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.
