This compilation features 13 short video works by some of the original artists from the Oil Street Art Village, at the ex-Government Supplies Department on Qil Street, North Point.

In 1998, artists, architects and arts organizations joined forces to rent the unoccupied space, creating Oil Street Art Village, Hong Kong’s first “cultural hot spot” However, by late 1999 the government began its negotiations for the purchase of Oil Street to a private investor, and soon after the artists had been asked to leave. Oil Friction is a testimony of some of the artists’ anger and disappointment of the loss of the Oil Street Art Village. This compilation is curated by Ms Fion Ng and produced by Meta Tech Research and Development Centre.

由13套有關油街藝術村的錄像合成的專輯，當中包括了一些在油街藝術村內的藝術工作者，記錄他們因為失去油街藝術村的不滿，岔怒的見證。油街是北角政府物料供應署的前身，1998年一班有志的藝術工作者，建築師，及一些藝術團體向政府租用了這個地方，發展成為油街藝術村，成為了香港文化「熱點」，但在1999年政府開始計劃把油街出售給一個財團，及後這群藝術家被迫離開。作品集由吳彥真策劃，Meta Tach Research and Development 製作。

Lily LAU is a feminist and local comic artist who draws comics about gender, sex and politics. She studies graphic design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and worked briefly in the design field. Topics of her work include gender and sexuality, ecology and sustainable development, social justice and activism, art and culture. Her work reflects an abiding concern to humanities. She is trying to live a life that she enjoys most and looking for ways to eliminate the boundaries between activists, artistic and commercial spheres. Lily’s commitment to intellectual and activists activities, and her harsh and sassy graphic style, makes her work stands out from the comic world.

PUN Tak-shu began working as a local avant-garde musician making soundtracks for independent film productions in 1984.

KUM Chi-keung held his first sols exhibition “Once Upon A Time” at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre in 1993. He has participated in numerous joint exhibitions in the last decade, including “Inside Out: New Chinese Art” held in New York in 1998. He also participated in the “Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition” of 1996 and won the Urban Council Fine Arts Award of that year.

Wong Chi Wai, John graduated from Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. He was selected to participate in the Artist’s Regional Exchange (ARX5) program between 1998-9, and made installation arts in Singapore and Australia. Currently he is a member of the Zuni Icosahedron. His video work On Our Own won the Bronze Award in the open category in Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards 1999. His first feature-length video The Tourist was screened in the 27th Hong Kong International Film Festival.

CHAN Kwong-wah has always been an active art worker from the days in Oil Street to Cattle Depot Artist Village.

Jamsen Law, born and grew up in Hong Kong, Jamsen Law’s independent video works have been exhibited in festivals in Europe, Asia, North and South America, such as Videobrasil International Electronic Art Festival, Transmediale Berlin and Ogaki Biennale. He also had his solo screenings in Toronto, Tokyo, Busan and Hong Kong. Jamsen’s works explore the meaning of process and existence, consciousness, interiority, desire and fear through multiple artforms.

After his research on media aesthetics in Institute of Advanced Media Art and Science in Japan, he started to curate media arts-related artist-in-residence and collaborative projects. He now teaches visual arts in Hong Kong Design Institute.