Reshaping ‘brain’ and ‘eye’ for creativity
By : Cathy Choi
Traditionally, exhibitions can be a one-way experience for viewers. They simply “look” at the item on show. In the new digital era, Mr Howard Cheng Chi-lai, a graduate from the School of Creative Media (SCM), and currently the creative director at a local design company, uses a more interactive approach to create a multi-sensory experience for visitors.
If you visited CityU’s “Giuseppe Castiglione – Lang Shining New Media Art Exhibition” last year, you would have sampled some of Howard’s work.
Reflections of the PeacockFor example, “Reflections of the Peacock” takes Castiglione’s painting of two peacocks and separates its iconographic elements into layers that are then individually printed onto a succession of large glass panes. This spatial and optical re-formulation of the painting illuminates the unique fusion of Western single-point perspective and Chinese painterly aesthetics that Castiglione achieved in his work.
Another interactive installation includes Castiglione’s portrait of four horses in two movable frames, where these portraits are almost life-size renderings.
“These interactive installations were designed to bring art to life in an exhibition and hence to spice up the communication by encouraging more interaction with viewers,” said Howard, who singled out Professor Jeffrey Shaw, Chair Professor of Media Art at SCM, for inspiring him.
Hairstyles and noodles
Howard nearly didn’t join CityU as he was offered a place by the University of London after he completed his secondary school education in the UK. Instead of taking up the offer, he decided to apply for CityU because he had heard about the programmes on offer at SCM.
“My schoolmates teased me because I had chosen to be a ‘Cityer’ rather than a ‘Londoner’, but I was never in any doubt that I made the right decision.”
His decision to opt for SCM was vindicated during the written test set for candidates hoping to enroll at CityU.
“During the CityU written entrance test, we were asked to describe what we saw and heard around us. It was quite funny when other candidates started to look around for something to write about. I was very hungry at that time so I described how the long hair of a female student sitting in front of me looked like a bowl of noodles,” he said.
The question convinced Howard that SCM would help him reach his full potential.
Critical mind, ways of seeing and skill
To Howard, a mind with rich creativity, a vision with wide horizons and hands with proficient skill are indispensable for the creative media and art industries. Yet it takes a tremendous amount of time and tenacity to nurture a creative mind and vision. “My years of experience owning a design firm, and supervising junior designers, have made me aware of the challenges associated with training. SCM’s core training emphasises the elements of mind and vision which have effectively facilitated students’ career development. I learned that by acquiring fundamental knowledge and through frequent exposure to a wide range of disciplines, they could equip themselves with great skill.”
Howard recalled that his first lesson at SCM was to spend three hours watching a film - a simple zoom-in shot, which normally lasts for few seconds. “I didn’t feel bored at all, but rather, I reflected deeply on each shot, and I gained a lot from this lesson.”
He also learned a lot of skills in the School which at first seemed tedious but now seem indispensable. “For instance, we needed to learn how to roll up electrical cables to avoid breakage. It seemed to be a very minor matter, but you got to think about how serious the consequence could be if the cables snapped during an exhibition!”
International exposure
Rebuilding the Tong-an Ships New Media Art ExhibitionHoward is passionate about exhibition design. He has coordinated the “Giuseppe Castiglione – Lang Shining New Media Art Exhibition” and the “Rebuilding the Tong-an Ships New Media Art Exhibition”, which was co-organised by CityU and the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Howard has exhibited in various festivals and museums internationally, including Cafa Art Museum in Beijing, Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei, Tate Modern Art Gallery in London, Arad Art Museum in Romania, the “New Vision Arts Festival” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and the “Move on Asia Exhibition” at the Barcelona Casa Asia.
Without the guidance of the faculty, the industry network that SCM has established and the opportunities to take part in exhibitions during his studies, none of his career highlights would have been possible, he said.