The Works：Le French May, Invader "Wipe Out", Yoshitomo Nara, Para Site & in the studio, pianist Ma

Le French May is bringing street art to town, even though the Hong Kong government doesn’t seem to like street art and graffiti unless it chooses and pays people to do it. In the aftermath of Occupy Central, a 14-year old girl was arrested and threatened with being sent to a children’s home for drawing a flower on a wall. The government has previously erased the works of French street artist Invader, which have sold for millions at auctions. Well, government be warned: Invader is back. And this time, the invasion can be spotted in many parts of the city.
In his early days, the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara also fell afoul of authorities for drawing graffiti. He was arrested in 2010 for drawing graffiti in a New York City subway station, the day before the opening of his solo exhibition in Chelsea. After that incident, he said, he decided to channel his spontaneity into sketchbooks, or on to paper and canvas. Nara who is known for his fiendish wide-eyed animals and children, was in Hong Kong a while ago to open a major exhibition of his work.
The non-profit art organisation Parasite has moved from Sheung Wan to a new home in Quarry Bay, and its inaugural exhibition there: “A Hundred Years of Shame – Songs of Resistance and Scenarios for Chinese Nations”, includes artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. The exhibition consists of both old and new works that show many faces of an intellectual spirit rebelling against the blandishments of nationalism.
We began with an artist participating in Le French May and we’ll end with a musician who will also be taking part. On 16th May, Mary Wu will be giving a concert that includes music by the French composer Ravel, and by three Catalan, Polish and Russian masters all of whom settled in France at various time in their lives: Mompou, Chopin, and Scriabin. Mary’s talking to right now with Ben Pelletier.