15 Invitations for 15 Years

A special programme series featuring exhibitions, projects, written works, performances, a blog, and set of e-dossiers marking Asia Art Archive's 15-year anniversary.

 


Responding to AAA's invitation, ruangrupa stages a "quasi-shop" with old and new archives: a transactional space where knowledge and ideas are exchanged through collaborations between Jakarta and Hong Kong-based artists, musicians, designers, and cultural initiatives. The name Toko Pura-Pura can be read as a pun on toko rupa-rupa or "assorted shop," where many Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong meet most of their daily needs. The shop also serves as an experimental space to imagine what happens when ruangrupa's sensibilities are applied to Hong Kong with AAA as an entry point. 

ruangrupa is a contemporary art organisation founded in 2000 by a group of artists in Jakarta, Indonesia. As a nonprofit, it works to advance art ideas in an urban context and within the broad scope of culture through exhibitions, festivals, art laboratories, workshops, research, and publications.

 

Launch of Toko Pura-Pura
Fri, 26 Aug 2016 | 7–11pm | Love Da Records

Pop-up Shop and Video Screening | 7–9pm 
Toko Pura-Pura features a range of goods by local Hong Kong creative practitioners and collaborative "products" by Hong Kong bands paired with Indonesian artists: eli with Kemalreza Gibranos; The Interzone Collective with Adi "Dhigel" Setiawan; and Merry Lamb Lamb with Natasha Gabriella Tontey. A screening of 25 Inspiring Music Videos in Indonesia (2001–2011) will be held at the venue—a video compilation in the ruangrupa OK.Video collection focused on the development of video arts in Indonesia.

Participants: mosunsunCome Inside, doing.hkMoveon, onion peterman

Live Music | 9–11pm 
In collaboration with Love Da Records, ruangrupa hosts a live event showcase of local Hong Kong bands The Interzone Collective, eli, and Merry Lamb Lamb to celebrate the opening of Toko Pura-Pura. 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the performance by the Interzone Collective is cancelled. The event will be held as scheduled. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Venue: Unit A, 14/F, Chiap King Industrial Building, 114 King Fuk Street, San Po Kong

Free admission. Please click here to register.

 

Toko Pura-Pura Presentation
Sat, 27 Aug 2016 | 1–5pm | A Space, Asia Art Archive 


Pop-up Shop | 1–5pm
Toko Pura-Pura travels to AAA.

Conversations | 3–4:30pm 
Artists, musicians, designers, and creative practitioners discuss their strategies in using merchandising as socio-political and economic tools. The conversation concludes with a musical performance by dj sniff.

Moderator: Farid Rakun, ruangrupa
Speakers: Ajeng Nurul Aini and Dila Martina Ayulia, ruangrupa; Come Insideeli; Peter Leung, Love Da Records; nomad nomad  

Venue: A Space, Asia Art Archive, 10/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan

Free admission. Please click here to register.

 

Toko Pura-Pura Exhibition
Mon, 29 Aug–Fri, 30 Sep 2016 | AAA Library, Asia Art Archive 

An exhibition of merchandise accumulated through Toko Pura-Pura, including materials from AAA's collection related to the notion of collectivity.
A selection of books related to the project is available in AAA's collection. 

Participants

Adi "Dhigel" Setiawan is a member of GRAFIS HURU-HARA printmaking community in Jakarta. He works with illustration, murals, and printmaking. His last group exhibition was Harap Huru Hara at Suar Artspace, Jakarta.
 
Come Inside is an art collective founded by artists Mak Ying Tung and Wong Ka Ying. They examine media-driven consumerism, the labour system, and the anxieties of Hong Kong youth. They recently participated in various Hong Kong exhibitions and exchanges, including Fashion I.D., In the Glass of Love, and MaD: The Free Marketeers.
 
dj sniff (Takuro Mizuta Lippit) is a musician and curator in the field of experimental electronic arts and improvised music. His musical work combines DJing, instrument design, and free improvisation. He has performed internationally and is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong, and Co-Director of Ensembles Asia.
 
doing.hk is an independent design project for Hong Kong founded by Silas Fong. They create simple and meaningful tote bags on politics, art, everyday life, and personal expressions. They use wearable text expression in physical space to promote the Cantonese language and Hong Kong culture.
 
Eli  (Everlasting Illusion) is a band that combines British, alternative, and electronic rock. They recently performed at The Wall (Taipei), Emerge Live House (Taichung), and the 2014 Spring Scream Festival (Kenting).
 
Kemalreza Gibranos is an artist who works with illustration, murals, and mixed media artworks. He uses topographic lines that symbolise his intimacy with the city and often references pop and mass culture. He recently participated in Roppongi Art Night 2014, Tokyo.
 
Merry Lamb Lamb is a singer-songwriter whose name was inspired by the ballad "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Her music expresses her love of 8-bit music and is mostly influenced by her childhood experiences.
 
mosunsun is an astrology reading group formed by astroosim and Mingson. The duo’s approach is a blend of East and West and constantly explores unconventional ways of explaining charts.
 
Natasha Gabriella Tontey is an artist and graphic designer. She uses an interdisciplinary approach that questions how fear can be manifested to control public opinion through a mixture of fiction, dream, and memory. She recently participated in Koganecho Bazaar 2015, Yokohama and Next Wave Festival 2016, Melbourne.
 
nomad nomad  is an experimental art and cultural studio that experiments with different practices of art in spaces around the city. They reflect on different issues about living through experimental art projects, market culture, artist-in-residence, and independent production.
 
onion peterman is a Hong Kong-based illustrator, silkscreen printer, and zine-maker.
 
The Interzone Collective is a band inspired by the musical instrument ‘handpan’. Their abstract music explores ideas of perception and the inner workings of the human subconscious.

 

Learning and Participation Programme Sponsor:

 

15 Invitations for 15 Years is supported by the S. H. Ho Foundation Limited, the C. K. & Kay Ho Foundation, and The Hong Kong Arts Development Council. The programme is part of the ADC 20th Anniversary Celebration Series. Special thanks to PageNEXT; Spring Workshop; and Hani Charaf, Kemistry Design. 

 

 

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Image: ruangrupa: Toko Pura-Pura for 15 Invitations, 26 Aug–30 Sep 2016. Courtesy of ruangrupa.
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