You don’t come across thought-provoking art and clean air everyday in Hong Kong. Winnie Chau witnesses what happens when the two align.

There may just be one thing more fatal than working as an artist in Hong Kong: breathing the air. Art and air pollution – both subjects have received more than their fair share of mismanagement and neglect. And since this is Hong Kong, it naturally takes an austere business mind to come up with some practical solutions. Joanne Ooi, former creative director of Shanghai Tang, co-founder of Ooi Botos Gallery and Clean Air Network (CAN, where she is currently chief executive officer), is taking her business seriously. CAN – an environmental NGO founded in 2009 – initiated “the first of its kind” art collaboration of more than 40 contemporary artists, who have donated their environmentally inspired artworks to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in April. The proceeds of the auction will go to CAN’s research and educational projects. Preceding it is a week-long show at IFC Mall.

“I think that art is important because it’s a more approachable medium of communication,” says Ooi. “You know, being an activist isn’t easy. An average Hong Kong person is not particularly sympathetic to the word ‘activism’, or ‘environmentalism’ even.”

In fact, this art collaboration aims to do more than just educate the local public. The 40 artists include those from Mainland China and overseas who have always expressed concern about the environment, as well as Hong Kong artists who are not necessarily doing things about the environment at present. One of the primary purposes of the exhibition/auction is to educate and activate local artists to think more about the environment. “In the process, I expect that it’s going to permanently affect how they think about Hong Kong’s environment,” says Ooi, who has met the local artists and provided them with air pollution facts. “In that sense, I think it’s an important exercise, because it has a permanent influence on their work – if not their work, their thinking for sure.”

“It’s a subject clichéd to death,” says artist-activist Kacey Wong, who’s perhaps best known for his playful, socio-inspired installations. “Many artists are familiar with it. But knowing is not enough, you have to do it.” For the auction, Wong has created a glass gun and six tear-like bullets titled Exhale. “I use the gun as a symbol, as what CAN is doing is like fighting in a war. The enemies are probably ourselves.” He believes that air pollution is never a straightforward, black-and-white issue. “Artists are no scientists; our power is limited. We are only pointing out the problems. The things closest to us are usually the things we fail to see. I’m only [here] to single out this blind spot.”

Architect-cum-artist William Lim was the first artist to say yes to Ooi’s invitation. His work Hong Kong Air Freshener is a cheeky take of the subject; he has made his installation “a commercial product” to draw policymakers’ attention. Against a photographic print of a smoggy harbour view taken from his office, Lim places a genuine bottle of air freshener attached with the small print: “How to use: please consult the Hong Kong Government.” He explains: “For most of my installations, I use recyclable materials, such as bamboo (used in scaffolding) and residual construction materials.”

Wilson Shieh’s work is perhaps the most economical – a fact that is immediately apparent from the fine lines he adopted from the Chinese fine-brush (gongbi) technique. “For the practice I tried to use the minimal amount of [acrylic] paint to finish the whole painting,” explains Shieh of his work Cloud Boys. “I chose only one kind of blue colour and composed the work with mostly line drawing and a thin wash of diluted paint layers.”

Adrian Wong’s work Untitled (Wall) is a reconstruction of a retaining wall that reflects the “comorbid (and seemingly contradictory) themes of efficiency and ornamentation” unique to Hong Kong. “It is a psychological fact that individuals are less likely to accept information that is forced upon them,” remarks Wong. “With art, this dynamic is changed because meaning is created jointly by the artist and the viewer. Through the establishment of platforms for dialogue, there is a special situation created from which we can actuate real change.”

Clean Air Network (CAN) Art Exhibition is at IFC Mall Atrium, March 21-27, followed by an auction at HKCEC, Hall 5 on April 4. For details, visit cleanairauction.com.hk or www.sothebys.com.