Self × Society

Since its invention, Moving Image has served as an art form that allows filmmakers and artists to frame their perception of the world visually and conceptually. Starting from the 1960s, artists have employed the medium even more consciously as a discursive tool asserting their individuality and critical perspective. This programme of experimental films spanning five decades explores the various paradoxes that individuals face within a society. The films delve into the constructs of historical and socio-political issues, the anxieties of youth, and the absurdities of everyday life. Rendering these complex interplays through performance, humorous interventions, and formal experimentations, the featured artists testify of a wealth of creative strategies to celebrate the power of waywardness.

Rajendra Gour’s Eyes (1968), Chen Chien-Jen’s Dysfunction No.3 (1983), and Han Ok-Hee's The Hole (1974) feature the artists’ commentary on Cold War-related world events and address personal experiences with the brutality of repressive political systems. Kuang-Yu Tsui’s The Shortcut to the Systematic Life: City Spirits (2005) celebrates artistic agency through the artist’s bold takeover of public space. City Dog (1992) by Koson Trongtosak, Sathien Preedasa, Amnuay Mangmeesri, and Chavalit Potisri portrays a man’s psychological tension provoked by the effects of Asia’s rapid urbanisation. Here’s Looking At You, Kid! (1990) by Yau Ching, Ellen Pau, and Wong Chi Fai critically reviews Hong Kong’s colonial history, while Wong Ping’s Fables 1 (2018) humorously transforms the anxiety of youth into an absurd animation.