Luke Ching Chin Wai
Hong Kong conceptual artist & labour activist (born 1972)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Luke Ching Chin Wai (程展緯; born 1972) is a conceptual artist and labour activist from Hong Kong. His artistic practice twists the role of the artist and observer and has created works which, with a mix of humour, respond to the cultural and political collisions in Hong Kong.[1] He studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and graduated with an MA in Fine Art in 1998.[2] He has participated in exhibitions and residencies worldwide.[3]
Luke Ching Chin Wai | |
|---|---|
程展緯 | |
| Born | 1972 (age 53–54) |
| Education | BA Fine Art, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996; Master of Fine Art, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998 |
| Website | www |
Artistic practice
Ching's works range from photography, sculpture and video to social intervention, often made as a spontaneous response to his surroundings.[4] His artistic practices are based upon his belief in agency and responsibility of the artist for social purposes.[5]
Since 2007 in his ongoing project undercover worker, he has worked in different low paid jobs in Hong Kong to experience their working environments and make first-hand observations of working conditions.[6] He used his project to visualize problems hidden within Hong Kong and connect different situations and lead several campaigns to improve working conditions of low paid workers.[5] As part of his 'labour campaigns', he has successfully improved working conditions for low paid workers, such as providing chairs for security guards and cashiers; provided a new design for public rubbish bins to make cleaner’s job easier; and urged the city’s Labour Department to improve health & safety standards related to prolonged standing.[6] His work has launched collaborative activities to encourage employers make positive changes and raise awareness of worker’s welfare.[5]
He also uses pinhole photography, installations and video works to document of the rapid changes to Hong Kong and other cities.[7] In 2017 he turned a hotel room at the Titanic Hotel, Liverpool into a pinhole camera for the Look Liverpool International Photography Festival.[8]
His works Pokfulam Village: View (Positive) (1999), Screensaver (2014), 1823: Complex Pile (2014), and Pixel (2014) are collected by M+. [9]
