Alex Heung Kin-Fung
Earlier this year, Alex Heung took part in the innovative ‘Art Container’ project, where 38 Hong Kong artists each painted a shipping container in the wilds of West Kowloon, which were then displayed before being sent on a three-year journey around the world’s oceans. Emily Liu Yi caught up with the artist in his Fotan studio, before he hit the high seas, too
I will take the container ship to Singapore. I am lucky to have the chance to spend four days on the same boat as my art container, to check out what exactly will happen after its departure. Some other artists from the Art Container Project and members from MIA (Mere Independent Artists) will go to Singapore and join us there. We will have some exchange functions with the local art associations.
What will happen to your ‘Art Container’ after Singapore?
All the containers will be in full operation as ordinary cargo containers after they arrive in Singapore. I have no idea at all what kind of goods my container will be carrying, or where it is heading. Our plan is to have all the containers come back to Hong Kong in three years and hold an exhibition again, but I cannot tell if they will all make it. Things happen; they may never return.
I first learnt about this project early last summer [in my role] as a graphic designer. I am not a full-time artist, I run a graphic design company. They were looking for someone who could do all the graphic design for the logos, posters and brochures for the project and they found me. I thought, why not? So I took the position. Lots of participating artists are also my friends, so I later joined this project as an artist, doing two things at the same time. You see that bunny in the logo? It’s my design.
Bunnies occur in a lot in your work. For instance, here in your Fotan studio there’s a bunny mask on the wall…
In fact they are human beings under bunny masks. What I am thinking of is, everyone in this society is role-playing, trying to look nice and fitting into public standards. This world wants us to be bunnies, which are pure, innocent, and obedient. So we follow, play the bunnies, and eventually get lost.
So back to your container, what is the story behind your piece ‘Journey’?
I drew a doll wearing a helmet, and he’s carrying a backpack which looks like a human face. The whole scene feels like he’s heading for a mysterious world. But the helmet is choking him, which symbolises the current condition for Hong Kong artists: we don’t have much freedom and are dying for fresh air. We can see it as a journey of Hong Kong art; we are setting off now, what we will come across? I just hope when the boy is back from his journey, he can take off his helmet and Hong Kong artists will have more fresh air. You notice that I use a lot of black, white and grey, what I want to convey is that the Hong Kong art industry is not colourful and flourishing enough, and the public is not educated enough for art, their perception of the Hong Kong art scene is dull. Art Container is a great project; it gives people the opportunity to come closer to art. I hope there are more projects like this in the future.
Keep your eyes open for Journey, travelling on a container ship around the world’s oceans.
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