Courses
VART3326 Hong Kong Arts (3 units)
- Prerequisite:
- VART2305 Art in the 20th Century I
Every place has its own story/stories that can be narrated, illustrated and represented creatively through visual arts if not in words. This course attempts to tell the many stories of Hong Kong by looking at examples of local art works, including painting, sculpture, cartoons, photography and architecture that are produced from the early 19th century to the present day, as a way to outline the character and history of the place. With the supplement of texts and documentaries, students will learn from the visual examples how Hong Kong transformed from a small fishing village to a metropolis city of over seven million people; or from a British colony to be a part of the People's Republic of China nowadays.
Alternately, the socio-political changes, technology development, education reform, cultural interaction of a place can also influence the production of works of art, in terms of style, medium and meaning. The search for identity before the return of sovereignty before 1997, for example, triggered off a substantial amount of art creation on the issue on Hong Kong identity.
The course will adopt a multi-disciplinary approach in reading stories of Hong Kong, not solely from the view points of visual arts, but also sociology, history, cultural studies, geography, and/ or literature, whichever can bring new insight to enhance our understanding on the topics. The opportunity to study original works of art, either from museum or private collection, enables students to make direct encounter with the history of the place, which will ultimately inspire their thoughts and interpretation of the subject of Hong Kong.