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Five Art Films: Feature Films to Watch at Art Basel Hong Kong - Artcentron
Friday 29th March 2024,

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    Five Art Films: Feature Films to Watch at Art Basel Hong Kong

    posted by ARTCENTRON
    Five Art Films: Feature Films to Watch at Art Basel Hong Kong

    Takashi Murakami’s Jellyfish-Eyes is one of the five art films to watch during Art Basel Hong Kong. Film still courtesy Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co. Ltd

    ART NEWS: Art Basel Hong Kong will include five art films on artists and their careers. The feature-length films examine their growth, contributions, and how they use their art to address salient social issues.

    BY KAZAD

    Image: Mongolism 2010 by Tao Hui is one of the examples of the short films to feature at Art Basel Hong Kong
    Tao Hui, Mongolism 2010. Color and sound, single channel video 31’1″. Image courtesy of Aike-Dellarco

    Five Art Films at Art Basel

    HONG KONG- More than 70 films by and about artists will feature prominently at this year’s Art Basel ambitious Film Program in Hong Kong. From March 21 to March 26, art lovers will watch an amazing selection of short films that allow insights into the lives of artists and their creative process.  Additionally, the Art Basel Film program will, for the first time, also include five feature-length films.  Curated once again by Beijing and Zurich-based multi-media artist and producer Li Zhenhua, the event will be an impactful experience for art lovers.

    The Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg

    The 'Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg' by Michael Schindhelm is one of the films to premier at Art Basel Hong Kong
    Uli Sigg in The Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg by Michael Schindhelm

    One of the five feature-length films at this year’s Art Basel in Hong Kong is The Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg (2016). The film is having its Asian premiere at Art Basel. Directed by Michael Schindhelm, the documentary film reconstructs the adventures of the entrepreneur, diplomat, and art collector during his 30 years in China. Often described as the most influential collector of Chinese contemporary art in the world, Uli Sigg was a complex man and lonely man. In The Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg, Schindhelm tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding him and what shaped his life.  The film investigates the unique story of how the life of a Swiss man, through chance circumstances, became embroiled in the history of China after Mao’s death.

    Zeng Fanzhi: YOU Art Project

    Also premiering at Art Basel Hong Kong is Zeng Fanzhi: YOU Art Project (2014 – 2015). Directed by Shi Li-Sanderson and Philipp Stölzl, the film closely examines the practice of distinguished Chinese artist, Zeng Fanzhi. The film provides a deep understanding of the artist’s painting process over the last 12 years under the concept of ‘YOU.’ YOU in Chinese indicates the highest attainment of freedom. With a reflection on the practice of academic research and interviews, Zeng Fanzhi: YOU Art Project reveals how the artist found his path to freedom. The screening at the Art Basel is an edited version of the original 73-hour long film.

    10 Drawings for Projection

    Image: William Kentridge,10 Drawings for Projection, (1989 – 2011), a series of ten animated films investigate the history of South Africa
    William Kentridge,10 Drawings for Projection, (1989 – 2011), a series of ten animated films. Image courtesy of the artist

    The history of South Africa will again be at the forefront when 10 Drawings for Projection, (1989 – 2011), a series of ten animated films by William Kentridge is presented.  The drawings were done over a period of 22 years and reflect his home city of Johannesburg. The film links the past to present South Africa.  Although the timeline covers South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy, 10 Drawings for Projection is not about political events. Instead, the saga traces a different and parallel arc. The character Soho Eckstein’s gradually awakening from a capitalist blockhead to a sober penitent.

    Takashi Murakami’s Jellyfish Eyes

    Takashi Murakami’s Jellyfish Eyes (2013) is one of the major attractions at this year’s Art Basel in Hong Kong. The film continues to get rave reviews for its production and storyline which torches on the impact of nuclear power and energy. Borrowing from the 2011 Fukushima catastrophe, Murakami reminds us of how disasters affect children. In a tale set in a small village in the Japanese countryside,  Murakami’s brightly-colored fictional characters interact with humans in the most compelling ways that give the movie authenticity. Children are the victims and heroes in Jellyfish Eyes. With unfathomable effort, they try to save their fictional world from a disaster.

    Poet on a Business Trip

    Image: Poet on a Business Trip by Ju Anqi, is one of the films at Art Basel Hong Kong
    Ju Anqi, Poet on a Business Trip. Image courtesy of the artist

    Poet on a Business Trip (2014), is an intriguing film that art lovers will find captivating. It was written, directed, and cinematographed by Beijing-based underground filmmaker Ju Anqi. The low-budget black and white follows a  poet on a business trip. After years of commitment to his craft, Shu, a poet who has never been on a business trip, decides to send himself on a 40-day train journey. His decision is to cross the whole of Xinjiang, China. This a thought-provoking film. The metaphorical title of the film presents an ineffable absurdity and satire.

    The five feature-length films appearing for the first time this year will no doubt captivate the audience to this year’s Art Basel. Nonetheless, the  short films will be equally entertaining.  The films in the  Short Films Program explore six diverse themes. Some of the artists represented in the short films include Adel Abidin, John Akomfrah, Tony Albert, Martha Atienza, and Breda Beban.  Others are Will Benedict, Chang Li-Ren, Chen I-Chun, Chen Qiulin, and Chen Szu-Han. Chen Yin-Ju, Cheng Ran, and  Tiffany Chung are among many other artists who will feature prominently in the short films.

    The feature-length films will be screened at Theatre 2 within the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), while the Short Film Program will be screened at the agnès b. Cinema at Hong Kong Arts Centre.

    Have seen any of these five art films before? Tell us what you think. Join the art conversation: Share your thoughts and comments.

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