How does one learn to understand contemporary art? How does one talk about contemporary art? And ultimately, how does one approach contemporary art?

To try to answer such far-reaching questions, Approaching Contemporary Art invites four experienced art professionals to talk about the “language” of contemporary art—by thinking through the various expressions, concepts, and mediums of art. We will be drawing on the current Bruce Nauman exhibition at Tai Kwun Contemporary, where the pioneering artist Bruce Nauman showcases his art and his experimental artistic language spanning six decades.

As an artist who has inspired artists young and old, his classic works of contemporary art in a multitude of mediums have reinvented the limits of what art can be. In this series of talks, you will get to explore the process behind curating an exhibition, and delve into the themes of postminimalism, sound and body art, as well as video and performance art. You will get the opportunity dive right into the dynamic world of contemporary art through direct conversations with art professionals including curators, artists, as well as scholars.

This two-day intensive seminar series welcomes art lovers from all backgrounds, especially those who want to experience a deeper appreciation of the ideas and formats used in contemporary art. Together, you will have the chance to re-examine the history of art together with key events that have shaped today’s world.

Approaching Contemporary Art will provide trilingual simultaneous interpretation; please refer to the timetable for the seminar language. Tickets are available on Klook. $1,000 for general two-day pass (including all four talks), $600 for one-day pass (including two talks). Full time students tickets are $500 for two-day pass and $300 for one-day pass (Full-time students with ID).

Pi Li

From Action to Concept

The co-curator of Tai Kwun Contemporary's exhibition Bruce Nauman Dr Pi Li will take the renowned work of American painter Jackson Pollock (1912–1956) as a starting point and unfold a discussion on his research into 1950s to 1970s art theory. The presentation will parse through different theoretical subjects such as objectivity, the avant-garde, conceptualism, the body, media, and action, as well as how these subjects are enacted in writing, criticism, debate, exhibition, and sociopolitical activism.

The two traditions in Modernist art—formalism and the avant-garde—will be analysed in depth. Following this trajectory, we will see how "conceptualism" gradually evolved into an aesthetic standard in different contemporary art mediums, and extend from these different lines of thought on questions regarding medium, concept, social consciousness, and art institutions in the contemporary context.

Ellen Pau

From Video Art to the Intersection of Art and Technology

We will be following the fascinating evolution of video art from its avant-garde cinematic origins and other time-based mediums through historical changes and social contexts. We will explore the groundbreaking works of pioneering artists like Nam June Paik and Joan Jonas, and understand how video was established as a new artistic medium in the 1960s and 70s. Together, we will learn about the transition from analogue to digital media and how video art evolved with the advent of computers and the internet. We will be discussing the sociopolitical dimensions of video art, as well as examining how artists address issues of identity, gender, cultural representation, and political and environmental commentary through their work.

Yeung Yang

of listening-- bodies in the making

"Is there such a thing as 'sound art'? I am not sure.

But I propose there are such formations of artists' making that compel listening in more ways than we think:

from ear to bone, from head to heart,

from standing to lying down,

from walking to turning,

from digging to flying...

May I tell you what happened?"

Chan Sai-lok

Cutting to the Core-- Language and Text in Contemporary Art

When it comes to hitting the bull's eye, delivering a concept straight from the shoulder, language stands as the medium of choice. Yet, beneath the surface of symbolic exchange lies a complex interplay of social and cultural frameworks. This session embarks on an exploration of how the linguistic symbols of everyday communication find their way into artistic expression. On another level, language possesses both visual and auditory dimensions. Join us as we also delve into how contemporary artists employ language through diverse materials, forms, and bodily engagement, uncovering its raw power and its ability to transform the way we experience art.

Points to note:
· All ticket purchases are final.

· If a Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or above, or Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above is issued before 10:00 am, the event will be cancelled and rescheduled.