Outside of the Box 打破盒子

Since the attack of the pandemic, people from all around the world have all been quarantined in different ways. This long lasting isolation of individuals has a long lasting impact on everyone of us socially, culturally and psychologically. A sense of loneliness and helplessness has overwhelmed us and has changed our relationship with oneself and others. What does such unexpected change mean to oneself and to our relationship with the others? How can we break open such constraints if not physically at least psychologically during this difficult time?

In arts, ‘Outside the Box’ also means breaking the constraints that were imposed onto us. The most common term we use is ‘Outside the Cube’, which means breaking away from the white cube of a formal exhibition space. It could, however, extend to breaking open more areas, including breaking the boxes of aesthetic, intellectual limitations and emotional barriers.

Under the main title ‘Outside the Box’, five groups of students from the curatorship class investigate and compose five exhibitions, which include artists from Hong Kong, Mainland China and other parts of the world, to address the issue through their curatorial composition. At a time of difficulty, the ability to break away constraints is essential.

Oscar Ho

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「打破盒子」

自疫症爆發以來，各地人們紛以各種形式自我隔離，持久隔離對每個人無論是社會、文化以至心理上都有深遠影響。那份孤寂無助感的冲擊，令我們跟自己以至其他人的關係出現轉變。這突而其來的轉變究竟如何重塑這關係？我們又如可以在這困難時刻，打破重重種種的規限，包括實質空間和心理空間？

在藝術打破規限極為普遍，因為它寓意打破加諸我們的種種規範，最常見的是「走出白盒子」，指跳出傳統的雪白展覽廳。它更可以跳得更遠更濶，引申至拆開美學、思想以至情感上的規範。

在「打破盒子」的大題目下，中大文化管理碩士課程展覽策劃班的同學，因應此題目分成五組，各自探討這議題，透過本地、國內以至其他地方的藝術工作者，構思展覽從不同角度探討演繹這題目。無可否認，在困難時刻，打破障礙找尋新可能性，是生存的必要條件。

何慶基