Silent Waves is an artist-led project curated by Solomon Yu, in which each of the 9 visual artists develops a creative work upon exploring The Library. These artists’ usual practices range from painting, video, ceramic, sculpture, installation, performance, participatory project to song writing. Although they do not have an artistic practice of sound, they are all drawn together by a shared interest in exploring sound as materials and the activity of listening.
Over a 6-month period, they have encountered unfamiliar and abstract elements in life in Hong Kong; they have experienced not only boredom, confusion, but also the excitement of discovery. They are moved, inspired or provoked to respond in their own ways. The resulting works include images, sounds, videos, creative writing, interactive device, performance, interviews and a series of ceramic class for primary students.
The individual work reflects how each artist interprets the materials they have come across, and how they bring the experience from this project back to their own art practices. Documentations of these creative works as well as the artists’ explorations will be presented under the title Silent Waves as a mini-website that could be accessed from The Library.
Curator’s Words
Silent Waves
exploring the quiet zone
9 visual artists travel with a library in quietness
together, browsing, gazing, floating, exchanging, and picturing
along this journey of artistic exploration
being quiet is not the same as being still
if one could experience roars of a rough sea in a Turner
or feel the crush from the soundlessness of a Rothko
perhaps singing of cicadas could spike as harsh as the midday sun during summer
while sounds from a rice steamer could teleport one into a misty rural village
listening to books, reading sounds and picturing images
the artists travel to different unfamiliar and abstract locations in our city life
experience boredom, confusion, also excitement of discovery and surprises
moved, inspired or provoked
they share, and bring what they have encountered and experimented
back to their own art practices
in the form of material, word, music, image, sound, interaction or workshop
returning more books than they have borrowed
the exploration continues
