Wong Pak Hang: Robinienhof
Interview: Gamze Can. Published on 23rd SEP 2024.
— Are you familiar with Gelsenkirchen and the GOLDSTÜCKE? What motivated you to apply for the Open Call?
I wasn’t familiar with Gelsenkirchen so I looked it up on Wikipedia. About GOLDSTÜCKE I know that it is a light and media art project with a decentralized exhibition format. What really motivated me to apply was the opportunity to showcase my video in a public space. I believe that presenting this artwork in an open, public setting allows for a broader engagement. Although the work is influenced by specific Asian cultural contexts, I think the themes of tension and emotion it explores are relevant to people all over the world, especially given the heightened global uncertainties this year. Showing these emotions and scenes in a public setting felt like the right choice for this piece—it creates a space for dialogue and reflection.
— How would you describe your artistic practice?
My work is deeply rooted in society but remains quite personal. I often use video, images, and photography because these mediums offer a direct reference to reality, helping the audience to better understand the context and message of the artwork. My projects typically start from the content or with a concept, and while I don’t set out to be overtly political or socially critical, these themes naturally emerge because they reflect what concerns me personally or how the public feels. It’s less about intentionally making a political statement and more about expressing emotions and perspectives that resonate with me and others.
Visually, I’m drawn to interesting ideas or simple thoughts, like the process of destruction or transformation. These themes recur in my work, and I find them visually compelling. I work across multiple media, including video, photography, still images, installations, and interactive pieces, so I consider myself an image-based artist. I’m usually driven by the content and concept when creating my work.
— You also mentioned that you engage in community work. What kind of work do you mean? Can you explain more about it?
Yes, I additionally engage in community projects in Hong Kong. One of my recent projects involved a series of interviews with various art workers—gallery staff, art administrators, and people from art schools. I recorded their journeys home after work, creating a reflective narrative around their daily lives. This long-term project was also part of a residency in a village outside the city, where I created video interviews and explored how we care for people in these communities. I enjoy engaging with people, so I often build my projects around conversations, whether it’s with art workers or local villagers. This, too, is grounded in the visual medium.
— What inspired you to explore the depiction of destruction and violence in Hong Kong crime films? Was there a particular film or event that triggered this work?
The inspiration for this project largely comes from the social atmosphere in Hong Kong, particularly after the political movement in 2019. That period marked a turning point for many of us, as it reshaped how we felt about society and the shifting dynamics between China and Hong Kong.
Hong Kong crime films, known and celebrated internationally, often feature intense scenes of explosions, fighting, gun fights, and destruction. I found these scenes particularly fitting for representing the feelings of unrest and instability that many in Hong Kong were experiencing. By compiling these iconic moments from crime films without any added narration, I aimed to create a metaphor for the unease and tension that has built up in society. While rooted in the local context of Hong Kong, I believe this project also resonates with people internationally, as themes of political conflict and unrest are unfortunately relevant in many parts of the world today.
I’m also a huge film lover, so this project allowed me to explore the evolution of technology in filmmaking. I find it fascinating to observe how analog effects and digital CGI have changed over the years, and this project serves as a kind of archive to document that progression.
— In your work, you remove the narrative context from the film scenes and focus on the pure images of destruction. What was your motivation for dismantling this narrative structure? What message do you aim to convey through this approach?
I chose to remove the narrative structure because I wanted to keep the audience fully engaged with the intensity of the scenes. In most films, explosions happen at the climax, the high point of the story. By compiling only these moments from different films, I can maintain that heightened sense of tension throughout the entire piece, which helps sustain the viewer’s attention. There’s no dialogue or story to guide the audience—just pure visuals of fire, explosions, and violence.
The ticking clock at the beginning helps set the mood, but the rest is designed as an exhibition piece, allowing viewers to enter and leave at any time without losing the meaning. I’m also interested in creating a live version with scenes played in random order, to enhance the unpredictability and amplify the sense of chaos.
— How has working on “Unrested Noir” influenced your own perception of violence and destruction? Were there moments during the creation process that changed your perspective?
Honestly, I’m not sure. As I’ve been working with fictional films, extracting violent scenes and compiling them, I’ve become somewhat desensitized. I realized that people are drawn to the high points of each movie, and my work just keeps that momentum going. When I’m editing, it can be stressful to focus on so many violent scenes, but after a while, I became numb to it—it started to feel normal because it’s all fiction. Now, after watching so many crime films, I’ve started to see a pattern and can predict when the explosions or violent moments will happen.
— Do you have a favorite artwork from this year’s GOLDSTÜCKE program?
I really liked the piece that explores the interface of division, like with phones (KIS – Dreaming Streams). Also, the fun use of found footage was a nice touch—it felt playful and engaging.