Six vase-shaped bamboo lanterns, ranging in height from 16 to 20 feet, lit up Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco. The special exhibition, “Sui Sui Ping An – Peace All Year Round” by Hong Kong artist Freeman Lau, was on display from January 30 to March 10. To echo the installation at the Plaza, a 6-foot tall lantern was on show at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
As the installation coincided with the Lunar New Year, the dedication ceremony and lantern lighting took place on the third day of the Year of the Rooster (January 30). Officiating at the ceremony were the President of the San Francisco Arts Commission, Ms J D Beltran; the Director of the Asian Art Museum, Dr Jay Xu; the Director of Operations of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Mr Denny Kern; the Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, Mr Clement Leung; the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco, Mr Ivanhoe Chang; and Hong Kong artist Freeman Lau.
At a reception at the Asian Art Museum following the dedication ceremony, Mr Chang thanked the exhibition organizers, the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Asian Art Museum, for their dedicated support. Sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco, this one-of-a-kind public art installation commenced the year-long celebration in the US of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Mr Chang said, “’Together ‧ Progress ‧ Opportunity’ is the theme for the 20th anniversary celebration. We are grateful to have such an opportunity to join hands with our partners here in San Francisco to realize this unique project. The large-scale bamboo installation not only exhibits the design of our home-grown accomplished artist Freeman Lau, but also showcases the traditional craftsmanship from Hong Kong.” Craftsmen from Hong Kong built the structures with bamboo strips. A team of four craftsmen flew from Hong Kong to complete the fabrication, installed the LED lights and assembled the structures on-site.
The bamboo vases were adorned with vibrant colors and Chinese surnames. Inspired by the experience of Chinese immigrants who adopted English surnames upon their arrival in the United States, Lau placed Chinese characters of family names along with various English versions of them.
Lau also incorporated a traditional Chinese blessing in the exhibition's title, “Sui Sui Ping An – Peace All Year Round”. In Chinese, the word for vase is "ping", as in "hua ping" for flower vase. It is a homophone for the word "peace", often used as part of the auspicious phrase "ping an" for peace and safety. “This art installation symbolizes not only the history of Chinese descent in the United States, but also the blessing of "Jia jia hu hu, sui sui ping an" – peace all year round for every family – to both the City of San Francisco and its residents, for the celebration of the Chinese New Year,” Lau said.
Ms Beltran said, “Freeman Lau has created a beautiful tribute to the Chinese American experience, and an artwork that can be experienced on many levels, day and night. We are grateful for the generous sponsorship of this project by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.”
Dr Xu said, “Public artworks remind us that important conversations about the value of different cultures don’t just happen inside classrooms or galleries. By weaving together elements of our shared past into a vivid, festive installation that all can enjoy, Freeman Lau and our partners at the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office give us new reasons for appreciating this lively tradition.”
Mr Kern said, “We’re really excited to welcome this new installation to Civic Center Plaza. Hosting art in public parks is a great way to activate our spaces and make them more lively. I want to thank everyone who had a hand in making this possible, especially the Arts Commission for continuing to bring high-calibre art to San Francisco.”
"Sui Sui Ping An – Peace All Year Round" is one of the highlights of the activities in 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the HKSAR. Other programmes include a young entrepreneur competition, a business conference and cultural events planned for San Francisco and other western states.
To view a slide show of the exhibition, click here
Vase-shaped bamboo sculptures lit up the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco.
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(From left) The Director of the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, Dr Jay Xu; the President of the San Francisco Arts Commission, Ms JD Beltran; the Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, Mr Clement Leung; Hong Kong artist, Freeman Lau; the Chinese Consul General in San Francisco, Mr Luo Linquan and the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco, Mr Ivanhoe Chang, propose a toast at the reception at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
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The Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, Mr Clement Leung, speaks at the dedication ceremony at the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco.
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Six vase-shaped bamboo sculptures installed at the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco.
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