War on Culture -"THE GREAT WAR ( Shoreditch )", UK , 2023 ( experimental documentary ), 2024 скачать в хорошем качестве

War on Culture -"THE GREAT WAR ( Shoreditch )", UK , 2023 ( experimental documentary ), 2024

Public sculpture " The Great War, UK , 2023" by War On Culture It began as a simple act of artistic defiance. War on Culture (WoC) has taken Hong Kong's street art scene to unprecedented levels. The roots of what is now known as "The Great War" can be traced back to June 2022 with a single piece of concrete—an electric socket molded from the frustrations of a creative mind yearning for expression in a city bustling with unfulfilled promises for artists. This movement was born out of the founder's irritation with the " 有得睇，無得用 " (“something to look at, but not to use”) phenomenon prevalent within the funding landscape for creatives in Hong Kong. Instead of succumbing to the status quo, the founder decided it was high time to take matters into his own hands, quite literally. Single installations of concrete sockets began appearing around the city, whispering of a rebellion against the unseen barriers of the art world. In August 2023, the vibrant cultural tapestry of Brick Lane became the canvas for a profound statement in street art. Yi Que, a Chinese student from the Royal College of Art, along with his team, ignited a controversy that would resonate deeply within the art world and beyond. Their creation: a series of bold red Chinese characters sprawled across a well-known graffiti wall, intended as a stark reminder of the suppression of thought and speech in China.The artwork was met with a spectrum of reactions, from severe criticism to outright death threats, highlighting an uncomfortable paradox. The space meant for free artistic expression was momentarily transformed into a battleground for censorship and control. The founder of WoC acted swiftly, arriving in Brick Lane to survey the site and begin preparations. Meanwhile, the collective's operations team in Hong Kong sprang into action, coordinating logistics from afar. They faced the formidable task of setting up a production line, sourcing materials, and recruiting local manpower—all in unfamiliar territory. Other WoC collective members soon followed and flew in from different corners of the world to London. As the WoC collective embarked on constructing the Great War in Brick Lane, they experienced a brief honeymoon of support from the community. Passersby were drawn into the project, contributing to the construction and embodying the spirit of inclusivity that street art embodies. Yet, this harmonious atmosphere was disrupted by other street artist, who saw his own work being covered by the new installation. The subsequent vandalism of the Great War and the threats received by WoC marked a low point in the endeavor. The destructive act against their work was a harsh reminder of the contentious nature of street art, but WoC refused to be deterred. They gathered their resolve and began the process of reconstruction, aided by Clare Spencer, the director of Fashion And Textiles Education (FATE), and her eager students from Central Saint Martins. This alliance between artists and fashion enthusiasts symbolized a powerful unity of purpose. Their efforts culminated in a marathon of construction, stretching long into the midnight hours, with a collectively hardened sense of determination to see the wall rise again. On the 8th of September, 2023, the Great War in Brick Lane stood completed—a monument to resilience, a testament to the collective's dedication to their craft and message. Reflecting on the events, a local artist who witnessed and participated in the wall's completion drew parallels between WoC's work and the surrealist pioneers of the 1920s and 30s. This connection highlighted the enduring nature of art as a means of challenging and engaging with society. “This kind of art has been happening for almost a hundred years. In the 1920s, you start to get these, the first beginnings, of these things. And by the 1930s you get the films of Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dali, and Man Ray. And they start to make films where they have small incidents, where something interacts with the perception. So these guys now, they are like the children of this type of work. A hundred years on, and they are making this stuff in London, and there’s only one thing we could do about it, and that is, we have to fuck with them as well. We have to do it too, otherwise we are gonna just be the subject.” -the local artist explained to the Central Saint Martins students when they visited the collective’s production studio with Clare Spencer. The Great War in Brick Lane emerged not just as a structure of concrete, but as a beacon of cultural discourse and a reminder of the enduring struggle for artistic liberty in the face of adversity. It stands as a testament to the power of street art to communicate, to challenge, and to unite communities in dialogue and expression. Documented by Reo Ma, Joe Chia and Teebai Edited by Cardin Phua Text by Tommy Cheung Project - "THE GREAT WAR ( Shoreditch )", UK , 2023 funded by Eric Tsoi Special thanks to whoever made this happened.