《海市蜃樓——鄧凝姿與劉清平對談展》

Main ideas - -  Stella Tang crossover Lau Ching Ping exhibition - -  Stella shared her artworks idea - -  Artworks contained observation and creation parts - - Paintings idea came from Land reclamation - - Land reclamation is not necessary bad - - over-protection limited people mind in sometimes

Stella Tang radio program

腦作大業 010–藝術家專訪 鄧凝姿博士

Share her curator experiences

-Art Container Project project convener
-face lots of difficulties
-e.g. financial problem, design problem and design problem
-artists should employ art administration professional to share workload
-so, artists can focus on creation work
-Also, she shared the Art Container Project project challenges
-financial and the government regulation are the difficult parts
-local people should find their cultural identity

Artist Interview recording

Stella Tang interview Part 1
Stella Tang Interview Part 2

The theme of the artwork

-          ‘Veil and Unveil’ is one of series to experiment with new visual language

-          For one’s identity within the cultural context of Hong Kong

-          Nature of a veil of veiling and unveiling is about ‘seeing and being seen’ relationship

-          Through ‘seeing and being seen’, artists hope to aware local issue

-          For example, what is the Hong Kong identity, what are the different between 1960s,1970s and nowadays Hong Kong

-          To reflect women and the captivating social history of Hong Kong during the period of 1960s and 1970s

The form of the artwork

-          3D with different shapes

The medium of artwork

-          Fabric and threads

-          Tried cotton but it doesn’t work, the reason is not limpid enough

-          Also, it is difficult to remove fixed pattern in cotton

-          Fabric and threads is better because it has translucent feature

-          From far view, it is clear but it is not clear from near view

The background of the artist if it is related to the artwork

-          Some relationship between artworks background and artists

-          Stella Tang’s mother was an industry workers

-          The idea of artworks was stimulated by his mother’s work

The social background of the artwork

-          After Hong Kong handover, the changes for teenagers is decreasing

-          developer hegemony in Hong Kong

-          More and more conflict social issues

-          Hong Kong was a colonized area, cultural was influenced by western in large extent

-          Only little people interest in to find local identity

-          Stella Tang through her ‘Veil and Unveil’ series to find her identity

-          Aware public attention on identify issue and remind them the Hong Kong spirit

Did she make any reference to the art history?

-          Stella Tang referenced Do-Ho Suh artists

-          Suh created veiled sculpture and veiled architecture

-          Suh address personal and collective identities referencing to the artist’s unique cultural experience

-          Stella Tang inspired by his artworks

Do you like her artwork? Why?

-          Like very much

-          One of 80s, I have sympathy with her artworks

-          Lots of conflicts in our society

-          I feel hopeless in future

-          Stella expressed what her feeling on social issue

Interview Questions

- Why you have ideas to create 'veil series'?
- Why choose veil material?
- Do you fave any difficulties in the creation?
- What is the purpose of 'veil series'?
- What 'veil clothes' present for ?
- Do 'veil series' related to your childhood?
- Do you have any difficulties when you exhibit 'veil series'?
- Do 'veil series' related to social issue nowadays?
- Do you referenced other artists artworks?
- Do you think 'veil series' successful?

鄧凝姿拒絕背負弱勢身份

[2005-03-08] 鄧凝姿拒絕背負弱勢身份

黃 靜

　鄧凝姿，本地知名視覺藝術工作者，三八婦女節期間被邀參與探索「女性在香港」的展覽，無意中湊了熱鬧。

　這個「旅／女人的國度」展覽，展現8個女藝術家對香港女性處境的紛雜見解。

　鄧凝姿的角落，有數塊面紗平列掛在牆上。印染碎花圖案布料上面，縫上交錯密集車線。「一種說法是布料作為工業成品，隱喻社會存在的架構。縫線是裡面的個體能力的痕跡，努力的狀態。」鄧凝姿解說。這種努力，傾向車衣女工的生活，各自爭取成果。商業發達，全球化吹勢下，反降低人們掌握自主生活的能力。豈不是腳踏高跟鞋OL比女工更「身不由己」？

　鄧凝姿說，也可以聯想至中東婦女的面紗，比喻壓抑與反抗。「面紗掩著的靜默態度，往往是最有力的反抗。」

輕盈旅人

　鄧凝姿就如自己的作品，那塊軟軟的、可摺疊的面紗；在她身上看到當下無數香港女性的生活形態：輕盈。

　從教職員室失意地走出來，隻身往英國學習藝術，及後移民至加拿大，再往澳洲攻讀藝術碩士。

　回來，在藝術中心學院當導師，直至現在，她不曾是別人的妻子，或母親。既是無牽掛的「女人」，亦是留戀萬呎高空的「旅人」。

　「不為別人，只為回應自身的情緒、喜好而做。」慣於為自己的生命做決定，享受自定agenda的樂趣。所以，她活躍於策劃展覽、主理畫廊、將藝術帶進社區等工作之上。

　這位香港女藝術家談起在異地繼續創作的經驗，記者隨即聯想起在捷克作家米蘭昆德拉的小說《生命中不能承受的輕》裡的莎賓娜：一個來自弱國波蘭的女藝術家。背負這個邊緣的身份，逃到西方世界，在最得勢的一群面前，透過藝術品發出最邊緣的聲音；卻分外響亮，因為得到細意的檢視和同情。

　鄧凝姿在加拿大的創作道路，雖相信並不像莎賓娜那樣，得到極端的注視；但因加拿大抱持多元文化的觀念和政策，所以總會在各展覽廳留下一角給她、在活動和資源分配「留一張椅子予弱勢少數群體」，鄧凝姿比喻說，「所以在那段期間我活得很舒服，每個人，只需做回自己。」

香港：真正邊緣化

　在香港，鄧凝姿反而經歷真正的邊緣化，首先在香港藝術創作，往往帶來生計問題。而在藝術界別裡，男性的價值觀往往主導。「比賽、展覽等等的環節上總是根據男性的標準，要準確，要全觀。」「即使女性作品獲選參加國際展覽，也是一定要表現女性議題，如衛生巾裝置。」在男權面前，也只會接納強調自我弱勢的莎賓娜，忽略較關心社會重大議題的鄧凝姿，因為前者鞏固了男性強者的地位，後者不。所以，鄧凝姿並不熱衷參與比賽和展覽；連她曾得的「視覺藝術獎」也是被頒授的。「可能，我不會一直留在香港，因為在外國的確過得自在一點。」

　鄧凝姿說，最享受大部分視之為折磨的長途機。「高空之中，竟產生純粹屬於自己的感覺，很棒。」鄧凝姿繞越家庭裡、藝術圈內的兩性張力和鬥爭。

　作為女性，她只想在寬廣的天空，輕身上路。


Main ideas

-          Veil is one of industrial products and it implicated old local society structure

-          Veil is a good texture to express the meaning of rebel

-          Male value is dominated in art world

-          Difficult to develop art career in Hong Kong when it compared with foreign environment

藝術家鄧凝姿以面紗探索自主思維的空間

藝術家鄧凝姿以面紗探索自主思維的空間

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

　　擅於利用不同藝術媒介以表達個人感覺及探討社會眾生相的藝術家鄧凝姿，最近完成了新一系列的藝術創作。作品採用了非傳統的創作媒介及演繹方式製成 ── 就是在色彩繽紛的雪紡上以縫衣車縫滿縱橫交錯的線條，構成立體透視效果的視幕。這一系列作品將由本星期五（九月三日）起至九月十九日在香港中央圖書館展覽廳舉行的「視覺面紗 － 鄧凝姿作品展」中介紹給觀眾欣賞。

　　展覽透過七十多件以雪紡製成的藝術作品，包括眼鏡、面紗和長柱，帶領觀眾嘗試透過作品看周遭景觀事物，開拓另一視覺體驗。而鄧氏的部分作品亦已安排在地鐵中環站Ｊ出口昃臣道連接樓層展出，展期至十月五日。是項展覽免費入場。

　　在這一系列作品中，鄧氏摒棄了畫布、顏料和畫筆這些傳統的繪畫工具，改而選擇了色彩繽紛的雪紡作畫布、縫線作顏料，及以縫衣車作畫筆。這方式像回到兒童最初接觸繪畫的階段，用鉛筆在紙上無拘無束地描畫，是藝術家引導觀眾回歸原始、自由表達真我心情的寄意。

　　是次展覽中包括一組名為「視覺長柱」的作品，用四幅縫滿黑線的尼龍紗所組成，光線從布的一面透出，讓觀者可站在布紡的前或後方欣賞到一個截然不同的世界。這組作品與其他利用雪紡製成的眼鏡、面紗相呼應，觀眾可以感受有趣的視覺體驗，亦可從中領略萬事萬物均可從不同層面去觀看及理解的信息，刺激思考自主思維的問題。

　　鄧凝姿認為，藝術並不只屬於小眾，只要任何人願意嘗試，都可以接觸得到，所以她選擇利用日常生活中常用的工業布料進行創作，藉以拉近與觀眾的距離，並希望透過令視野變得迷濛的布紡，讓觀眾更清楚看到自我。

　　「視覺面紗 － 鄧凝姿作品展」為第二屆「藝遊鄰里計劃」的第十一項展覽。「藝遊鄰里計劃」由康樂及文化事務署轄下藝術推廣辦事處籌劃，亦為藝術推廣辦事處與地鐵公司為推動社區藝術而合作的夥伴計劃，藉此推廣本地的視覺藝術，把高質素的藝術展覽帶到社區，達到「藝術遍遊左鄰右里」的目的。

　　為配合是項展覽，藝術推廣辦事處將舉辦兩項教育活動，包括於下星期六（九月十一日）下午二時至下午三時三十分舉行的「與藝術家鄧凝姿會面」，及於九月十八日下午二時至下午四時舉行的「親子工作坊」。兩項活動均於香港中央圖書館展覽廳舉行，以粵語進行，名額先到先得，費用全免。有興趣參加的人士可於活動舉行前三日致電三一○一　二七一二或三一○一　二七一三與藝術推廣辦事處的社區藝術組預約。

　　是項展覽設有團體及學校免費導賞服務，參加者亦可致電藝術推廣辦事處社區藝術組預約。

　　同時，市民可於互聯網上的虛擬藝廊分享鄧凝姿的創作心得及經驗，網址：http://www.artistneighbourhood.info/。

　　香港中央圖書館位於香港銅鑼灣高士威道６６號。展覽館開放時間為每日上午十時至晚上八時。

完

二○○四年九月一日（星期三）


Main ideas

-          The expression of sewing machines just like art creation in child stage

-          The aim of artists is lead public to feel her artworks from the heart

-          Stella believed that artworks should for public so she want reduce the distance between artworks and public

-          Also, she hope public can know themselves more clear through the artworks

Waving between thread and fabric:Visual Veil Exhibition by Stella Tang

Waving between thread and fabric:Visual Veil Exhibition by Stella Tang

by Ada Li, ampost, five, 2004

Behind the Veil

Stella is a lover of painting which to her is a very personal matter. Painting is too disconnected from others and difficult to decipher, therefore she takes the industrial faric to design her veils. "Fabric gives a soothing feeling when one touches it. The cutting is also nice and it closer to the people. I have the idea of weaving together all the beautiful things to see what it would look like", said Stella.

However, Stella's fondness of graffiti is not too difficult to discover when one pays closer attention to the details of the works. A Visual Veils takes colourful chiffon as its canvas on which the artist sketches busy lines with a sewing machine. One imagines it as little kid who was told by her art teacher to fill up the space on the white paper with different colours.

To sew the fabrics together layer-by-layer seems to be a cracy and meanningless job. However, it is a great challenge to Stella. The project started in 2002 when she paid for a Singer Sewing Machine herself and started the experiment. There were so many technical problems such as the material slides away and creases easily, and she had to solve all these before she could proceed. However, as an artist, Stela takes it as part of her creation.

Turns on the machine, Speed up one's creativity

When the sewing machine starts to run through the fabrics, the association of visual veil rolls itself out. As the lines on the fabrics increase, Stella's thinking moves further to issues of equality, of speaking out. "Today, we seem to enjoy freedom in many different ways, but in fact, we are losing what we have without noticing the change. We ae too ready to comprise and to adjust to the reality", she said.

Other than freedom of speech, Stella also thinks of the religious veil that is imposed on women in the Middle East. To foreigners, the veil is a symbol of sexist suppression and a focus or a starting point for many intercultural dialogues. I think of the Afghani film OSAMA where a 12-year old girl used a veil to disguise herself as a boy in order ro find a job for her family's livelihood. Sexual discrimination is brought to the big screen, so is the director's accusation of authority.

It is a gloomy world when one looks at it through layers and layers of woven fabrics. However, it is still possible to find a focus if one concentrates on the holes where light penetrates. Stella told us that light can be the source of vision and it can also be the source of things that we are longing for. In between vision and veil, there exits some kind of opposition which form the "Relativity of Veil". Sewing can be an insensible action, it can also be a thought-provoking process and training; the veil can be described as a psychological retreat to resist the external world, it can also be a form of self-resistance; it is a self-closure yst a voyeuristic behaviour; and when the world is fighting for freedom of speech; it demonstrates the power of silence, a resistance to the Other.

Veil up together

Other than ladies' visual veils, the exhibition also provides veils for kids and men, and a large collection is designed for mix and match, such as headband, glasses, and tradition fashion. The men's veil is the most complicated one in the collection. Covered up from head to toe, leaving only a small breathing gap - what a joke with men! Stella laughed. There are some sample exhibits for visitors to try on to experience the new visual impact.

Under globalization and monpolies by economic giants, the traditional manufacturing industries and arts and crafts are disminishing. To Stella, the fabric industry is a symbol of people's power. She wants to make the exhibition a tribute to the spirit of the golden age when clothing industry was flourishing.

Visual Veil - it may be a deco, an accessary that makes a face mysterious; it may even be a gap that reminds us that there is a discrepancy between vision and reality.


Main ideas

-          Fabric and threads are the good texture because those can connect to artists and public

-          During the sewing fabrics process, Stella thought more about equality and speaking freedom issue

-          The sewing movement can be seen as insensible action or thought-provoking process and training

-          “veil” can be described as a psychological retreat to resist the external world

-          Can be a form of self-resistance

-          “veil” is a self-closure and voyeuristic behavior

-          From artists view, fabric industry is one of people’s power

Apologies for Women in Veils - on 'In Touch with Visual Arts' and 'Visual Veil'

Apologies for Women in Veils - on 'In Touch with Visual Arts' and 'Visual Veil'

by Tang Ying Chi 

Here are two exhibitions to give you an idea of how much (or how less feminist issues or other art concepts mean to the local art scene. 'In Touch with Visual Arts' was organized by the Education and Manpower Bureau with an aim to encourage audience, particularly teachers, to appreciate art from different perspectives.

The exhibition featured eight artists of different creative styles. And there were four media represented, namely photography, ink painting, painting and installation. High in quality, the art pieces are bound to benefit local art teachers onw way or the other. And with their established styles and capability, it is easy to see why these artists were chosen by the officials. But something was again neglected: the gender difference, or how art is differently interpreted by different genders. This is actually nothing new as a postmodern topic or as an educational goal. Among the eight artists, none of them are local-born females. The two speakers ot the art critique writing seminars are also males. In today's open society, women-related topics are familiar to most of us. But multi-perspective analysis takes real efforts. At least local female artists should have been present.

This exhibition shows that the organizing body is still gender-insensitive. The other exhibition in question was actually one of my own. Under the name 'Visual Veil', it was held at two locations, one being an exhibition half of the MTR, the other being a government venue.

The exhibition hall at the MTR was formally a retail outlet. Before the exhbition took place, the concept of the exhibition has been changed four times because of the 'public panic'. Artists are used to dealing with public concern, but different points of view is another thing. For instance, the exhibition included a number of images of male and female models wearing veils. Some of these images were given a minimal coverage to avoid public anxiety - all of them happened to be images of veiled males.

Although it might not be done intentionally, it showed the lack of sensitiveness towards female/gender issues. Simply put, there are a lot of people who cannot accept males wearing veils. As the one who created these images, I had no intention to judge others/other nationalities. But it was my conscious choice to relate the veiled culture to the notion of freedom and democracy. I never expected it to be considered as disrespectful to the women in the Middle East. The French government recently issued a law to ban the wearing of scarves on the head, causing the kidnapping of its people. Being an international city, Hong Kong ought to modernize its vision on art.


Main ideas

-          'In Touch with Visual Arts' is organized by the government and artworks are male dominated

-          Eight artists are male

-          The government ignored the gender different problem

-          In 'Visual Veil' exhibition,

-          The concept of exhibition was changed several times because of the 'public panic'

-          Censed photos are all male wearing veils

-          Lots of people cannot accept males to wear veils

-          Reflected lacks of gender sense by the organization