Xu Bing's Square Word Calligraphy Exhibition Opens at Oi! from September 29 to January 11

2025-09-29 15:00 Last Updated At：15:08

Oil Street Art Space stages "Eying East, Wondering West - Square Word Calligraphy Classroom on the Move" exhibition featuring world-renowned artist Xu Bing

The Oil Street Art Space (Oi!) is staging the "Eying East, Wondering West - Square Word Calligraphy Classroom on the Move" exhibition featuring world-renowned artist Xu Bing from today (September 29) to January 11 next year. The exhibition gallery, located at Oi! Glassie, has been transformed into a classroom with a specially designed texbook. It invites audiences to learn and write the Square Word Calligraphy (Hong Kong Edition). The exhibition was earlier held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and has now moved to Oi!.

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Oil Street Art Space stages "Eying East, Wondering West - Square Word Calligraphy Classroom on the Move" exhibition featuring world-renowned artist Xu Bing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Oil Street Art Space stages "Eying East, Wondering West - Square Word Calligraphy Classroom on the Move" exhibition featuring world-renowned artist Xu Bing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Xu is internationally recognised as one of the most innovative and influential contemporary artists. One of his signature works, Square Word Calligraphy, is a unique writing system integrating Eastern and Western cultures. Xu was appointed in March 2024 as Hong Kong's Ambassador for Cultural Promotion and launched his inaugural commissioning art initiative, the above exhibition, early this year.

Oi! is an art space located in the North Point neighbourhood. Picking the two-storey Oi! Glassie as the exhibition venue, Xu fully utilises its transparent design to allow passers-by to glimpse the exhibition gallery, attracting them to visit the classroom to explore the Square Word Calligraphy. At the same time, audiences inside the gallery can look outward, bringing them closer to the neighbourhood, connecting art to the community.

The classroom on the 1/F Oi! Glassie features the textbook "An Introduction to Square Word Calligraphy (Hong Kong Edition)". With its design inspired by the exercise books commonly used by local students, the textbook's content covers expressions, greetings, idioms and proverbs relevant to everyday life in Hong Kong, as well as local food, etc. Visitors use brushes and copybooks to learn and write the "Special Edition for Hong Kong Square Word Calligraphy". There are also interactive installations which engage audiences with an interactive programme to construct Square Words from the database, creating their own calligraphy works.

Square Word seal carving and fan design workshops will be organised during the exhibition period, bringing audiences the pleasure of learning Square Word Calligraphy from multiple perspectives.

The exhibition is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and organised by the Art Promotion Office and Oi!. Admission is free. For details of the exhibition and special programmes, please visit the website at www.apo.hk/en/web/apo/xb_oil.html.

Six illegal workers and an employer arrested in Hong Kong's anti-illegal worker operation Contribute.

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Xu Bing's Square Word Calligraphy Exhibition Opens at Oi! from September 29 to January 11

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