"1-art valley" Becoming Another Place of Happening in the City

 

When the cool lot is just complaining about the lack of happening in the city, "1-art valley" Ecological & Artistic Resort comes up with not only ecological fun of log cabins, RVs and farms, but an artists-in-residence project; Hong Kong renowned artist Frog King Kwok Mang Ho is among the first batch of artists invited for on-site creation recently; an experience of arts and fun is not to be missed!

 

Perhaps you may think a 67-year-old could only follow God’s will, spending the days either tending to grandchildren, practicing Tao-chi, or even staying home all day, alone and miserable; you can’t imagine an old man of that age would travel here all the way from Hong Kong, put on a cumbersome and grotesque set of costume, play with stones, fire and frogs in front of an audience, and call it “performance art.” A significant artist from Hong Kong as well as pioneer of performance art, Frog King Kwok Mang Ho is just like that, naughty and unyielding to age.

 

Happening with audience

Frog King Kwok Mang Ho came to Guangzhou as part of the artists-in-residence project of "1-art valley" Ecological & Artistic Resort, which is located in Panyu, suburban Guangzhou.

 

We arrived at the resort at 4 PM while the sun was still searing. The resort was mainly comprised of two fish ponds at the center with a natant stage; two lines of log cabins circled round the ponds, plus a grand new RV. Strings of ink works and plastic bags were hung in front of one of the cabins. The host told us: that was the temporary home of Frog King Kwok.

 

Site of Frog King’s “performance”

 

We all startled after the door was opened: more ink works hung from the ceiling like cobwebs, and crawled their way all over the walls of the room in diverse sizes and styles! Frog King Kwok told everybody he needed to prepare for the “performance” and politely asked us to wait outside in typical Hong Kong language of courtesy. We made our way out and waited for the the sparkles he was about to ignite under such special environment.

  

The temporary home of Frog King

 

Curious tubs of jumping fish were found dispersed on the site when we returned. When we were trying to grasp what was happening, Frog King Kwok showed up, in one of the most outlandish sets of costume we’d ever seen: a piled-up heavy hat with wide brims, a pair of black and white frog spectacles, necklaces made of steel balls of disturbing sizes, a vest made from ink work creation, an ID sign reading “Frog King” on the chest, and zebra-patterned gaiters covering all the limbs--- the naughtiest being a mottled skirt under a pair of white-dotted black pants!

 

“Welcome to Frog King’s ‘performance’ at '1-art valley'!” He yelled, and then handed out frog spectacles and signs to the audience to be part of the performance. He first operated poles of paint rollers in black, white and red acrylic on the two stones and canvas dispersed on the ground; after a series of Kung-fu acts and cries, hewing here and splashing there, the colors spread over irregularly; Kwok then took in clean water and sprayed it over the colors; he picked up the biggest canvas and cut out his signature frog head icon with a pair of scissors; we were then asked to stand behind the cut canvas and take photos with it, meaning “looking at the world through the frog window”.

 

The performing Frog King

 

When we were still savoring the fun, Frog King Kwok turned to the fish, picked one up and asked us to follow him and throw the fish into the ponds. He told us, the fish was from the special environment of the moment, because the resort was converted from fish ponds by the current owner; since the owner’s family name was Chan, Frog King Kwok named him “Fish Pond Chan”. When we hardly “recovered” from the fun of the jumping fish, he tossed up one tissue roll after another all of a sudden. White bands of tissue rolls intertwined above us and settled all around eventually. Just when you were drinking in the magnificence of the scene, Kwok has stroke the matches and fire lit up all over , leaving sparkles and marks on the canvas, drawing busy glimpses and sighs of wonder from the audience--- and it’s not over yet! For the last act, Kwok took two big fat frogs in his hands--- live version of his subject of artistic creation, and threw them into the pond, freeing them back to the nature.

 

 

Frog King playing with fire

 

“Happening” is the main concept of Frog King Kwok’s work. Most art is created behind closed doors while performance art not only opens the door, it also welcomes the audience and encourages audience experience and interaction. Kwok would ask you to put on a pair of frog spectacles he made, take a photo of you in it, and call you one of the members of his “Frog-topia”; he has enrolled a variety of witnesses from presidents to tramps; the concept of class is moot here; equality rules, so does the pursuit of a happy future. For Kwok, art is never about gain or loss--- it’s just perseverance.

 

Calling all happening

People working in art and culture have been complaining about the lack of similar events in the city owing to lack of organizers and “happening”. The event at "1-art valley" drew accolades from even artists who are commonly known as hard to please. They told us it was both fun and inspiring. The artists-in-residence project is attributed to the perspective of the owner of "1-art valley" who is also a designer. A series of his stone works is installed at the resort, and he invites artists to conduct crossover creation on them. Before Frog King Kwok, Spanish artist Carmen Guzman was invited over as part of the project. Carmen has lived and worked in Guangzhou for 9 years and is responsible for many major projects as an interior designer, including the Consulate General of Spain in Guangzhou, the Spanish Official Travel Agency, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. At "1-art valley", she has created two stones of bright colors. She told us with limited English that she wanted to present Gaudi’s brilliant world of colors.

 

Frog King playing with stone

 

Color stones created by Spanish artist Carmen Guzman

 

"1-art valley" invites renowned artists from home and abroad for on-site creation all year round, making it one of the platforms of culture and arts of the city.

 

 

Video: Hong Kong performance artist turning "1-art valley" upside down