2016

Commissioned by the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, SAR of the People’s Republic of China

I collaborated with Lam Tsz Ching, Kaiaroonsuth Chonticha and Wong Ho Ching to paint replicas of Edward Hopper paintings. Each of us started a painting then switched places after three hours to work on a different painting. This involved changing painting stations, brushes, palettes, and in the process learning quite a lot from each other.

Once the paintings were finished, we carried them in a formal procession through the corridors of the old Kaitak building, (which used to be the British Royal Air Force Officers’ Mess), accompanied by two bagpipers from the Hong Kong St Andrew’s Bagpipe Band, and deposited them in the hole we had dug earlier in the grounds.

This project is a deposit of ideas, of ways of interaction, and of physical objects. Edward Hopper never had anything to do with Hong Kong, but now he does - in the same way that a lot of Hong Kong history has been imposed from outside, but is also driven by local people responding to aggressive strangers from far away.

For now the moisture and temperatures of the tropics, plant roots and worms are continuing the work started by the painters. In a few years the Hong Kong Heritage Museum might get interested to sponsor an archaeological dig, an excavation and restoration of the paintings.

The alternative is for this ground deposit to survive as a story, or become a rumor that slowly takes the form of a legend, or dissipates and completely disappears from memory and history.

Materials & Actions: Four replicas of Edward Hopper paintings, painted collaboratively, the digging of a 6ft x 4ft x 6ft hole, ceremonial procession with bagpipers, ground deposit.

Location: Kaitak, the former British Royal Air Force Officers’ Mess, Hong Kong, PRC, which is now Hong Kong Baptist University’s Academy of Fine Art’s studio building.