Recordings of SCM Anniversary Alumni Talks

The SCM Anniversary Alumni Talks were successfully held on 14-15 April 2023. Five outstanding alumni speakers shared their artistic and entrepreneurial practices with our SCM community in answer to the question: What does Creative Media mean to you?

Watch the video to find out more about their career journeys and how Creative Media guides them in cultivating their expertise in their selected domains.

 Talk #5

Kenny Wong - Engineering through Curiosity

Kinetic Artist, Multimedia Designer and Technologist

Engineering plays a significant role in bringing ideas from virtual to real installations in Kenny’s art tech practice. Mechanics, electronics, and aesthetics, all come together through the curiosity and drive to discover a new artistic language. In this talk, Kenny explores how, through different projects, these different fields are articulated to create artistic works that are both meaningful and expressive.

 Talk #4

Ashley Lee Wong: Creative Media as An Open-Ended Practice

PhD Graduate; Curator; Co-Founder and Artistic Director of MetaObjects

Ashley shares her 20 years of exciting trajectory addressing the question, what is “creative media”? Her open attitude and international experience have given rise to vibrant answers via her evolving roles – artist, events’ organiser, all-rounded role working in a start-up company collecting artworks digitally in the UK, co-founder of MetaObjects collaborating with artists on art-technology, PhD student and later teacher in university.

Talk #3

Lau Hochi: Moving Backward into the Future

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Media Graduate; Interdisciplinary Artist; Research and Entrepreneur

In this talk, Lau Hochi shares how he took a detour during and after his study at the School of Creative Media. Lau initially wanted to make films, but he soon identified his interest in interactive installation. His work led him to renowned media festivals, including Japan Media Arts Festival and Ars Electronica. He moved on to work as a researcher, exhibition coordinator, videographer, technician, and even kindergarten teacher until he created another installation three years later. This was followed by him receiving a grant from Asian Cultural Council to study MFA at Carnegie Mellon University. Currently, Lau runs the exhibition design studio, IOIO. Reflecting on his journey, he encourages students to seize every opportunity and make the most out of their cross-disciplinary learning experience in SCM.

Talk #2

Florence Yuk-ki Lee – Surviving the Independent-Animation World
 

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Media Graduate; Animation Artist

Surviving in the animation industry in Hong Kong has never been easy, let alone independent animation. In this talk, the animation artist Florence will share her creative experience and her journey of making independent animations in Hong Kong. Starting off by sharing her earlier animation practice and learning experiences, the artist will discuss how these shaped her creative practice. She will also share the dilemma and of switching from a full-time job to a freelance career and the challenge of surviving as an independent artist. She will discuss how emerging artists can benefit from grants and pop-up opportunities/fairs to gain exposure before establishing a career in the industry. The sharing will feature Lee’s debut animation “Elephant in Castlem,” as well as “Park Voyage,” a set of animations commissioned by M+ Museum, in which the essence of her work is captured. These works express her emotional, aesthetic, and tactile responses to Hong Kong, the city where she grew up. The cityscape of Hong Kong is interpreted poetically, leading the audience to travel through the scenery with a first-person perspective.

Talk #1

Alan Kwan – Psychological Spaces in Videogame Game

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Media Graduate; Designer and Technologist

Alan Kwan is an artist and game designer whose works focus on exploring psychological spaces and memories through the mediums of experimental videogames, interactive virtual worlds, and VR installations. Most of his games are not typically fun to play. They have no rewarding mechanics and provide no particular goals for the players to achieve. Instead, his works focus on creating first-person encounters with psychological spaces that do not demand action but simply allow players to wander and to daydream. In this talk, Alan will share a few personal stories and explain their influence on his style of game-making.