Para Site is proud to present Orchestrations, a solo exhibition by Samson Young that looks at the modalities of “orchestra-making” in the various communities of Hong Kong. The exhibition consists of a selection of existing works and new commissions. It is the culmination of a year-long musicological research into the history of orchestras by Young in conversation with curator Qinyi Lim and musicologist Dr. Giorgio Biancorosso.

The exhibition draws from Young’s training as a composer, his understanding of the politics behind the Western musical notation system, and his view of orchestras as formed collectives. Through music making, orchestras are invested in both the formal act of performing music and the informal act of creating harmony. Interested in the slippages that can occur in the use of ‘orchestra’ as a word, Young’s presentation questions the structures that govern the way we experience music and the audiences it constructs. In addition, the accompanying publication elaborates on the possible methodologies that can be used to build these temporary communities.

The newly commissioned video, Orchestrations focuses on three segments that are loosely stitched together, consisting of interviews, rehearsal footages of Hong Kong community orchestras, and an enactment of a community building activity. In the accompanying publication, Young addresses his research on historical examples such as Cornelius Cardew’s Scratch Orchestra in 1969 where musical improvisation was seen as a form of political and social emancipation.

Orchestrations is curated by Qinyi Lim.

This exhibition is co-presented with Connecting Spaces Hong Kong – Zurich.

Orchestrations is part of Draft, a yearlong project anchored in nine interdisciplinary collaboratives—Beijing, Cairo, Cape Town, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Mumbai, St. Petersburg and Zurich—which collectively consider how contemporary art can produce, provoke and contribute to critical public debates. Draft is an initiative of Khanabadosh, Mumbai and Institute for Contemporary Art Research (IFCAR), Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). For more information visit: www.draftprojects.info

Para Site is financially supported by the Springboard Grant under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

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The content of this activity does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.