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curator artists artwork
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background/ realisation/ investigation
anothermountainman's stylised "redwhiteblue" rendition of a Hong Kong-style tea house is a contemplative reference to the absence of any mention of tea in Marco Polo's travelogue. The work is also a statement on the importance of face-to-face communication between people, which is becoming a lost art in modern society. The red, white and blue plastic fabric - a low-cost wrapping material - reflects the transitory and unsettled nature of Hong Kong. Perhaps re-establishing human contact (over a cup of tea) can help society resolve issues and regain its focus. Chan's fascination with the imaginative nature of travelogue draws on his own many travel experiences, which, like Polo's, include ventures into foreign lands and cultures. His cityscape installation in the shape of Venice, complete with a "canal/bridge", reveals Chan's experiences as a traveller both metaphysically and psychologically. The cityscape is elevated and inverted to enable the viewer to make a thorough investigation of an imaginary, reinvented world. The exhibition correlates with elements of the Biennale's two themes: "Always a Little Further" and "The Experience of Art". In some ways, the exhibition's philosophical and fantastical approach is similar in concept to the theme of "Always a Little Further", while the artists' works are each closely connected to various experiences of art. The fragmented structure of Chan's work invites viewers to recreate their own individual experiences of life and art. By contrast, anothermountainman's installation touches on the social and ideological phenomena of our everyday life. The exhibition investigates and explores the
blending and divergence of cultures in our societies through the
microcosmic vision of the artists. It reflects parallels and differences
between Hong Kong and Venice. Both these great cities are surrounded
by water; but one lives on its history, while the other is continually
striding into the future.
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The
exhibition "investigation of a journey to the west
by micro + polo" is a double pun on a famous,
ancient Chinese mythological tale "Journey to the West"
and Marco Polo's visit to China in the 13th century. The title reflects
both the literal and physical nature of the exhibition through a
visit to the west in the high technology era of the 21st century
by two Hong Kong (China) artists: anothermountainman and Chan Yuk-keung,
aka "micro (soft)" and "polo" (names used
to symbolize popular brand names in general). The exhibition
is a marvellous, imaginative investigation of travel west in the
micro-technological age. 
