The Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC) presented at the world renowned visual arts exhibition – 53rd Venice Biennale (Visual Arts) an exhibition “Making (Perfect) World: Harbour, Hong Kong, Alienated Cities and Dreams” featuring the works of local artist Pak Sheung Chuen under the curatorship of Mr Tobias Berger in association with Para/Site Art Space from 7 June to 22 November 2009.
   
It was the fifth time for the ADC to present the works of Hong Kong visual artists in the international arts arena, with an aim to enhance exchange and communication between Hong Kong and other countries in the world. Since its debut at the event under the name of “Hong Kong, China” in 2001, Hong Kong has gained its prominence on the world stage. Presenting an eclectic mix of genres and styles, the artists of Hong Kong have reached out to art lovers all over the world through an array of media.

The exhibition attracted a record 130,000 visitors and extensive press coverage. Having received enormous attention overseas, the exhibition is now remounted as a response exhibition in Guangzhou and Hong Kong as the second phase, in cooperation with the Guangdong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Museum of Art respectively, enabling the public to see the distinctive artworks and fostering cultural exchanges in the Pearl River Delta Region. At the next stage, the exhibition will be held on June – August 2010 at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Response Exhibition of the 53rd Venice Biennale Hong Kong Exhibition:
The Response Exhibition of the 53rd Venice Biennial Hong Kong Exhibition, will be conceptually divided into 2 segments, the first part A Travel Without Visual Experience hold in the Guangdong Museum of Art focus on Pak’s body interaction with his surroundings in his traveling experiences to find possibility of adaptation in the face of alienated cultures and countries. While Odd one in: Hong Kong Diary as the second part of the response exhibition, in-cooperation with the Hong Kong Museum of Art are an extension developed from Pak’s previous works constant quest and negotiation for a better self-understanding with everyday (Hong Kong) society. Inspire by diary life experience, the works will be show in various public locations where the art works are create. it's the attempt for the artist to show his work to the audience in the closest form to his creative process to experience his work and be inspire in life.

A Travel Without Visual Experience
Para/Site Art Space and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC) are pleased to announce A Travel Without Visual Experience, a solo exhibition of Hong Kong artist Pak Sheung Chuen from 12 March to 4 April 2010. The exhibition will feature a selection of works showcased in the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 and a newly commissioned work produced in Guangzhou, bringing together a comprehensive illustration of the artist’s oeuvre.
   
Pak Sheung-chuen performs and documents humorously poetic ideas that elaborate on complex issues within the realm of politics, history, religion and globalization. These personal gestures encourage open-ended interpretations, inviting viewers to reflect and reconsider the infinite possibilities within their daily lives. Pak places the individual in his/her local environment against the new global realities, which are extremely relevant to the modernity of Asia’s mega-cities today. Instead of being a distant observer, Pak draws elements from everyday life and its surroundings in order to encapsulate the possibility of combining social and political issues within his sensitive artistic practice. His art demands a mutual effort from the audience to engage and react both spiritually and emotionally, which can become highly and implicitly personal.


Artist Biography
Pak Sheung Chuen was born 1977 in Fujian (China) and immigrated to Hong Kong in 1984, where he currently lives and works. Awarded the Overseas Exchange Prize (Chinese Performance Art) by the Macao Museum of Art and the Lee Hysan Foundation Fellowship by the Asian Cultural Council in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Pak has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including The First Stop on the Super Highway at the Nam June Paik Art Center in Korea (2009), The 3rd Yokohama Triennial (2008), The 3rd Guangzhou Triennial (2008), China Power Station: Part 2 at Astrup Fearrnley Museum in Oslo (2007) and The 6th Busan Biennale (2006). His solo exhibition Page 22 is permanently installed in New York’s 58th Street Branch Library.

Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Established in 1995, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC) is a statutory body set up by the government to plan, promote and support the broad development of the arts including literary arts, performing arts, visual arts, as well as film and media arts in Hong Kong. Aiming to foster a thriving arts environment and enhancing the quality of life of the public, the ADC is also committed to facilitating community-wide participation in the arts and arts education, encouraging arts criticism and raising the standard of arts administration.
   
While maintaining close ties with the arts and cultural community, the ADC also works closely with a diverse group of public and private partners, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, mainland authorities, overseas bodies and local art groups. it hopes to reach a strong social consensus on arts development in Hong Kong, a focal point where ideas, practices and influence converge to distinguish the city as a cultural metropolis in Asia where a thriving arts community with top-notch human resources takes root.

Para/Site Art Space
Para/Site Art Space is an independent and non-profit arts organisation based in Hong Kong. Established in 1996 as an artist-run space and further developed into a curator-run space four years ago, Para/Site Art Space has been at the forefront of exhibiting, producing and communicating contemporary visual arts in Hong Kong. As one of the leading curator-run spaces in both Hong Kong and the Greater China region with an ambitious outlook on high-quality contemporary art practices, Para/Site Art Space is dedicated to staging landmark exhibitions, initiating educational programmes and becoming a generative centre for arts criticism, research, education and exchange.

Halls:9
Presented by: Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Co-organised by: Guangdong Museum of Art, Para/Site Art Space
Opening: 12 March 2010 (Friday), 2:30pm