Hong Kong, April 2008 – As the only fashion label to sponsor ART HK 08, the first international art fair in Hong Kong for over a decade – Shanghai Tang has commissioned Hong Kong-based artist Movana Chen to create her distinct “body container,” wearable body sculptures knitted together from shredded pages of Shanghai Tang Ready to Wear catalogues and ArtAsiaPacific Magazines.

“We instantly connected to Movana’s work for her focus on the relationship between the psychology behind fashion consumption and the language of media,” explains Joyce Hu, Marketing Director of Shanghai Tang. “The ‘body container’ challenges us as a fashion brand to step outside our comfort zone to be more innovative.”

Movana has been making “magazine clothes” from the pages of old magazines since 2004. “I play around with the idea of deconstructing and reconstructing shredded magazines, giving meaning and content to these magazine clothes,” Movana says. “The use of magazine pages symbolizes the idea of how media contains our self perception through fashion.” Movana’s performances express the concept of how the human form embodies ideas about our society.

Movana used approximately 350 pages of Shanghai Tang catalogues and 116 hours to create the Shanghai Tang “body container,” which will be displayed at the Shanghai Tang store on Pedder Street starting May 1 until the start of ART HK 08, May 14.

A performance to kick off the installation of the piece at Shanghai Tang will take place on April 30 at 1:00 pm.

In addition, Movana will shred copies of ArtAsiaPacific (AAP), the leading magazine on contemporary Asian art, which will be completed and on view in the magazine’s stand (G14) at the Art HK08 fair.

Elaine W. Ng, editor and publisher of ArtAsiaPacific remarks, “Movana is one of the most exciting young artists working in Hong Kong today. Her interdisciplinary approach, which integrates the contemporary practices of performance, sculpture, fashion and conceptual art, considers how art can be both intelligent and interactive. We are thrilled to be working with Movana on this project with Shanghai Tang.”

Scheduled performances at ART HK 08 are scheduled at the ArtAsiaPacific stand (G14) on:

Opening night – Wednesday 14 May - 6.30 – 8pm

Thursday 15 May, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May – 3 - 4pm

ART HK 08, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

The artist will also lead a series of “performative” workshops in AAP’s stand in which the audience will be able to view as well as participate in the creative process of knitting a “Body Container.”

About Movana

Movana Chen gained a fashion design certificate at The London College of Fashion in 1997. She graduated Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in 2005 and a professional certification in exhibition studies and art curatorship at the Hong Kong Art School in 2007. Since 2005, she has been a curator at the YY9 gallery in Hong Kong and is also an independent curator using a variety of venues. Her work is a multi-disciplinary fusion of media transformation, fashion, performance and sculpture, which has been presented in diverse exhibitions and festivals events in Hong Kong, London and Seoul.

About ART HK 08

ART HK 08 is the largest international art fair to ever take place in Hong Kong. From 14 – 18 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the fair brings together over 100 galleries from 20 countries showing art for sale from over 850 artists. Open to all, the fair welcomes collectors and those new to art alike, with works by world famous artists through to brand new pieces from emerging talent. The fair also incorporates a curated exhibition of Hong Kong’s most exciting talent, guided tours and talks by leading art world figures. www.hongkongartfair.com

About Shanghai Tang

Shanghai Tang is the first and leading luxury lifestyle brand emerging from China. Since its inception in 1994, it has advanced the expression of modern Chinese Chic by fusing current design concepts with innovative Chinese-inspired elements. Offering ready-to-wear for women, men and children, as well as accessories and home ware, Shanghai Tang supports an international network of 30 boutiques in the world’s most prestigious shopping districts.

About ArtAsiaPacific

Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, ArtAsiaPacific magazine has been at the forefront of the powerful creative forces that currently shape art from Asia, the Pacific region and the Asian diasporas. The magazine is authoritative, accurate, even-handed, exacting and essential. Its contributors, all renowned and proven experts in the field, present the region’s news and comments—spotting vital trends, identifying important artistic new-comers and offering timely critiques of exhibitions, galleries and studios. Edited in New York City and printed in Hong Kong, the magazine is published six times yearly, in the months of March, May, July, September, November and January with the annual special issue, the ArtAsiaPacific Almanac, which covers the year’s major events in Asian art and forecast important upcoming trends.