Hong Kong artist Ha Bik-chuen's archives made available for public use
Comprehensive and idiosycratic archives offer an invaluable look at Hong Kong’s artistic history
Ha Bik-chuen is best known as a Hong Kong based painter and sculptor but it is his meticulous and idiosyncratic personal archives that have recently captured the interest of Hong Kong’s art lovers. From the 1960s, Ha was an avid visitor to art exhibitions in Hong Kong and remained an engaged art lover until his death.
He was hardly a passive spectator; Ha would photograph each exhibition he attended and collect programmes, artist portraits and magazine stories about the artist and exhibitions. From these he would create intricate and informative collage books which he kept carefully catalogued using a system of his own making.
It was his family’s wish that upon his death, the materials be made available for public use and research. The AAA has been involved in a two-year project to make this happen. The first stage of this project is Excessive Enthusiasm: Ha Bik Chuen and the Archive as Practice, an exhibition now on at the AAA which introduces the public to the archives and the AAA’s continuing research.
Excessive Enthusiasm: Ha Bik Chuen and the Archive as Practice. Until July 3