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Fortune Teller Is Not Here
神婆唔係度
Installation with Fortune Teller
460 (L) x 290 (W) x 200 (H) cm
2018, Hong Kong (HK)
In Residency Grant with Kaitak Gallery, AVA, HK Baptist University x Slade School of Fine Arts, UCL, London
Inspired by my studio based residency in Hong Kong during Lunar New Year, located in a historic military site famous for its war-time ghost stories.
Fortune Teller Is Not Here responds to Hong Kong's traditional cultural belief and reverence for the afterlife and supernaturals, which tools and objects are invented to expel bad spirits and poor fortune. By investigating within human's current time, we are also questioning the uncertain future shaping by a technologically advancing world, where meat could be lab-grown, organs could be bio-printed and robots may replace 80% of our current jobs. As such, all traditional god status in the work are 3D-printed and digitally stretched to best suit its arrangement in space. In a traditional world of distortion, what would be humans' future fortune to tell?
>> Welcome to my Shrine. Fancy a tour? Follow my text:
>> Here you have the waiting area before you're called in to seek your furtune.
>> Thieves beware, in order to get all your blessings (in red), you must not steal. Reference from the 'Hell Book'.
>> Here we Enter - with 3D Printed Lions to welcome you
>> Don't understand Chinese? No problem. The five Gods blessings are translated into English for you.
>> Entrance - Fortune Teller being the 3D printed Lion Booth
>> Don't be afriad of all the mess, do make yourself at home.
>> Here we have a mini Shrine of a 3D printed buddha in digital distortion...don't worry, it is still our buddha.
>> And you have more of our gods and servants here.
>> Say hi to our 3D drawn 'face-fortune' and the buddha mini shrine
>> If you wish to know your luck, first you have to study your face-shape. You are bond to these characters, unfortunately.
>> Here is a demo of a very Hong Kong Solution to store things (look at the bottle shelve). Go high, go higher!
>> Here you can see our digitally drawn and lazer-cut face fortune lightbox. I can draw your face too.
>> Let's introduce the Fortune Teller who is already waiting for you!
>> Our handsome Fortune Teller May May is well loved.
>> If you see this sign, then the Fortune Teller is not here.
>> If Fortune Teller is not here, you can help yourself at the self-help booth
>> Ok, so the fortune teller is absent, please help yourself.
>> Our self-help booth provides all answers you need in Chinese & English Poems
>> How can you pay?
>> It's believed that ghosts needs money down there to buy things and enjoy life, these are stacks of 3D printed hell money.
>> Please don't be afraid of our future.
>> Here turtles are known for its healing property so they are sadly hunt for its purposes. Thank you Turtles, sorry turtles.
>> If you are unsure what to do, you can flip this manual, the hell book
>> After you finished, you can exit here. Thank you for coming and wish you loads of luck!
To know more, here is the RESEARCH / ARTIST TALK (It includes our heros who've helped built the Shrine!)
