WHAT BURNS NEVER RETURNSPLATFORM#8_HONG KONG - REPORT

A project by Alessandro Carboni

Every day we confront with spaces that are always undergoing changes, re-planning and transformation by the constant relation between the city and the body - from our neighborhoods and parks, to our streets, from our lands to different borders. I aim to reveal how these spaces function - and dysfunction - making way for thoughts and actions to be developed in order to create new modalities of thinking – on the relation between human body and urban spaces in Hong Kong. (Alessandro Carboni)

WBNR_Platform#8 – HONG KONG

For more than a month, Alessandro Carboni has been focusing his research on Nga Tsin Wai village: one of the last ancient villages remained in Kowloon and Hong Kong at large,Taking this as a point of departure, Carboni examines local disappearing urban spaces, which overlap with several discrete boundaries within Kai Tak River, Kowloon Walled City and To Kwa Wan. The project reflects the renewed recognition that space matters to cutting edge practices, especially the analysis on urban and body transformation, making use of knowledge in both choreography and new media art.

Taken in whole or in part, Platform#8 aims not merely to show the general phenomenon of urban transformation in Hong Kong, but to inspire people to consider how art practice, being a discipline for active production of thinking, affects the city and how it respond to our bodies and spaces. The project poses a crucial question: How do we move from thinking about urban transformation to social and anthropological transformation from exactly where we stand - in our neighborhoods and our institutions, at the level of the body, the home, the street corner, the city, the region, the network, the supranational trade agreement and every space within, between, and beyond? While there have been much efforts put in theorizing and experimenting similar discourses, the role and potential of spatial investigation between body and city remains an untouched area. This project and its exhibition contribute to the articulation of a powerful concept/tool that links critical theory and ethical practice.

A multidisciplinary exhibition and performance has been presented in to One space gallery. In addition, a symposia and two day workshop have extended the scope and scale of the main exhibition.

WBNR_Platform#8 – HONG KONG

Project, concept, installation and choreography | Alessandro Carboni

Performers | Song Nan, King Sau Cheung, Ivy Tsui Yik Chit, Tong Wai Chun Mayson

Music | Dickson Dee

Contributors for research | Wallace Chang (Department of Architecture, CUHK), Choi Yan Chi (1a space), Tse Yin Mo (Art Product Promotion), Anthony Siu Kwok-Kin (Research Institute of China. History and Department of Chinese), Wing Sze Blake (community Development), Leung sik-lun (Vice-president of Nga tsin Wai community)

Editor | Alessandro Carboni

Design | Goodmorning

Text, Pictures and drawing | Alessandro Carboni

Picture in taken in Kai Tak Airport by Yeung Che King HUGO

1a space working team | Kiki Ho, Natasha Wong, Vangi FongProject Assistant | Bernice LauTranslator | Natasha Wong, Bernice Lau

CCDC team | Raymond (Coordinator), Kevin (Assistant Coordinator)

AcknoledgmentProduction : Associazione Culturale Ouroboros 2009 (Italy)Presenter: 1a space (Hong Kong)Rehearsal space is partially sponsored byPartnership Programme, CCDC Dance Centre(Hong Kong)Support | LaDU/MultimediaLab. of Urban Density - DIARCH Department of Architecture- Cagliari (Italy) | D3D_Master Didital Environment_NABA (Italy)

RESEARCH

HONG KONG

KOWLOON

KOWLOON WALLED CITY

NGA TSNI WAI VILLAGE

TO KWA WAN

KAITAK AIRPORT

KAITAK RIVER

KOWLOON WALLED CITY

KAITAK AIRPORT

NGA TSIN WAI VILLAGE

WALKING AS SENSE OF ABSENCE

_BODY _CITY _ GENERATIVE CODEchoreography, urban geography, communication technology

UNFIXED POSES AND INTERPRETATIONS

FROM OBJECTIVE MAP TO SUBJECTIVE MAPPING

From objective map to subjective mapping

Exhibition and PerformanceFriday, June 26, 2009 Opening @ 7.30 PM @ 1A space gallery – Hong Kong

Searching for estimate spaceInstallation by Alessandro CarboniMeasurement (L) 12 x (W) 6 x (D) 0.70mixed media: wood and sandChoreography | Alessandro CarboniPerformers | Song Nan, Cheung Sau King, Tsui Ivy Yik Chit, Tong Wai Chun Mayson Music | Dickson Dee

Unrealistic figures between map and shadowsInstallation by Alessandro CarboniMeasurement (L) 3.50 x (W) 3.50 x (D) 0.02 mixed media: wood, 3000 plastic dots, chalkChoreography | Alessandro CarboniPerformers | Tsui Ivy Yik Chit, Tong Wai Chun MaysonMusic | Dickson Dee

The measurements as given positionInstallation by Alessandro CarboniMeasurement (L) 3.50 x (W) 3.50 x (D) 0.02Mixed media: wood, 600 nails, plasticine, cotton thread.Choreography | Alessandro CarboniPerformers | Song Nan, Alessandro CarboniMusic | Dickson Dee

CONTACTS:

[web]: www.alessandrocarboni.org[email]: info@alessandrocarboni.org[external relation]: alessia esposito | relazioni@alessandrocarboni.org[blog]: www.wbnr.wordpress.com[video]: www.vimeo.com/ooffouro[Ladu]: ladulab.wordpress.com