There is hardly a working class corner of Hong Kong island left that has not, at some time, been home to an alternative art space. Para/Site led the way by colonising Kennedy Town, the Artists Commune did the same for Sheung Wan and this week 1a Space is moving into North Point.
1a Space is on the corner of Oil Street and co-ordinator Howard Chan hopes it will become more than another alternative venue. The idea of 1a Space is to focus not on art so much as art administrators, to create what Chan calls a conceptual project rather than an exhibition.
This is not as daunting as it sounds. Arts administrators like Oscar Ho of the Arts Centre, Danny Yung of Zuni Icosahedron, Estella Tong of the British Council will all be contributing a work that represents their comment on the local art system.
Tong has lent a sketch of the airport by an artist in residence supported by the British Council, Ho has photocopied piles of bank notes, and Yung, who can always be relied on to produce something completely left of centre, even in this impressive company, has asked Chan to paint a white character 'dak' (okay) on a white wall. 'When we asked him to contribute something he said 'dak', ' Chan explains, half-serious. 'So he decided to give us his 'dak' '.
