Artist Statement

​

Night Bird is formed by a series of four sound pieces, which are accomplished with four objects, and are placed in four different corners of the exhibition space. The audiences are blindfolded, they are asked to listen to the sounds before they touch and smell the objects. By the way, they are also invited to use their imagination to picture what they are confronting and listening. After this journey, they can use their normal eyes to see if their imaginations are similar or different to the reality.

​

The concept of this art piece came from a game called 'Pictionary'. One of the players has to try his/her effort to explain the answer, by the method of drawing until his/her partner finds out the right answer. This is an exciting game, as we can perceive different ways of interpretation and translation. I am fascinated by this game because this arises the notion of interpretation and representation, we interpret our surroundings through our understanding. This is an activity between understanding, perception and representation (different people must have different definitions, according to their own background, age, gender, experiences...)

​

These four sounds are selected from our daily life. I would like to arise the audiences' memories and imaginations through different senses: hearing, touching and smelling. These senses are all related and are affected by each other. For instance, when we hear the sounds of breaking glass, we imagine the scene of the break or together with the pain of the hurt of touching the broken glass, even if we are not touching or looking at it. This is an investigation of the discernment of our world and us. The audiences' characters are reflected by their interpretation, just like the game 'Pictionary'. We can use these interpretations to understand one's identity or even their ways of positioning themselves.

​

I imagine I am a night bird, flying in the night sky. I don't know the way out, facing the darkness with dim light and can only use my senses to identify my destination. Coincidentally, this is very similar to artwork making, I explore the language of art through questioning, arguing, debates and discussions with different mediums until I finish a piece of art. I even don't know if I am a night bird or a human being.

​

Wai Kit Lam

Hong Kong

1.2001

​

​

​