Oil Street Art Space new exhibition showcases art of inscriptions in past and present (with photos)

     Oil Street Art Space (Oi!) launched the "Archaic Curator Series" last year and invited young Chinese art historians to serve as guest curators to showcase contemporary art that draws upon traditional Chinese culture. The second exhibition of the series, "Kings' Inscriptions‧Contemporary Interpretations" will be launched at Oi! Glassie from tomorrow (September 28) until February 18 next year. Taking three inscriptions overarching 1 000 years that are related to the "king" as a starting point, guest curator Dr Sarah Ng invites artists to respond to these written writings through creative works of written texts, inscribed engravings and ink rubbings, enabling the audience to appreciate the cultural connotations and history of traditional Chinese art.
          
     Dr Ng uses the Stele of Mount Yi, which commemorates the achievements of Qin Shi Huang; "Sung Wong Toi", an inscription rock repaired in the Qing dynasty commemorating the temporary residence of Zhao Shi and Zhao Bing, the last two kings of the Southern Song dynasty, and the street writing of the self-proclaimed "King of Kowloon", Tsang Tsou Choi as the starting point and connects the past and the present to highlight the uniqueness and artistic value of Chinese calligraphy, engraved steles and ink rubbings. She has invited six artists from both local and overseas backgrounds to create artworks in different media, including Lee Wing Ki's installation "Tsang's Odyssey-Dream"; Lee Yun Woon's gold ink calligraphy on purple fabric "Blessings to Hong Kong"; Leung Kwan Kiu's community participation project "I Love You"; Leong Lampo's digital ink generative video art installation "Heavenly Inquiry"; Tso Cheuk Yim's mixed-media work "See You, Old Hong Kong"; and Yeung Yuk Kan's handbuilt porcelain installation "Eastern Echo". The exhibition aims to provide a guide for audiences to appreciate traditional Chinese culture and art from a new perspective.
      
     "Archaic Curator Series: Kings' Inscriptions‧Contemporary Interpretations" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, organised by Oi! in collaboration with the University Museum Art Gallery (UMAG). For details, please visit the website www.apo.hk/en/web/apo/oi_archaic_curator_series_kings_inscriptions.html  or call 2512 3000 for enquiries.
      
     The exhibition is concurrently presented at Oi! and the UMAG.