About FALSE SPACES Exhbition

Tokyo and Hong Kong both struggle with space issues. In both countries, urban centers must accommodate disproportionately large populations, resulting in buildings growing taller and taller and personal space becoming more and more constricted within public spaces. The concept of “space” itself is open to a wide range of interpretations, spanning from the physical spaces of geography and location to the conceptual spaces of the personal and psychological realms, and even cyberspace. Furthermore, artists construct spaces, in the form of art, which differ from those of the real world in a pursuit to express their own world views.

FALSE SPACES is a cross-cultural exchange and an exhibition initiative aiming to explore the multi-faceted nature of space and its production as seen through the lens of contemporary artists from Japan and Hong Kong, initiated by Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS) in collaboration with the Hong Kong Arts Centre and independent curator IP Yuk-Yiu. The exhibition will feature works by six artists/artist unit, including ITO Ryusuke, NAGATA Kosuke, NG Tsz-Kwan, Stella SO, TSUDA Michiko and WARE. Each artist will develop and articulate his or her vision of “false space” through their respective works, exploring the production of space as a form of critical probing and disruptive poetics.

The exhibition will feature a wide variety of artworks that employ different media and materials including 3D scanned and printed objects, animation, driver-less vehicle, digital photography and video installation, communicating the diversity and complexity of spatial practices as seen and conducted by contemporary Japanese and Hong Kong artists. Through the creative showcase of their works, the project intends to facilitate collaboration between Japanese and Hong Kong artists, as well as to present their creative visions and critical propositions to the general audience in order to exchange views and dialogues on the subject of space that sprung from two Asian neighbours.

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Speakers Biography

ITO Ryusuke

Born in Hokkaido in 1963. Graduated with a BA from the Department of Design in the Faculty of Art and Design at Tokyo Zokei University in 1988, and completed an MFA in the Graduate Division of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1992. Best known for his video installations that utilize miniature figurines, live video, motors, and other visual devices to create innovative and fantastical media backgrounds. Recent major exhibitions: The Remains of Cinema, Künstlerhaus, Halle für Kunst & Medien, Graz, Austria, 2018, and Sapporo International Art Festival, 2017.

TSUDA Michiko

Born in Kanagawa in 1980. Earned her PhD at the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Film and New Media in 2013. Produces video, installations, and performance pieces with distinguishing characteristics of the visual media acting as the principal foundation for production. Recent exhibitions include Aichi Triennale 2019,  Roppongi Crossing 2019: Connexions, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo.

NAGATA Kosuke

Born in Aichi in 1990. Born in 1990. Graduated with an MFA at the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Fine Arts. Works primarily with video and photography, focusing on techniques and systems that call for a diversity of experience. Recent major exhibitions: Aichi Triennale 2019,  Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, The 10th Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, 2018, OPEN  SITE 2016-2017 ‘Therapist,’ Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo, 2016.

NG Tsz-Kwan

Graduated with an MA from Central Saint Martin College of Art and Design, London in 2000. With long devotion to electronic arts and video work, Kwan has successfully applied interactive media design to art, commercial, and exhibition sectors. He continues exploring integrated design solutions by using different media. Kwan remains Co-Founder of yucolab, since 2006 when he partnered his design studio, N.T. Lab, with award-winning Hollywood-based film agency yU+co., giving rise to yucolab.

Recent major exhibitions: Breathe in・Breathe out, Muse Fest Hong Kong 2019, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, Algorithmic Art: Shuffling Space and Time, Hong Kong City Hall, 2018, etc.

Stella SO

Graduated with a BA in Arts and Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2002. Stella So is an award-winning graphic artist, animator and illustrator. Known for her unique expressive visual style and her keen attention to the Hong Kong everyday objects and landscapes, her creative works have been featured extensively in books, magazines, television advertisements as well as art galleries. Major exhibitions: Lunar New Year Thematic Lantern Display 2019 - Glittering Peacocks in Full Bloom, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, 2019, The Oral Legacies Series II: The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong Exhibition, Sam Tung Uk Museum, 2018, etc.

WARE

WARE is a Hong Kong media arts studio co-founded by Samuel Yip & Thomas Ip, aims to integrate technology and creativity in a wide range of work, from spatial to experience design and audience engagement. They have strong a belief in innovation and envision the future of digital experience through cutting-edge media technology.

Recent major exhibitions: Jockey Club ifva Everywhere Carnival, Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong, 2018, Nuit Blanche Taipei 2017, Taipei City, etc.

Moderator Biography

IP Yuk-Yiu

Participated in the TOKAS Research Residency Program <2018/5 > and OPEN SITE 2017-2018 “PLAY.GROUND”. Media artist, professor and independent curator based in Hong Kong. His works have been showcased extensively at international venues including European Media Art Festival, New York Film Festival, the Image Festival, Transmediale and NTT InterCommunication Center. Recent exhibition: “OPEN SITE 2017-2018 ‘PLAY.GROUND’” (TOKAS Hongo, 2017) etc.

About TOKAS

Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS) is an arts center dedicated to the creation and promotion of contemporary artistic expression from Tokyo, and supports a wide spectrum of artistic activities including crossover and experimental projects. Established in 2001 as Tokyo Wonder Site (TWS), an initiative for the support and nurturing of young artists, it was renamed Tokyo Arts and Space in 2017.

With its mission to provide ongoing support for emerging and mid-career artists, promote creative international cultural exchange and offer support for cutting-edge and experimental creative projects, TOKAS is implementing a variety of programs including presenting works by young creators, themed exhibitions, performances and open call contests, as well as operating artists-in-residence programs for international and local creators in Japan working in a variety of fields. With two main venues, TOKAS Hongo, as a facility for presentation of works, and the TOKAS Residency, where resident creators can create works, TOKAS provides ongoing support for contemporary creative activities through various programs, and will continue to nourish the rich culture of the metropolis of Tokyo, where diverse expressions are welcomed.