HKADC with 鄧國騫 Tang Kwok Hin

This is an interview with Mr. Tang Kwok Hin about the collaboration of HKADC and M+ on the Hong Kong exhibition in the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.

Brief notes:
1. The role of HKADC is to explain the management and development of the decision making process for the collaboration with M+, making it clearer and easier to accept for the public. The sudden announcement of the changes made gave an impression of "black-box operation", which is inappropriate and problematic for a governmental institution like HKADC.

2. The involvement of M+ is interesting because the status of M+, with the support from the Hong Kong government and its international power and reputation, it seems to be so strong that their decisions made are impassable. So, Lee Kit, as a representative artist for Hong Kong in the 55th Venice Biennale selected through the new procedures, has to bare in mind his role in the event.

3. Communication between the local artistic and cultural scene and international curatorial institutes like M+ is still very limited.

---Tang Kwok Hin (A contemporary visual artist in Hong Kong, winner of Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2010, Young Artist Award of Visual Arts 2011)

HKADC with 周俊輝 Chow Chun Fai

This is an interview with Mr. Chow Chun Fai about the collaboration of HKADC and M+ on the Hong Kong exhibition in the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.

Brief notes:

1. Focus is not just on how much money is being used, instead the balance between openness and fairness. He understands the difficulties and restrains HKADC has faced, and the collaboration with M+ will is beneficial, but HKADC has failed to publically and clearly explain how and why this decision has been made.

2. It does not mean that decision making process has to be directed entirely by people outside the institution, but sufficient communication and consultation from public is essential. Instead of just reporting the details of how resources are being divided, HKADC should bare in mind and explain to the public their aims, motives and selection conditions with proficiency, and even react and analyze more on principal issues, like the control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance and Copyright Ordinance.

---Chow Chun Fai (A contemporary visual artist in Hong Kong, winner of 'Hong Kong Arts Centre 30th Anniversary Awards Grand Prize' and the 'Sovereign Asian Art Prize')

HKADC with 黃國才 Kacey Wong

This is an interview with Mr. Kacey Wong about the collaboration of HKADC and M+ on the Hong Kong exhibition in the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.

Brief notes:

1. Expresses the opposition from the art and cultural scene in Hong Kong for the changes of curators and artists selection scheme for the 55th Venice Biennale: from an open call submission process with public consultation, to disclosing any details of how and why decisions had been made is a form of decline, and is problematic when the financial source are mainly from tax payers in Hong Kong.

2. The artistic and cultural rights should also be in the hands of curators and artists in Hong Kong: Decision should be made under public consultation and high transparency.

3. Compared how decision is being made between the Venice International Architecture Biennale and the 55th Venice Biennale: The Hong Kong Institute of Architects was being invited to form a curation team and encouraged open submission of curatorial proposals. In this case, a comparison can be made between contestants, which enabled a fairer decision making process. 4. Looking forward to the explanation by M+ and HKADC on the decision made this year.

---Kacey Wong (A contemporary visual artist based in Hong Kong, winner of Best Artist Award in 2010, participant of 11th Venice International Architecture Biennale Exhibition in 2008)

HKADC with 黃照達 Justin Wong

This is an interview with Mr. Justin Wong about the collaboration of HKADC and M+ on the Hong Kong exhibition in the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.

Brief notes:
1. Since there is a drastic change to the decision making process, from open call submission to disclosing any details of how decisions had been made, and explanation is essential: HKADC has to explain and convince the public about how the original open call method is inefficient, leading to the need for sudden change, but in this incident HKADC has failed to achieve that. HKADC need to have a long-term consideration for the decision they have made this time.

2. The amount of money assigned for this commission has doubled compared to the previous years, HKADC should list the details of resource distribution to the public.

3. M+ is in a passive situation, the main problem is on HKADC.

劉小康：香港政府從不缺錢 (只缺視野) Freeman Lau

HKADC with Freeman Lau about the collaboration of HKADC and M+ on the Hong Kong exhibition in the 55th Venice Biennale:

Brief notes:
Freeman Lau agrees to increase the budget for the HK exhibition in Venice Biennale, since he witnessed the situation in last year's show with Frog King in Venice. However, the extra money probably does not have to come from another public institute. (for example, it can be directly from the government/ HAB) In other words, the ability to give out HKD$5,000,000 should not be considered as one of the reasons or criteria to select a group or an individual to become the curator for the upcoming exhibit.

陳育強：對事不對人 Kurt Chan: important to nurture local artists/curators

HKADC with Kurt Chan about the collaboration of HKADC and M+ on the Hong Kong exhibition in the 55th Venice Biennale:

1. Chan emphasizes an open platform for the people to participate is important. After all, it is not even important to have a "good" show at Venice, but it is critical to use the resources to nurture a group of local curators and artists....

2. All the voices involved criticizing the current issues do not have any problem with Lee Kit representing Hong Kong (Lee is a good artist!), and do not doubt the ability of Lars as a curator either. However, the voices are against the funding schemes and the funding principles of HKADC......

文晶瑩：世上無完美的機制，但公開公平公正仍是最可貴 Phoebe Man

HKADC with Phoebe Man about the collaboration of HKADC and M+ on the Hong Kong exhibition in the 55th Venice Biennale: an open platform is valuable, despite of all the previous problem we had

Brief notes of the interview:
1. Phoebe Man, who participated in the HK exhibition of the 50th Venice Biennale, talks about her previous experience was not decent, since her team-mates and her only had so little time to prepare for the show etc..... .... Nevertheless, she does not believe the problems HKADC and the participating artists encountered previously can justify the decision to completely turn down an open-call-for-proposal selection scheme....

2. such an open platform is nice and fair after all. She is worried that the artists, who do not have nice networking skills, may find the new selection scheme (which depends on the appointed curator(s) to select the participating artists) difficult to work with. In the previous open platform, those artists with good artworks can also have a chance to submit their own ideas....

3. Phoebe also mentions and appreciates that the M+ curators, e.g. Tobias, Stella Fong, and even Lars himself, all are very hardworking, and often visit different local exhibitions. After all, she does not have a doubt about the ability of Lars and M+'s staff. It is the openness and transparency she thinks is missing out in the current situation....

魂游：想打開黑箱 wen yau: I want to know what is going on

This is an interview with Hong Kong local artist, wen yau (魂游) about her thoughts on the recent announcement of the collaboration of HKADC and M+.

wen yau:

1. the sudden changes of the selection scheme of curators and artists to participate in the Hong Kong Venue for the upcoming 55th Venice Biennale --- originally, in the past decade, HKADC opened call for exhibition proposal, but this year HKADC announced to work with M+ and invited M+ to be the curatorial team, without any public consultation in advance, and without disclosing the details of how this decision had been made.

2. she also points out how she, as a HK citizen and artist, would like both HKADC and M+ be more transparent. After all, they are spending the public's money: HKD$10,000,000, which would actually be the budget for a local art space to run for more than 40 years!!!