New Media @ Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre

In response to the flourishing of new media to create works which are edgy and contemporary, some ink artists begin to think-out-of-the-box and create works which are beyond two-dimensional. Some young artists even turn their heads to animation as the new media to bring the spirit of Chinese Ink Art forward, since they believe that the incorporation of ink art and technology will open up new possibilities in artistic creation. As a matter of fact, Traditional Chinese Ink Art becomes far more complicated than it used to be, and this makes the appreciation and judgement basing on the long-established aesthetic criteria no longer appropriate. As different from animated works from Japan and the West, Chinese Ink Animation is exquisite, smooth and imbued with meanings carried by the Chinese Ink Painting tradition. At a time when young artists are gaining more exposures in international arenas, contents of new Chinese Ink Animation is not restricted to traditional cultural issues alone, but rather a mix of cultural qualities of the East and the West and the artists' experiences of living in this hybrid society. For it is also a platform for artists to experiment crazy artistic concepts, contemporary Chinese Ink Animation is becoming an art form with eclectic styles. In respect of this exciting new look of Chinese Ink Animation, Moving Ink is the new seasonal theme that includes demonstrations on Chinese Ink Animation and a mini-exhibition of works by Vincent Mak. Through these activities, it is hoped that the audience are presented a new perspective on appreciating Chinese Ink Animation.

Ink Animation Demonstrations

What interactions can we expect when elements of Chinese ink, animation art and computer technology are put together? In four different sessions, new media artist Vincent Mak will demonstrate the art of Ink Animation and shows us how far he can reach out integrating the traditional art medium with the new.


Somewhere
Vincent Mak Shing-fung
Ink Animation
12 mins
2006


Gear City
Vincent Mak Shing-fung
Ink Animation
5 mins
2007

Artist: Mr Vincent Mak (in Cantonese)
Venue: 4/F Multi-purpose Room
No. of participants: 15
Free admission
Dates, time & topics:
15.11.2008 4:30 — 6:30pm Stop Motion Ink Animation
22.11.2008 3:00 — 5:00pm Visual Elements in Ink Animation
29.11.2008 4:30 — 6:30pm Movement and Sound in Ink Animation
06.12.2008 3:00 — 5:00pm Other Types of Ink Animation

Contemporary Art on 5/F
Moving Ink — Works by Vincent Mak

Craziness, out-of-the-box creativity, flexibility are some of the unique characteristics of animation. In the eyes of Vincent Mak, these are the charming qualities that drive him to create animation video works. Since his days in the University, Vincent Mak has been exploring new approaches to reinterpret the traditional Chinese Ink Art with technology. His earlier work, "Somewhere" (2006) demonstrated his determination in combining software and painterly skills in Chinese Ink Art, such as brush strokes, the stylistic composition and the spontaneous movement of water and ink in animation. Mak shows his interests in Traditional Ink Animation and absorbs Chinese cultural contexts in his work, whilst on the other hand, he experiments and plays with contents which mirrors the shocks of being a Generation Y people living in a highly dynamic and internationalized world, as seen in "Somewhere" (2006) and "Gear City" (2007). Moving Ink will display past and present Ink Animation works by Vincent Mak. Through this exhibition, one can see the artist's effort in striking a balance between technology and fine art as well as his commitment in seeking a fresher way out for Traditional Chinese Ink Art in contemporary art.

Date: 1.11 — 31.12.2008 (except Tuesdays)
Time: 4:00 — 9:00pm*