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Press

2014-08-16

Hong Kong Arts Centre’s Exhibition - Gazing at the Contemporary World: Japanese Photography from the 1970s to the Present

This August, 【Hong Kong Arts Centre】 is delighted to co-present with the Japan Foundation and the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong the international touring exhibition Gazing at the Contemporary World: Japanese Photography from the 1970s to the Present. This exhibition is an overview of the diverse photographic expression that has emerged in Japan since the 1970s. The opening ceremony successfully took place this afternoon (August 16th, 2014), and the exhibition will be held at the HKAC’s Pao Galleries from August 17 until August 31, 2014. 

Officiating guests included Ms. Cissy Pao Pui Lai, BBS, Honorary President and Chairman, Arts Programme Committee, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Mr. Tetsuya Ishii, Deputy Consul-General, Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong and Mr. Stanley Sun, Managing Director, Fuji Photo Products Co., Ltd. 

Having started its globe-trotting journey back in 2006, the show has made more than 35 stops in cities and institutions all over the world. It comprises a “Prologue”, two main thematic sections, “A Changing Society” and “Changing Landscapes”, and finally an “Epilogue”. Rei Masuda, curator at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, has selected a total of 76 works by 23 artists respectively. Daido Moriyama’s haunting pictures form the introduction to the exhibition. “A Changing Society” focuses on the appearance of human beings as members of society. Through conveying the everyday life of ordinary individuals, the underlying transformations of society are inadvertently revealed. Notable photographers featured in this section are Nobuyoshi Araki, Shomei Tomatsu, and Kazuo Kitai. “Changing Landscapes” focuses on changes in landscape appearing in the city, the suburbs, and nature. Images in this section show the dramatic change that occurred as a result of the rapid economic growth that took place through the early 1970s. Notables in this section are Takashi Homma, Risaku Suzuki and Yutaka Takanishi. Ethereal compositions of Japanese cherry blossoms finish off the exhibition on a lyrical note. 

The Japan Foundation is a specialized public organization founded in 1972 with the purpose of promoting international understanding through cultural exchange. With the express purpose of enhancing the understanding of Japanese creativity and culture through the visual arts, the Foundation is collaborating with the Hong Kong Arts Centre to carry out this highly anticipated program and engage in a transnational dialogue, hoping to foster cultural and intellectual exchange. With the great help of the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong in planning this event, the show will reveal these photographers’ unique view of society and landscape and viewers will gain a better understanding of the myriad changes that took place in Japan between the period of rapid economic growth and the early 21st century. 

Connie Lam, Executive Director of the HKAC, added, “Over the decades, the Arts Centre has dedicated a great deal of resources, energy and time to the promotion of contemporary art through educational programs, exhibitions and related events. Cultural exchange has remained a primary objective for us and here, I am especially delighted to be collaborating with the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong again on an exhibition of such quality and influence. Photography as a genre has always enjoyed an extraordinary popularity in Hong Kong, Japanese photography in particular being perhaps the most accessible and thus the most well-known. In light of this, we will be organizing a panel discussion – open to the public – between leading photography educators and critics based in Hong Kong on August 24th. This will be a wonderful opportunity for practitioners as well as aficionados of photography to further the discourse on the genre’s development in Asia.” 

Exhibition Information:
Gazing at the Contemporary World: Japanese Photography from the 1970s to the Present
Presenter: Hong Kong Arts Centre 
Exhibition period: August 17-31, 2014 (10:00am – 8:00pm)
Venue: Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre (2 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong)
Fee: Free Admission
Programme Enquiries: 2582 0200/hkac@hkac.org.hk

Extended event: Panel Discussion (Conducted in Cantonese)
Date and time: August 24, 2014 (3:00pm-5:00pm)
Venue: Room 1006, 10/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre (2 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong)
Free admission. Online registration needed
Programme Enquiries: 2582 0200/hkac@hkac.org.hk




Ms Annie Ho │Marketing & Development Director, Hong Kong Arts Centre │ 
Tel: 2824 5306 │ 9481 8706 │E-mail: aho@hkac.org.hk 

Ms. Denise Wu │Marketing & Development Officer, Hong Kong Arts Centre │ 
Tel: 2824 0215 │ 9081 7388 │E-mail: dwu@hkac.org.hk