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Published: 10:29, May 3, 2024

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By Gennady Oreshkin

This year’s French May — the annual festival of French art and culture in Hong Kong — features a number of French artists who have put down roots in the host city. Gennady Oreshkin reports.

French-born artist chaussette b. takes audiences on a guided tour of her Cheung Chau studio as part of her French May show, Anchor et encore. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

French May, the celebration of French art and culture in Hong Kong, has figured on the city’s cultural calendar since 1993. While cultural exchange between France and Hong Kong is at the heart of the festival, what makes this year’s edition special is the presence of French artists who have settled in Hong Kong.

“This year’s program stands out for its innovative collaborations with artists, and interactive experiences designed to engage the local community,” says French May’s executive director, Xavier Mahe. “Showcasing works by French artists based in Hong Kong is a unique opportunity to bridge cultural boundaries, foster artistic exchanges, and highlight the diverse perspectives that enrich Hong Kong’s vibrant artistic landscape. These artists bring a blend of influences and experiences that contribute to the rich tapestry of the Hong Kong art scene.”

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Love island

An example of such cultural confluence is Anchor et encore, an exhibition that is more on the lines of an experience, with artist chaussette b. leading viewers through her studio in Cheung Chau. “The aesthetic of this exhibition refers to the maritime history of Hong Kong as well as the wooded pathways of Cheung Chau,” says the artist.

Having lived on the island for 12 years, chaussette b. is convinced that the sights and sounds of Cheung Chau have seeped into her creative DNA. “The sand of the beautiful beach near my studio, the bamboo baskets with shrimps and small fish drying in the sun, the shuffling of flip-flops on the beach and the silhouette of Lantau’s hills viewed from Cheung Chau” have shaped her artistic sensibility. Often objects found lying around on her neighborhood beach — scraps of fabric, discarded flowers, cables, and even receipts — end up in her artworks.

Anchor et encore is also an emotional and intimate study of memory and its loss. Be it ink paintings or giant textile sculptures, the artist says her aim is “to share the results of my investigation into episodic memory”. “Why do we remember some life events and forget others? How do our past moments shape who we are? During the hourlong guided tour, I would like to take viewers on an intimate journey through my studio, intertwining the paths of poetry, philosophy, science and art.”

Chaussette b. was into nude photography before switching to mixed media works. She believes leaving Paris for Hong Kong has helped her come into her own as an artist. “Not that Paris is not beautiful and magical but being anonymous in Hong Kong allowed me to dive deep into my inner world.” The artist adds that in Hong Kong, she feels free to exhibit works that she would be too self-conscious to show in France.

In Cyril Delettre’s (right) exhibition, I Am, portraits of young people posing for photos in Hong Kong’s hot spots take on an uncanny look. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Natural habitat

Hong Kong-based French artist Sylvain Holtermann is showing a collection of his photographic works in a group exhibition titled Hong Kong Resonance: A Trio of Artistic Expressions. The artist’s fascination with Asia prompted his move to Hong Kong in 1995. The change of scene also coincided with a shift in Holtermann’s artistic approach.

“It was a very difficult time for me, and it took me years to reestablish a photographic practice I felt comfortable with. I switched from black-and-white to color photography, from film to digital, and, overall, I guess my work gained in maturity,” Holtermann says. While the exact role played by Hong Kong in shaping the new aesthetic, he went on to embrace would be hard to define, but the artist “cannot imagine what my work would be today if I were living somewhere else”.

French May director Xavier Mahe says showcasing Hong Kong-based French artists is a way of bridging cultural boundaries. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

For Hong Kong Resonance, which is expected to “reflect the city’s vibrant soul”, Holtermann decided to “focus on the natural elements in our urban landscape”.

“Hong Kong is usually portrayed as a busy and noisy city, but I wanted to show its quiet side and offer visitors a calming experience. In these photographs, human presence is either invisible or reduced to a trace, and we are left with a swimming platform, a concrete path or a watch tower,” says the artist.

“After nearly 30 years living here, I am still moved by the city’s iconic skyline, and vibrant street life,” he says. “However, the ‘exotic varnish’ that fascinates travelers has faded a bit. And that’s a good thing because it lets me cast a different eye on things.” Holtermann says that lately, it’s the great contrast between Hong Kong’s high-density urban spaces and its natural surroundings that fuels his creative outpourings.

The photos of Sylvain Holtermann — one of the three artists featured in Hong Kong Resonance: A Trio of Artistic Expressions — capture the city’s soothing natural vistas, without any human presence. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Photo call

Cyril Delettre, whose move to Hong Kong 10 years ago was prompted by the city’s robustly developing art scene, is presenting a solo photography exhibition called I Am. He describes the show as “a portrait of a generation” with “no message”. However, when viewed together, the black-and-white photographs of young men and women do tell a story.

Delettre got the idea for his show from watching young people getting photographed against some of Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable backdrops. What fascinated him about those photography sessions was that the subjects of those photos were often in complete control of the shoots.

As Delettre’s artist statement reads: “Here the model directs the photo shoot. They have a very precise idea of the results they want. The photographer is purely there to press the shutter button. The model has full control of the images. After a few poses, the model checks the results, and gives instructions to the photographer, and the process starts again. It’s an immutable ballet.”

Though Delettre’s photos look as if they were shot in a studio, they were, in fact, taken in Peel Street. The artist would wait for people to finish getting photographed before approaching them to pose for him. “I use a ring light and a black background,” he explains. “The resulting images look as if they were taken in a studio. The session is very quick, around 10 photos shot in a minute or two.”

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The presence of chaussette b., Holtermann and Delettre — among other artists with French roots who have since come to call Hong Kong their home — in the ongoing edition of French May proves that Hong Kong’s attraction as a creative hub is far from diminished. That these artists have found a congenial environment where they can make a living from their creative pursuits speaks volumes for the inclusive nature of the city’s arts community and the solid foundation it stands on.