Guided Viewing: "Anselm Keifer: Golden Age" with Arthur de Villepin at Villepin Gallery and "Craft Dialogue" with Susanna Pang at SOIL
The HKU Museum Society is delighted to present a guided viewing of Anselm Kiefer: Golden Age with Arthur de Villepin, Chairman and Co-founder of Villepin Gallery and Craft Dialogue with Susanna Pang, Founder of SOIL.
Anselm Kiefer: Golden Age
Through the long-standing personal relationship between the founders of Villepin and Anselm Kiefer, the exhibition has been collaboratively curated and offers a selective view of the practice of one of the most important artists of his generation. Anselm Kiefer: Golden Age will feature paintings and a sculpture created between 2020 and 2022.
The exhibition takes its cue from Greek and historical myths, which often allude to the peak of human civilization, denoting a period of primordial prosperity and peace. Kiefer has previously referenced German philosopher and cultural critic Ernst Bloch, who renews the core idea of, and interest in, utopia. In his book The Principle of Hope, Bloch explores the idea of the Golden Age as a utopian ideal, defining the concept of utopia as a philosophy that envisions a better future for humanity. Bloch argues that hope and striving for a better world are fundamental to human existence, and that this impulse is what drives people to create art, music, and literature.
Installed across three floors in the gallery, Kiefer’s works allude to the utopian ideal, capturing the transformative nature and alchemical process of their creation.
Speaker
Arthur de Villepin is the chairman and co-founder of Villepin, as well as an entrepreneur and avid collector of art. The son of former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Arthur grew up surrounded by artists. His mother is the celebrated sculptor Marie-Laure Viebel de Villepin and his sister, Marie de Villepin, has established a successful career as a painter. Throughout his childhood and extensive travels, Arthur was introduced to many leading artists, including Zao Wou-Ki, Anselm Kiefer, Myonghi Kang, Pierre Soulages and Miquel Barceló, all of whom trained him to see art through the eyes of artists rather than the market.
He is currently on the Executive Committee of The Friends of Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Creative Industries committee for Art & Culture of the French Chamber of Commerce, and is also an Art Ambassador of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Craft Dialogue
Celebrating the diversity of contemporary crafts, Crafts Dialogue aims to explore how cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary approaches can inform long-standing values associated with craft practice and innovation. The finest assemblage of contemporary crafts features works from different parts of Asia, including lacquer, ceramics, metal, and mixed media.
About SOIL
Founded in 2012, SOIL aims to promote crafts through the inspiring history, culture and humanity behind them. Since 2018, SOIL has started a dedicated gallery to present the art of lacquer from Asia. It is probably the first gallery which brings together lacquer masters and artists of diverse cultures, blending the traditional with the contemporary to showcase variety in the discipline.
Photo Credit:
Left: Anselm Kiefer, Im Frühtau zu Berge, 2021-2022. Emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, gold leaf, straw, steel and charcoal on canvas, 190 x 280 cm
Courtesy of Villepin
Right: Courtesy of SOIL