Exhibition
Samson Young
The World Falls Apart Into Facts
A closer look reveals that everyone is a complex blend of cultures
Samson Young is a Hong Kong-based sound artist who represented Hong Kong in the 2017 Venice Biennale. This work traces the genealogy of “Molihua,” a famous Chinese folk song. The song reached Europe via the British Empire during the Qing dynasty, and an arrangement of the song was eventually re-imported into China. Young researched this chronology from both cultural and political angles and presents it as an installation of video and objects. The work also includes research into other cultural genealogies that transcend borders, such as Togaku, a category of imperial court music from the Tang dynasty that was introduced to Korea and Japan.
A look back at history reveals that what we think of as “Japanese” cultural genealogies today are often adapted from or influenced by the cultures of other countries. When we discuss cultures and countries in relation to each other, we often try to incorporate such concepts as purity and authenticity, but Young disrupts that impulse with humor and curiosity.
9.30 (Sat)-10.22 (Sun) 10:00-20:00
Open until 22:00 on 9.30 (Sat).
Gallery tour by the artist on 9.30 (Sat) from 12:30.
Gallery Tour
English (Japanese consecutive interpretation available)
60 min (TBC)
Free / Reservation required
☞ The reservation form
Samson Young
Hong Kong
Multi-disciplinary artist Samson Young works in sound, performance, video, and installation. In 2017 he represented Hong Kong with a solo project titled Songs for Disaster Relief at the 57th Venice Biennale. He was the recipient of the BMW Art Journey Award, a Prix Ars Electronica Award of Distinction in Sound Art and Digital Music, and in 2020 he was awarded the inaugural Uli Sigg Prize. He has exhibited at venues such as the Guggenheim Museum, New York; Gropius Bau, Berlin; Performa 19, New York; Biennale of Sydney; Shanghai Biennale; National Museum of Art, Osaka; National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; Ars Electronica, Linz; documenta 14: documenta radio; and Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, among others. Recent solo projects include: the De Appel, Amsterdam; Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf; Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh; SMART Museum, Chicago; Centre for Contemporary Chinese Art, Manchester; Manchester International Festival; M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Ryosoku-in at the Kenninji Temple, Kyoto; Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne; and Jameel Art Centre, Dubai, among others. Samson Young studied music, philosophy and gender studies. He was Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s Artist Associate in 2008, and graduated with a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Princeton University in 2013. Young is the founder of CMHK, and a member of the Tomato Grey artist collective.
Music Composition, Text, Set Design and Video Editing: Samson Young
Performance: Geneva Fung, Samson Young, the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Chorus conducted by Leon Chu and Christie Wong
Voice Over: Dr. Christian Weikop
Videography: Ip Yiu Tung Zachary, Lau Chun Sing, Fung Kai Cheuk, Leung Tin Chun Jimmy, Lee Chun Wai, Leung Ho Sing
Production Management: Jones Lee
Production: Christy Ko, Donna Loy, Vivian Leung, Chan Chak Kwan, Ray Wong, Jones Lee, “Jonathan,” Henry Fung, Edward Lau, “Rocky,” “Elephant,” “Him,” Sissy Tang
Sound Recording: Samson Young, Teeda Lee
3D-Printing Technical Support: Andrew Crowe (Meta Objects)
Special thanks to Alex Rehding; Tessa Giblin; Talbot Rice Gallery, St. Cecilia‘s Hall and the Reid School of Music at the University of Edinburgh
Exhibition setup: GODO Co., Ltd.
Video setup: Yuma Saito, Takuya Matsumi
Subtitle translation: Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA)
Graphic design: Aiko Koike
Internship: Koyuki Ishikawa, Shu Sudo, Saki Nakano
Coordination: Keisuke Nakaya (Kyoto Art Center)
In co-operation with Ota Fine Arts, Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University, and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum / Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions
Sponsored by PORTER‛S PAINTS
Supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Presented by Kyoto Experiment
Hong Kong Arts Development Council fully supports freedom of artistic expression. The views and opinions expressed in this project do not represent the stand of the Council.
