[PRESS RELEASE]
Hong Kongers are invited to hear British artist Antony Gormley discuss his practice at a free event being hosted to celebrate the launch of Event Horizon in Hong Kong. Register now at www.eventhorizon.hk.
Event Horizon will be the most extensive public art installation ever seen in Hong Kong. Presented by British Council Hong Kong with support from lead partner the K11 Art Foundation (KAF), the installation will be complimented with a strong education and outreach programme which includes a talk on “Making Space” by Antony Gormley on 16 November 2015, 6pm at The University of Hong Kong (HKU).
During the talk, Antony Gormley will discuss Event Horizon in the context of his wider practice, and engage with Hong Kongers on their views about art in the city.
The talk will be introduced by Robert Ness, Director of British Council Hong Kong with opening speeches by Professor John P. Burns, The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of The University of Hong Kong and Adrian Cheng, Founder and Honorary Chairman of the K11 Art Foundation.
Following presentations in London and New York, Hong Kong will be the first Asian city to stage the installation. Thirty one sculptures will be installed at both street level and building tops across a kilometre wide zone of Central and Western district.
Antony Gormley comments on the installation in Hong Kong: “Event Horizon makes you aware of the texture of the city. Each sculpture is like a tiny acupuncture needle, piercing the body of the city. Art is more of a process than a thing; these are not statues that uphold a given order but a way of interrogating the given topography of the city, looking at the city itself as if it were a representation of its values. I hope that through the work we will look at the city, its relationship to its natural surroundings and the language of the buildings themselves: colonial, corporate, institutional, public and their dialogue one with the other.”
Robert Ness, Director of British Council Hong Kong says: “Public installations encourage the community to interact with art, which I believe makes a city a better place to live in. This installation will provide the opportunity for debate, discussion, and evaluation of the impact that is created when the public encounters art on this expansive scale. The installation is particularly suited to Hong Kong and its fast paced urban lifestyle and forward-looking spirit of the city. When we look up at or pass by the sculptures, it encourages us to stop, engage, and perhaps re-assess our current position in the world by looking within ourselves.”
Adrian Cheng, Founder and Honorary Chairman of the K11 Art Foundation and Lead partner added: “This programming is a nice complement to our workshop. I look forward to welcoming the audience at HKU and seeing how they engage and respond with Antony’s oeuvre. We are providing a chance for the people of Hong Kong to see, feel and now hear about the project, from the creator himself. As space is limited, we will be live screening the talk to our K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui – everyone is welcome. The perfect preview prior to the launch later that week”
The extensive public programme which accompanies Event Horizon will include dedicated activities and support tools for students, teachers and the general public. The aim is to encourage discussion of art in the city and development of skills such as creative thinking, critical thinking and visual literacy. Following the public art talk during opening week, British Council will house the first teacher development workshop of six on 20 November, while KAF has organized “Making Sense”, a hands-on workshop with Antony Gormley in the K11 Art Mall on 21 November. For details of all Event Horizon education and outreach activities in Hong Kong, visit www.eventhorizon.hk.
Presenters
Event Horizon in Hong Kong is presented by British Council Hong Kong with support from lead partner K11 Art Foundation and sponsors GAW Capital Partners, Grosvenor, Christie’s, Hogan Lovells, Howard Bilton of The Sovereign Art Foundation, Central Saint Martin /Kai-Yin Lo Cross Culture Lecture, Dynamic Network Alliances, Mazarine Asia Pacific, Icicle Group and Sinclair Communications.
Event Horizon education and outreach programme is supported by M+, West Kowloon Cultural District, Asia Arts Archive, the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Hong Kong, PMQ, Asia Society Hong Kong and Youth Arts Foundation.
Event Horizon supporting organisations include JIA Group, Perrier Jouët, The Financial Times, Time Out Hong Kong, Art Map and Art Plus.
Learn more about Event Horizon on the website at www.eventhorizon.hk, and join the conversation on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EventHorizonHK
Instagram: https://instagram.com/eventhorizonhk/
#LookUpHK #EventHorizonHK #BritishCouncilHongKong #k11ArtFoundation
Vistor Information
—Event Horizon will officially launch in Hong Kong on 19 November 2015.
—All education activities are free of charge
“Making Space” talk by highly acclaimed British artist Antony Gormley
Date: Monday, 16 November 2015
Time: 6pm-8pm
Venue: Grand Hall, Lee Shau Lee Lecture Centre, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Dress code: Business casual
Free Admission. Entry by registration at www.eventhorizon.hk. Ticketing lines open now.
Caption: Event Horizon – British artist Antony Gormley
Portrait by Lars Gundersen
Caption: Event Horizon – Installation view, São Paulo, Brazil, 2012
Photograph by Edouard Fraipont
Caption: Event Horizon – Installation view, London, England, 2007
A commission by the Hayward Gallery, London
Photograph by Richard Bryant
Caption: Event Horizon – Installation view, New York, USA
Presented by Madison Square Park Conservancy, New York, 2010
Photograph by James Ewing, New York