Fun Art

To the average viewer, contemporary art can seem baffling and even incomprehensible. At one extreme, it appears as strange, bizarre and playful and at the other as ponderous, difficult and abstract. There is an overwhelming sense that the ability to appreciate contemporary art doesn’t come easy, that it requires time and effort and concerted study.

Not surprisingly, the inescapable and troubling reality is that a wide gulf exists between contemporary art and the general public. But it doesn’t have to be this way; this gulf is not unbridgeable. Even as contemporary artists continue to push boundaries and seek new definitions of art, it is possible to create artworks that the general public can relate to and understand. ‘Me 2’ is an exhibition that seeks to present just this kind of approachable, viewer-friendly art—art that will engage the interest and appreciation of the public. Perhaps we have tended to make art appreciation too much of a burden: it’s time now to show that this can be a simple and enjoyable activity.

When people encounter something that is attractive and appeals to their sense of fun, it makes them feel happy and at ease: and if art can create that kind of feeling, then it has already fulfilled an important function. None of the works exhibited in ‘Me 2’ are abstract or difficult to understand: they all utilize concrete and clearly recognizable imagery, and in many cases the subject matter derives directly from popular culture. In short, these are artworks that the average person can respond to and enjoy. But the fact that these works can appeal to a wider audience should not be seen as a diminishment of their aesthetic quality. The idea that good art can be appreciated and enjoyed only by a select few has long been obsolete. Good art can be defined as art that, without compromising its integrity or heart, is able to resonate powerfully with--and elicit the greatest response from--its viewers.

The absorption of popular culture into art has been a significant trend in Asian and Western contemporary art since the late 20 th century, and reflects a determination among artists and arts practitioners to dissolve the traditional boundaries between elite and popular culture, and to seek new vocabularies and new possibilities. Of course this is not a question of simple imitation, but a complex process in which the elements of popular culture are restructured and recast through art, creating new interpretations and perspectives.

One of the themes of this exhibition focuses on the idea of enlarging small children’s toys to gargantuan proportions, with the effect of miniaturizing the viewer. Hung Yi’s inflatable sculptures Flower-pattered National Treasured Panda and Flower-pattered Doggy Thrill and Liu Dingzan’s Red Ants in Love appear before our eyes like giant out-of-proportion ‘toys’, at once cuddly, familiar and strangely unreal. This is a kind of magical process, bringing us back to our childhood and the sense of excitement that a child experiences when walking into a playroom full of toys.

Another interesting theme is the idea of creating a single monumental image from a massive assemblage of tiny objects. Works like these pack a kind of Surrealist punch and are infused with a quality of mystery. In Yu Wenfu’s Words of Bamboo by the Harbour an assemblage of thousands of snow-white feathers is used to create a poetic wintry illusion of a snow-covered forest on the shores of Victoria Harbour. In Hung Yi’s Card Art Series, the artist uses 50,000 plastic credit cards to create a colourful, lively and gigantic mosaic that covers the facade of a bank building in the middle of Central financial district—thus inserting a wonderful element of humour into an environment where making money is a deadly serious business.

Humour is one of the most powerful ways to bridge the distance between people. The curious-looking dog in Lee Yichuan’s Anion joins other objects in the exhibition, such as a fuzzy rabbit, fuzzy caterpillar and flower-patterned panda, to create witty, humourous imagery that literally teases people into laughter.

Making a colourful commotion is another characteristic of some of the works in the show. A Cup Filled with Blessings by Hung Yi and Mogu Sculpture Series are not only outrageously entertaining, but hidden inside the work are the sincere blessings of the artists. It is wonderfully appropriate not only to have this work shown here during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, but also to have it placed at Hong Kong’s City Hall where countless wedding ceremonies are performed.

‘Me 2’ is an exhibition for the people. It not only features approachable audience-friendly art, but also intentionally moves art beyond the walls of the museum and into public spaces. Our mission is to make art an integral part of the public’s everyday environment, to break through the barriers separating art from the public, and to strengthen the audience’s involvement and participation. In addition to our educational programme, which will include a number of activities to enhance the audience’s appreciation and involvement, the exhibition also includes a truly interactive component: for several of the works in the show, such as those by Yu Wenfu, students and teachers are invited to participate in helping the artist to actually complete the work.

Through this exhibition, we are creating ‘a museum without walls’--or maybe it is more appropriate to call it an ‘art fun park’, free and open to the participation and enjoyment of children and young people. Even more, we hope to give adults a chance to experience once again a child’s sense of wonderment and just plain fun.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Taiwan’s Fubon Art Foundation. Five years after sponsoring the ‘Very Fun Park’ event, the Foundation is once again bringing a truly exciting exhibition to Hong Kong people. I would also like to thank the Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) for its generous support. At a time when the importance of private support for cultural development is being recognized and sought, they are a model for the engagement of corporate enterprises in the mission of enhancing and sustaining public cultural life.

In addition, I would like to extend my personal thanks to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the staff of the Hong Kong City Hall, and to all the members of our exhibition team, including our promotion, education and technical staff. Last but not least, I would like to thank all the participating artists, teachers and students. To make this exhibition a reality, we relied on the goodwill of countless numbers of supporters who climbed tall buildings, crossed oceans, and donated funds and energy to help create for Hong Kong an art ‘fun park’ filled with the happiness and wonderment of childhood.