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十年一個時代，總被視作觀察轉變的適當時間。
2007年，因為驚覺香港的舊街與殖民記憶陸陸續續被拆除的同時，官方鋪天蓋地的慶祝回歸十週年，於是嘗試梳理九七年的藝術史料，也用跨年代對話的框架出發，邀約十年前後的藝術家對話，探討主權移交後的社會、文化景觀變化；研究項目後來也演變成展覽，這是〈十年回歸前後話〉的由來。
如是，再十年過去。我們經歷也見證了這城市在更多的轉變，在紛擾之中，從容平行的對話更不是易事。如是，我們嘗試想像對話在當今時代的意義，想像藝術在這些變化中能發揮的角色。於是，由搜集議題到召集創作方案，由討論到創作及研究，我們嘗試建構一個比之前更開放的平台，以集思廣益的方式推展這項目。〈廿年回歸前後話〉同樣以對話為本，卻拉闊了對話的度向，在自說自話與圍爐取暖之外，希望至少在藝文社群裏更能凝聚多元思考和參與，就當下的問題、疑惑或困局，開拓前瞻的想像。
廿年回頭，「回歸」一詞也彷彿變了更多的言外之意。時間的距離讓我們警覺變化，親歷其中也讓我們明白路是怎樣走過來，如何走下去。要是由公開徵集和投票而產生的五大議題――藝術空間的持續發展、政治審查與創作自由、政治敏感時代的藝術、藝術勞動、「本土」――都是當下藝文實踐最迫切或有待解決的議題，就讓我們看看創作人如何從中引發交流、討論，然後透過創作呈現其中的靈感、省思和啟示。
慶幸〈廿年回歸前後話〉能有五個創作單位：句點藝術群體、曾德平、羅玉梅、嚴瑞芳、Zoie Yung與勞麗麗，一起參與研究及創作過程，並得到1a空間的積極支持及合辦是次展覽。5-9月間香港藝術研究組亦在亞洲藝術文獻庫擔任駐場研究組，以夏碧泉檔案項目為探究的出發點，豐富這計劃的歷史脈絡。最後也鳴謝香港藝術發展局資助這次展覽計劃。在此我們表達深切謝意。
〈廿年回歸前後話〉工作小組成員
丁穎茵、查映嵐、黃小燕、張蓉、張嘉莉、魂游
Ten years make a decade, which is often seen as an appropriate time frame that allows for observing changes.
In 2007, the Talkover/Handover project emerged from a urging need to preserve Hong Kong cultures as the Government was celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Handover and at the same time tearing down heritage architectures. The project started from a compilation of historical materials of Hong Kong art during the Handover time, and set up a framework for cross-generation dialogues among artists active in 1997 and 2007 on social and cultural changes in Hong Kong after the Handover. The research project evolved into an exhibition showcasing artists' response to these changes.
Another 10 years have gone. We have experienced and witnessed even more changes in this city. Dialogues seems even more uneasy especially in turmoil. From this, we intend to imagine the meaning of ‘dialogue’ here and now, and imagine what art can do in these changes. This time, we aim to build an even more open platform for crowdsourcing, from open call and polling for topics, to open call for exhibition ideas, from discussion to research in the process of art-making. Talkover/Handover 2.0 continues to generate dialogues, but on a wider basis this time. Instead of making echo chambers, we aim to engage more exchanges of diverse ideas and participation at least within the arts community, so as to open up our imagination about the possible ways out of the current problems, perplexities and predicaments.
For 20 years, the word ‘Handover’ itself has gone beyond its semantic meaning. Time offers us a distance to be alert to changes. Being part of the changes also allows us to understand how things have gone to here and where to go to next. Considering that the 5 topics dominated by the public in our open call and polling—Sustainable Development of Independent Art Space; Art Labour; Art in Politically Sensitive Era; Censorship, and ‘Localism’—are the most concerned and urging issues to be resolved, let's see how artists have obtained and presented their inspirations, reflections and insights into these topics through exchange and deliberation in their creative process.
We feel grateful to work with the 5 participating artists/art groups throughout the research and creative process: Floating Projects Collective; Tsang Tak Ping; Law Yuk Mui; Yim Sui Fong; Zoie Yung & Lo Lai Lai. We would also like to express our gratitude to 1a space for their support and co-presenting this exhibition. Acknowledgement to Asia Art Archive too where Hong Kong Art Research Initiative also serves as Researchers-in-Residence from this May to September and draw references from the Ha Bik Chuen Archive for discussions, workshops and our further research. Special thanks to Hong Kong Arts Development Council for funding the project too.
Vivian Ting, Evelyn Char, Phoebe Wong, Cheung Yung, Clara Cheung, wen yau
Talkover/Handover 2.0 Working Group Members
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