If art is meant to leave an impression, then a mass hugging led by the Gao Brothers surely ranks as unforgettable, particularly for the strangers who embraced each other outside Hong Kong Arts Centre during the summer.
Now, the Beijing-based brothers are about to raise eyebrows - and arms - again when a two-metre long photograph goes up for auction at the Kee Club as the Para/Site Arts Space aims to raise HK$1 million. The Forever Unfinished Building No 2 was expected to fetch as much as HK$220,000 and was the most high-profile piece among 30 or so works from Hong Kong and international artists, said Para/Site Art Space chairman Tim Li. The duo are the most prominent artists at the event and they have been building an international reputation since first co-operating in the mid-1980s and are well known for their 'politically charged art'.
Pakistan artist Shahzia Sikander, who exhibited digital animation and other video works at Para/Site last month, is regarded as a world-class contemporary artist, having displayed at major art museums including New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her two offset lithographic prints (Embark/Disembark III and IV) are expected to fetch HK$15,000 to HK$20,000 each.
The international line-up is strengthened by Rirkrit Tiravanija, who is one of the most successful artists working from Thailand, with a stellar reputation in the contemporary arts scene.
Korean performance and installation artist Kimsooja, who has exhibited at the Venice Biennale three times, contributes Sewing Into Walking - Kyungju, a print which has an estimate of HK$40,000 to HK$60,000.
Beijing installation artist Cao Fei, who was at the Para/Site in 2006 and is a regular name on the international art auction scene, such as the recent Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong, is donating a series of five photographs.