Excessive Enthusiasm: Ha Bik Chuen and the Archive as Practice is an exhibition in the AAA library stemming from our ongoing research into the archive of Ha Bik Chuen (1925–2009). A Hong Kong-based artist primarily known as a sculptor and printmaker, he also had parallel practices: from photographing exhibitions he attended, to collecting materials such as illustrated magazines and artist portraits, and using these to construct book collages. Collectively, this material provides building blocks from which more complex histories of Hong Kong’s art ecology can be constructed. A selection of materials, self-organised, using an idiosyncratic system dating back to the 1960s through to the late 2000s, will be featured in the exhibition.

According to his family’s wish that these materials be made available for public use and research, Asia Art Archive has initiated a pilot project stretching over the next two years that will include select materials from Ha’s personal archive both in physical and digital forms.

Two public programmes organised by local cultural practioner Lau Kin Wah will take place during the exhibition through AAA's Hong Kong Conversations series with more details to come.

Special Thanks

The Ha Family
Walid Raad
Luke Casey
Spring Workshop
The AAA Team
David Boyce
Johnson Chang
Fat Gor
Marysia Lewandowska
Loretta Lo
Phoebe Wong
Hong Kong Museum of Art

Exhibition Design Partner: SKY YUTAKA LTD.

Graphic Design Partner: GOING MERRY DESIGN co.

The Ha Bik Cheun Archive Pilot Project is supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council.  

Relevant content

From Exhibition Documentation Album of 'Henry Moore Exhibition of Sculptures and Drawings'
Ha Bik Chuen Archive 夏碧泉檔案
Collections

Ha Bik Chuen Archive 夏碧泉檔案

A Century of Hong Kong (1845 - 1945)
Hong Kong Art History Research Project 香港藝術史研究項目
Collections

Hong Kong Art History Research Project 香港藝術史研究項目

THEmanwhoNeverthrow_LIST
The Man Who Never Threw Anything Away
LIKE A FEVER | Notes

The Man Who Never Threw Anything Away

A collaboration with Guangdong Times Museum

home
Off the Shelf | Last Encounters in Ha Bik Chuen Archive
LIKE A FEVER | Essays

Off the Shelf | Last Encounters in Ha Bik Chuen Archive

Personal reflections from the archivists on the Ha Bik Chuen Archive Project, as they bring to a close its Fo Tan project space

selfPortrait_HBC_list
On Ha Bik Chuen: Collection and Collage
LIKE A FEVER | Essays

On Ha Bik Chuen: Collection and Collage

Leo Li Chen explores how Ha Bik Chuen’s collection opens up new ways to understand Hong Kong art history

15Invitations_walidRaad_list
Section 39_Index XXXVII: Traboulsi
LIKE A FEVER | Notes

Section 39_Index XXXVII: Traboulsi

Suha Traboulsi's "sculptural spaces" and reproductions of canonical modern paintings by Arab artists

Image: Walid Raad: Section 39_Index XXXVII: Traboulsi (Editor's Introduction III) for 15 Invitations, 21 Jun–3 Sep 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Paula Cooper Gallery. Photo: Kitmin Lee 2016.
Walid Raad | Section 39_Index XXXVII: Traboulsi
Programmes | 15 Invitations

Walid Raad | Section 39_Index XXXVII: Traboulsi

Jun–Sep 2016

PabloHelgurea_list
Artist Talk with Pablo Helguera and Brunch
Programmes

Artist Talk with Pablo Helguera and Brunch

Sun, 15 Mar 2015