Making room for space
You can find a place of rest even amid a hectic life. You can find a niche to survive in even in a packed space.' These words by artist Kam Chi-keung, ironically, do not ring true for Oil Street art groups. The idea of a resting place has obsessed Kam for some time, and has given him a theme for his Jam Packed With Space project, part of this month's Oil Street Festival.
Ironically, before the festival is over the various art groups inhabiting the dilapidated, airy maze of an old government storage depot will have been in yet another meeting with government planners, looking at whether they should be allowed to continue in a highly accessible, brilliantly situated impromptu arts space in North Point.
The festival, their third this year, is a curious mixture that includes fashion show, installation art, traditional painting and a food fest. In part, that is explained by the fact that for the first time the groups have solid commercial backing from Commercial Radio's 903 id club. The club was putting on a fashion show in Z+, got to talking to artists and then offered support.
None of this stops the fashion - by Ruby Li, Silvio Chan and Hilda Yin - appearing like an entirely out-of-place addition to an interesting festival.
'We wanted to move out more, we had been here for some time, we wanted to take our show to new people,' explained artist James Wong about the new collaboration. 'The money has given us more flexibility. Collaboration with a commercial venture isn't bad. Their target audience is pretty much the same as ours.' While Kam looks at space through the perspective of birds and fishes, other artists are going to be eating them. All You Can Eat is totally disposable art at 1aspace. 'We wanted to think about what the difference is between organising a banquet and an art exhibition,' says Howard Chan of 1aspace. 'From selecting the materials, cooking and compiling the guest list, what a banquet organiser does is not far from that of an exhibition curator.' Artists and the public are being invited to examine the differences while brushing up on their culinary skills. The results will be recorded as text, paintings and on the Internet, but yes, there's food - a dinner with a limited quota. Enrol early.
Wong's baby is Void Does Matter, an exhibition in every corner of Oil Street - 'but only the legal spaces'.
Up to 20 local artists will show works on the theme of Condensed Living Space. Those taking part in the noon-to-dusk show include Tam Po, Wing Shya, Jan Lamb and Craig Au-yeung, so that means everything from projections, virtual reality, painting, installations and sound installations to comics.
'Everyone has to think about space here,' Wong says. 'We want to describe the relationship between humans and space. There is this dilemma - is space empty or full?' Lawrence Wong Sze-kit's Hong Kong International Film festival gem, Cross Harbour Tunnels, is no longer cutting-edge but gets two screenings. Production crew members will chat to the audience after each.
What Is A Youth from the always-intriguing Edward Lam Dance Theatre is at Z+. With greater audience interaction, it should effectively be a forum. Given the thousands of young people expected to attend the festival, Lam's event should be a real eye-opener.
Oil Street Festival. Oct 23-Nov 24. For details contact 903 id club: 2339 4652