The Hong Kong International Art Fair ran from 26 - 30 May 2010. Baz Luhrmann and Vincent Fantauzzo exhibited two booths at the event - one showcasing their portrait of Indian actor, Amitabh Bachchan, and the other showcasing their multi-media installation, "The Creek, 1977".

Amitabh Bachchan Portrait

The Fantauzzo/Luhrmann collaborated portrait was unveiled to the public for the very first time at the Hong Kong Art Fair. An Indian themed booth showcased the portrait, based on an image taken when the pair met with Bachchan in Mumbai during their trip to India in January 2010.

India Times reported the following quotes from Luhrmann and Fantauzzo regarding the portrait: [Luhrmann said,] "Vincent's portraiture tends to be about reflecting iconic people in different stages of their career. Amitabh Bachchan, in my opinion, is probably a greater force than any Hollywood actor has ever been. I was struck by his level of peace and spirituality." Vincent added, "He's more that just an actor — to a lot of people, he's a leader and someone of influence. He has a responsibility to those that worship him as this icon." Baz plans to showcase paintings of other Bollywood actors including Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan at a later date at art fairs in LA and other locations.

Site visitor, Holly Hunnington, kindly shared six fantastic photos she took while visiting the Indian themed booth, including the image above.

Holly wrote: "The vibe of being so up close and personal to their art was unbelievable - they were a big hit at the fair and everyone seemed to love it."

The audience was encouraged to draw over the mural on the walls of the booth and Holly captured some wonderful images of everyone enjoying being part of the art - click here to check them out.

Vincent Fantauzzo also posted some great photos of people enjoying their visit to the Indian themed booth on his official website.

"The Creek, 1977"

Baz Luhrmann and Vincent Fantauzzo also unveiled a multi-media installation entitled "The Creek, 1977", which was showcased at the 10 Chancery Lane Gallery stand. This installation explored the narrative potential of paintings.

The work is based on a childhood memory of Luhrmann's from growing up in the tiny town of Herons Creek in rural Australia. At the centre of the project is a painting depicting the aftermath of a car accident in a rural Australian town in the 1970's. The two artists collaborated on the story, then set up an elaborate photo shoot starring actors and themselves - Fantauzzo as a mysterious drifter who arrives in town, and Luhrmann as a local gas-station owner (perhaps in reference to his father owning a gas station when he was growing up?) Fantauzzo then used the photos to sketch and render the oil-on-linen painting.

At the Art Fair, the piece was set up in a dark, narrow, candlelit room adorned with photos from Luhrmann's childhood. An audio clip of a car crash completes the full sensory experience. The Associated Press reported the following:

... "I am fascinated with how in classical art narrative is dealt with," Luhrmann told reporters on the sidelines of the Hong Kong International Art Fair, where his piece is being displayed. "The cathedrals of the 17th century were sort of the cineplexes of their time. The audience went into a darkened room. They contemplated a painting. And in that painting ... they had their own cinematic experience."

Bazmark also created an excellent interactive website, which included a detailed section about the painting. Also on the website, the artists invited people to provide feedback about the painting by answering three questions:
- "What do you feel the story is about?"
- "What happens next?", and
- "How does the scene make you feel?"
There were no predetermined answers - the aim was to provide feedback about your individual experience when viewing the painting. I was the first to post my feedback, which I have also posted here on this website.