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Leading Japanese artist paints city's creative future in good light
Vivienne Chow

South China Morning Post CITY1

Hong Kong's art scene may be driven by the almighty dollar but money allows creativity to thrive, says one of Japan's leading contemporary artists. Art "needs a rich ground, like Paris, London and New York", Takashi Murakami told the crowd gathered for the opening of a new exhibition at the Museum of Art yesterday. Along with works in Murakami's signature "superflat" style, including his Eye Love Superflat Black, the collection features more than 20 artists, including Gilbert & George, Richard Prince and architect Frank Gehry, along with several local artists. Murakami, the sole visual artist to make Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people last year, said he had been surprised by the city's rise in the art world, pointing to the recent ART HK 09 fair and the string of recent headline-grabbing auctions. "There have always been big surprises at art auctions in Hong Kong," Murakami said. The artist is famous for his superflat style, which draws inspiration from Japanese anime and manga styles and attempts to break down the distinction between "high" and "low" art. He said he had no problem with the crossover of art into commerce. Now was a good time for artists to create better works as the financial slowdown had popped the contemporary art work bubble. "Now we can be honest with making art."

The exhibition, Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation, is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creativity. One section of the exhibition, Guests of the Foundation: The Hong Kong Seven, showcases artworks by seven young Hong Kong artists, chosen by Beijing-based curator Philip Tinari. The exhibition not only served as an important opportunity for the local artists but would also promote Hong Kong, Mr Tinari said. The exhibition also features the foundation's collection, the first time it has been shown outside France. Important pieces included Richard Prince's The Blue Cowboys developed from photographs of the Marlboro advertising campaign and Jeff Koons' intellectual pop art piece Monkey Train (Birds). Gilbert & George, who posed standing in front of their eye-catching Class war, militant, gateway, their first piece on a monumental scale focusing on humanity and existence, said they were eager to sample Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong. Also showing was a model of the foundation's building to be built in Paris designed by Gehry, who will be appearing at a public lecture today.

The exhibition will run until August 9. Admission is HK$30.

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Louis Vuitton wraps up art museum
The Standard P02 Central Station

In case you were wondering, the Hong Kong Museum of Art has not disappeared. It is still on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade but is shielded by a huge "After Dark" artwork by American artist Richard Prince.
Prince and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami - who created the "Monogram Multicolore" - are among artists commissioned by Louis Vuitton to stage "A Passion for Creation" exhibition, which will run from today until August 9.

And in a move sure to please fans of the French luxury brand, LV's antique trunks and suitcases will be showcased along with artworks.

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LV opens eye-catching exhibition
Colleen Lee
China Daily Hong Kong Edition H01 Hong Kong/Taiwan

HONG KONG:
When Louis Vuitton’s classic monogram is mixed and merged with contemporary art, viewers may be amazed to see the varieties and permutations that can emerge.

Over 100 art pieces showcasing the creativity and inspiration of the luxury brand will be exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time from today.

Yves Carcelle, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, said: “It is our common will to bring a wider public to have access to creation.” He said it was a move to showcase contemporary art to Hong Kong and was not intended merely for commercial promotion.

Commenting on the global financial turmoil and its effect on business, he said: “We never change our prices because of short-term problems.” Carcelle said the company was still expanding despite the economic downturn.

In the “Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation” exhibition, spectators can see the brand’s heritage and collaborative products emerging from the collaboration of the company’s artistic director, Marc Jacobs, and contemporary artists Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince.

Japanese artist Murakami started to collaborate with Jacob in 2003, impressing consumers by replacing LV’s traditional brown and beige canvas with eye-popping colors.

After officiating at the opening ceremony for the exhibition, Murakami revealed that the passion he puts into his art rises from anger.

He also said he was inspired by the dedication of the staff at LV. “The Louis Vuitton company’s creative people need no sleep. This is good,” he said, laughing.

The exhibition also features a collection of avant-garde art created by artists around the world. The pieces will be shown at the Fondation Louis Vuitton pour la Creation, a museum to open in Paris in 2012.

Works include Andreas Gursky’s panoramic photos capturing dramatic moments in a Formula One pit and Christian Marclay’s exciting exhibition with video footage showing gunmen who appear to be firing their weapons at spectators standing in a darkened room.

The exhibition also includes works of seven young aspiring artists from Hong Kong, including Lee Kit and Leung Chi-wo.Tang Hoi-chiu, chief curator of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, where the exhibits are being shown, said: “This partnership between the public and private sectors to organize a large-scale art exhibition provides more opportunities for people in Hong Kong to appreciate contemporary art and avant-garde art.”

The exhibition, part of Le French May program, will run at the museum until August 9. Tickets are sold at HK$30 each.