Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung is a San Francisco based artist, originally born in Hong Kong. He says he uses and remixes images from popular culture, political figures and imagery found in cyberspace. The bulk of his socially conscious artworks are in the form of advertising. Im not sure about that, but will reserve judgement until Ive seen the breadth of his work.
His work explores the nature of digital communication while touching on issues such as identity, politics, sexuality and power. He works in video animation, gaming, net.art, digital graphics and mixed-media installations.
At this point in time we are wrapping up our projects, yet I am interested in these ideas and intend to pour through the absolute plethora of projects on his website and see what I can glean.
‘Careless twitter by potus’ is a 5 minutes long looping video and a ‘Vaporwave’ inspired Karaoke lounge. I think what that means is he has written new, funny lyrics based on the ‘misogynistic and xenophobic language tones of Donald Trump’ to George Michaels ‘Careless whisper’s’ and made a Karaoke vid out of it, highlighting the lyrics as they are supposed to be sung. The karaoke music video aims to address the polarised political landscape under US president Donald Trump. Brilliant. He has also credited the 70 or so source images as links.
I love the nod to the gay icon singer. COME ON….push the start button. You know you want to. You will be seduced by the stripped back karaoke elevator music, by the guitar hooks alone, the fluoro colours and jiggling imagery before Trump ever rears his ugly fa-che.
Im not sure how I feel about ‘shit wars’. Using misogynistic, racist and sexist internet memes and imagery found in social media to subvert the original derogatory meaning, the goal is to document how both left and right wing used populism to their advantage in the 2016 presidential election, and to expose Donald Trump as the most dangerous demagogue.
Dicks (as in, the anatomy) are always quite polarising. And ugly to boot. But Hung delivers comic relief in the form of a trio of bobbing klu-klux-clan members, totally out of time with the music, as white people do. In bottom left of frame. Then it goes downhill from there. Visually. No slur on the artist. You can’t unsee what’s already been seen, right? The relief is in the music choices and the movement. The little buckwheat/gollliwog character rolling his eyes in a sweet disco suit, tapping his foot in x4 (8/16) perfect time .
There is no pause button. I guess that’s the point.
‘The travelogue of Doctor Braindamage’ is a response to ‘increasingly pervasive and draconian online censorship in China’. It examines the role of ‘Kuso’ (a kind of east asian camp parody internet) culture and its impact on Chinese internet.
It explores the idea that the internet is both a tool for freedom and suppression and questions whether internet in China is an effective tool for social change using Chinese netizens meme languages and Western iconography.
Colourful and at least static. Not the epileptics nightmare of Hungs video’s, I don’t think it is as successful. I found this is where the works resembled advertising - like billboard or public transport, rather than the internet. I wasn’t clear what cigarette and alcohol ads had to do with the project. Yet these were my favourite. For the auspicious red and gold.
‘Make it rain’ deserves it’s own debrief. It is about loan schemes, monetary units and ideas I am way more familiar through my academic architecture work and I feel of more relevance to the way I want my art practice to go.
Ive had enough for one sitting and will probably need something way stronger than my sparkling wine and fish curry dinner next time. Did someone say opioids? No doubt, I will revisit Mr Hung again. Im sure.
At least next time I’ll have some inkling of the wild ride that awaits me.
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