thing, no matter what is the reason behind, is a laughable matter. After all, we are being intimidated by this world ends thing from the day when we were born. Not so long ago, in the eighties, our relatives, friends flee for foreign land, fight for British nationality selection scheme. Those who did not plan to leave or did not have the ability to leave, left themselves a hole in their hearts. The return of sovereign right to China in 1997, Mr. Tung’s, mother tongue tutoring, Asian financial crisis. 911 New York, principal officials accountability system, SARS pandemic, 1st July rally, Lehman brothers, financial tsunami, HSBC share subscribe, bird flu contagion. We are so used to this ‘centennial level’ of incidents, so called crisis, for what history taught us is to let those fatal disease, bankruptcy and catastrophe be awaited, for tomorrow is another day !
Hong Kong people are already immune to this world ends syndrome, we have it inherited in our genes, despite that, we still get numb, get annoyed. We pardon those who do not have this kind of experience as we did, it’s just not the kind of experience that an average earthling should have. ‘2012’ is a bland subject for us, way beyond compared with Valentine’s Day or Christmas commercially. Stella and me are typical Hong Kong people. We committed ourselves monthly to discuss tedious matters of our exhibition, there’s no other kind of impractical behavior to make us feel more like : we have been there before.
When I employed myself in this series of photography, while imagining in every corner, every constant, the drained people of Hong Kong leave marks in their city, traces of their civilization. Of course, who will stay until the end ? Who’s the audience ? If you are alive, that would be you !
When I took the photographs of the new government buildings, I imagine the chief executive looking at the Victoria Harbour coastline, photographing the last glimpse of his vision of Hong Kong. Is he looking at the West Kowloon across the harbour ? Or the new government buildings that are haunted by the soul of the veterans ? Imagine the bus drivers when they drive pass Tai Po road, encounter the high voltage electric wire that symbolises civilization, or the professionals in the water treatment plant, the football fans in grass sports ground, the housewives in public housing or luxurious mansions, the lonely salesman at Star ferry pier, the tour guide outside Ocean Park, the wedding photographer underneath the Tsing Ma bridge, the school kids on the beach waiting the sun rays to flow. I set my tripod up, open the lens, seeing the inverted image through the ground glass, the glass surface review another reflection from behind. With naked eyes, I use the magnify glass head on with ground glass for viewing and focus; in relation to drawing, when you set up the easel, pen holding far reach for an arm length, narrow your eyes to view the perspective of world, the proportion, the structure and form in front of us. This narrowing of our eyes when we draw, the white and blur scenery coincide with the action when the world ends, the great explosion force our eyes to narrow down again so as not to pierce by its radiant light.
Layers and layers of images could easily arouse sensuality, on the other hand, metaphysical sense overlaps with reality. The creative dialogues repetitively bring abstract thinking back to our living self, or the spaceship for universe exploration never ever had a successful launch, she took off and then to be found fallen on the ground again. The reason behind the story never falls from the polluted city, education and culture. To the people of Hong Kong, we are forced into indifference, take it for granted already.
The time has come. Adieu, traditional Chinese characters and Cantonese, Hong Kong movies, television shows, the last two Cantonese lyricists, beds in hospitals, infant milk powder, food safety, Dongjiang water supply, the last China White dolphin. The replacement would be the political poll survey, politician and their propaganda, Home Affair Bureau thinks that recreation is top cultural priority. Academic freedom and university campus security were brought to an unprecedented level, the core value of publishing only rests on consumerism and marketing.
Live and be prosperous. The process is more important than the result. As people of Hong Kong, what we have is an undated goodbye, doomsday without timeline. Make every day the last day of your life, tomorrow is another no better day. I do not know, whenever there is a doomsday, how many people could survive. At this very moment, I sincerely thank the brave Stella for sharing with me this creative experience that has no past.
The dust from the scans of film negative shown on the monitor is the larger and brighter than the star Sirius hanging outside my window. Imagine to travel sixteen light years back from Sirius to earth, the conscience priority of the dust that rest on the monitor would be so minute as if it ceases to exist. When the thyself of 2013 look back to this very moment of your present self, you might as well forget it completely already.
20140428
WYNG masters award exhibition and talks
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| 4 - 16.5.2014, 11:00 - 19:00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Innovation Gallery 3, Podium, Jockey Club Innovation Tower School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 - 19.5.2014, 10:00 - 18:00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| G/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central (Closed on Tuseday) * Selected Works | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Enquiry 6054 1207 講座 (如欲參加講座，必先報名參加。) 4 May (Sun) 香港理工大學賽馬會創新樓3樓V322室 *大會提供粵語／英語即時傳譯
香港中環愛丁堡廣場3號展城館3樓會議室 *講座以英語進行
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Talks programme (Note: If you want to attend the talk, RSVP is required. Please click here to register.)
4 May (Sun)
V322, 3/F, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
* Simultaneous Interpretation will be available (English/Cantonese)
V322, 3/F, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
* Simultaneous Interpretation will be available (English/Cantonese)
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 11:45 – 13:00 | The Community: from mass participation to activist art | Abby Chen, Curator and Artistic Director at the Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco Louise Clements, Artistic Director of QUAD & FORMAT International Photography Festival Moderated by Gyun Hur, Artist and Professor at SCAD Hong Kong |
| 13:10 – 13:30 | The Big Mist performance | Gao Ling, WYNG Masters Award Finalist |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Symposium on Air Pollution | The Hon Cyd Ho Sau Lan, LegCO member Stephen Wong Yuen Shan, Chairman of Clean Air Network Tony Tsoi Tung Ho, Businessman/ Athlete Moderated by Danny Fung Chun Chiu, Associate Publisher of AM730 |
| 14:45 – 15:45 | What is a Photograph? | Lau Ching Ping, WYNG Masters Award Finalist Kurt Tong, WYNG Masters Award Finalist Moderated by Tse Ming Chong, Chairman of Lumenvisum |
| 16:00 – 17:00 | Photography as a Voice | Siu Wai Hang, WYNG Masters Award Finalist Ducky Tse, WYNG Masters Award Finalist Moderated by Fung Ho Yin, Assistant Professor at the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
12 May (Mon)
Meeting Room, 3/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central *Conducted in English
Meeting Room, 3/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central *Conducted in English
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | A Conversation with Christine Loh, Undersecretary for the Environment, HKSAR | Moderated by Zoher Abdoolcarim, Asia Editor Time International |
| 13:05 – 14:00 | Breathing in the New Central - Pedestrianising Des Voeux Road Central |
20140213
20140106
李家昇 ｛遊動詩寫室｝MOBILE POETRY LAB Photo-based work by Lee Ka-sing
李家昇 ｛遊動詩寫室｝
相遇，記事，追憶，散聚。攝影長短句
展期：2014年1月10日至2月15日，時間下午1時至7時 （1/30-2/3/2014、 星期日、公眾假期休息）
地點：私畫廊（九龍石硤尾白田街賽馬會創意藝術中心5樓22室）
對談 : 2014年1月11日 3:00-500pm
地點：光影作坊（
講者 : 李志芳、李家昇、劉清平、謝明莊
開幕 : 2014年1月11日 5:00-700pm
查詢 : 陳小姐 23720681
MOBILE POETRY LAB
Photo-based work by Lee Ka-sing
Date : 10 January to 15 February 2014 1:00pm-7:00pmClosed on 1/30-2/3, Sunday, Public Holidays
Venue : Gallery Z (L522 JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon)
Artists Talk : 1/11/2014 3:00-5:00pm
Speakers : Patrick Lee, Lee Ka-sing, Lau Ching-ping, Tse Ming-chong
Location : Lumenvisum L2-10 JCCAC
Opening Reception : 1/11/2014 5:00-7:00pm
Lee Ka-sing will be present in the opening
Enquiry : Ms Chan 23720681
李家昇回港在我的畫廊做一個小展覽，同時間李志芳亦在石硤尾創意藝術中心二樓「光影作坊」舉行攝影展；詳見李家昇下面的文字。
（2014年一月初會回港一行探望父親。由於上一回答應了劉清平，再回港的機會就在他畫廊做個小展覽。以下的文字是為是個展覽細說而寫，有些內容已在以前的一些文章談過，這裡作個梳理。)
本來是想說影像與文字的探索，倒不如說是瓜葛較直接了。
瓜葛是感情的問題。我原是一個文字人，後來開始了攝影，漸漸也較少使用文字作為創作媒體。我的攝影，不少都在觀念上採用了拼疊的方式，我答來問的人說 - 我的攝影是受過往的文字生活影響。所說的影響大抵都是說寫詩的方面，意象的重疊，非定點透視等等。
近年閱讀的方式有點改變，可能也因此間接地影響著我的影像與文字感情。這幾年間我的兩個主要的攝影系列都與文字有著較直接的關係。其一是「Z FICTION」（我譯作Z域小說集），是一項虛構敘事性的照片。在創作圖像過程中把故事構成，圖像完成後再寫下一小段文字。文字是影像作進一步的追加，亦為作品的一部份。每張照片均為獨立個體。另外一個作品系列是「游動詩寫室」。也即是今次所展出的東西。
游動詩寫室系列於2011年開始創作。已是多年沒有寫詩了，一天忽然有個想法，不如以圖像代替文字，但採文字的鋪陳方式。這照片詩也如是地分行，一段去到另一段。第一個作品是「二零一一年一月路過東京訪故友不遇」。如果說影像代入文字不好理解，假想一個音樂創作人用音樂去寫了一首詩就比較明確了。其實每一篇樂章都可以理解成為一首詩的創作。正因為媒體的不同，所給出的訊息就有層次上的差異。文字具體準確，音符抽象，影像大概是以上兩者之間罷。
2012年，有天我又生發奇想，不如把這些照片詩轉換成為文字版本。所謂轉換，也即是說在一些設定範圍下用文字寫一首詩。設定範圍例如行數既定，題目不能更改等。轉了一圈，又拿了文字人的身份。
細想，如果不是先有圖像版的文字本又會怎樣？那走向一定會不同，創作時心理狀態弧度有別也。
系列中也不是每片圖像詩都具文字版本。試想兩種媒體各有特色，文字準確，影像具像但有較不同的想像域場。既然坐擁二城，釋放多少那就要看環境需要而定了。游動詩寫室後來還開了一個分枝，我做了一些三聯式的「圖本俳句」。主要都是讀書筆記，記敘與友人聚會等。
Z FICTION是虛擬故事的敘述，游動詩寫室比較是記事而寫之作。也許這是其中較明顯的分野。你聽到一片音樂，有個遠方的朋友來探你，你覺得光拍一張紀錄的照片不能記錄下那個較繁複層疊的瞬間。這也即是該個系列的起因。
這個極小型的展覽，無寧說是與香港朋友一個交談罷。我帶來了幾件作品，看題目也可呼應到我前面提到的所謂記事：「在畫廊聽紫禁城室樂團。月前在廣州書店所得該團兩枚CD其一」，「六月二日友人謝至德來訪兼贈其攝影冊天皇天后。試論攝影書寫」，「看楚喬近作貓爪文想寫給她一首情詩」，「為恐龍拍攝一幀彩色照片的心路歷程」。
游動詩寫室原是以小本圖像木塊散點疏排而組成。這一回，部份作品我嘗試把圖像並連在一起，有的也做了較大面積的版本。展示方式發展了一些變化。
李志芳知道我在清平策劃的畫廊展覽，他也想同一時間在該地點做個展覽助興。在同一個建築物，謝明莊策劃的「光影作坊」舉行。既然是交談，多一把朋友的聲音就立體得多一個角度。我也在他的展場放了一件作品，雖然不算是一則對話。「在李志芳多倫多攝影展覽場中聽吳門琴韻」，2013年五月，李志芳來多倫多我的畫廊做了一個展覽，以上的便是因此而作。也揭開另一個層次。
游動詩寫室展覽在香港舉行的時候，剛是也斯逝世一周年，在中央圖書館有一較大規模的藝術品展覽，展出百多件來自不同藝術家以也斯的詩而成的創作。我應邀做了兩件新的圖像詩放在該展覽：「回家途中。在航機艙中窗外遠眺。其一及其二 （重讀也斯25年前寫的兩首詩 -"家破"，"家具"）」。香港藝穗會同時期也舉辦了一項紀念也斯的活動，朋友及藝術工作者紀念也斯而發的創作。也斯離世後我做了一首圖像詩：「念也斯」（文字版本曾發表在「香港文學」）。是個作品也會在藝穗會展出。這些不同碎片片斷組合起來，算是游動詩寫室這回在港互相串連著幾個空間的交談對答。也是瓜葛罷。2014年二月我打算在多倫多Gallery50，把「游動詩寫室」系列做一個較全面的展覽，這回算是一個熱身。
相遇，記事，追憶，散聚。攝影長短句
展期：2014年1月10日至2月15日，時間下午1時至7時 （1/30-2/3/2014、 星期日、公眾假期休息）
地點：私畫廊（九龍石硤尾白田街賽馬會創意藝術中心5樓22室）
對談 : 2014年1月11日 3:00-500pm
地點：光影作坊（
講者 : 李志芳、李家昇、劉清平、謝明莊
開幕 : 2014年1月11日 5:00-700pm
查詢 : 陳小姐 23720681
MOBILE POETRY LAB
Photo-based work by Lee Ka-sing
Date : 10 January to 15 February 2014 1:00pm-7:00pmClosed on 1/30-2/3, Sunday, Public Holidays
Venue : Gallery Z (L522 JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon)
Artists Talk : 1/11/2014 3:00-5:00pm
Speakers : Patrick Lee, Lee Ka-sing, Lau Ching-ping, Tse Ming-chong
Location : Lumenvisum L2-10 JCCAC
Opening Reception : 1/11/2014 5:00-7:00pm
Lee Ka-sing will be present in the opening
Enquiry : Ms Chan 23720681
李家昇回港在我的畫廊做一個小展覽，同時間李志芳亦在石硤尾創意藝術中心二樓「光影作坊」舉行攝影展；詳見李家昇下面的文字。
李家昇的作品亦會在一月九日《回看也斯》回顧展、在香港中央圖書館及中環藝穗會展出。
與其說1月11日在「光影作坊」因應兩個展覽舉行四人對談，倒不如說是聚合各位朋友一同慢話攝影。
下面轉載自《李家昇交換眼神博客》的《影像與文字的瓜葛》作為展覽前言，並附上英譯本；
2013年12月13日星期五
影像與文字的瓜葛 李家昇
（2014年一月初會回港一行探望父親。由於上一回答應了劉清平，再回港的機會就在他畫廊做個小展覽。以下的文字是為是個展覽細說而寫，有些內容已在以前的一些文章談過，這裡作個梳理。)
瓜葛是感情的問題。我原是一個文字人，後來開始了攝影，漸漸也較少使用文字作為創作媒體。我的攝影，不少都在觀念上採用了拼疊的方式，我答來問的人說 - 我的攝影是受過往的文字生活影響。所說的影響大抵都是說寫詩的方面，意象的重疊，非定點透視等等。
近年閱讀的方式有點改變，可能也因此間接地影響著我的影像與文字感情。這幾年間我的兩個主要的攝影系列都與文字有著較直接的關係。其一是「Z FICTION」（我譯作Z域小說集），是一項虛構敘事性的照片。在創作圖像過程中把故事構成，圖像完成後再寫下一小段文字。文字是影像作進一步的追加，亦為作品的一部份。每張照片均為獨立個體。另外一個作品系列是「游動詩寫室」。也即是今次所展出的東西。
游動詩寫室系列於2011年開始創作。已是多年沒有寫詩了，一天忽然有個想法，不如以圖像代替文字，但採文字的鋪陳方式。這照片詩也如是地分行，一段去到另一段。第一個作品是「二零一一年一月路過東京訪故友不遇」。如果說影像代入文字不好理解，假想一個音樂創作人用音樂去寫了一首詩就比較明確了。其實每一篇樂章都可以理解成為一首詩的創作。正因為媒體的不同，所給出的訊息就有層次上的差異。文字具體準確，音符抽象，影像大概是以上兩者之間罷。
2012年，有天我又生發奇想，不如把這些照片詩轉換成為文字版本。所謂轉換，也即是說在一些設定範圍下用文字寫一首詩。設定範圍例如行數既定，題目不能更改等。轉了一圈，又拿了文字人的身份。
細想，如果不是先有圖像版的文字本又會怎樣？那走向一定會不同，創作時心理狀態弧度有別也。
系列中也不是每片圖像詩都具文字版本。試想兩種媒體各有特色，文字準確，影像具像但有較不同的想像域場。既然坐擁二城，釋放多少那就要看環境需要而定了。游動詩寫室後來還開了一個分枝，我做了一些三聯式的「圖本俳句」。主要都是讀書筆記，記敘與友人聚會等。
Z FICTION是虛擬故事的敘述，游動詩寫室比較是記事而寫之作。也許這是其中較明顯的分野。你聽到一片音樂，有個遠方的朋友來探你，你覺得光拍一張紀錄的照片不能記錄下那個較繁複層疊的瞬間。這也即是該個系列的起因。
這個極小型的展覽，無寧說是與香港朋友一個交談罷。我帶來了幾件作品，看題目也可呼應到我前面提到的所謂記事：「在畫廊聽紫禁城室樂團。月前在廣州書店所得該團兩枚CD其一」，「六月二日友人謝至德來訪兼贈其攝影冊天皇天后。試論攝影書寫」，「看楚喬近作貓爪文想寫給她一首情詩」，「為恐龍拍攝一幀彩色照片的心路歷程」。
游動詩寫室原是以小本圖像木塊散點疏排而組成。這一回，部份作品我嘗試把圖像並連在一起，有的也做了較大面積的版本。展示方式發展了一些變化。
李志芳知道我在清平策劃的畫廊展覽，他也想同一時間在該地點做個展覽助興。在同一個建築物，謝明莊策劃的「光影作坊」舉行。既然是交談，多一把朋友的聲音就立體得多一個角度。我也在他的展場放了一件作品，雖然不算是一則對話。「在李志芳多倫多攝影展覽場中聽吳門琴韻」，2013年五月，李志芳來多倫多我的畫廊做了一個展覽，以上的便是因此而作。也揭開另一個層次。
游動詩寫室展覽在香港舉行的時候，剛是也斯逝世一周年，在中央圖書館有一較大規模的藝術品展覽，展出百多件來自不同藝術家以也斯的詩而成的創作。我應邀做了兩件新的圖像詩放在該展覽：「回家途中。在航機艙中窗外遠眺。其一及其二 （重讀也斯25年前寫的兩首詩 -"家破"，"家具"）」。香港藝穗會同時期也舉辦了一項紀念也斯的活動，朋友及藝術工作者紀念也斯而發的創作。也斯離世後我做了一首圖像詩：「念也斯」（文字版本曾發表在「香港文學」）。是個作品也會在藝穗會展出。這些不同碎片片斷組合起來，算是游動詩寫室這回在港互相串連著幾個空間的交談對答。也是瓜葛罷。2014年二月我打算在多倫多Gallery50，把「游動詩寫室」系列做一個較全面的展覽，這回算是一個熱身。
I
wanted to talk about the exploration of
images and words, or, more directly, the complicated relation among the two.
Complicated relation is a
matter of emotion. I was, basically, a writer, but then I started to use words less to
create since I began
to do photography. My photography usually
employs different overlapping concepts, thus I answered those who asked, my
photography is influenced by the way I lived with words in the past. Such influence is mostly
brought by poem-writing, overlapping imagery and multipoint perspective etc.
In recent years, the way of reading has changed. This probably affected my emotion
about images and words indirectly. The two major photography series that I have done in these few years both have a more direct relation
with words. "Z FICTION" is one of the two; it is a
series of photographs which is fictionally narrative.
The story was constructed during the process of creating the images, and a
short paragraph was then appended. The text is an extension
and also a part of the image. Each photograph is an independent entity. "MOBILE
POETRY LAB" is the other one of the two, it is now on exhibition.
The "MOBILE POETRY LAB" series was put into
progress since 2011. Haven't been writing poems for many years and one day this
idea suddenly came into my mind – why not replace words with
images but retain the way of arrangement of words? Such “photo-poem” is also
arranged line by line, verse by verse, like the traditional poem. The first work is "In January, 2011 passed by
Tokyo to visit an old friend. He was away". If substituting words with images
is hardly intelligible, then try to imagine a composer writing a poem with
music. Every piece of music can indeed be understood as a creation of poem. Because
of the difference of the media used, the messages conveyed are thus different in dimension. Words are concrete and precise, musical
notes are abstract, and images are probably between these two.
In 2012, another idea came into my mind – why not translate these photo-poems into words? This means to write poems with words within a planned
area, for example planned number of lines, and unchangeable topic etc. After
all, I am a writer again.
What if the image version of the text did not come first? The direction must be different;
the mental state during the process of creating would also be altered.
In this series, not every photo-poem has its textual
counterpart. Besides,
try to imagine that the two media have
their own characteristics – words are precise while images are representational and they provide
different rooms for imagination. With the two media in hands, how much is emancipated depends on the environment. "MOBILE POETRY LAB"
has opened a new branch later on. I made some three-jointed style
"imagery Haiku". They were
mainly my notes from reading, and records of gathering with friends etc.
“Z
FICTION” is a narrative of a fictional story, while “MOBILE POETRY LAB” is more
of a record of events. This is perhaps the more obvious distinction between the
two. When you hear a piece of music and a friend coming from afar to visit you,
you may find a straight photograph insufficient to capture that complicated and
overlapping moment. This is also the birth of this series.
I
would rather call this tiny exhibition a conversation with my Hong Kong
friends. I have brought a few works with me and you can see what I had
mentioned about the so-called “record of events” from the titles. Such as “Listening
to one of the two CDs by Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra, purchased in a short
trip to Guangzhou early this year”, “Tse Chi Tak visited on June 2nd. He gave us his book
"KING HEAVEN AND EARTH QUEEN". Here is somehow, a poem on Hong Kong
photography”, “A love poem for Holly, after her new work - CLAW SCRIPT”, “The
Psychological Journey while Taking a Colour Photograph of a Dinosaur”.
“MOBILE
POETRY LAB” was originally composed of scattered small wooden blocks with
pictures on them. I tried to connect the pictures and made a larger version for
some. There are some changes on the way of presenting.
Patrick
Lee knew that I was exhibiting at the gallery planned by Lau Ching-ping, and he
wanted to respond. Located in the same building, Lumenvisum, where Tse Ming-chong
is the curator. A conversation with one more voice from a friend became more
3-dimensional with one more perspective. I have also put a work in his
exhibition even though that could not be counted as a conversation. “Listening
to Wu Zhaoji's Qin music at Patrick Lee's exhibition in Toronto” – this was
written in May 2013 when Patrick Lee was having an exhibition in my gallery in
Toronto. It also revealed another dimension.
It
was exactly one year after the death of Leung Ping-kwan when “MOBILE POETRY LAB”
was exhibiting in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong Central Library, there was a rather
large-scale art exhibition which exhibited more than a hundred artworks created
by different artists in accordance with Leung's poems. I, on invitation, created
two photo-poems for that exhibition. They were “On
the way home. Staring far through the window of an air cabin. One and Two
(rereading the two poems – ‘Home-break’
and ‘Home-furniture’ – written by Leung 25 years ago)”. Meanwhile, the
Hong Kong Fringe Club was also holding a commemoration for Leung in the same
period of time. It exhibited the works by Leung’s friends and arts
practitioners who missed him. I wrote a photo-poem after Leung’s death, it is
called “In Memory of PK” (the text version was published in “Hong Kong
Literary”). It was also exhibited at the Fringe Club. All these bits and pieces
of “MOBILE POETRY LAB” altogether constructed the dialogue which connects
different spaces in Hong Kong. It is also a complicated relation. I have
planned to hold a larger exhibition of the “MOBILE POETRY LAB” series at
Gallery50 in Toronto in February 2014. This time can be considered a warm-up
for it.
Translated by Man Hoi Yin
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