Category: Installation

  • Interview Service Provider 陌生人訪問服務

    2013-  Video installation
    HDV/ Color/ Sound

    Complete statement and interview questions

    Silas Fong invites online stalker to suggest a target which he would approach and conduct video interview with. The stalkers set questions according to his knowledge to the stalkees. The stalkee was not told the identity of the stalker at any course. The stalkee then sits for an interview. During this interview the stalkee unavoidably created an image of the stalker and represented themselves with response to this imagination. The video was shown to the stalker after it is edited and commentary are done according to the discrepancy of the stalkee’s in fantasy and reality. In this work, audience is actually looking from the stalkers perspective while being aware of his/her mental activity according to the video.


    Dear Stranger,

    Are there people in your social networks that you don’t even know, that you have never seen, that you are not too familiar with. There maybe someone whom you are curious about, and have even watched for some time.

    Have you ever thought of knowing them further without disclosing yourself?
    If you have, we can help.
    This is an invitation to enjoy our service.
    We would help you to interview these strangers, and you would have the chance to comment on your strangers freely. We assure you that your identity would be kept confidential.

    If you are intrigued, please kindly contact us by email via isp@silasfong.com.

    Yours sincerely,
    Silas Fong
    Interview Service Provider

    Exhibited in
    《Sky ++
    Digital Community Art Exhibition, Goethe Institute, Hong Kong 2013

    陌生人訪問服務
    2013-
    錄像裝置
    高清
    /彩色/聲音

    完整介紹及訪問內容

    親愛的陌生人,

    在你的社交網絡中有沒有一些你根本不認識、你從未見過面或你不太熟悉的人?這些人當中可能有誰令你感到好奇或你在很久以前已看上他/她?

    有沒有想過更深入認識他/她而不需揭露自己的身份?如果你有,我們可以幫到你。我們誠邀閣下享用我們的服務。我們可以代閣下訪問這些陌生人,並為你提供機會讓你盡情評價你的陌生人。我們確保你的身份絕對保密。

    如閣下深感興趣,請發電郵至isp@silasfong.com聯絡我們。

    陌生人訪問服務
    方琛宇謹啟

    展覽
    《Sky++》數碼社區藝術展覽
    ,香港歌德學院畫廊 2013

     

     


    Video Excerpt


    Video stills

    —-
    Social network now allows us to get in and out of a stranger’s life without any difficulty. The greatest advantage of all is you can meet an enormous crowd of strangers in no time. It might be incorrect to stalk a stranger’s life without notice. However, a stranger has clearly granted such permission once their photos, information and thought are uploaded to the public domain. Don’t feel guilty about your curiosity. It should be shared and talked as hobbies for pleasure. After all, aren’t we all curious to know more about that familiar stranger?

    The Service
    Interview Service Provider (ISP) makes the world more open while being able to keep people disconnected. Enjoy the excitement and being safe at the same time.

    We now offer stalkers the opportunities to know more about a stranger further through social networks.

    We would help a stalker to interview a desired stranger (stalkee). ISP professional conduct guarantees that the stalker’s identity be kept confidential by both parties (ISP and the stalker).

    When a stalker agrees to participate, ISP would approach this stalkee to sit for a video interview.

    ISP would ask for the stalkee’s permission. When granted, ISP asks the stalker to provide 10 questions and 1 message for the stalkee. One single rule applies – any question or message that potentially suggests the stalkers’ identity would not be entertained.

    Both ISP and the stalker shall never disclose the identity of the stalker by any means.

    The video would be roughly edited and shown to the stalker. The stalker proceeds to comment on the stalkee and the video (commentary) as written text with ISP guidance.

    The commentary would be made according to stalkee’s behaviour, and the discrepancy between the stalker’s fantasy and reality. Therefore the stalker is required to comment on the video in general but not just the stalkee.

    After the final editing and adjustment by ISP, the interviews would be released in selected public occasions as a form of moving image. It would include the video interviews, the recorded speech of the stalkee and commentaries as subtitle by stalkers.

    We would not disclose the stalkee’s response to the stalker’s message to any party.

    It is ISP’s professional endeavor to satisfy any stalker’s curiosity and keep the stalkee’s curiosity ravenous.

    —-

    —-
    現今的社交網絡讓大家方便無阻地進出陌生人的生活。

    最大的貢獻莫過於為大眾提供了龐大的陌生人群,你可以隨時遇上任何人。事前未經通知就跟蹤一個陌生人的生活可能是不對的。但當一個陌生人將自己的相片、資料及想法上載到公共領域的一刻開始,已經明確授權任何人任意觀賞。

    所以大家別為自己的好奇心感到罪疚,反而可當作嗜好般一起分享閒談,享受當中樂趣。說到底,有誰對那熟識的陌生人不帶半點好奇心?

    服務範圍
    陌生人訪問服務(ISP)令世界變得更加開放而保持人與人之間的安全距離。享受刺激同時不失安全感。我們正為跟蹤者提供良機,令他們對陌生人的了解不再止於社交網絡上的認識。我們會為跟蹤者訪問他們滿懷好奇的陌生人。經相方同意及合作 (ISP與跟蹤者),ISP的專業操守保證跟蹤者的身份將永遠保密。當跟蹤者同意後,陌生人訪問服務將會邀請這個被跟蹤者接受錄像訪問。

    ISP會請求被跟蹤者允許訪問。得到允許後,跟蹤者須向ISP提供10條為被跟蹤者度身訂做的問題和1則口訊。

    其中設立一條重要的規則 – 任何有可能透露跟蹤者身份的問題或口訊都不會獲得接納。

    ISP 和跟蹤者雙方訂約永不以任何方式洩露跟蹤者的身份。

    訪問拍攝所得的片段經初步剪輯後會展示跟蹤者。跟蹤者就被跟蹤者的受訪片段以文字進行評論。

    評論的內容會按照被跟蹤者的行為、跟蹤者的幻想與現實的落差而寫成。所以跟蹤者不只評論被跟蹤者而

    是該評論訪問錄像的整體。

    經ISP的調節及最後剪輯,整個訪問系列會以流動影像的模式在公共場合展示。包括訪問被跟蹤者的影像和講話以及跟蹤者評論訪問的字幕。

    我們不會向任何人士公開被跟蹤者對跟蹤者口訊的回應。

    ISP 將竭力滿足跟蹤者的好奇心同時半吊着被跟蹤者的好奇心。

    —-

  • 連續劇

    策展人 翁子健

    廣州觀察社
    2012年10月20日至12月1日

    我小心地觀察那點綠色 - 怎麼形容呢?它總在變,就好比一位斯文淡定的魔鬼。你怎樣可能猜得透他的心?

    我無意說得沒頭沒腦,但總是有太多令人着迷的小把戲,害我錯過了很多心要的細節。

    那兩隻戰戰兢兢的海獅如何討好了我?哦,我沒有告訴你,那是周二午後,當我正喝着溫暖的啤酒。後來,我又在窗外發現兩隻打扮古怪的動物,在堆着厚雲天空下 - 我好像在哪裡見過他們。

    我不知道。我自己也被半吊着胃口。

    我只能碰運氣,等待繆思來滋養我的好奇心。有時我真的會碰到她,或者在廚房裡洗碗,或者在冰箱門後面。她總是埋首於不知道什麼瑣碎事之中。

    你通常盯着什麼發吊?我常盯着自己,又無時無刻覺得在被誰盯着。

    所有故事都已消亡,但是又每天反覆重演着,沒完沒了。我已分不清楚回憶和預感,就好像在將好多齣精彩絕倫的連續劇混着看。

    (AY)

    展覽現場

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     



     

     


    軒尼詩道, 攝影, 2011


    富德樓, 攝影, 2012


    柏林動物園, 攝影, 2012


    卡爾斯奧公園, 攝影, 2012


    愛蝶灣, 攝影, 2008


    阿姆斯特丹動物員, 攝影, 2008


    巴里戲院, 攝影, 2012


    柏裕商業中心, 攝影, 2012


    Cheryl, 超八菲林轉成錄像, 2 分 25 秒


    錄像片段, 錄像, 5 分 30 秒

    展覽場刊

     

  • Sitcom 連續劇

    Curated by Anthony Yung

    Observation Society, Guangzhou
    20 Oct 2012– 1 Dec 2012

    I observed that green colour carefully – how should I describe it? That green was as mysterious as the heart of a gentle and calm devil, if one can know his heart?

    I don’t mean to talk like this, as if without coherence, but there are always all these fascinating little tricks that seem to distract me from the necessary details.

    How did those two frightened seals arouse my interest? Oh, I forgot to tell you, it was a Tuesday Afternoon and I was drinking warm beer. Later, I saw two animals in weird costumes outside the window and the sky was full of thick clouds – I must have seen them somewhere else.

    I don’t know… I have this feeling of always hanging on, always wanting to know what will happen next.

    I can only count on luck, waiting for the muse to come and nourish my curiosity. I sometimes bump into her, when she is washing dishes in kitchen; sometimes I find her behind her behind the door of the fridge looking for something. She always seems to be busy with whatever trivial thing comes her way.

    What do you stare at, when you daydream? I usually stare at myself, always with the feeling that I’m also being stared at by someone else.

    All these stories have passed and yet still they recur everyday, seemingly without end. I can no longer distinguish between the memories and the premonitions; it’s like I am watching several wonderful sitcoms unfolding at the same time.

    (AY)

    連續劇
    策展人 翁子健

    廣州觀察社
    2012
    1020日至121

    我小心地觀察那點綠色 - 怎麼形容呢?它總在變,就好比一位斯文淡定的魔鬼。你怎樣可能猜得透他的心?

    我無意說得沒頭沒腦,但總是有太多令人着迷的小把戲,害我錯過了很多心要的細節。

    那兩隻戰戰兢兢的海獅如何討好了我?哦,我沒有告訴你,那是周二午後,當我正喝着溫暖的啤酒。後來,我又在窗外發現兩隻打扮古怪的動物,在堆着厚雲天空下 - 我好像在哪裡見過他們。

    我不知道。我自己也被半吊着胃口。

    我只能碰運氣,等待繆思來滋養我的好奇心。有時我真的會碰到她,或者在廚房裡洗碗,或者在冰箱門後面。她總是埋首於不知道什麼瑣碎事之中。

    你通常盯着什麼發吊?我常盯着自己,又無時無刻覺得在被誰盯着。

    所有故事都已消亡,但是又每天反覆重演着,沒完沒了。我已分不清楚回憶和預感,就好像在將好多齣精彩絕倫的連續劇混着看。

    (AY)

    Exhibition View




    Henessy Road, Photography, 2011


    Berlin Zoologischer Garten, Photography, 2012


    Karlsaue Park, Photography, 2012


    Aldrich Garden, Photography, 2008


    Amsterdam Artis Zoo, Photography, 2008


    Bali Kino, Photography, 2012


    Park-in Commercial Centre, Photography, 2012


    Cheryl, Super 8mm transferred to Video, 2 min 25 sec


    Video Clips, Video, 5 min 30 sec

    Exhibition Brochure

  • We each walked 2000 kilometers to say good-bye

    2012 Digital Video
    HDV/ Color/ Sound/ 9’46”

    It is an exploration question of Love – how long does love last? In seeking meanings of life, some people find love as the answer. German words Leben and Liebe write and pronounce so similarly and that manifests the cultural mentality of the people in equality of Life and Love. Questions followed – Does all Love end? Why and how does it end?   Instead of hectic urban cityscape, this work I chose to work with a hundred years old dam built by the nature. It is a self-exploratory project. I situate myself in this magnificent monument, which has the natural feel yet highly artificial. The dam stops water flows through and over for a specific reason. A story is told in 3 perspectives and to be shown in 3 locations. First-person, third-person perspective and the omniscient narration helps to illustrate and examine floating quality of a story.   The text of this work is developed from and inspired by works of others, from selected films, poetries, old anonymous postcards from flea market and antique stores, novels, interviews and most importantly Marina Abramovic’s and Ulay’s collaborative work The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk. The diversity of text attempts to exploit audience’s comprehension and interpretation to where lingually unreachable.

    Exhibited in
    Inventing Dreams
    Weeds Studio, Hong Kong

    我們各走2000公里前來道別
    2012
    數碼錄像

    高清/ 彩色/ 有聲/ 9分46秒

    探討愛情問題一則 − 「她」可以存活多久?  一些人認為「她」是生存的意義。舉例在德語中 ’Leben’ 與 ‘Liebe’ 串字讀音非常相近,或可見其文化思維將生活和愛情看成對等。又問:愛情都會終結嗎?為甚麼?這是怎樣發生的? 在這次創作中,我走離都市繁囂,來到一所背靠自然的百年水壩之前,進行一個自我探索的習作。站於這所壯麗古蹟之前,感覺它既悠然,亦相當人工化,它阻隔滾滾流水唯我們所用。我在三個地方、以三種觀點 – 第一身、第三身及全知來敍說一個流動不停的故事。 作品的文本從其他創作中轉化而成,選自電影、新詩、舊名信片、小說及訪談,而當中最受瑪麗娜•阿伯拉莫維奇所啟發。嘗試以文本的多樣性開拓觀眾對作品不止於語言所及的理解及闡釋。

    展覽
    《發明了 發夢》香港勁草工作室, 2012

    Part II – Documentation with dialogue

  • Memoriescape

    2011 Video Installation
    26-channel video installation on monitors

    The exhibition is a video installation consisting of 26 videos, slide shows and text captions. The videos are captured by telecine super 8 film, webcam, cellphone, camera and digital video of different qualities.

    With Memory Disorder, Fong investigates how the temporality of memory comes into play. In our consciousness, the images that one sees prompt an associate with images drawn from our memory. This often triggers flashbacks and even imagined events. Our minds are often a sequence of randomly connected scenes. Is there an ordering for memories? Are they organized chronologically or dependent on one’s state of mind, or an inseparable mixture of both?

    By using his biography as a specimen, Fong choreographs an experience of immerging in memories and imagination by letting moving images appear and disappear. The scenes are drawn from personal encounters with conflict, the youthful urge to search for something not known, people to empathize with and places imbued with affection. According to Fong, the work is an on-going fragmented narrative that raises the question: “do we want to forget, or not?”

    -Aenon Loo

    Exhibited in
    Memory Disorder
    Gallery Exit, Hong Kong


    Installation views

    Click here for screen shot of individual video (PDF by Gallery Exit)

    Photos courtesy of the Gallery Exit

    Video Documentation of Memoriescape

  • Working in Hollywood 在荷里活工作

    2010 Dual-channel digital video
    HDV/ Color/ No sound/ 43’

    Working for a job at Hollywood Road in Hong Kong for more than a year, I often see workers taking rest from their very hard work, they are smoking, lying and chatting at some hidden places. These may be their real moment of freedom and space in their daily lifes. In search of the community in their realistic and idealistic lifes, I try to represent the spaces of these people of working class with their private space, time, characters, dialogue (monologue) and imagination.

    Exhibited in
    Re-Orientation Former Married Police Quarter, Central, Hong Kong, 2010

    在荷里活工作
    2010 雙頻數碼錄像


    高清
    /彩色/無聲/ 43

    在上環荷里活道工作一年多,午飯時間常看到一些工人在隱敝的街巷中,三五成群抽着煙、躺着。他們忙裡偷暇,享受着僅餘的自由時間和空間。
    我嘗試將上班一族的私人空間、時間、人物、對話和我對他們的想像重現,尋找社群中現實和理想的生活及城市空間。

    展覽
    《擺渡》
    香港荷里活道前已婚警察宿舍, 2010


    Video stills


    Video Excerpt

  • Stolen Times for Sale 販賣偷來的時間

    2008 Video Installation/ Performance
    Exhibited in

    Move On Asia 2010 Single Channel Video Art Festival(Touring Exhibition)
    Para/Site Art Space, Hong Kong; Tate Modern, London  Alternative Space LOOP, Seoul, Korea;
    《Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Award 2009
    Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
    The 14th ifva (Interactive Media Category) Finalist Works Exhibition
    4/F, Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong, 2009
    Anonymity – The Debut Solo Exhibition of Silas Fong
    Artist Commune, Cattle Depot Artists Village, Hong Kong, 2008

    New Trend 2008Artist Commune, Cattle Depot Artists Village, Hong Kong, 2008
    Current
    Graduation Exhibition, Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, 2008

    We are merchants
    Everyday we purchase

    Time for money
    Money for time

    I sell the stolen times
    For reasonable price

    Silas Fong is the first merchant in Hong Kong, for giving customers outstanding value for money, the highest quality in fresh time.

    The performer steals time from strangers through pressing the button of elevators. The stolen times are recorded as video and are being exhibited in a gallery. Visitors can purchase and take away these times, which are extracted into a CD with money from the performer. According to the duration, number of people involved, their approximate age, appearance and response, prices for stolen times are different. The video sequences once sold are replaced by “SOLD – XX SECONDS FOR $XXX”, and are being shown together with the unsold ones.

    販賣偷來的時間
    2008錄像裝置/行為

    展覽
    第十四屆ifva互動媒體組入圍作品展,香港藝術中心四樓包氏畫廊, 2009
    不知名》方琛宇首個個人展覽,牛棚藝術村藝術公社, 2008
    出爐2008大專藝術畢業生群展,牛棚藝術村藝術公社, 2008
    Current》畢業展,香港浸會大學視覺藝術院畫廊, 2008

    我們都是商人
    每天賣時間
    買時間

    我以合理的價錢
    販賣偷來的時間

    方琛宇是全港首位致力為顧客提供價錢至抵、高質素新鮮時間的商人。

    透過升降機的按鍵,陌生人的時間被偷走,這些偷來的時間被攝成錄像在畫廊中展出。參觀者可自由選購時間,表演 者將它放進光碟隨顧客帶走。被偷來的時間根據長度、片中人數、他們的年齡、外貌及反應,價格各有不同。而己售的時間片段,即時被換上“已售 – XX秒 XXX元” 的字樣,與還未被出售的錄像繼續播放。

    Catalogue for stolen times


    above: Silas Fong selling time

  • In some seconds 轉眼

    2009 Dual screen video installation
    HDV/ Color/ 16’44”, 16’41”

    A video is shot on a bus towards the street on passers-by.

    In a populous city, a specific person could only be captured in a random manner whenever the bus stops, not before or after, and just for some seconds.

    I chose a lane I travel weekly for shooting. The footages, taken in different time are sequenced into two 16:9 videos with slightly different duration and order, being back projected on two screens facing each other. In such way they are hung to create a narrow “moving” space/path to embrace the audience in between, and an experimental cinematic space for the encounter between the audience and the people in each of the two screens.

    Exhibited in
    Some roomsOsage Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, 2009

    轉眼

    2009
    雙屏幕錄像裝置
    高清/彩色/1644,1641
    在繁囂的城市裏,坐在巴士上想遇上車外街上的某路人,只能隨巴士慢駛或停下,分秒不差,也只能維持數秒

    我選擇了經常乘搭的巴士路線進行拍攝,將拍攝得來的影片剪輯成兩段長度和次序接近的16:9錄像背投到兩個面對面的屏幕上,造成一個狹窄的流動空間/通道將觀眾包圍,讓觀眾及兩個屏幕中的人在這個實驗電影空間中各自相遇。

    展覽
    Some rooms奧沙畫廊,香港  2009


    Screenshots of the video



  • Art Map 藝術地圖

    2008 – Present
    Performance/ Business cards
    Dimension variable

    Exhibited in
    《Anonymity – The Debut Solo Exhibition of Silas Fong》
    Artist Commune, Cattle Depot Artists Village, Hong Kong, 2008

    Since March 2008, I always attend art events and exhibitions’ opening. I have collected many business cards and witnessed numerous magnificent events in the Hong Kong art scene. I try to draw a map of ecology relating to art by selecting some events and their corresponding cards.

    Each panel represents an art event, contains the cards of the people I know and I meet. There is only one copy of the card collected from the owner when I first met. The others are all colour copies. The card owners are invited to sign on the panel at their corresponding cards when Art Map is being exhibited.

    2008 – 現在
    名片 尺寸不一

    展覽
    《不知名》方琛宇首個個人展覽,牛棚藝術村藝術公社, 2008

    我經常出席藝術活動和展覽開幕酒會,因為我喜歡收到很多不同的名片
    自零八年三月,我收藏了數十多張名片,見証了多件香港藝壇盛事


    在其中我選了一些不同的代表活動,嘗試以名片繪出一幅和藝術有關的生態圖。

    每個展板代表一個藝術活動,展示着我己認識及初相識的人的名片。
    而在整件作品中,每款名片只有一張是從初相識的人手中得來,其餘的都是彩色複印
    在<藝術地圖>被展出其間,出現在地圖上的名字的人都會被邀請出席,並在
    展板上其名片的位置簽署


    The overview of Art Map
    in ‘Anonymity – The Debut Solo Exhibition of Silas Fong’ at Artist Commune


    Janet CHAN was signing on her business card


    LEE Chun Fung was signing on her business card


    Details of Art Map
    Each map contains cards representing people that the author knew or just met in a particular event.

  • Surveil the strangers 跟蹤陌生人

    http://www.silasfong.com/strangers/

    2008 Weblog/ Computer Installation
    Dimension variable

    Exhibited in
    Anonymity – The Debut Solo Exhibition of Silas Fong
    Artist Commune, Cattle Depot Artists Village, Hong Kong, 2008

    Because you are curious, because you feel excited
    Around you, there are people that you don’t even know, that you have never seen, that you are not familiar with, that you are curious of, that you have watched for some time. Surveil them, forget your sense of guilty, follow your curiosity, share what you know about them like everyone does.

    跟蹤陌生人
    2008 網誌/電腦裝置
    尺寸可變

    展覽
    不知名方琛宇首個個人展覽,牛棚藝術村藝術公社, 2008

    因好奇.為刺激
    在你的身邊,有一些你從不認識的、未見過的、不熟悉的、令你有興趣的和你監視已久的人來來往往。偷窺他們,忘記你的罪惡感,跟隨你的好奇心像其他人一樣去分享對他們所知的。