Story of Simon Birch
People often ask about my inspirations and how I developed @the14thfactory. This is my story...
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Another notable project in 2011 was 'Daydreaming With...' a collaboration with musician James Lavelle of Mo Wax and UNKLE fame.
I’d known James for a while as a DJ and spent time with him in Japan and London and he was a huge influence. I met him at a low point in his life and set him up with DJ gigs in Asia. He introduced me to Futura, Bathing Ape, Supreme, Kaws, Kubrick, N.E.R.D., Maharishi, and a whole world of new urban culture I was unaware of. This was all before those brands became huge.
The show was a combination of his artists and mine and followed the art direction of the previous 'Daydreaming With...' that he produced at the Haunch of Venison in London. I was included in that show and he’s one of the first people that ever invited me to show my work outside of Hong Kong. I showed a video installation of a white horse in 3D.
It was hosted at the same space that we presented Hope and Glory, a 30,000 sqft space in Taikoo Shing and was sponsored by Swire Properties, thankfully, as after the previous few projects, I was out of cash.
The show was a multiple media wonder and included some brilliant artists, 3D of Massive Attack, Futura, Kai and Sunny, Nathan Coley, Polly Borland, Nick Cave, Shynola, Wing Shya, Huang Rui, Li Wei, Cang Xin, Prodip, Oswaldo Macia, Laurent Sgretier, John Nolan, Jamie Shovlin, Jayne Dyer, Ian Monroe, Emme Richardson, Doug Foster, Dan Glasser, Cyrcle, Azzi Glasser, Clarke and Reilly and Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones.
A huge collaborative effort to get all this together, shipped, presented for zero pay! but an amazing project that really should have got more attention and credit.
