Web Content Display
Web Content Display
Web Content Display
Co-organised by: Art Promotion Office and HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme
Supported by: The Governing Body of Suomenlinna and the City of Helsinki
Suomenlinna is a quiet island with its charming seashore in the sea off Helsinki, the capital of Finland. To highlight Hong Kong's artistic presence at the first Helsinki Biennale, held on the island, the Art Promotion Office, in conjunction with HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme, invited Dr Yeewan Koon as a Guest Curator for an exhibition featuring five Hong Kong artists – Angela Su, Christopher K. Ho, Cédric Maridet, Luke Ching Chin Wai and Lam Tung Pang – with Betty Ng and Juan Minguez, of the Collective, also participating. Together, they presented unique works by Hong Kong artists, shown in this land known as the happiest country in the world. It is hoped that through the exhibition, viewers can hear the sound of the sea, feel the sea breeze, and let their tired bodies and minds heal through the power of nature and art.
The title of the exhibition, "So long, thanks again for the fish", took its inspiration from the fourth novel of the science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which the protagonist discovers by accident the carved inscription on the base of a bowl "So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish". Only then does he learn that dolphins have tried to send messages to humans in their effort to save the Earth, but the messages have been overlooked or misinterpreted by humans. The inscriptions are like important marks in history that have been forgotten, hidden in texts such as diaries, folklore and legends. The five participating artists looked at human imperfections, transformed and translated them via different media, such as video, sound, paintings and installations, to relate their vision of a better future: Angela Su explores the history of gender, technology and the system of power through film and hair embroidery; Christopher K. Ho has created an alternative primitive geometric system, providing viewers a unique perspective of the world; Cédric Maridet has transformed street slogans into soundscapes, using sound as a tool to observe and record cities; Luke Ching Chin Wai's works explore different norms around the world and show non-existent lands to inspire new ways to think about globalization; and Lam Tung Pang breaks down traditional notions of family through children's stories and folklore.
Exhibition period: 8.6 — 29.8.2021
Venue: Levyhalli, Suomenlinna, Helsinki of Finland
Opening Hours: 11am — 6pm (Tuesdays to Sundays)
Closed on Mondays
The exhibition is part of the Helsinki Biennial Inspired programme of the Helsinki Biennale 2021 held from 12.6.2021 to 26.9.2021.