[Press Release]

“As the field of Contemporary Art broadens, the boundaries become more blurred, but Painting continues to light the way.”

Painting On and On presents a series of exhibitions proposing discourses on painting in Hong Kong today. The first instalment of this project will feature works by more than thirty local painters, ranging from early practitioners of the 1970s to a selection of emerging artists. Born out of multiple discussions over the course of a year, the project forms a basis for artists to exchange their concerns and fascinations. The thematic exhibitions and a publication are documentations of their collaboration, commonalities and mutual influences.

Automatic Banana invites the audience to see Painting through the artists’ lived experiences. Their works do not follow any particular school of theory, their mark-making techniques are direct and even reject traditional practices. The artists tend to favour an intuitive approach that is even more relevant in the contemporary age as the discourse of painting is predominately self-referential. Works on display will not be confined to the medium of painting. There will also be video interviews and personal objects to reflect the artists’ relationship with their works and practice. This exhibition is a symbiosis of their personal outlooks, as they seek to learn by unlearning.

A talk on the project will be held at the opening from 5pm. Artists from Automatic Banana will also be giving presentations about their works and collaboration.

Painting On and On is an artist-run project initiated by a group of Hong Kong painters in the Spring of 2011. This exhibition series is supported by Gallery EXIT @SOUTHSITE.