DUAL PLASTICITY


Background

We are a group of ceramic artists who graduated from the Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) program, co-presented by RMIT University, Australia and the Hong Kong Art School. This program is the first and only local studio based part-time fine art degree course in Hong Kong and has been in operation for over ten years. By the end of 2009, ten cohorts of graduates will have successfully completed the program around 100 graduates majoring in ceramics.

Our group consists of representatives from each of the ten cohorts. Unlike students from the traditional tertiary institutes, we came from a wide range of backgrounds. Some of us are designers, teachers, architects, nurses and professionals working in the fields of business, insurance and finance. We are mostly working adults with one thing bringing us all together -clay.


Concept

Plasticity – the capability of being molded, receiving shape, or being made to assume a desired form. It is one of the properties of clay.

During our time of study as professional ceramic artists, we learnt how to transform and mold clay into the form we desired and to use it as a medium to express ourselves. However, we realized that we actually let clay mold and transform us at the same time. Clay not only changes our way of thinking and our way of perceiving things, it sometimes radically transforms our lives, changes our careers and our goals in life. This process of transformation through the medium of clay is unique from person to person as each of us has different starting points and qualities.

In light of this, we choose “Dual Plasticity” as the theme of this project, not just because “plasticity” is one of the properties of clay, but because it is also a common quality amongst all participants as we are being molded by clay in one way or another.


Objective

We plan to hold a group exhibition in September 2010. This is our first attempt to group more than half of the graduates together to participate in a large-scale exhibition, intending to present the concept of “Dual Plasticity” in our own unique way through both visual objects and written documentation.

The objectives of this project are not just to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the BA program. More importantly, we wish to use it as a channel to promote ceramic art and to start a dialogue among different generations within the local ceramics community to discuss the development of ceramic art and other related topics. Please refer to the following section “Implementation” for further elaborations.


Implementation

The implementation of the project consists of three main areas:

1. Exhibition

Visual – each participant will present a set of work using clay as the main medium. These works will be exhibited in one or more exhibition venues for a period of four to six weeks.

Documentation – each participant will also present a two page documentation in an attempt to demonstrate how clay transforms his/her own life. These individual documentations will be collected and combined into one catalogue as part of the exhibit of the project. The catalogue will be published and distributed to the viewers.

Through the presentation of both the visual objects and the documentation, viewers should be able to perceive the “dual” plasticity quality of clay, i.e. the ability to mold and be molded.

2. Public Forum

During the duration of the exhibition, a public forum will be conducted, inviting two to three prominent local ceramic artists of different generations and representatives from various art fields including art education, art museums/galleries and the West Kowloon Cultural District Project, etc. They will, review the recent development of Hong Kong ceramic art and to exchange their views and insights on the future outlook.

Our target audience would be local art related workers and art students from all discipline but with a focus on ceramics artists, using this public forum as a channel to enhance the communication among different generations within the local ceramics community. Views and perspectives from other related art fields will also be included in order to form a more complete picture. We aim to identify issues and directions which will help both the development of ceramic art and also the overall art development in Hong Kong.

3. Guided Tour and Demonstration

A selected group of participants will conduct guided tours, sharing how they transform clay and vice versa with reference to their unique background. Some alternative clay making processes may also be introduced through hands-on demonstrations.

School teachers and students will be our target groups for attending these guided tours and demonstrations. Through the demonstration and the displayed ceramics artwork, we will stimulate and nurture students’ interests in ceramics. Through the sharing of the real life stories of various participating artists, we will possibly inspire and encourage students to pursue their own dreams in a broader context.


Future Plans and Goals

As the number of graduates increases year by year, we plan to build up the critical mass and the momentum of this newly formed group - by organizing regular exhibitions and forums in the future with an intention to take the local ceramics art culture to the next level.

With this unique group of professionally trained ceramics artists from all walks of life, we hope to contribute more to the art development of Hong Kong in both the short and long-term.


Project Plan

Nov 2008
Finalize name list of participants.

Jul 2009
Send out proposal for venue rental and subsidy.

Dec 2009
Send out proposal to ADC for grant application.

Mar 2010
Finalize sponsorship and financial support, if any.
Finalize name list of speakers for forum.

May 2010
Recruit on designer/printer for all printing matters including catalogue, poster, postcard.
All participants should submit their art piece images/documentations to designer at the end of May 2010 for artwork proceeding.

July 2010
July (begin) – 1st draft of catalogue artworks are completed and send for participants’ approval.
July (end) – Catalogue/postcard/poster artworks should be ready and send for printing. E-card should also be ready at the same time.

Aug 2010
Send out news press to media.
Send out Catalogue/postcard/poster to galleries, colleges/universities, etc.
Send out e-invitation to all relative parties.
Resend e-invitation again 3 days before Exhibition start.
Send Forum invitation to all relative parties.

Sept 2010
Exhibition


Budget

Expenditure Items:

Fee for Personnel:
Venue assistant: $30/hr x 10 hrs x 24 days
HK$ 7,200

Production and material costs for new artworks:
@HK$1,500 x 63p
HK$ 94,500

Venue Rental:
Arts Centre 4/F & 5/F, 4 weeks*
HK$250,000

Venue Set-up:
Backdrop and installation
HK$ 10,000


Promotion & Publicity:

Catalogues
@HK$ 15 x 2,000 pcs
HK$ 30,000

Invitation Cards
@HK$1 x 5,000 pcs
HK$ 3,000

Posters
@HK$15 x 150 pcs
HK$ 2,250

Design and Artwork fee
HK$ 8,000

Photography/Video Documentation
HK$ 4,000

Mailing and promotional Expenses
HK$ 3,000

Administration/Miscellaneous
(Including cost of opening ceremony)
HK$ 6,000

Expenses on Forum*
Speakers fee
HK$ 6,000

Promotion & marketing
HK$ 3,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total: HK$426,950


Income Items:*

Contribution from Participants
HK$ 3,000 x 63p
HK$189,000

Sponsorship
Not confirm yet

* Pending

List of Participants

Jessie LAM Cho-ling; Becky MA Suk-ying; Billy WONG Kai-ki; Cicy CHING Sze-yin;
Denise CHEN Hui-lien; Even MAK; Joan CHAN Sui-mui; LAM Yan Yan; Karen FUNG;
Paul FUNG Kwok-cheung; Ray CHAN See-kwong; Shadow BLACKWELL; Sally TSANG Sui-fong;
Cindy NG; Elsa LEUNG Oi-ling; Jervis NG; Nichole CHAN; Patricia TAI Yin-wah;
Aidan WONG; Catherine LEE Yin-Mui; Edna LIU; Irene LAU; Suzy CHEUNG Kai-sun;
Winnie YAN; Winus LEE Yee-mei; Blanche HO Man-yee; Kit LI Man-chee; Polly WONG Lai-kuen;
LAU Wang Tat; SIU Kam Han; Daniel CHAU; Elain FUNG Hoi-wai; Elaine TSANG Yin-ling; Fian CHOI Fai-yin; James HUI Fung ;Jasmin CHU Fat; Joe CHAN Kiu-hong; Phil CHU Chan-leung; Reed CHENG Ming-fai; Ben YAU Man-pun; Chiran POON Ching-wah; Ida YU Pui-wah; TANG Kar-po; TSANG Che-ching; Rebeka TAM Hiu-yee; Annie YUNG Sau-tuen; Clare KWAN Lai-shan; Dorothy CHAN YIN-yu; Judy CHU Chui-shan; LEE Oi-ling; Nutz LUK Mei-fei; Rosanna LAU Fung-yee; WAN Yuk-yee; Angela CHEUNG; Cheung TSAI; Josephine TSUI; Katie; LEUNG Miu-ping; Reginia WONG; Sinnie LEUNG; Siumou CHOW Ho-lam; CHAN Siu-b; Zoë COUGHLAN