Art After Hours 2021

Art After Hours: Connective Memories

Art After Hours: Yes-Jet-Lag (formula 4.0)

Art After Hours

Art After Hours: Connective Memories

Date & Time

30 Apr 2021 7:30pm–9pm

Location

JC Cube

Price

Free of charge

General

co-presented by

Art After Hours this April is presenting the concert in a theme of  “Connective Memories” together with Asia Art Archive.

The lyricist, scholar, and educator Chow Yiu Fai, in collaboration with singer-songwriter Sophy Wong and a group of young art lovers from Hong Kong, presents a concert and sharing session as part of the Connective Memories project at Art After Hours. Co-presented by Asia Art Archive and Tai Kwun Contemporary, the concert and sharing session is a live premiere of six original songs co-created by Sophy Wong and Chow Yiu Fai, inspired by six works surrounding the Ha Bik Chuen Archive from PageNEXT members. Against a backdrop of music and musical visualisations, they will talk about their experience with the residency and working on Connective Memories, the stories and themes they developed with the archive materials, and what “connection” means to them.

Connective Memories consists of six new artworks, songs, and music videos, and is inspired by possible “connections” within the interpersonal relationships of the Ha Bik Chuen Archive. These works explore multiple themes—secrecy, curiosity, understanding, faith, destiny, biography—ultimately inviting viewers and listeners to make their own connections, and to invoke their own memories.

“Collect. Connect. I was intrigued by the correspondence between these two words when I started my Asia Art Archive residency. A linguistic response, triggered by my experience as a creative writer. It led me to ask who I could connect to collections. As a university educator, I thought of young people; as a music industry professional, I thought of songwriters, producers, MV creators—so we connected and co-created six works, songs, and visualisations. I call these layers of connection and co-creation Connective Memories. They explore how materials can follow different logics, lead different lives, tell different stories; how materials can be ours to connect with.”

—Chow Yiu Fai
“To me, music has always been an art; an art of expression and connection. It is true when people say ‘when words fail, music speaks.’ Creating music has been my way to connect to everything in life; it is the only and most freeing way to translate pieces of my feelings through the space between each music note. To connect one note to another; to connect words to rhythm and melodies; to connect my soul and emotions to yours; to connect all of us, just as this project and these six songs do.”

—Sophy Wong

*The event will be conducted in Cantonese 

Connective Memories is the result of Chow Yiu Fai’s residency at Asia Art Archive in 2018–19, sponsored by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. The music production project is sponsored by the S. H. Ho Foundation Limited and C. K. and Kay Ho Foundation.

The Concert & Sharing Session is a special project co-presented by AAA Learning & Participation programme and Art After Hours by Tai Kwun Contemporary. AAA Learning & Participation programme is supported by the S. H. Ho Foundation Limited and C. K. and Kay Ho Foundation.


Artist Bio

Chow Yiu Fai
Sophy Wong
PageNEXT

Chow Yiu Fai was born in Hong Kong, and received his PhD from the Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam. Currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing of Hong Kong Baptist University, Chow is also an award-winning writer. He released his first lyrics in 1989. He has since penned more than a thousand lyrical works for a diversity of pop artists in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Mainland. Lately, Chow has been involved in prose writing, and multimedia and visual art projects. His current research projects cover gender politics and creative practices.

Sophy Wong was born and raised in Hong Kong, and is an independent singer-songwriter and producer. She has released three albums, including Sophrology (2016), QUARTER (2017), and HARSH (2019), receiving critical acclaim. Wong was nominated for the Renaissance Award, as well as Best Singer-Songwriter and Best Alternative Pop Album in the Taiwan Golden Indie Award. She has opened for Moonchild (US), Rhodes (UK), and others. With roots ranging from local Cantopop to alt-R&B and electronica, Sophy is a singular sound amongst a new generation of cross-genre artists in Asian music contemporaries.

PageNEXT is AAA’s youth initiative established in 2011, running on the principles of by, for, and with young people.

Apple & Pine sees life as a slow farewell. In response to all forms of farewell in life, Apple & Pine creates. She loves black cats, new moons, and the rings of Saturn.

Brian Cheng is now an overage member of PageNEXT, owing much to the learning opportunities over the years.

Cherry Tung Cheuk Yan is an artist. Her paintings are inspired by Zhuangzi and nature. She graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She also writes graphic novels and designs craft products.

Desmond Chan graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University and the University of Hong Kong. He was Yiu Fai’s student in a Chinese lyrics writing and gender course, and wouldn’t have minded not graduating. He has participated in AAA’s activities since 2014, and subsequently became a PageNEXT member.

Jane Choi is a question mark, not yet answered. She loves art.

Nicole Pang Hiu Ying graduated from Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Communication Design programme. She is a graphic designer, hula dancer, and also films and edits videos.


Tai Kwun Treats

“Tai Kwun Treats” are now available for this programme participants! Get the vouchers and enjoy various privileged offers at designated shops and restaurants.

Get more details!