Art Together

The logo of Art Together

Art Together is a non-profit art organization registered as a charitable organization. The group aims to bring art to Hong Kong's urban and rural spaces and reach more diverse communities in a mobile way. Art Together was established in 2008, with Clara Cheung as the art director, artist Peggy Chan as the admin director, and photographer Martin Cheung as the program director.

Art Together has created the mobile art installation "Art for Survival" (2009-2010, Hong Kong and Macau), "Talk 3. Talk 4" art seminar (2012, Hong Kong West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade), and other activities. And in 2014, Art Together started to develop environmental-related projects, including the art parade education project, "In Search of Coastline" (2014, 2018). From 2016 onwards, Art Together launched the “Sustainable Series,” bringing the public into the natural environment of Hong Kong through artistic creation and art education projects to explore local-related issues.

This research will document the experiential education projects which pay attention to ecological issues designed by Art Together, including “In Search of Coastline" (2014, 2018-19) and "Breathe in the Nature" Land Art Camp (2017, 2019). And the Sustainable Art Festival (2016, 2018) cooperates with ecological experts.

Experiential education from ecology

We documented the “Shaping the Landscape” of the University of Hong Kong throughout the research project. In Vincci Mak’s class, university students studied European and American land art history, then applied the knowledge to make site-specific creations in different places each year, including Lam Tsuen, Lai Chi Wo, etc. In contrast, Art Together’s programs aim at primary and secondary school students, and the programs are not credit-calculating courses, so there would be more flexibility in operation.

The brochure of "In Search of Coastline" in 2014.

The brochure of "In Search of Coastline" in 2014.

The art parade of "In Search of Coastline" 2014.

The art parade of "In Search of Coastline" 2014.

The art parade of "In Search of Coastline" 2014.

The art parade of "In Search of Coastline" 2014.

 

The Video of "In Search of Coastline" 2014.

The first "In Search of Coastline" was held in 2014, with the theme "Rediscover the relationship and sentiment along the disappeared coastline," focusing on Hong Kong's reclamation history. In the introduction, the group wrote:

“Sitting right beside the ocean, the natural water source is a great feature of Hong Kong. Nevertheless, protection of our harbour has been gradually giving way to urban development. Reclamation, ecological conservation and sustainable development have become polarized issues in recent years. In fact, reclamation does not appear suddenly from nowhere; reclamation has already started in Hong Kong as early as 1842. Our conventional education on modern Hong Kong history only looks at one dimension: Hong Kong has transformed from a fishing harbour into an entrepot, a light industrial city and eventually the financial centre. Our textbook never tells the substantial influences of the transformation on community, the work and living of coastal residents as well as the bounding between neighbours. In fact, apart from ecology, human is also one of keys to a sustainable society. We must learn from history from various angles in order to trace back our roots.”

Therefore they invited the public to make their trolleys to revisit the coastline in the 1960s and 1970s, from the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sai Ying Pun to Star Ferry Pier in Central. The parade took place on November 22, 2014. Five participating schools included Buddhist Sum Heung Lam Memorial College, Chinese YMCA Secondary School, Hong Kong & Kowloon Chiu Chow Public Association Secondary School, Ko Lui Secondary School, and POH Chan Kai Memorial College. The participating artists were Chung Wai Ian, Law Man Lok, Ng Ka Chun, Lau Hok Shing, and Wong Sze Hang.

"In Search of Coastline" 2018-19.

"In Search of Coastline" 2018-19 workshops and field trips.

"In Search of Coastline" 2018-19 workshops and field trips.

"In Search of Coastline" 2018-19 workshops and field trips.

"In Search of Coastline" 2018-19 workshops and field trips.

 

The video of "In Search of Coastline" 2018-19.

The 2nd "In Search of Coastline" was held in 2018-2019 and inherited the concept of the first year. This year the team expanded the collection of historical data on the coastline to Hung Hom, Tsim Sha Tsui, and To Kwa Wan in Kowloon. If you have ever tried to understand our city from the perspective of the coastline, you will find that as early as the Song Dynasty, Kowloon had become the economic hub due to salt fields and quarries. After the lease of Kowloon in 1860 (later ceded to Britain), the British government set out to create land by coastal reclamation. The coastline has experienced tremendous changes. Artist educators include Lau Hok Shing, Tse Pak Chai, Chan Doreen, Chung Wai Ian, and Man Mei To. They visited the Hong Kong University Alumni Association College, Logos Academy, Ko Lui Secondary School, St.Paul's School (Lam Tin), and Munsang College to conduct workshops and then invited the public and students to create the parade floats. In April 2019, the parade walked from Tai Wan Shan Park, Hung Hom via Ma Tau Wai Road to Cattle Deport Artist Village at To Kwa Wan.

"In Search of Coastline" started with water and led people to revisit the urban space from an ecological perspective. At the same time, "Breathe in the Nature" Land Art Camp began from the "source" and took students directly to the countryside to experience and learn. In the eyes of Art Together, "Sustainable" is a concept they value: "Sustainability sounds like a university question or something in the next century. It seems that we need to learn farming and environmental protection policies with grand ambitions before we can talk about sustainability. But in fact, sustainability is just a continuation of how to keep resources continuable, continuing nature, and maintain the original appearance of the earth. And everything back to basics comes from respect. If we treat ourselves, treat life, and treat everyone well with our hearts, we will not do anything to harm the earth naturally. Sustainability is not a big principle. All you need is a soft heart. "[1]

 

The video of "Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017.

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camps were held in 2017 and 2019. In 2017, the Land Art Camp was held in two sessions, a two-day and one-night camp for secondary school students and a three-day and two-night camp for the public. The secondary school students were divided into three groups and went to Nam Shan on Lantau Island, Sai Wan, and Pak Lap in Sai Kung.

Nam Shan Campsite, Lantau Island (4-5 November 2017)

-Participating schools: Munsang College & Po On Commercial Association Wong Siu Ching Secondary School
-Participating artists: Ng Ka Chun, Cheung Choi Sang
-Creation content: This group used sound and ready-made objects as themes. Cheung Choi Sang led the students to draw a sound map; Ng Ka Chun and the students searched for branches and trash on the site.

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Nam Shan, Lantau Island

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Nam Shan, Lantau Island

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Nam Shan, Lantau Island

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Nam Shan, Lantau Island

Sai Wan Campsite, Sai Kung(11-12 November 2017)

-Participating school: Ko Lui Secondary School
-Participating artists: Wong Sze Hang, Yung Chi Wai
-Creation content: The two artists painted with sand and branches, designed dream catchers with bamboo, leaves, and stones, and created them on the beach with students.

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Sai Wan, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Sai Wan, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Sai Wan, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Sai Wan, Sai Kung

Pak Lap Campsite, Sai Kung(18-19 November 2017)

-Participating schools: St.Paul's School (Lam Tin) & Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Lee Ching Dea Memorial College.
-Participating artists: Lai Wai Yi, Yuen Kin Leung (Yuen Jie)
-Creation content: Lai Wai Yi and the students found hemp ropes on the beach and invited the students to drag stones and hemp ropes on the sand to observe the tiny changes in its trajectory; Yuen Jie led the students to explore nature with the sense of hearing, touch, and smell of the body.

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Pak Lap, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Pak Lap, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Pak Lap, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Pak Lap, Sai Kung

The public group went to Lo Kei Wan on Lantau Island and Long Ke Wan in Sai Kung to participate in the Land Art Camp:

Lo Kei Wan Campsite, Lantau Island(27-29 December 2017)

-Artists Au Ka You and Ho Yuen Leung summarized the creative experience of the secondary school groups into elements such as sound, ready-made objects, natural changes, and body, respectively. They led the public to draw on the sand with body balance and movement, collect soil on the site and the fire in the barbecue area to make pottery clay, and so on.

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Lo Kei Wan, Lantau Island

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Lo Kei Wan, Lantau Island

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Lo Kei Wan, Lantau Island

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Lo Kei Wan, Lantau Island

Long Ke Wan Campsite, Sai Kung(4-5 November 2017)

-Artist Michael Leung and participants made their kites using thin paper, paste, cotton or twine reels, natural pigments, and bamboo sticks and branches. Artist Tse Jantzen led the participants in listening exercises and painted a Holy Infant Map in Long Ke Wan.

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2017: Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung

 

The video of "Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2019

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2019 was held in the form of a one-day camp. The participating artist-educators include Chim Chi Ho, Ryan Hui (TOKI NASHIKI), Wy Lee (TOKI NASHIKI), Ho Yuen Leung, Matthew Kwan, Stephanie Sin, Yeung Hiu Tong, and Yung Chi Wai Derek. Unlike the previous events, they even invited primary school students to participate this time. For example, they took them to the Shing Mun Reservoir to paint landscapes with charcoal, and they went to Tai Ao Mun, Sai Kung to make kites, and so on. This year’s one-day camp learned from previous experience, summed up the previous experience of artistic creation in the wild, and shared the artistic creation based on ecology more systematically with children.

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2019

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2019

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2019

"Breath in the Nature” Land Art Camp 2019

Sustainable Fest in the eyes of eco-experts

Since 2013, Art Together has begun to conceive a series of art activities related to "sustainability." The "Breath in the Nature" Land Art Camps led students and the public to enter the open space for on-site creation. At the same time, the Sustainable Fest in the same series has used art festivals as a format to invite the public to visit and experience nature in different open spaces in Hong Kong. As Art Together wrote: "Remember, we are born to belong to nature. If we are willing to see the scenery along the way and feel the sunshine, wind, temperature, and the life of a flower and a grass, then we don’t have to go out of the wilderness. We can also live a sustainable life." [2]

“Sustainable Fest” 2016, "Farewell to the Sea Festival" Environmental Dance Performance- Vinci Mok@Moving Arts

“Sustainable Fest” 2016, “Hong Kong Today - Collective Creation” - Martin Cheung

The first "Sustainable Fest" was held in Kai Tak Runway Park on 23rd January 2016 (originally scheduled for two days, but the event on the 24th was canceled because of the rain). Even so, we can see the ambition and mobilization of Art Together from the structure of the whole living festival. The living festival was divided into five parts, namely "Sustainable Art", participating artists include Kacey Wong, Martin Cheung, Vinci Mok, Kwok Ka Yuen, Samson Cheung, and Wong Fuk Kuen. "Grassland Talk," the team invited leading veteran green guru Dr. Chau Siu Cheung to share with the public. “Workshops," the participating art units include Mishtar, Allpamama Healing Circle, Natural Networks, Slow Tribe, and Sze Ka Yan. “In-Place Music," performing music units include Edmund Leung (Handpan), O.Dalko (all women Japan Taiko Orchestra), etc. And, "All Day" comprises markets and picnics to attract public participation.

In 2018, Art Together took the experience from two years ago and invited the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society to cooperate for the first time with the annual "New Territories Fish Pond Festival" to co-organize the "Fishpond Sustainable Art Festival." The Art Festival was held at Tai San Wai, Yuen Long, for two days (20-21 January 2018). The entire art festival was divided into two parts: Fishpond Sustainable Art Exhibition and Fishpond Sustainable Classroom, adhering to the concept of Art Together, taking into account artistic creation and educating the public.


Fishpond Sustainable Art Exhibition

Artists participating in this section include Ban Zhang, Monti Lai Wai Yi, Ankie Au Yeung, Lo Lai Lai, MUDwork, and Sze Ka Yan. Six residency artists created works on the ecology of Tai San Wai, Yuen Long. For example, Lo Lai Lai created a short film "Voices from nowhere" with the theme of pond fish, Monti Lai was inspired by the birds of Tai San Wai, created "Voices from soil", and MUDwork designed "Water Bird" based on the concept of fish and bird symbiosis.

"Fishpond Sustainable Art Festival" 2018, Monti Lai’s Work “Voices from soil”

"Fishpond Sustainable Art Festival" 2018, playing Lo Lai Lai’s work “Voices from nowhere” outdoor.

"Fishpond Sustainable Art Festival" 2018, MUDwork’s work “Water Bird.”

Fishpond Sustainable Classroom

This part focused on participation and education. In addition to the guided tour led by artists, it also included a sound workshop led by Soundpocket, a body workshop led by Vinci Mok, etc. This collaboration with the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society also inspired the Art Together team to tailor different workshops based on the ecological expertise of Tai San Wai. For example, due to its wetland characteristics, the Deep Bay fish ponds can attract more than 300 kinds of birds to visit, so they designed a "quill pen making and sketching workshop", and designed a "rubble display making workshop" based on the fact that fish ponds are gradually being filled up for other purposes. Bird watching enthusiast Carmen Or even made chops for the birds that appeared in Tai San Wai during the art festival and invited the public to walk around Tai San Wai while paying attention to different migratory birds that appear at any time.

"Fishpond Sustainable Art Festival" 2018: Adults and children are enjoying different activities of the art festival

"Fishpond Sustainable Art Festival" 2018: Adults and children are enjoying different activities of the art festival

"Fishpond Sustainable Art Festival" 2018: Carmen Or’s work “Fish pond flying feathers.”

Reference
Art Together’s Website: http://www.arttogether.org

© Unless otherwise stated, all photos courtesy of Art Together. All rights reserved.



[1] Sustainable booklet:https://www.sustainablefest.org/booklet

[2] https://www.sustainablefest.org/ktstory