This artist talk invites Professor Pang Laikwan and 7 artists from ‘Irregular Plurals’ to engage in a conversation. The works from these artists collectively showcase the plurality of species, the diverse perspectives on observing the city, and the multi-layered nature of communication. How do these intersected connections inspire us to learn the lesson of cohabitation?

The final opus of the ‘Irregular Plural’ series bears the title ‘Commune’. WMA has commissioned artists Yim Sui Fong and Lo Wan Ki to create multimedia installations The Third Person and Internal Sonata to the artists’ interpretation of communal dwelling. In a community characterised by diverse values and rhythms, how might we pursue and foster a site of cohabitation, with equity and autonomy?

Spotlighting design thinking, materiality, printing and reading experiences, ‘Book Lab’ intends to stretch established sequencing-driven models for generating books, to the process of conceptualisation and format design. In a series of seminars and book making workshops, local and international designers, publishers, and book makers will demonstrate how books transform from paper that carries knowledge to a collection of artists’ thoughts and actions. It could be a contemporary creative medium for looking at, touching, and even experiencing. Stay tuned!

The ‘Irregular Plurals’ exhibition series progresses from ‘Habitat’ to ‘Dwelling’, as we shift our focus from the residing creatures, to the spaces they call home. Through various modes of perception and exploring the intricacies of everyday life, we delve deep into the details and stories that bind humanity to their places of residence.

To expand upon the narrative of ‘cohabitation’ coined by Hannah Arendt, we must first contemplate: who exactly are we referring to as a ‘collective’? The inaugural exhibition of the ‘Irregular Plurals’ series, ‘Habitat’, seeks to emancipate viewers from the conventional anthropocentric perspective by Lo Lai Lai Natalie and Yuen Nga Chi’s work. It invites them to explore the subjectivity not only of humans but also of the cohabiting animals, plants, microorganisms, and even the inherent essence of sunlight and air. 

Taking place between August and December, Irregular Plurals is the first exhibition series under the WMA biennial theme “Home”. We invite three pairs of image-makers to bring forth their works and art practices for dialogues surrounding the nature, cityscapes and communities in Hong Kong, seeking the various possibilities for connection and cohabitation.