Overview
Diary 23 is a creative response by Hong Kong musician Olivier Cong to the exhibition “True Likeness: The Art and Collection of Jingguanlou”. Cong’s creation starts with the period when the collector-photographer Dr Leo Wong Kwai-kuen took a 10-year hiatus from photography and turned towards Chinese arts for aesthetic nourishment. Cong was inspired by the thoughts on Chinese philosophy and the relationship between man and nature in Dr Wong’s art. Through a series of music and moving images, Diary 23 engages in a dialogue with Dr Wong’s transitional and introspective artistic journey, reflecting on the status of artists during their “stagnation” period.
In order to enrich the audience’s audio-visual experience, Cong created ambient music for the exhibition, as well as audio tracks corresponding to the exhibits. He will also hold live music performances in the museum during the exhibition period. Additionally, three music videos will be released online in stages, as an extension of the poetic experience of the exhibition.
Olivier Cong is a co-founder of independent label Raven & The Sea Music Production and a music director with Freespace Ensemble. In 2018, Cong released his debut album, “A Ghost & His Paintings”, and made history as the first Hong Kong musician to be featured on Apple Music’s “New Artist Spotlight”. Cong works with various genres of music and sound art, and has composed music for film, dance and theatre. He had been commissioned by the Hong Kong Ballet and the Shanghai Grand Theatre to create music. Other artist and unit collaborators include Tian Zhuangzhuang, Ann Hui and O Theatre Workshop, etc.
Audio tracks in response to the exhibits
Music video
Programme