Crowded Air

‘Breathing in a house’, Pak Sheung Chuen, 2009

‘Breathing in a House’ is created by Tozer Pak in 2006 and displayed in Busan

Biennale, 2006. The work was a great deal of plastic bags of air, which were breathed

by Tozer Pak, filling a small-scale apartment where Pak’s used to live. The crowded

space inspired Pak that how many times he would spend to use up all the air in the

whole house. This artwork represents conception of art practice as liberal and humor

from Pak and shows concept of ‘life’ art. Pak is good at using numerous materials

discovered from daily life and his art that often deals with interpersonal relationships,

distance in time and space.

Seldom does a day go by without experiencing house shortage issue in Hong Kong.

Tozer Pak previously resided in a small-scale apartment, sharing a single room with

his brother. In such confined quarters, anything that can make noise is in Pak’s ears,

including his brother’s breathing. However, being in such a torture environment did

not interfere Pak experiencing a moment of creative inspiration. He came up with a

thought that “How long does it take to breathe the entire room's air?” (Pak Park,

2006) and began to explore this concept.

In 2006, an opportunity came to Pak. Busan Biennale invited Pak to participant. At

that time, Pak already received performance art reward from Museu de Arte de Macau

and he determined it was an appropriate moment to introduce Hong Kong's artistic

style to the international community. According to Designboom, chuen rented out an

apartment in busan, korea measuring in size 6.7m x 2.7m x 2.2m (2009). Pak found

the apartment that almost similar scale with where he had lived, and he initiated

occupying the room by transparent bags with filled breathed air. The whole process

took 10 days. During these days, it felt like part of his life has sojourned at this

apartment (Pak Park, 2006). The work was record by video. Pak was sitting at the

conner of the room and filling air into plastic bags. Pak unveiled concrete presentation
of a narrow space though a large number of air bags and this how Pak represented the

living environment in Hong Kong accurately. People who were unfamiliar with Hong

Kong, could become aware Hongkonger’s living problem. This work subverted

perpetuated stereotypes of prosperous city of Hong Kong. Confronting a sense

of oppression composed of air bags, people realized that Hong Kong people

were living in a place where only a few breaths filled the room. Therefore, this

work changed other people’s views on Hong Kong.

Analysis

‘Breathing in a house’ represented Pak’s art conception- ‘life’ art to the international

art community. Not only putting forward Hong Kong’s house shortage problem to the

world was Pak’s contribution, but also Pak went beyond meditating on the

legitimization of his seemingly random acts as contemporary art. According to

Kharkurin, artworks can be evaluated using a four-criterion model (2014). According

to InitiArt Magazine, Pak successfully blur the boundaries between the personal and

the political (2009). Pak’s ingenuity in creation was particularly innovative and

liberal. The richer and more open work could appear in different themes or curatorial

discussions crossed time periods.

Kharkurin defines “originality” as the production artwork that “introduces a new

paradigms of symbolism, but it also did not follow any mainstream values. ‘Breathing

in a house’ was an unprecedented conception. Pak used breathed air to describe

relationship between human, distance in time and space. Although Pak’s creation was

drawn from daily life, his work had characteristics that cannot be replicable. This

work is closely related to the real-life scene. If it is deliberately copied completely

when it is exhibited again, it will look awkward, since it has been separated from the

specific environment, time and space and the artist's personal participation. Novelty

seems limited because of did not introduces a new paradigm. However, Pak’s

creativity is not limited by any values.

Aspect of “utility,” Kharkurin claims that artworks should “reflect spiritual, cultural,

social, and political atmosphere of the time period” (p. 342). “Breathing in a house”

was inspired from Pak’s experience that he was used to live in a ‘cage house’.

However, he turned difficulties into motivation for creation. ‘Spirit of Lion Rock’ is

familiar around Hongkonger, and it stand for the symbol of Hong Kong’s fighting

spirit. According to BBC (2022), ‘Spirit of Lion Rock’ describes their collective

determination to better their lives against seemingly insurmountable odds – is. Pak

demonstrated his determined and undaunted spirit to who did not know Hong Kong.
As for “aesthetics,’ Kharkurin asseverates that an artwork should “reflect the ultimate

truth” (p. 344). This work was so alluding to reality of Hong Kong that it’s frustrating.

First, Pak chose an apartment that is congruous with he had lived before, and Pak was

Born in a lower-class family. Therefore, like most Hong Kong residents, he lived in a

very small space. “Breathing in a house” Pointed out Hong Kong’s housing shortage

problem directly. People who have not been Hong Kong can understand the plight that

Hong Kong people are in. According to SCMP (2023), the flats offered by private

developers should be no less than 279 sq ft and at least 70 per cent of those for sale

must be bigger than 374 sq ft. Bags of air contained Pak’s shouts and creative passion.

To define “authenticity,” Kharkurin stresses it as the “ability to express one’s inner

self and to relate an individual’s own values and beliefs to the world” (p. 346). Pak

expertise in identifying creative concepts in everyday life. His interest lies in the

possibility of discovering insightful messages encoded in the most unlikely and

ordinary places (Designboom, 2009). This constitutes Pak’s philosophy of art. In

realizing his witty and poetic ideas and thoughts through philosophical gestures,

“Breathing in a house,” Pak settled upon to measure “space” space in an abstract way

that the body was dematerialized into breath but captured inside the plastic bags- air.

Pak’s philosophical thinking and providing the audience with open-ended

interpretations have become Pak’s unique personal characteristics.

tradition, his creations are not limited by any values. Without a shadow of a doubt,

Pak’s distinctive artistic philosophy makes his work strong in originality, authenticity,

utility, and aesthetics. Complaining about Hong Kong’s plight, Pak identifies creative

concepts in daily life.

References

Pak Park (2006). Oversea Art project 1: Breathing in a House. Retrieved from

http://pakpark.blogspot.com/2007/04/breathing-in-house-01.html
Asia Art Achieve (2006). Interview: Wen Yau and Pak Sheung Chuen. Retrieved from

https://aaa.org.hk/en/collections/search/library/interview-wen-yau-and-pak-

sheung-chuen

Designboom (2009). pak sheung chuen: 'breathing in a house' at venice art biennale

09. Retrieved from https://www.designboom.com/art/pak-sheung-chuen-

breathing-in-a-house-at-venice-art-biennale-09/

InitiArt Magazine (2009). Pak Sheung Chuen – Making Private Art Public. Retrieved

from https://initiartmagazine.com/2009/09/04/pak-sheung-chuen/

BBC (2022). The 'can do' attitude that defines Hong Kong. Retrieved from

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220515-the-can-do-attitude-that-defines-

hong-kong