《+1》
香港藝術學院 HONG KONG ART SCHOOL ALUMNI NETWORK EXHIBITION 2021
參展藝術家組合
Exhibiting artist Pairs
策展人言
curatorial statement
來到Alumni Network第三次舉辦的校友聯展，再次多謝校友們和香港藝術中心在各方面的支持。加上香港藝術學院的配合，希望展覽令大家看到校友在創作路上的真誠與成果。
展覽目的除了如以往般為學校籌募額外經費外，亦不忘思考校友會一直以來期望可以推動的是什麼。大家除了可以分享讀書時期的點滴，校友會更希望提供一個平台給畢業後的舊雨新知，藉着香港藝術學院的聯繫，可以互補長短，互相啟發和交流。藝術與其他界別不同之處，在於藝術創作往往是在自由研討間發生。大家透過彼此的對談引發思考。今年就着這個方向和過程，引伸到展覽的主題：+1。
+1在含意上有正數及加上「一」的意思，就像一個由無到有而演生出萬物的過程。也許藝術創作者都在尋找一個+1的過程，當日常中出現+1，會為我們習以為常的生活帶來不同的變化，這種變異中生成的陌生感覺，使創作者能有距離地去反思自身的日常，發掘出不同的角度、觀點或方式去凝視周遭的一切，從而轉化成藝術創作。由零開始到「一」的出現，由「道」演變成「器」的過程，+1是讓藝術生成的一個條件。
是次展覽邀請了十四位校友參加，再由這十四位校友分別去邀請一位他們想與之對話的校友加入。這個+1的邀請使參加者變成十四對，活動也成為合共二十八位藝術創作者的展覽。這十四對的組合，有的是相交多年的好友，有的是透過作品而借這次機會才新相識的伙伴，有的是同班同學，也有各自偏愛不同媒介創作的同路人。他們會透過各種不同的方向，如日常、物件、回憶及作品等去展開對話，由語言出發到概念生成，當一位創作者遇上另一位創作者，他們的作品是如數學算式般1+1=2，還是有更多不同的變化？他們在交流概念、觀點與技法的同時，是在尋找彼此相同之處？還是去探索大家相異的地方？而作品是呈現兩者對話中的想法？還是兩者想法之間遺失了的狹縫？相信在對話中，創作者們都在窺看對方的想法，同時也在了解自己。
透過對話和作品的關係，我們看到語言的精準性，也感受到語言的不確定性。創作者在對話時互相把概念、媒介和方法等交流分析，尋求推陳出新的創作方向。相對於對話時要盡可能把所想的清晰地表達出來，他們同時也會發現語言中表達不到的部份。正正是這個部份，讓創作者把不能言說的透過藝術創造出來，讓作品去跟觀眾溝通，而這個作品和觀眾的關係，又產生另一層+1的含意。
由對話開始，以作品完成，概念在兩者之間互相推演。由語言到視覺、物料、空間，由可以說的到言說不到的，大概就是一種藝術生成的過程。
This is the third alumni joint exhibition organised by the Alumni Network. We would like to thank all the alumni and the Hong Kong Arts Centre for their support in every aspect, and also the Hong Kong Art School for their assistance. We hope that the exhibition will show to the audience the sincere efforts made by our alumni in art making and the result they have achieved.
While we will, as usual, raise additional fund for the Hong Kong Art School through the exhibition, we have also taken the occasion to reflect on what the Alumni Network could do in promoting art. Connecting the alumni will give them the opportunities to share their experience and memories about the days spent in the Art School. But we want to do more than that. We would like to provide a platform backed by the Hong Kong Art School for all graduates to find complementary partnership, inspire each other and exchange views and ideas. The practice of art is different from many other trades and professions. Art making very often begins with free discussions, where dialogues generate creative thinking. It is based on such direction and process that we have come up to the theme of this year’s exhibition: +1.
“+1” adds a “1” to a positive sign. “+1” reminds us of the growth from zero to completion and the evolution of everything. Perhaps all artists are searching for the process of “+1”. When “+1” happens, it will bring changes to the default and routine of everyday life. The unfamiliar feelings resulted from such changes will allow artists to look at their daily routine from a distance, thereby identifying different angles, viewpoints and methods to examine the world around them. And all these could be transformed into art making. “+1” means moving from zero to “1” and turning invisible beliefs into tangible works. It is a prerequisite for the creation of art.
The 14 alumni who participate in this exhibition have each invited another graduate of the Art School to join. This “+1” invitation has turned 14 participants into 14 pairs of participants, and the exhibition will show the works of 28 artists. Some of the pairs are formed by two old friends, while others are two artists who have known each other’s art but work together only for the first time on this occasion. There are also pairs comprised of two classmates or two artists who employ different media but share the same interests. Each pair of artists will engage in a dialogue on subjects of their own choice, such as daily routine, objects, memories or artworks, expecting to arrive at new ideas through language communication. When two artists meet, will their works be a simple sum of the two like the arithmetic formula of 1+1=2, or will they produce works of even more variations? When they share ideas, views and technical experience, do they look for similarities or differences? Will the final works show what the artists think during the dialogue or reveal the missing gap between what are in their mind? We believe that in the dialogue, the artists will not only catch a glimpse of what the partner thinks, but also search for a deeper self-understanding.
It is in the relationship between the dialogue and the final works that we see how precise, and at the same time how uncertain, languages could be. In a dialogue, two artists share and analyse their ideas, the media employed and skills used, looking for new directions for their art. While they will try to say clearly in the dialogue what they think, they will also find that there are parts which can be expressed through words. These are the parts to be expressed by art. When the completed artworks meet and communicate with the audience, the relationship so formed is a further interpretation of “+1”.
Born in a dialogue, ideas are cultivated and eventually come to realisation in the artworks produced. The creation of art is probably a transformation from languages to visual forms, materials and space, and a journey from talking about what we think to presenting what we cannot put in words.
Alumni Network Committee Team
