Duddell's is thrilled to host its fourth exhibition, 'Foreign Presence', presented by Hong Kong-based critic and curator Inti Guerrero. This follows three successful shows in its fourth floor Salon by Amelie von Wedel, Ai Weiwei and MAP Office, wherein each curator has respectively explored issues of portraiture, authorship and identity in innovative ways. Through the display of contemporary artworks, including fashion photography and archival documents, the exhibition highlights the importance of foreign presence in Hong Kong. Indeed, the consistent presence of non-local influence here has contributed to Hong Kong being what it is today, distinct from any other Chinese city.

The narrative starts from the venue itself – the street after which Duddell’s was named (and the 19th century auctioneer after which the street was named) has particular significance for the longstanding history of foreign presence and of complicated attempts to adapt, to resist, to accept or to localize the former British colony by a never entirely local population. As a very successful auctioneer of cargo ships and real estate, George Duddell owned properties that included the city's fridge, known as the Ice House, as well as the first ever opium monopoly, a commodity that lay at the foundation of the colony. Duddell's emblematic figure for the early foreign investment in Hong Kong was a precursor to the changing but continuous flow of such investments, which continue to this day.

The works presented in this hanging include two 19th century panoramic photographs taken by Felice Beato, during the French and the British fleet's presence, of Victoria Harbour during the Second Opium War (Courtesy of Getty Institute); a triptych by Hong Kong-based artist Leung Chi Wo on the local resistance to the Japanese occupation during WWII; a neon text piece by Paris based collective Claire Fontaine, on a universal anxiety towards foreigners; and a 1962 Harper Bazaar fashion shoot in Hong Kong, marking a recurring pattern of consumerist culture in the city.

The exhibition is part of the Art Programme at Duddell’s, curated by the Art Committee, which is led by cultural leaders Yana Peel, William Zhao, Chrissy Sharp and co-founder Alan Lo. The Art Programme includes regular exhibitions, film screenings and discussions, with the goal of bringing thought-provoking contemporary art to the city.

-Duddell's

Image: © Claire Fontaine
Foreigners Everywhere (Chinese)
2008
Suspended, wall or window mounted neon, framework, electronic transformer and cables.
230 x 30 cm