To accompany Hong Kong’s collateral event at the Venice Biennale 2017, Samson Young: Songs for Disaster Relief, M+ and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council are co-hosting a series of talks in Hong Kong. Taking Young’s artistic practice and diverse influences as a starting point, the series offers a deeper understanding of key concepts in contemporary art and provides a wider context for Young’s newly commissioned work in Venice.

Songs for Disaster Relief is conceived of as an album unfolding in space to be experienced in person. The series includes four key pieces, each of which tells a new story referencing the cultural and political context of iconic 80s charity songs. Through a deliberate repurposing and creative misreading of such iconic songs, Young presents an exploration of the troubling ideologies and genuine affective qualities that these songs and their aspirations embody.

In the first talk in our series, Guest Curator Ying Kwok shares her experience of taking Songs for Disaster Relief from concept to realisation in Venice. She is joined by Anthony Leung Po-shan, one of the contributors to the exhibition catalogue, who expands the discussion on Young’s artistic practice in relation to the presentation of his current exhibition.
An Album Unfolding in Space: Conversation with the Curator
Date: 13 June 2017 (Tue)
Time: 7.30 – 9 pm
Venue: Miller Theatre, Asia Society Hong Kong Center,
9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Speakers: Anthony Leung Po-shan, Ying Kwok