Archive as detour : historical re-enactment in artist archive and archival art practices of Contemporary Hong Kong

The book brings a new approach to see the art history of Hong Kong as a historical mediator and offers alternative perspective to discern the current hype of archive research and archival art practices, which informs the commitment in the constant production of socio-political meanings through arts. The book addresses the current social-political crises of Hong Kong by connecting art, memory, history, and political participation together through the site of archive and contextualises in both local and global perspectives, it also focuses on the artist archive, namely Ha Bik Chuen Archive, and archival art practices of contemporary Hong Kong, particularly in the social and political unrests, however, it ripples resonance and reflection not only in the local context but also to the region. The book is intended to the readers who are interested in both representational and interpretational nature of art and searching for alternatives means to perceive histories. Contents List of Figures 1 Introduction The Anxiety of Enforced Forgetfulness Detour Is Method The Social and Political Condition of Archival Turn in Art Archive as Detour References 2 Art, Archives, and Histories Archival Turn in Contemporary Art Archival Turn of Art in Hong Kong and China Archival Art Practice From Single to Multiple Entry Points Asia Art Archive and Ha Bik Chuen Archive Private Life and Public History References 3 The Assemblage of Ha Bik Chuen: His Art and His Archive as Art Agencement and Symbiosis The Art of Ha Bik Chuen—The Realm of Assemblage Assemblage, Rhizome to Constellation Archive as Art The Contemplative Semi-Circular Sanctum References 4 Image Constellation: Ha Bik Chuen’s Modified Books The Concept of Constellation and Detour Image Constellations as a Thinking Tool Modified Books of Ha Bik Chuen: The Form of Book as Image Atlas Book as Image Atlas The Stability and Caprice of Chinese Style 《中國風》 (Zhong Guo Feng) The Re-enactment of Historical Angel: Rosenwind Portrait Atlas: The Disquiet Memory of the Present London Interiors: From Private to Public References 5 Counter-Memorial Strategy: Disabled Histories in the Archival Art Practices of Leung Chi Wo and Lee Kai Chung Mnemosyne of Amnesia—Leung Chi Wo Ruins of Present—Lee Kai Chung Countermemory and Ruination of History References 6 Staging the Archive: The Curatorial as Detour The Curatorial and Allegory Ha Bik Chuen Archive and Its Curatorial The Curatorial Exercise: Staging Ha Bik Chuen Archive Research to Re-enact the Archive The Commissioned Artworks The Exhibition: ‘Non-History: Archive as Detour’ Beyond the Spectacular References 7 Epilogue: The Becoming History The Becoming History Art as Historical Mirror References Bibliography Index