《銀青乒乓》協作藝術計劃及展覽《落牙》
如葉下 故事起
計劃網誌：https://astheleavesfallblog.wordpress.com/

開幕：2016年9月9日 晚上6時正
展期：2016年9月10日 - 2016 年10月28日
時間：逢星期二至日上午11時至晚上7時正(逢星期一休館)

《落牙》是個實驗性很強的協作藝術 (Collaboration Art)計劃，由《銀青乒乓》策劃，藝術成果將於九月九日至十月廿八日在 1a 空間 (1a space)舉行。計劃旨在以創作動力及社會關懷，製造跨年紀的協作情境，啟動藝術家參予，並以視覺藝術探索個人身體之苦(落牙)跟社會及文化議題之間(如對衰老的文化判斷、長者的社會保障)的關連，同時深探協作藝術創作過程中，對話的意義、協同的困難及不同創作人的主體得到平等的呈現的可能。

策展人俞若玫相信只有時間可以培植有質素的對話，於是自本年二月開始，邀請了七位藝術家跟七位銀髮朋友配對，以單對單的形式參予創作計劃《落牙》。

計劃分兩部份進行，首先是「交換快樂」工作坊，藝術家帶長者去一個自已平日很享受的地方，已進行的包括唱K、行山、深水埗尋寶等等，銀髮也帶藝術家去一個自已平日很享受的地方，已進行如在公園耍太極、在園甫打理花草、飲茶、在家裡編織等等，雙方具體地進入對方的生活情境，藝術家有機會細緻感受長者平日的生活狀態及處境。

第二是創作部份，雙方以「落牙」為題，共同創作，或藝術家以個人作品回應是次跟銀髮相處及對話的感受。當中，落牙可以是意象，可以是生活實況，可以是故事的開始。如何以詩化的藝術語言打開更豐富的社會想像，身體跟身份有著怎樣的互構糾纏關係，身體的改變及衰落如何連繫個人感思及社會情境是關鍵，協作藝術的美學，也正正在於如何啟動平等對話及相互的理解。

參加是次計劃的藝術家包括（排名不分先後）
張康生
張嘉莉
張煒森
江田雀
黎健強及團隊皓齒會
馬琼珠及文美桃
Jesse Clockwork
另有盧敬華以錄像紀錄工作坊及創作過程

此外，不得不提，牙齒問題經常困擾長者日450常生活，如根據衛生署2011年進行的全港的口腔健康調查，香港65-74歲的長者(非居於院舍) 中，5.6%完全沒有牙齒，以基數 450,800來看，即有25, 245位銀髮是完全沒有牙的，還未包括75歲以上的長者。而使用長期護理服務的長者的失齒情況更嚴重，大約20%至30%完全沒有牙齒，平均有9.4顆牙齒。而長者不求醫的主要原因是因為費用太貴，付擔不來。

《銀青乒乓》成立於2013年，是獨立的社群藝術組織，旨在以藝術動力 ，建立銀髮及年青人平等對話的平台，也以多元的工作坊、藝術活動及展覽，為銀髮提供新鮮的藝術經驗，重新開動好奇心、想像力及創作活力，強化銀髮的主體，實現Creative Aging。
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Grey and Green Ping Pong Collaboration Art Project
and Exhibition -《As the Leaves Falls》
Teeth falling out, story begins

Opening
Date: 9 September 2016 (Friday)
Time: 6pm

Exhibition
Date: 10 September – 28 October 2016 (closed on Mondays)
Time: 11am – 7pm

《As the leaves fall》is an very experimental collaboration art project curated by Grey and Green Ping Pong, the result going to be shown in 1a space from 9 Sept to 28 Oct. It aims to create a cross-age collaboration conditions, under social concern and creativity, artists would investigate the relationships between personal pain (fallen teeth) and social issues (e.g. Aging as a social problem and body decay) by using visual language. The project also aims to dig deeper about the meanings of collaboration and conversations, the possibilities and problems in achieving a balance and fair play of subjectivity with elderly during the creation processes.

The curator (Cally) believes that time cultivates quality conversation, of which she had invited seven artists and seven elderlies to join a one-on-one pair-up Collaboration Art Project《As the leaves fall》since February 2016.

The project is divided into two phases; the first phase is the Workshop of “Exchange Happiness”. As a starting point, participating artists share their favorite spots or leisure activities with their matching elderlies. Work-in-progress activities includes karaoke, hiking and ‘treasure hunt’ in Sham Shui Po. Concurrently, participating elderlies also shared their enjoyable spots or activities with their matching artists, such as practicing Tai Chi in the park, gardening at a lawn, have a Yum Cha gathering and weaving at home, etc. By participating in each other’s daily life, artists morph into attempt to get a firsthand experience and association with elderlies’ daily life condition.

The second phase is the creation part. Taking “As the leaves falls” as the theme, both parties will collaborate and create. Artist may initiate their personal creation in response to their experiences or dialogues with the elderlies. “Teeth falling out” could be taken as an imagery, a real life situation or the beginning of stories. To commence a fair, just and consistent conversation and develop mutual understanding is the beauty of Collaboration Art. It is the crux to widen the social imagination by poetic artlang (artistic language), to recognize the entanglement of body and self-identity, and to understand the relations between transformation/ decay of body and personal speculation to the social condition.

Participating Art Professionals (In no particular order) :
Enoch Cheung
Clara Cheung
Eddie Cheung Wai Sum
Peter Kong
Edwin Lai and The Good Teeth Team
Ivy Ma and Man Mei To
Jesse Clockwork

Documentation :
Lo King Wah
(Lo will produce a documentary short film on the collaboration process.)

Curator :
Cally Yu
Founder of Grey and Green Ping Pong

Supplementary information :
The prevalence of tooth loss in seniors severely affects their daily lives. According to the Oral Health Survey (OHS) 2011 published by the Department of Health, there are 5.6 % of non-institutionalized seniors with no teeth. With a base of 450,800, there are 25,245 toothless seniors in Hong Kong excluding those in the age above 75. Meanwhile, the tooth loss conditions of seniors of the Social Welfare Department long-term care services were even worse. About 20% to 30% of them had no teeth at all. Each had 9.4 remaining teeth on average. The unaffordable dentistry is the main cause of this situation.

About “Grey and Green Ping Pong Project” :
Established in 2013, the project aims at establishing a conversational platform, by using artistic force and creative workshops, for the grey and green generations to exchange ideas and share stories, fun alike playing ping pong game, which is an equal-based, two-way, ordinary, easy and embodied interaction.

Workshops provided by us will be multidisciplinary, e.g painting, improvisation dance, film-going etc, in hopes that, new artistic experience can release elder’s creativity, curiosity and imagination. Elderly identity and subjectivity would be the keywords during all the processes. Creative Aging is our mission.

In addition, the project also want to develop/discover new aesthetic from the amateur elderly artists. If grey have their own sensitive and stories, would there is a special elderly artistic narratives? How we review those works in aesthetic senses? Can we develop a new critic language to see the elderly community art works?
This project is curated by Cally Yu and thanks for all supports from independent donors and friends to make the project come true.