The Current is pleased to partner with Artpace to present a weekly series of work by International Artist-in-Resident Pak Sheung Chuen. Read more about the Hong Kong-based artist in this interview with Ben Judson. Click on the image to the left to expand. We have reproduced Pak's text below.
Check back next week for the next installment!
During the Mass, a bright light suddenly flashed in the crowd. Mr. Ng captured an image of the Pope’s face in his camera while he was reciting prayers. He felt guilty for disturbing the solemn worshippers. He wasn’t stopping repenting to God, but he couldn’t cover the great excitement in his heart. A sly smile appeared on his face. When Mr. Ng returned to his country, he quickly went to the hidden basement of his church. He developed the image of the Pope into an extremely large photograph. He knelt and prayed intensely and deeply to God, and then he pulled out a knife from his pocket and cut out the two deep dark eyes of the Pope. Two bright spots of light appeared clearly through the darkness of the pupils. They seemed to shimmer. He enlarged the light again. He laid the photograph in a gold frame and placed it in the center of the altar. He knelt in front of the altar to worship the light every morning, afternoon, and night. Each time, he touched the right corner of the altar with his right hand, focusing his eyes on the light to meditate and pray. He repeated this ritual everyday and every year. When the time of the annual Midnight Mass arrived, Mr. Ng held up the photograph of two spots of light in front of the entire congregation and said a blessing. Then, he used a knife to cut out the two white spots from it. In the darkness, he held up these two pieces of light with his two hands. He lit them into real fire until they burnt out completely. Fire with light and warmth was burning in the eyes of every believer. Every year, Mr. Ng replaces the photograph with a new one. Light and hope begin and spread from here.
The two spots of light were captured from a photo of the Pope Benedict XVI.