The Reading Room (2011)

The Reading Room

Works by Michelle Lee & Lee Kai Chung

“I know of a Greek Labyrinth which is a single straight line. Along this line so many philosophers have lost themselves that a mere detective might well do so too...”

Jorge Luis Borges, Ficciones

“The Reading Room” creates metaphor to parallel realities.

In most of the time we read books in a linear manner, that means we first read chapter one and then two, until it finishes. The protagonist would only choose one action in a particular time according to the plot. What happens if he/she chooses the other options in the adventure? To imply points of departure to various

bifurcations, multiverse arises and continues in collateral time and space. Michelle Lee and Lee Kai Chung employ diverse approaches to build a symbolic labyrinth of time and space; through working on existing literature, they explore the concept of relativity.

Michelle’s work starts with the image that she generates from text and the book itself, and then further represents the meta-linguistic concept and sensation. Painting on book-shaped wood panels, Michelle explores the relationship between text and image in literature. Her work transcends the generic mode of reading and preset concept of text.

Lee Kai Chung converts his reading experience into a series of simple acts and further

documented by various media. Through juxtaposing different plains of reality, Chung addresses the historical and political concern in the specific urban and culture setting.

Michelle Lee Ho Wing, a Hong Kong born artist who graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the department of Fine Arts (BA). Since then she explores the relationship between text and image through a variety of media. By reinterpreting and extracting the text directly

from the classic literature and contemporary novels, she transforms the lines, and represents them in extraordinary manner. She investigates the triangular relationship between author, reader and text.

In Michelle’s most recent series, she works on one of the most influential fictions in the 20^th Century, “1984” by English writer George Orwell.

Water Recycling / 水分回收

Water recycling 水分回收
Watercolor on paper 水彩紙本
56 x 76 cm
2008

本年香港錄得七年來最多的熱帶風暴和較高的降雨量 (資料來源﹕香港天文台)。在八號暴風鸚鵡懸掛的一天，我用家中的抽濕機抽取空氣的水分，而後再畫了一幅水彩畫。

This year Hong Kong records for seven years most typhoons and tropical cyclones (sourced from Hong Kong Observatory). I had one day off on the day when the No.8 Storm signal was necessitated for Typhoon Nuri, I used my home dehumidifier to draw water from the air. After then I made a watercolor painting with the water.

6/100

6/100
Installation 裝置
Dimension variable 尺寸不定
2008

病態建築症候群(以下簡稱SBS) 發生於房屋緊密，戶外空氣無法滲入的建築物，因而室內累積大量化學性和生化性污染物。患者會有以下病徵﹕頭痛、暈眩、眼、鼻、喉刺激、噁心、無法集中精神、疲倦等等。我的畢業作品是針對畢業展覽場地，透過引進一定空間比率的植物 (每一百平方英尺的室內空間就提供六平方英吋的植物，以上的比率是根據美國國家航空航天局高級研究員Bill Wolverton博士的研究)，作品能夠控制室內空氣污染，而且提供一個舒適和愉快的參觀展覽經驗，令觀眾免於SBS的困擾。在這情況下，作品不單被置於藝術場域，而且成為一部「自然空氣淨化器」。就我的作品而言，我強調作品跟展覽內容和脈絡、空間以及觀眾的關係。藝術作品不單是獨立存在的物體，而且可以成為展覽內容的一部份。

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is caused by inadequate ventilation and indoor pollution due to chemical and biological contaminants. Sufferers may experience acute discomfort such as headache, eye, nose, or throat irritation, concentration difficulties, fatigue and so on. My graduation work aims to provide a comfortable indoor space, as well as an enjoyable museum experience for the visitors. By installing plants and keeping them to a optimal proportion to the exhibition space (6 square inches of greenery for every 100 square feet of indoor space, according to the research of senior research NASA scientist, Dr. Bill Wolverton), I ensure my work will control the indoor air pollution and visitors will be spared from the undesirable SBS. My work functions both as artwork and as a ‘natural air purifying machine’.
An artwork is not only an autonomous object, but it can also relate to the ‘content of container’. For my graduation project, I try to make it relational to the exhibition context, space and audience.

Travel Bible 2008 / 旅遊聖經 2008

Travel Bible 2008 旅遊聖經 2008
Mixed Media 混合媒介
Dimension variable 尺寸不定
2008

聖火走過的國家中，當地政府都會有一句精警的旅遊宣傳口號。我就以歷史文物的呈現方式去成全各國欲迎還拒的面貌。

Every country in the route of Olympic Torch Relay has one slogan for promoting their tourism. I present the work in form of historical artifact, so as to reflect how the countries resist in hesitation.

Untitled (To Commenorate Nothing Happens)

Untitled (To Commemorate Nothing Happens)
Brass 黃銅
7 x 7.5 x 7.5 cm
2007

To Commemorate Nothing Happens

To Commemorate Nothing Happens
Mixed media 混合媒介
Dimension variable 尺寸可變
2007

What happen when nothing happens?

Northern All Star

Northern All Star
Installation
Dimension variable
2008

All the stars in the sky are made of glamorous artificial light.

天空中的明星無不是由人造燈光所組成。

The Secret Teller / 那年密話

The Secret Teller 那年密話
Fiber Glass 玻璃纖維
Dimension variable
2007

This piece of work shows the interior space of envelopes, they are supposed to be letters, the
transparent fiber glass makes the viewers feel the mass of letters, but not the content.

作品呈現信封的內部空間，玻璃纖維的透明性令觀者只可感受「信」的質量，而非內容。

He Replies / 那人回信

He Replies 那人回信
Oil on wood 油彩木本
10 x 14.5 cm
2007

I made six wooden postcards which refer to my recent America trip, the addressees are tree and grassland. The action of sending hand-made postcard to no one is to show the homage to the natural environment and also criticizing on the tourist culture.

我由美回港後造了六封木製明信片，而收信者為到訪處的樹木和草地。此等無的放矢的行為有若文人式回饋自然的賦予和對旅遊文化的批評。

In search of Moby-Dick / 尋找無比敵

In search of Moby-Dick 尋找無比敵
Mixed media 混合媒介
Dimension variable 尺寸可變
2008

I start this work with the concern of the endangered marine life (e.g. hunting of whale in Japan and water pollution), and I relate it to a movie, Moby-Dick, which is based on a novel by Herman Melville. The movie is about a voyage of Captain Ahab, who intends to exact revenge on a tremendous whale named Moby-Dick that bit off his leg at the previous encounter. I find this interesting that the human violent intervention on nature sometimes resulted in massive strike back, ironically they don’t consider the problem of their action but blame groundlessly. It is quite possible that in the near future we can only know about the forgone nature from curiosity cabinet and photograph if we do not aware of the problem.

此作品的意念來自海洋生態問題，而我連繫到「無比敵前傳」這齣電影。由故事內容到現實生活，我關注人類對於自然的殘暴介入繼而引至惡果，但諷刺地我們仍然未真正意識到事情的嚴重性。不久的將來我們可能只能從少數的相片或珍品櫃中懷念已逝的自然。

Highrise / 花園大廈

High-rise 花園大廈
Installation 裝置
Dimension variable 尺寸可變
2007

The idea of this work comes from city planning of Hong Kong. More and more one-stop malls are built, artifacial ‘natural environment’ is constructed in the interior space. I ironicallly represent this phenomenon in a curiosity cabinet.

作品的意念來自香港的城市規劃。當越來越多一站式商場出現，失去的自然空間會轉移至室內空間。我呈現那種人工化的情況。

Loosen Contour

Loosen Contour
Mixed media
Dimension variable
2008

Once I saw twinkle light in the hazy sky, I pretended that
was stars. But at the next moment I found that are signal
lights on the hill, and this inspires me to relate the constellation
with the artificial light. The blurry scenery in the foggy sky
arouses me the awareness towards environment protection
in the dense city like Hong Kong.

有一次我在朦朧的天空望見微弱光芒，當時以為是星光
。良久，才發現是山上的信號燈，這就啟發我去做一件
有關星座和人造燈光的作品，而且漫天昏暗的景象引發
我對環境保護的關注。

The Tree Tells

The Tree Tells
Installation
Dimension variable
2007

I search for desirable grassland for picnic in Pittsburgh, then I follow
a path and draw a picnic map. The installation shows
the constructed map with material being used and collected
in the process, and I also offer drinks in the opening for the
viewers, which coherent with the concept of sharing in picnicking.

我在匹茲堡尋找草坪供野餐之用，之後根據到過的地方製作
野餐地圖。裝置呈現過程中用過與搜集到的物品，而且在展
覽開幕時我提供飲品，貫徹野餐無私分享的概念。

Dear Picnic

In a gallery, which is in a neighborhood called ‘Friendship’, I organize a picnic on Sunday. I invite neighbors and send out flyer beforehand throughout that month. On the flyers, I write “To feel friendship in Friendship”. Unfortuately, there is only one kind old lady come on that day.

我在一間位於「友誼鄰里」的畫廊野餐，之前邀請該區居民和發放傳單，傳單上寫有『在友誼鄰里感受友情』。不幸地最後只有一位友善的老太太應約到訪。

This is Friendship

This is Friendship
Video (24 min 16 sec)
Dimension variable
2007

I picnic in a park in Friendship and invite the neighbors and people on the street. I videotape the conversation, instead of showing my voice, I use subtitles to
be my internal monologue in response to the people and the neighborhood. This
video is shown on Pittsburgh Community TV channel after then.

我在友誼鄰里附近的一個公園野餐，期間邀請鄰人和路人參與。我紀錄
了跟他們的對話，但我的聲音回應則由內心獨白取代。期後此錄像在匹茲堡
社區電視播放。

The Secret Teller

The Secret Teller
Documentation
Dimension variable
2007

When I was staying in States in the winter in 2007, a place where my girlfriend had spent for an exchange program as well, I tried to rediscover any trace of her existence in the city. I looked for Allegheny Cemetery, where she had once been there and done some photographic works. I found the same tomb that she shot, talked to the undernearth spirit and asked how was my girlfriend two years ago at the same place in the snow.