Cao Fei’s work often focuses on the collision of dreams and reality, placing characters in conversation in parallel universe and dreams. In the commissioned film ‘Prison Architect’, a contemporary female architect has a conversation with a male prisoner from the past in a parallel universe, where she gains insights into the meanings of imprisonment and freedom. This inspires her to construct an utopic prison in the contemporary life, even while admitting that “as an architect… it is difficult to imagine becoming someone who designs spaces to imprison fellow human beings.” Taking inspiration from the sombre history of the Victoria Prison, the film is set in the bustling neighborhood of Central where the male and female protagonists, living in parallel realities, conjure up imaginations and experiences about imprisonment and ignite discussions about the relation of humans, the world and freedom.
Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP by clicking the “Book Now” button on the Tai Kwun website or via the Tai Kwun App. Lectures will be conducted in Cantonese with English interpretation available.
Art After Hours is an event series presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary that will talk with you, sing with you, and strive to always show you something new. Typically taking place on Fridays at 7pm, Art After Hours lets visitors experience contemporary art in Hong Kong live, where artists, writers, intellectuals and curators are invited to hosts a mélange of events such as talks, performances and screenings.
Born in 1978 in Guangzhou, Cao Fei is one of the most innovative young Chinese artists to have emerged on the international scene. Currently living in Beijing, she mixes social commentary, popular aesthetics, references to Surrealism, and documentary conventions in her films and installations. Reflecting on the rapid and chaotic changes that are occurring in Chinese society today, Cao Fei’s works have been showcased at a number of international biennales and triennales, including Shanghai Biennale, Moscow Biennale, Taipei Biennale, the 15th & 17th Biennale of Sydney, Istanbul Biennale, Yokohama Triennale and the 50th, 52nd & 56th Venice Biennale. She has also exhibited her works and projects at Serpentine Gallery and Tate Modern in London; New Museum, Guggenheim Museum and MoMA in New York; Fondation Louis Vuitton, Palais de Tokyo and Centre Pompidou in Paris. Cao Fei’s recent projects include the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative at Guggenheim Museum and retrospective at K21 Dusseldorf. She was a nominee for the Future Generation Art Prize 2010 and the finalist of Hugo Boss Prize 2010. She received the Chinese Contemporary Art Award (CCAA) Best Young Artist Award in 2006 and Best Artist Award in 2016 and was also the recipient of Piedra de Sal Award at Cuenca Biennale in 2016.
Kwan Pun Leung, a Hong Kong visual media veteran, is a graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and also a sociology graduate from the Lingnan University. He made his motion picture debut as director of photography on the acclaimed Asian director Stanley Kwan's movie. Later, Kwan also worked on Ann Hui's "JULY RHAPSODY", "POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT" and Wong Kar Wai's "2046". Kwan won the Best Cinematography at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) for "2046". Kwan has directed and edited his own documentary works, like "BUENOS AIRES ZERO DEGREE”, and "LET THE WIND CARRY ME". The latter one won him the Grand Prize, Best Documentary and Best Editing Awards at the Taipei Film Festival in 2010. He was the Senior Lecturer in Cinematography of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Lecturer of the Chinese University of Hong Kong as well as the City University. Recently he founded Lighthearted Media to further promote the art of visual and sound in the new era.
Kwan Sheung Chi was born in 1980, Hong Kong. He obtained a third class honour B.A. degree in Fine Art from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2003. He failed in applying the MFA programme from the CUHK in 2004 and 2007. He was also a founding member of local art groups, Hong Kong Arts Discovery Channel (HKADC), hkPARTg (Political Art Group) and Woofer Ten. In 2009, He had been awarded the Starr Foundation Fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council, to take part in an international residency program in New York, USA. He won the inaugural HUGO BOSS ASIA ART in 2013. His artworks haven’t been widely exhibited around the world and he has never participated in any major exhibitions held internationally.
Since 2008, Xue Tan has worked as a producer, curator, and writer in Hong Kong and China. Tan currently focuses on art programming at Tai Kwun Contemporary, where she's been working since 2015. Previously, she has worked on large scale projects such as commissioning art, producing exhibitions and public events with institutions, biennales, festivals, collections and galleries. Her writing has appeared in Artforum, ARTINFO, Art Newspaper, Architectural Digest, Ocula, Randian and Monocle.
