Oi! to hold arts projects “Once lost but now found” and “Contagious Reading” (with photos)

     Two new arts projects entitled "Once lost but now found" and "Contagious Reading" will be held at Oi! from tomorrow (March 22). The former exhibition sees artists respond to the environment and the location of the venue, thus creating artworks with the elements of a city by the sea, while the latter project will hold workshops by drawing inspiration from stories about libraries with the aim of sharing insights into the power of reading and art. The opening ceremony of the two projects was held at Oi! today (March 21).
 
     Oi! is a Grade II historic building that was built in 1908 as the clubhouse of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. It is also the only building remaining from the original North Point coastline. The coastal area has witnessed the changes of the times, including the development of Oi! in the community. For the "Once lost but now found" exhibition, artists Leung Chi-wo, Zheng Bo and art group MAP Office (Laurent Gutierrez and Valérie Portefaix) were invited to create three sets of site-specific artworks by responding to the environment. Their artworks are "Scratching On The Surface", "YOU ARE THE 0.01%" and "Ghost Island" respectively.
 
     "Contagious Reading" is part of the international collaborative project "Contagious Cities", developed by the Wellcome Trust, which explores local epidemic preparedness and how it shapes a city's physical, social and cultural landscape. Writer Lawrence Pun writes stories to stimulate imagination about libraries, while artist Pak Sheung-chuen transforms the written concepts into activities and invites the public to participate. The outcome will be displayed through different forms and practices. Visitors may experience how the "reading antibody" can help in the fight against contagious diseases and to spread it through human transmission, as something infectious in itself.
 
     The "Once lost but now found" exhibition will run until July 28, while the "Contagious Reading" project will showcase its outcome in three stages. The first stage of the project will run from tomorrow to April 18, while the second and third stages will run from April 26 to May 23 and from May 31 to June 23 respectively. Both of the projects are organised by Oi!. For details of the projects, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/APO/en_US/web/apo/y_project.html, or call 2512 3000.
 
     Oi! is located at 12 Oil Street, North Point.