「月亮以每年約3.78厘米的速度離我們而去，如同指甲生長的步伐。」
自古以來，人類對奇妙的大自然或是未知的宇宙有著敬畏、好奇和感恩之情，尤其是對月亮存在著許多的幻想。有些人會想像一些故事，有些人會利用一些工具去研究它、試圖尋找它真正的面貌；也有些人是介乎兩者之間，一邊研究月球、一邊想像它的故事。相同的是，他們對月球都有一份迷戀，就像香港藝術家許方華（Phoebe Hui）一樣。
「月球在人們心中佔有獨特地位。遙遠而不適宜居住，月球是一個虛幻之地，鼓勵人們前往探索，並讓分隔兩地的親人及朋友感覺更加接近。從我有記憶以來，這個蘊藏未知的可能性的星球一直令我嚮往。」許方華是一位創意媒體的藝術家，作品具實驗性，經常探索人類、環境和大自然的微妙關係。她最新的大型裝置《月逝無聲》引領觀眾放棄熟悉的日常，從另一個視角觀察世界，思考「我們認為的事實」與「親眼未能看見的世界」之間的差異。
《月逝無聲》由兩件作品Selena與Selenite組成，Selena是許方華製造的繪畫機械人，透過資料的輸入，能描畫出細膩的月球畫像；Selenite則是擁有以拋物線形狀排列的48條機械手臂，每條手臂上都有一面屏幕，投放不同的月球影像。她把古老的天文觀測圖和NASA最新公開的數據等，透過先進的科學技術重建月球，讓觀眾思考與月球既遠且近的關係。「我希望把大館的空間改造成城市裡的心靈淨土，讓觀眾去探索、思考、建立或重建自己和宇宙的關係。」展覽在充滿歷史痕跡的大館裡舉行，其中一間紅色磚牆的房間裡放滿了關於月球的研究資料、Selena繪畫機械人和一些零件等，還有一張Selena「畫錯了」的月球表面繪畫。原來被設計得如此精確的繪畫機械人也會有情緒和「出錯」的時候，這也是展覽有趣的部分。
隨著科技的進步，月球將會離我們越遠還是越近？月亮會離地球而去嗎？科學家說這可能需要數十億年的時間，甚至乎可能根本不會發生。言而，人類對月球的探索將會是永不止息的，就由我們抬頭看到它在發光的那一刻開始。
O：Obscura
P：Phoebe Hui
O：可以分享作品《月逝無聲》的概念嗎？
P: 月亮在人們心裡是一種特別的存在，是對未來的象徵，以及是一個鼓勵探索和打開各種可能性、充滿想像的地方。作品的想法是由我到瑞士布拉蘇斯的愛彼開始的。在逗留期間，我受邀到位於雪山裡小斜坡上的一間家庭式經營的餐廳裡晚飯。我們在雪山裡走了一趟短路，在月光照斜下的夜晚，雪地上散步的經驗是獨特又充滿啟發性，尤其是對於一個出生和成長都在香港的藝術家而言。就在那時開始，我開始研究月球和踏上探索之旅，最後完成了這作品。
O：你想透過這作品去表達什麼？
P：我的作品大多是關於建立或重建我們與宇宙的關係。我想透過《月逝無聲》來鼓勵觀眾擺脫對身邊的事物、我們最接近的環境和每天面對的挑戰的有限理解，以及去對我們的存在和廣闊的宇宙奇觀作出提問。
O：可以分享多一些創作這作品的過程嗎？有沒有遇上困難的時候？
P：作為一個以研究為基礎的藝術家，研究是創作的過程裡最大的部份。我花了很多時間閱讀關於月球的歷史資料，包括由天文學家Johannes Hevelius於1647年寫的《 Selenographia, sive Lunae descriptio》，是第一本記載詳細的月球地圖的書；還有一些如NASA最新發表的數據等現代的文章。愛彼當代藝術創作項目團隊更幫忙介紹了一些科學家、工程師和一位前天文學家來幫助我的研究和交流想法。
新冠肺炎的出現大概是過程中最困難的一部份，好像世界上大部分的人們，我面對著許多不可預料的困難。我很高興我能面對這些困難，而且為自己取得的成就以及一直支持我的團隊感到很驕傲。我的研究過程是最需要去適應的領域，可是，我們生活在一個科技如此先進的世界裡，數碼化存在著很多可能性。與科學家、策展人和製作團隊的會面都要在網上進行，開始時感到有點奇怪，但我們很快地習慣和擁抱這種新日常。即使遇到這些挑戰，我們仍能創作出一些真正偉大的作品。
O：你怎樣看人與大自然的關係？
P：基本上，我的工作就是探討與自然的關係——我們對大自然是如此的著迷，而這作品提出人們該以什麼方式去看待和詮釋它，尤其是月球。我認為大眾大多會被月球的神秘的吸引力所牽引，這是美麗的、遙遠的，卻又是親密的，我們能在月球裡找到許多懷舊之情。這是我個人長久以來一直熱愛月球和決定專注這項目的原因之一。
O：我們能夠怎樣透過當代藝術去了解大自然或宇宙？
P：藝術家和科學家都在他們的工作中使用視覺媒介，而科學家更會使用望遠鏡等各種工具來觀察一些超越人類有限視野的景象。這些技術性的設備經常帶來科學性的或是美學上的價值而創新影像。在製作影像時，科學家需要思考包含哪些資訊，又有什麼需要忽略掉。在某程度上，他們就像藝術家一般，需要了解視覺元素的重要性。當代藝術帶來了全新的視角，《月逝無聲》帶著許多不同的層次，以及可以不同的方式來詮譯。我很期待聽到公眾怎樣去體驗這作品，以及作品如何以不同方式去觸及他們。
“The Moon is leaving us at a rate of 3.78 centimeters per year — the same speed as our fingernails grow.”
Since ancient times, human beings have always been in awe of nature or the mystical universe, with a mix of curiosity and gratitude towards their spectacular and wondrous formation. However in particular, the moon has given us plenty of room for our never-ending fantasies. Some of us create stories about it with our imagination, some of us study about it with various machines, trying to find out what is hiding behind its beauty, and some of us are somewhat in between, studying about it, yet at the same time creating dreamy stories of it. One thing for sure is that, all these people are captivated by the charm and delicacy of the moon, just like Hong Kong artist Phoebe Hui.
“There is a special place in people’s hearts for the Moon. Uninhabitable and remote, it is an imaginary place that encourages exploration and can metaphorically bring closer families and friends who are apart. This symbol of the future and of open possibilities has drawn me in since I can remember.” Phoebe Hui is a creative media artist, her works are experimental and would often explore the subtle relationship between humans, the environment and nature. Her latest large scale installation “The Moon Is Leaving Us” guides her audience first to drop their mundane familiarity about their daily life, then to observe the world from a new perspective, eventually to inspire them to think about the differences between “Things we generally perceive as the truth” and “Things that exist but we can’t see them with our own eyes.”
“The Moon Is Leaving Us” is composed of two pieces of major work namely Selena and Selenite. Selena is a painting robot created by Phoebe Hui, it is designed to be able to draw a delicate portrait of the moon through data input. Selenite is a robot that consists of 48 arms arranged in a parabolic shape, on each arm there is a screen installed to project different images of the moon. Together with some ancient astronomical observation maps and NASA’s latest public data, she reconstructed the moon through advanced science and technology, so as to stimulate her audience to think about our transcendently far but close relationship with the moon. “I have aspired to transform the space in Tai Kwun into an urban sanctuary for audiences to explore, reflect, build, or re-build their relationships with our universe.”
The exhibition is held in Tai Kwun, an establishment that is full of historical traces. In a room assembled by red brick walls, it is filled up with research materials about the moon, Selena the painting robot and some of its parts. There is also an interesting part of the exhibition, you will see a “wrongly painted” drawing of the moon surface done by Selena, it is intended to bring out the idea that a painting robot, which is designed with such precision and delicacy will also have emotions and “errors”.
Coming with the advancement of technology, will the moon be farther away from or closer to us? Is it going to leave the earth to somewhere else? Well, scientists say this may take billions of years, or it might not even happen at all. Nonetheless, our exploration of the moon will never stop, since the moment we look up to the sky and are fascinated by its dewy gleams.
O：Obscura
P：Phoebe Hui
O: Can you share the ideas of The Moon is Leaving us with us?
P: The Moon has a special place in people’s hearts, a symbol of the future and an imaginary place that encourages exploration and suggests open possibilities. The idea started when I visited Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus. During my stay, I was invited for dinner at a family-run restaurant located by the snowy mountain’s gentle slopes. We took a short walk in the mountains and the experience of walking on snow at night illuminated by the moonlight was unique and awe inspiring– especially for an artist who was born and lives in Hong Kong. It is then that I started researching the Moon and embarked on a journey of discovery, which has culminated in this project.
O: What do you want to explain through this work?
P: My work more generally is about building, or rebuilding, our relationship with the universe. For The Moon is Leaving Us, I wanted to encourage viewers to step away from our limited understanding of what’s around us, our immediate surroundings and the daily challenges that face us, to question our existence and the wider wonders of the universe.
O: Can you talk more about the working process of this work? What is the difficult part?
P: As a research based artist, research was a large part of my process for the project. I spent a lot of time reading historic references to the Moon, including the first book to include a detailed map of the Moon, the 1647 edition of Selenographia, sive Lunae descriptio by astronomer Johannes Hevelius, as well as modern writings including the latest data published by NASA. The Audemars Piguet Contemporary team also facilitated introductions to scientists, engineers and a former astronaut to help with my research and to exchange ideas.
Covid-19 was probably the most difficult part of the process and like many people around the world, I faced unforeseen difficulties. I was happy to face my challenges though and I am very proud of what I achieved, along with the team supporting me. My research process was the area that had to be adapted the most, however, we live in a world where technology is so advanced that a lot is possible digitally. Meetings with scientists, curators and production teams had to take place online, which was strange at first, but we quickly got used to the new normal and embraced it. We have been able to produce some truly great things, regardless of these challenges.
O: What do you think about the relationship between human and nature?
P: Fundamentally, my work is about our relationship with nature – we are so fixated on it, and this piece raises questions about the ways in which humanity sees and interprets it, specifically the Moon. I think people in general feel a mysterious attraction towards it. It is beautiful, and distanced, yet intimate and we find a lot of nostalgia in it. This is one of the reasons that I personally have long been attached to the Moon and decided to focus on it for this project.
O: How can we understand the moon or galaxy through contemporary art?
P: Both artists and scientists use visual media in their work. Scientists use various tools like the telescope to observe phenomena beyond our limited human point of view. These technological devices often generate innovative images that have both scientific and aesthetic value. In producing images, scientists need to think about what information to include and what to leave out. In a way, they are like artists who have to understand the importance of visual literacy. Contemporary art brings new perspectives to the table. The Moon is Leaving Us has many different layers and can be interpreted in many different ways. I am looking forward to hearing how the public experiences the work and how it touches them differently.
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Due to COVID-19, visits to the exhibition are possible remotely only. Please click here to book a vistual guided tour of the exhibition.
