the METACURSE short film. |
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Nowadays Hong Kong can be perceived only through the prism of our nostalgic (or futuristic) fantasies about the city. This is the reduced reality of the METACURSE: the boundless prison we have built for ourselves out of ever flimsier digital copies of reality.
METACURSE is also the name for the helmet we designed to evoke this predicament. Projecting a hypnotising feedback loop, it confuses and complicates reality for both wearer and bystander.
Finally, we produced an experimental short film titled METACURSE, exploring the personal outward, then inward journey brought on by wearing the helmet.
Awards
Official Selection for the Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival 2024
Best Experimental Film at the Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival 2024
Recipient of the Tarkovski Grant in 2024
Screenings
Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival 2024, 10/07/2024 at Emperor Cinemas, Entertainment Building, Central, Hong Kong
Moving Cinema, 08/06/2024 at Chez Trente, Central, Hong Kong
Night of Obsession at After Sunset Festival, 17/11/2023 at Fringe Club, Central, Hong Kong (Official Premiere with performance by TypicalPlan)
In-progress, 29/04/2023 at Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong (Preview Screening with performance by TypicalPlan)
METACURSE SHORT FILM
year: 2023
length: 10’40”
language: English (subtitles in English and Traditional Chinese)
director & producer: TypicalPlan/Hans Leo Maes
concept & scenario: TypicalPlan/Hans Leo Maes
cast: Hans Leo Maes, Mark Lau
cinematography & camera: Bradley Aaron
sound design: Seb StJean
translation (subtitles): Hei-man Cheung
The METACURSE and its counterpart OFFCUT were produced for “Project Oi Kwan”. This project invited various artists to create work inspired by Oi Kwan Barbers, a traditional alley barber shop on Hong Kong island. The project was co-produced by Gallery In-between and Cheung Chau Wave and curated by Christina Brandt Jensen. Helmet, paintings and film were first shown during the In-progress event on Cheung Chau on 29–30/04/2023 and after that at After Sunset Festival in the iconic Fringe Club in Central Hong Kong (15–19/11/2023). Both screenings were accompanied by a performance by TypicalPlan. See here for more info on this and other TypicalPlan exhibitions, workshops, lectures etc.