Working in the arts is a precarious journey that varies widely: resolve and diligence do not warrant payment; while incompetents land on prestigious jobs with established names in the industry. Despite the obvious, budding talents in Hong Kong seem undeterred from entering art schools as a path to be artists or art administrators. Is art a ‘labour of love' or a ‘game of chance'? Are the chances only reserved for the prepared ones? Why do people still submit to this impossible process of cobbling together an income that bears no resemblance to the actual value of their labour?

Leung Po-shan, Anthony sees this exhibition as both an action research and an experiment with resource distribution. The exhibition first opens the dialogues with Justin Wong, Wilson Shieh and Jaye Rhee's works. Four fine art fresh graduates were also invited to present their proposals for solo exhibitions at four identical booths. At the end of the first phase of the exhibition, they competed for the chance to execute their plan by playing Mahjong, and finally Livy Leung won the opportunity to hold her solo show in the second phase, constituting the whole process of art labour through this mini-art fair. To coincide with the exhibition, Oi! partners with orleanlaiproject and invited Vee Leong and four performers of Performosa Theatre to present their durational work, On A New Day, which explores the contemporary notion of fatigue in relation to labour.

Reconciling the dichotomies of work and play, praxis and theory, openness and self-reflection, ‘Show Art's Hand: An Investigation on Art Labour' will peel the intricate layers that comprise the structure of ‘art as labour' for interstices and openings to a possible emancipation.

Project Curator: Leung Po-shan, Anthony
Artists: Justin Wong, Wilson Shieh, Jaye Rhee, Lawrence Cheng, Joanne Law, Livy Leung, Chivas Leung
Date: Part 1: 12.10.2018 — 28.10.2018 Part 2: 3.11.2018  — 6.1.2019