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Intimate Portrait
Intimate PortraitChang Hoi-wood, Howard & Yeung Wai-keung, Gary
J: How did you two meet? What prompted the two of you to establish STUDIO301 at JCCAC?
Y: We were classmates in university, both studying architecture at CUHK. We used to design installations, conduct experiments, and work on projects outside the curriculum together in our spare time. That’s how we gradually found camaraderie.
Through introduction by artist May Fung during the inception of JCCAC, I partnered with Howard to apply for a studio. We were pleased to be selected, sprouting STUDIO301, and we have collaborated in various projects ever since. It has been a pleasure for us to witness how the Centre evolves and builds its positioning with programmes, having rich exchanges and interactions from the bottom up.
Gary Yeung, Hoiwood Chang, Thyne Kong | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | 1997
Gary Yeung, Hoiwood Chang, Thyne Kong | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | 1997
Why architecture?
Y: I did not know much about architecture as there were no related subjects during secondary school. However, an alumnus from my alma mater, who studied architecture at the University of Hong Kong, used to ask me to help him in creating architecture prototypes. That was how I discovered a subject that allowed me to draw and build models, something that suited me very well.
C: I was originally drawn to literature, before I fell in love with films during secondary school. I produced several shorts film and screenplays, winning some awards along the way. Film was what I planned to focus on at that point. However, when it came to choosing a discipline in university, a family friend recommended architecture. He described architecture not only as the soul of the city, but also as much a carrier of culture as literature and moving images. This eventually inspired me to read architecture – the choice was driven neither by career aspiration nor the professional title, but the pure pursuit of aesthetics and knowledge in architecture itself.
J: The relationship between architecture and art…
Y: I have always been interested in design and installation. Installation is an art practice that is quite similar to architecture . To me, architecture is more a training for the mind rather than professional knowledge. It teaches me to conceptualise ideas and phenomenon, identify key points and extract what is needed to solve problems. Meanwhile, fine art focuses more on the narrative of feelings. The combination of the two creates huge impact and triggers inner transformation.
C: I have never focused on just one discipline. I like to incorporate different elements such as architecture, film, literature, and theatre into my works. Therefore, I will not distinguish between architecture and art. To me, they are symbiotic.
At the beginning, we tried our hands at installation art, so as to put into practice the concepts that we have learned in architecture but were not applicable to our coursework. When we were studying for our Master’s degree, we once built a 1:1.2 model inside 1a Space at Oil Street artist village, to explore the connection and contradiction between conceptual and actual space. Later on, we rented a unit at Sino Centre in Mong Kok and turned it into an installation, hoping to bring immersive art experience to passers-by. While some imaginative ideas may not be fulfilled by practising architecture, these ideas could be played out on the platform of an arts space.
J: Gary, what are some of the unique characters and charms of Hong Kong architecture? What prompted you to dedicate so much research in Tai O Pang Uk?
Kat Hing Street, Tai O | 2014 | Architect: Gary YEUNG
Y: During our study, we were keen to visit Tai Hom Village, a squatter area in Diamond Hill. We were deeply interested in vernacular architecture, with Tai O Pang Uk (wooden stilt houses) being a representative example. Built by various people, such architecture without architect defies categorisation in style while exemplifying its unique local ecology. Therefore, they are certainly worthy of research and conservation.
Kat Hing Street, Tai O | 2014 | Architect: Gary YEUNG
J: What is the concept behind “The Dimensions of Living: A House is”, JCCAC Festival 2020’s feature exhibition curated by you two? Could you share some of its content with us?
C: Putting aside the perennial notions of high-density houses with sky-high prices, we wish to explore the concept of a “house” from a brand-new perspective and with a wider scope. A house can be pragmatic yet abstract, and collective yet personal. This exhibition will allow us to look at “house” free from trivial issues and constraints in space.
The works in this exhibition come from a group of artists, architects, life walkers and students, covering a variety of mediums and topics. On the pragmatic side, we have So Kwok-kin and Mok Ho-kwong in “Action” – displaying the mock-up of a house they built in the rural areas, and showing the details of the architectural structure brick by brick. GROUNDWORK takes on Hong Kong’s cramped living environment with a “Playful” satire. Meanwhile, Architecture Commons collects public opinions on shared living in a “Commons”.
The “house” also accommodates Tsang Tak-ping’s “Mindful” – his day-to-day pencil drawings; couple Chan An-gee and Justin Larkin’s “Home” displays their printmaking works; Ho Lok-chung’s wooden “Wall” sees carvings of his former dwellings’ floor plan; Au Hoi-lam’s “Intimate” room of sentimental paintings; Chan Wai-lap’s “Priceless” treasures from Hong Kong, and Yau Kwok-keung’s “Illusion” from his midnight walks. Last but not least, we have Kacey Wong’s “Politics” knocking at the door, while May Fung’s “Poetics” opens different windows of the houses.
J: Apart from JCCAC Festival’s feature exhibition, you have also recently hosted exhibition “Island_Peninsula – Glamor, Efficiency, Orderliness & Constant Change: Making of the Hong Kong Architecture Landscape” in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, what is your view on the role of curators?
C: “Island_Peninsula” fulfilled my dream of assimilating the literary works of Liu Yichang and architecture. Our choices of the exhibition venues hit home (outdoor shopping centre in Los Angeles and indoor shopping centre of Nina Tower in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong), as they brought the works close to the public.
A curator is not unlike a film director, who needs to find resources and funding, assemble the appropriate actors (artists), and prepare screenplay (exhibition theme) tailored for them, so to ignite sparks of imagination.
Y: Being a curator is a very satisfying experience. We are like the conductor of an orchestra, connecting all the dots, creating synergy while amplifying the talents of everyone involved.
Los Angeles | 2019
Hong Kong | 2020
