Present «Reminiscences of the Eastern Capital» 2/18 (single—channel video, 2012) records a period of history about Kaifeng in Northern Song Dynasty under Emperor of Hui—tsung. The Book depicts scenes of daily life from the nobility to the ordinary people. It also mentions that there are more than 100 different stores situated in the center of the city. This is the time truly contending and prosperous.
Cityscape constructed by modern chain stores show rigid outlook under globalization and the capital market. Does Metropolises inevitably destroy individual operators? Individuals and the general public; conservation and development; resistance and tolerance are consequential contradiction? Trading behavior in stores form majority part of human living culture, as well as values of the public. It means that personality is gradually being worn down.
By going down the streets for filming opening chain stores and taking photos for closing small stores, Kwok Hin Tang combines both and makes a video. Present «Reminiscences of the Eastern Capital» 2/18 expresses his thoughts towards streets of Hong Kong in future and also his lament.
Kwok Hin Tang (b. 1983 in Hong Kong) — a mixed media artist and independent curator. He received his Master of Fine Arts from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2008 and Bachelor of Arts (major in Fine Arts) in 2006. He focuses on the occasion, space, time and way of encountering images or symbols to explore hidden rules in living and existing context for self—expression. In his view, art is about selecting or underscoring something in a complete sentence; to remove is to emphasize what remains.
His artworks were shown in Hong Kong Museum of Art; Ice Palace, Miami; Esplanade, Singapore; Venice Arsenale, Italy, etc. He was awarded the first prize at Hong Kong Biennale 2009, the Special Award “Personal Exhibition” by the 5th International Arte Laguna Prize, the Young Artist Award by Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2010, and selected by Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2010 and 2011.
Collectors of his art include Hong Kong Museum of Art, Deutsche Bank, Amelia Johnson Contemporary and private collectors over the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
