'Whole, Semi and Skimmed' in Brent's Respect Festival 2009

My project ‘Whole, Semi and Skimmed’ was selected and commissioned by the Brent Artists Resources to be shown at the Brent’s Respect Festival 2009 on 5 July. In responding to the green theme of the festival, the project was to create an awareness of environmental issues rather than offering solutions. It demonstrates one of the many sustainable possibilities for the discarded.

Overall view of the installation

My aim was to deliver a light-hearted idea - to provide a temporary ‘English countryside experience’ to Roundwood Park. From a wider perspective, the project subtly indicates that things are interconnected and how a chain reaction started by a milk bottle can affect our living environment.

Brent Artists resources was calling for submission

The project solely uses plastic milk bottles in various sizes, allowing the viewer to take a new look at how the mundane can be turned into something extra-ordinary, and the familiar can be transformed and appreciated as something new or ambiguous.

The project makes up of a total of 48 sheep uses approximately 960 bottles to construct the body, and 1,300 of the bottle handles to construct the legs. The bottles are mainly collected from Brent’s Reuse and Recycling Centre in Park Royal (at least once) in a weekly basis from 5th May 2009 onward, but also through contributions from friends and colleagues.

The plastic milk bottles were mainly collected from Brent's Reuse and Recycling Centre

I visited the centre at least once a week to dip into their bin to find the bottles

My friend Leslie helped me to transport the work to the site

At the site, hot melt glue was used to assemble the legs together

The festival crew gave a helping hand to transport the work in the park

Using bamboo sticks to stabilize the sheep

It took around 2 hours to install a total of 48 sheep

Some of the sheep were requested to be installed at the Green market

The views from the higher ground where people relaxing, taking picture and having a closer look

A couple of views from the lower ground by the flower bed

Some of the viewers choose to interact with the piece


My wife and some friends were helping me to de-install the work

Credit:

BAR (Brent Artists Resources): Lorenzo Belengeur.
Brent Council: Sophie Rigg, Vashti Waite, Radhika Silvapulle
Brent Reuse and Recycling Centre: Mr Brean and the team
Respect Festival 09: Crews and Security team

Soho Cafe (in Hendon Library): Monica
Hendon Library: Georgia, Maria, Ann Messere and others who contributed the bottles
Royal Free Hospital: to all staff who brought me the bottles
Friends & Relative: Leslie Ngu, Adam Tipple, Dong Won, Lai & Ti, Mui & Jack, and Estee & Kevin, and my Wife.

The Affluenza Exhibition, 19 - 28 March 2009

The Affluenza Exhibition publicity material


























Oliver James' book 'Affluenza'


In March 2009, I took part in an art exhibition called ‘The Affluenza Exhibition’; the name of the exhibition is taken from the book ‘Affluenza’ by Oliver James who uses the term to describe the ‘painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.’ The exhibition aims to illuminate the effects that current consumer values have on people’s emotional health and to create a platform for open debate.






















An artist impression of 'circumrotation' from my proposal to
The Affluenza Exhibition selection panel


‘The Affluenza Exhibition’ includes the work of 38 artists spanning a variety of artistic disciplines. Both established and young, up-and-coming artists present their works at the 10,000 square feet former meat packing factory, which accommodate everything from performance events to large-scale installation works. All the artists have been selected by a panel of art professionals: Jonathan Barnbrook (Barnbrook Design), Silvia Sgualdini (Lisson Gallery), Michael Zerwinski (Design Museum) and Hege Sæbjørnsen (Project Manager). I have two pieces of work being selected for the exhibition, there are ‘Circumrotation, 2009’ and ‘Labelling Tags Attached to a Clothe, 2003’.





















Installing Circumrotation





















Circumrotation, 2009

‘Circumrotation’ consists a constellation of shoes hanging overhead in a large circle to explore a sense of ‘trapped’ in human living conditions. The idea of a circle has a meaning of infinite in an Eastern context. In the West, it can be related to religious paintings in Byzantium and Middle Ages periods that depict spirituality. The piece is hung approximately six-and-a-half foots above the floor where it provides a rare moment for the viewer to observe the bottoms of the shoes. The worn areas under the shoes suggest the trace of footwork and a journey of our life that indicates time. On one hand, the piece embodies the life of many who live in endless pursuit of power, wealth, or possession. They suffer from imprisoning themselves in competitions, making comparison, and in fear of falling behind; unaware that they trapped in the circle of no beginning and no end, no sense of first and last. On the other hand, it may also be seen as portraying life revolves in causality, what goes round comes around. People and things are interconnected and co-arising as suggested in the teaching of ‘Oneness’ in Eastern philosophy.




















Labelling Tags Attached to a Clothe, 2003

‘Labelling Tags Attached to a Clothe’ put our external world, clothing, and labelling tag into interaction and married their long term relationship to explore a sense of ‘attachment’ that submerges within our inner world. The intention was to allow the physical appearance of the piece to bewilder or mislead the viewer with the paradox of real and unreal, it interacts with the exhibition space in an attempt to present the sculpture close to the everyday. The piece also makes connection to a reality of life where negative aspects of things and human being could be intentionally buried under a blanket of attractive appearance.





















Closed up view

I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Leslie Ngu for offering his kindness help to install the work. My thanks also goes to the Affluenza exhibition team, Chelsey, Hege and the rest of the members for their kindness support during the installation and the show. I would also like to say thank you to those who kindly offered their shoes for this project: Debbie (Cancer Research Charity Shop, Finchley), Sue and Linda (Oxfam Charity Shop, Burnt Oak), and Staffs from Cancer Research Mill Hill Broadway. Also, to my friends working in Royal Free Hospital PJ, Ebru, Germaine, Sandra, Shaim, Hanna, and Julia; Friends from London Metropolitan University Mika, Won, and Maurizio; colleague from Church End Library Chairmaine, Heather, Eileen; my friends William Chen, Hua Kuan, and Ruo Bing, my relative Estee and Kevin. Love and special thanks also go to my wife Yvonne Wong who suffered from illness and admitted to the hospital during the exhibition.





















Private view evening, 19 Mar 09


The Affluenza Exhibition
20 – 28 March 2009, 10am to 6pm

187-211, St. John Street Clerkenwell,
London EC1

Nearest tube: Angel (Approx. 12 minutes walk)

P.s. My involvement in The Affluenza Exhibition also reports in the Chinese Designers' Region blog. Please follow this link:

http://www.cdregion.com/blog/2009/03/chong-boon-pok-at-the-affluenza-exhibition/