M+ Facade: Tong Yang-Tze and Chris Cheung (h0nh1m) and M+ Cinema summer edition

Tong Yang-Tze and Chris Cheung (h0nh1m): Ink I Pulse
M+, Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, is delighted to announce a new work by venerated Taiwanese calligraphy artist Tong Yang-Tze and Hong Kong media artist Chris Cheung (h0nh1m). The live generative work, titled Ink I Pulse, will be shown on the M+ Facade from Friday, June 30 to Sunday, September 24, 2023.

The first dual artist commission created specifically for the M+ Facade, Ink I Pulse is inspired by and based on pieces from Tong Yang-Tze’s Silent Music, a series of 100 ink-based works that were collected during Tong’s creative process between 2003 and 2010. The algorithm-driven commission reinterprets Tong’s masterful strokes, dots, and markings, animating their positive and negative spaces with pulsating apparitions and movements.

In its portrayal of ink as the heart-like vessel for cell division, blood circulation, and the nervous system, the work also amplifies the conceptual and rhythmic resonance between ink as a life-affirming practice and the ever-renewing nature of life. Organically developed from the two artists’ many impassioned conversations, Ink I Pulse pays tribute to the lively continuation of a dialogue between generations, artists, and mediums—offering an ever-changing view of ink as energy, philosophy, and spiritual universe.

M+ Cinema
M+ Cinema strives for diverse viewing experiences that enrich audiences’ encounters with and appreciation of visual culture. This summer edition features Animation Pioneers in Asia, a selection of iconic animations from various regions of Asia, including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, between the 1960s and 1990s. Disquieted Water of the South explores the cultural, political, and historical heterogeneity of the south-eastern part of Asia across three parts. This edition also introduces Constellations Super 8: Masterclass with Helga Fanderl, where the renowned super-8 filmmaker and poet screens various sets of her silent short films.

M+ Cinema’s thematic programme Animation Pioneers in Asia celebrates game-changing moments in the development of independent Asian animation from the 1960s to 1990s. It includes hand-drawn animations as well as films that use stop motion, puppets, papercuts, sand, ink, and more. Highlights include the newly-restored works by Hong Kong animation pioneer Neco Lo Che-ying, The Adventure of Sudsakorn (1979) by Payut Ngaokrachang, and A Story of Hong Gil-dong (1967) by Shin Dong-hun, alongside a rich and striking assortment of short animations from Mainland China, and Japan.

Disquieted Water of the South explores water’s innate ability to forge, mediate, and even break connections in the south-eastern part of Asia. Standout works include Journey from the Fall (2006) by Ham Tran, Compound Eyes of Tropical (2022) by Zhang Xu Zhan, and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

The recurrent artist-film series Afterimage showcases Al Jaar Qabla Al Daar (The Neighbour Before the House) (2009–11) and From Gulf to Gulf to Gulf (2013) by the Mumbai-based artist collective CAMP, and Vagabond Truths: The Films of Priya Sen, featuring two works by the New Delhi-based filmmaker whose non-fiction works contain intimate observations of people dealing with states of flux. Makers & Making, another regular series focusing on the lives and practices of artists and makers, honours two of the most significant architects of our time with The Promise. Architect BV Doshi (2023) by Jan Schmidt-Garre, and Tadao Ando: From Emptiness to Infinity (2013) by Mathias Frick.