Wong Chi-yung
Wong Chi-yung’s Cross-Disciplinary Series: Exploring Arts & Minds
This is a multimedia project which aims to establish a link between arts and mental health topics, bringing together cultural workers from different practices, including curators, installation artists, multimedia artists, composers, psychologists, drama therapists, cultural reporters and more. The purpose is to explore how to raise public awareness of mental health through cultural and artistic practice encouraging cross-sectoral cooperation, and to create the following three projects. “Artistic Brain Friends Talk” is a feature story about mental health in the creative field in Hong Kong. “To See A World in a Grain of Sand” is a VR version of the experiential installation inspired by mindfulness. The project also includes a “Brain & Friends Seminar” series on cross-disciplinary creation relevant to topics about mental health.
Wong Chi-yung
A cross-disciplinary artist and curator. His work includes experiential installations, lighting installations, and creative education, emphasising the communication between arts and sciences. In the past four years, Chi-yung has actively promoted artistic and academic exchanges. His collaborators include: Theatre of Liege, Belgium, West Kowloon Cultural Authority District, Hong Kong Arts Center, ETH Zurich, Institute of Cultural Studies of Zurich University of the Arts, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, etc. Recently, he was selected as one of the Art Fellows 2020 by Yale University in the United States, where he developed arts and mental health projects. Wong regards artistic creation as a catalyst that is committed to expanding the possibilities of diversified collaboration between art and science, while strengthening the dialogue between academic and artistic practice, and promoting cultural exchanges between Europe, the United States and Hong Kong.
Exploring Mindfulness & Mental Wellbeing From An Arts-Sciences Perspective
Over the years, cross-disciplinary artist Wong Chi-yung has been exploring the relationship between mindfulness and the arts. He discovered many subtle similarities between the two: everyone can cultivate introspection and reflection through creative or artistic experience; they can also gain self-knowledge through art.
Wong Chi-yung have asked multiple questions: Can artistic creation help us understand our consciousness and even tap into the subconscious? Can artistic experience help us understand ourselves?
Exploration 1 “Artistic Brain Friends Talk”
Feature articles on the mental wellbeing in Hong Kong’s literary and arts circle.
Writer and photographer Yvonne Chan Lap-yee, mental health researcher and drama therapist Li Si-yeung partners with Wong Chi-yung to look into cross-disciplinary co-operation models. Reflecting on their personal experience and knowledge, they compile interviews, written records, researches, artworks, and project initiatives to develop this exploratory pilot scheme, encouraging us to treat our brains as friends, or even great friends.
【Project has been ended】
Exploration 2 “To See A World in a Grain of Sand • VR Edition”
Inspired by an experiential installation that investigates mindfulness – VR mobile version.
“To See A World in a Grain of Sand • VR Edition” is an extended artwork adapted from Wong Chi-yung’s large-scale experiential installation in 2019 To See A World in a Grain of Sand. Inspired by his investigation into mindfulness, it is also a conclusion of Wong Chi-yung’s reflection on mindfulness through artistic creation. This installation utilises multimedia art from a virtual perspective, giving audience an audio-visual virtual experience to let them immerse into a space of contemplation.
Exploration 3 “Brain & Friends Seminar” All-Nighter Sharing
Sharing of the cross-disciplinary exploration of arts and mental wellbeing.
On a few designated evenings in June, the seminar shares with participants creations themed on the brain. It also aims to create a cultural and artistic atmosphere for everyone to talk in the evening during this pandemic.
【Project has been ended】
