Draft:C&G Artpartment

C&G Artpartment is an art space located in United Kingdom that was formerly based in Hong Kong. It was founded by Clara Cheung and Cheng Yee Man (Gum) in 2007. C&G addresses social, political, and art ecology-related issues through exhibitions, programs, and community art projects. C&G is known for their engagement with the local communities in Hong Kong. In 2004, the duo staged their wedding engagement during a street political demonstration in Hong Kong. In 2021, C&G terminated their space in Hong Kong and moved to Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Background of founders
Clara Cheung is an artist, lecturer, and active member of the non-profit art group Project 226. Apart from curating exhibitions and projects, she often works in the medium of performance art. In 2019, she participated in the Hong Kong District Council Elections as one of the pro-democracy candidates at Wan Chai District Council. Throughout and after the election, Clara was interested in influencing the district by introducing more community art to the area.

Gum Cheng is an artist, curator, and lecturer. Coming from a background in social work, he is interested in exploring issues of art ecosystem and current socio-political issues through his artworks and curatorial practice. In one of his solo exhibition Curate No More: Gum's Art Project (2016), Gum has subverted curation as a tool as he "attempts to reveal problematic issues about public space, through the artist's perspective" in the medium of painting, performance and lens-based media art.

Notable projects
C&G Apartment has been active in Hong Kong since the 2000s and have participated in and curated various projects with other artists. Some of the notable projects organised by C&G include:

Wedding Engagement at the July 1st Protest, performance at the July 1st protest of Hong Kong (2004)
The artists staged fully dressed wedding engagement during a massive demonstration in 2004, blending the visual rituals from public and private spheres. The performance has received wide coverage on media.

'Back to Basic' Art Exhibition (2007)
C&G's first exhibition “Back To The Basic” held in July 2007 attempted to address questions of Basic Law, identity change and Hong Kong art ecology after the handover of Hong Kong to China. Artworks including Red Action (1995) in which artist Pun Sing-Lui doused the Queen Victoria statue in red paint, Love the Fucking Country, and Wedding Engagement at the July 1st Protest were exhibited.

January 21 Art Hotpot in both Hong Kong and Sopot, Poland (2012)
Involving artists from both Poland and Hong Kong, "Art Hotpot" was an art exchange program curated and presented by C&G Artpartment and Zatoka Sztuki. The first part of the program was launched at Zatoka Sztuki (The Bay of Art) in Sopot, Poland in January 2012, while the second part took place in Hong Kong in March 2012.

Not as Trivial as You Think: Hong Kong Art Quiz performance (2014)
A knowledge quiz on contemporary art and politics was held in May 2014 in Hong Kong, which asks: Does Hong Kong have no art history? Is contemporary art in Hong Kong really that trivial?" There were 23 artists, art professionals, and students who participated in the quiz. A second reiteration of 'Hong Kong Art Quiz' was staged in 2019 in Tai Kwun.

'"THE" Survey Exhibition' (2018)
Held as part of C&G Artpartment's 11th anniversary programs, this exhibition was an extension of the organisation's mission and interest to bring awareness to the art ecology in Hong Kong. Invited artists were asked to create artistic responses that emphasise their strengths, which were later sold through an informal auction.