MusiCLAY Exhibition Debuts: Where Art Meets Music Magic

Organised by St. James’ Creation under the Rehabilitation Services of St. James’ Settlement, the brand new exhibition MusiCLAY will be launched at the St. James’ Creation Gallery in Wan Chai from 5 November to 19 November 2024. The exhibition brings together 17 interdisciplinary artists who creatively integrate elements of ceramics and music to create an unprecedented sensory stage. The exhibition breaks through traditional artistic boundaries, showcasing a series of playful and experimental works that provide the public with an inspiring visual and auditory experience.

The exhibition consists of three main themes, each challenging and expanding the audience’s understanding of the possibilities of ceramic art through the fusion of sound and matter, exploring more space for creativity and expression. The venue will also transform into a performance stage, where audiences can not only interact with the artworks and create music but also immerse themselves in an environment of melodies and rhythms, and commemorate the experience.

Evolution of the ‘Our Stories’ Series: MusiCLAY

MusiCLAY is a sub-project of the community art programme ‘Our Stories’. This programme has been curated by St. James’ Creation since 2017. It is a ceramic art creation platform designed specifically for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. By 2024, the programme has officially entered the third chapter of its series, connecting the public through community art and exhibition activities. This year, the programme is sponsored by the C. C. Wu Cultural & Education Foundation Fund. Additionally, St. James’ Settlement is financially supported by the Springboard Grant under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, further promoting and developing the ‘Our Stories’ programme within the community. Cheryl Cheung, Project Director and Senior Manager of Rehabilitation Services at St. James’ Settlement, stated, ‘Through the “Our Stories” series of programmes, people from all walks of life can witness the artistic growth of the “C-Fu-Jai”. Various obstacles do not prevent them from using community art to become drivers of society.’

The name MusiCLAY encapsulates the innovative fusion of music and ceramic arts, highlighting the creative interplay between auditory and tactile experiences. It suggests a playful yet profound exploration of sound and form, where clay is transformed into both a visual and musical canvas, inviting participants to engage with art in a dynamically interactive way. Through a series of activities, we hope to engage the audience to ‘Play Music, Play Clay’, thereby reawakening and activating every sense.

During the exhibition, 13 ceramic creators from St. James’ Creation, known as ‘C-Fu-Jai’ and four artists from diverse fields (such as music, sound and lighting electronics, and ceramics) have joined to cross boundaries in creativity, using ceramics and sound. In more than six months of exploration and experimentation, they have established three major creative themes, each with its own distinctive character, deeply exploring the intricate interplay between ceramics and music:

In the theme Electro-Ceramic Universe, the audience will step into an interactive installation space that merges ceramics with electronic sound and lighting effects. The creative highlight of this series includes an innovative phonograph, ‘A Funky Player’. This is not an ordinary phonograph that plays pre-recorded records but a brand new music composition device. Its operation depends on the imagination, hands, ears, and eyes of the audience, and is able to capture and play back the live sounds of the visitors on the spot. When visitors interact with the device, their actions are transformed into visual and auditory art, creating a unique musical trajectory that makes each experience one-of-a-kind.

These works represent a synthesis of ceramics, electronic technology, mechanics, woodworking, sound design, and lighting technology, showcasing the charm of interdisciplinary collaboration. Sound-Light-Electronics Advisors Amy Chan and Kin Lam said that, ‘We hope that every friend who interacts with the “A Funky Player” will be able to co-create a special temporal and spatial light and sound experience with the ceramic “C-Fu-Jai” and our team.’

In Clay Spectrum, ceramics are transformed into a new interactive medium, not only serving as a visual art display but also as a tool for creating music. This innovative concept combines play and viewing, utilising natural clay to allow audiences to experience the most primal form of the musical world – percussion. These ceramic instruments draw attention with their vibrant colors and engage the auditory senses through their unique sound qualities and timbres, creating an interactive space for musical creation. Here, visitors can touch and tap these instruments to create personal melodies and rhythms, experiencing the perfect fusion of music and ceramic art.

Artist and Music Advisor Anna Fan commented, ‘Ceramics and music share many similarities; both have therapeutic effects on the soul, are rich in creativity and playfulness, serve as tools for storytelling, and are suitable for both individual and group participation. These art forms demand continuous practice and technical improvement, and they also provide platforms for people to harbor dreams and share stories.’

Voices of Nature centers around the beauty and vibrancy of flowers, using ceramic art to capture the purity and colorfulness of the natural world. These ceramic pieces take inspiration from flowers, reflecting the rich aesthetics and delicate touches of nature. Through the combination of visual, tactile, and auditory elements, the works aim to convey the beauty and poetic essence of nature, allowing urban dwellers to experience the freshness and tranquility of nature through the sounds of ceramics.

The exhibition, through these personally styled works, hopes to inspire deeper reflection and connections with ceramics. Artist and Ceramics Advisor Suzy Cheung shared, ‘Even without a musical background, visitors can use the tools provided on site to personally experiment with and create music that has a personal touch. Through this interaction, they can experience the unique charm interwoven between ceramics, nature, and music.’

The MusiCLAY exhibition will hold multiple tours between 2024 and 2025, introducing a variety of new works that allow the public a chance to personally experience this wonderful world of interdisciplinary art. We invite everyone interested to visit this audio-visual feast and explore the infinite possibilities of ceramics and music together in this unique art exchange.