THEN / NOW

Photo Exhibition by Kary Kwok & Record Launch by The Magus Project

Presented by Eaton HK

Produced & Released by Silk Road Sounds. 

Date: 26 Jan - 1 Feb 2023  
Venue: Tomorrow Maybe  

Opening Reception: 26.01.23 // 19:00 - 23:00 

Live Performance by James“The Magus Project”Banbury, Rec Mirage 

The '90s, a beautiful time of self-expression, late night dancing and DIY fashion. 

Enter THEN / NOW - an exhibition by Hong Kong photographer Kary Kwok and record release by British rave producer James "The Magus Project" Banbury.

THEN / NOW  features 25 photos shot on 35mm at 1995's Alternative Miss World Competition in London where Kary puts the audience in the subject and looks at how they use "outfits' ' as a form of unique expression. In addition, installations and documentaries delve into the audio-visual THEN / NOW project that takes form as an 8-track vinyl record released on independent Hong Kong label Silk Road Sounds. The vinyl features original productions revived from James Banbury's 1992 techno/breaks moniker, alongside remixes from West London brokenbeat producer Wheelup, Hong Kong experimental producer ASJ, Berlin’s Knox-Om-Pax, and acid/jungle specialist Rec Mirage.

The audio-visual partnership by both Kary and James highlights the nocturnal and nostalgic energy of the yesteryears, especially in parties at the likes of Kinky Gerlinky, Taboo, The Wag Club, Heaven, and The Brain. 

The project explores how music, art and fashion can be imaginative tools to address political and social issues under the then Margaret Thatcher regime - a time when fantasy, love and clubbing provided escapism to the throbbing underlying social issues that Britain was facing.

Kary’s photos will be on display from 26 January to 1 February at Tomorrow Maybe in its entirety. Attendees are invited on the opening evening to partake in scribbling and writing over the images, merging the past with the present in continuation of club culture’s DIY fashion. Segments of the newly graffitied images will then be cut out, re-framed and displayed in the Foodhall as part two of the THEN / NOW exhibition display from 3 to 19 February.  

90 年代是自我表達、深夜舞蹈和 DIY 時尚的美好時光 — 由香港攝影師郭家賜及英國銳舞製作人 James“The Magus Project”Banbury合作的視聽計劃 THEN / NOW，重現Kinky Gerlinky、Taboo、The Wag Club、Heaven 和 The Brain 等傳奇派對當中的夜間和懷舊能量，探索音樂、藝術和時尚如何作為富想像力的工具，緩解當時戴卓爾政權下政治和社會問題 — 在那個時代，幻想、愛情和夜店為英國面臨的潛在社會問題提供了逃避現實的窗口。

THEN / NOW 展示郭氏於1995 年在倫敦的另類世界小姐大賽中，以 35mm 鏡頭拍攝的 25 張照片，讓觀眾一探當年的參賽者如何以「打扮」作為一種獨特的表達。此外，香港的獨立唱片廠牌 Silk Road Sounds 為是次計劃發行8軌黑膠唱片，深入探討 THEN / NOW 項目。唱片包含James Banbury於1992年以Techno/Break製作人名號推出的原創作品，並邀請西倫敦Broken beat製作人Wheelup、香港實驗製作人 ASJ 及柏林的 Knox-Om-Pax 和 Acid/Jungle 專家  Rec Mirage 參與製作全新混音作品。

郭氏的照片將於1月26日至2月1日於 Tomorrow Maybe 完整展出。開幕夜邀請觀眾於圖像上塗鴉和書寫，將過去與現在融合，延續俱樂部文化的 DIY 時尚精神。經塗鴉的圖像將被剪下、重新裝裱並在2月3日至2月19日於美食廣場展示，作為 THEN / NOW 展覽展示的第二部分。