Autumn 2024
Assemble: Hong Kong in Helsinki
HIAP Gallery Augusta, Suomenlinna, Helsinki
PF25 2024 programme
Performance, Installation & Video Screening
HELSINKI
Assemble : Hong Kong in Helsinki
​Curated by Angelika Li
Saturday 16 November 2024, 2pm - 5pm
HIAP Gallery Augusta, Suomenlinna, Helsinki
Free Entrance
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< Click here for the Curator's Notes <
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2pm Doors Open, installation by Oscar Chan Yik Long on view
2:30pm Ikebana performance 'Assemble’ by Hedy Leung
3pm – 5pm Screening Programme
May Fung ‘She Said Why Me’ (1989), 8 mins
May Fung ‘Image of a City’ (1990), 11 mins
Law Yuk Mui ‘On Junk Bay, The Plant’ (1990-present), 2 mins 56 secs
Ellen Pau ‘Diversion’ (1990), 5 mins 30 secs
Ellen Pau ‘Song of the Goddess’ (1992), 6 mins 50 secs
Luke Ching ‘Pixel’ (2014), 43 secs
Lo Lai Lai Natalie ‘Weather Girl. Halo Daisy’ (2016), 6 mins 32 secs
Yim Sui Fong ‘Black Bird Island’ (2017), 6 mins 32 secs
Lo Lai Lai Natalie ‘Cold Fire’ (2019-2020), 10 mins 18 secs
Leung Chi Wo ‘My Random Diary’ (2020), 18 mins 23 secs
Angela Su ‘This is Not a Game’ (2021), 11 mins 16 secs
Luke Ching ‘Easy to Learn Cantonese – Auf Wiedersehen’ (2023), 1 min 10 secs
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Exhibition & Residency
BASEL
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Borrowed Kitchen. Annie Wan
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Vernissage
Wednesday, 16 October 2024 from 17:00 - 20:00
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Exhibition
17 - 27 October
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Opening Hours
17 - 20 October 15:00 - 19:00
25 - 27 October by appointment Whatsapp +852 9677 1308
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Location
Atelier Mondial Studio 2, Freilagerplatz 9, Münchenstein/Basel, Switzerland
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Enquiry
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In her recent exhibition 'Lost in Translation' during Kunsttage Basel 2024, Hong Kong artist Annie Wan challenged us to confront the ever-shifting landscape of language and meaning, blurring the boundaries between the tangible and the ephemeral. Unlike photographic images, her ceramic reproductions resist nostalgia, instead serving as tangible manifestations of the present moment.
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As part of her residency with PF25 in Basel, Annie is developing a new body of work on food and community. 'Borrowed Kitchen' is a project about art, food, and home. Cooking exchanges, food sharing, and kitchen conversations take place and are captured as food for thought for this ongoing research. Annie draws inspiration from Fabio Parasecoli’s 'In Food, Identity and Cultural Reproduction in Immigrant Communities' (2014).​
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The programme is co-curated by Angelika Li and Donald Mak, hosted by Atelier Mondial, and supported by Christoph Merian Stiftung and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
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Image: Annie Wan, Slice (2024)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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BASEL
EXTENDED TO SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER
VIEWING BY APPOINTING AT CONNECT@PF25.ORG
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​Lost in Translation: an intervention by Annie Wan
Exhibition curated by Angelika Li
Friday–Sunday, 30 August –1 September, 11:00–18:00​
Annie Wan: Stories from Hong Kong
Artist conversation with Daniel Kurjaković (Curator, Kunstmuseum Basel) and
Angelika Li (Director, PF25 cultural projects)
Saturday, 31 August, 14:00–15:00
Talk in English. Free admission.
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Architecture Tour organised by Kunsttage Basel
Sunday, 1 September, 11:00-12:30
Tour in German. Registration essential on Kunsttage website.
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Location
DOMUSHAUS EG, Pfluggässlein 3, 4001 Basel
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Introduction​
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As part of her PF25 residency in Basel, 'Lost in Translation', an intervention of book sculptures and objects by Hong Kong artist Annie Wan will take place at Domushaus, previously an architectural bookshop that has recently been revived as a space for architecture, books and community. Her work explores the transformative power of books, connects the reality and ephemerality of colours and text in relation to architecture and the city, and interrogates the dislocation of artworks and commodities, especially in the shopping culture of Hong Kong, where there is seamless transparency between the street, storefront, and shop interior.
Echoing the multilingual characteristic of Basel, one work consists of ceramics whose form originates from discarded dictionaries, exploring the evolution of language and its cultural significance. Her work reflects the complex linguistic dynamics of Hong Kong, where Cantonese, English, and Putonghua intersect, mirroring the city's complex history, identity, and transformation.
Used dictionaries, gathered from the artist and her friends, which once served as tools for learning English and Chinese (both traditional and simplified), have been transformed into fragile ceramic moulds. These moulds, unable to be opened and stripped of their text, symbolise the shifting linguistic landscape and the delicate nature of language preservation in Hong Kong.
'Reality cannot reappear; people can do nothing but describe or mimic it through various means.'
Annie Wan
Wan's work challenges us to confront the ever-shifting landscape of language and meaning, blurring the boundaries between the tangible and the ephemeral. Unlike photographic images, ceramic reproductions lack a sense of nostalgia but instead serve as tangible manifestations of the present moment.​
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Come join the artist, our guest speaker Daniel Kurjaković, and Angelika Li of PF25 in the 'Stories from Hong Kong' conversation on Saturday 31 August from 14:00 - 15:00. There will also be an architecture tour organised by Kunsttage Basel on Sunday 1 September. Registration is essential.
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Annie Annie Wan Lai-kuen is a distinguished ceramic artist from Hong Kong, celebrated for pushing the boundaries of contemporary ceramic art by exploring the interplay of concepts and materiality. Through her innovative moulding techniques, she reimagines everyday objects, challenging conventional perceptions and fostering new interpretations. Her work addresses issues such as consumerism, the juxtaposition of craftsmanship and mass production, and the intersection of art with the mundane.
Wan was honoured as Artist of the Year (Visual Art) by the Hong Kong Art Development Council for 2019/20 and received a Certificate of Commendation from the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department for her outstanding contributions to the development of arts and culture. She is a fellow of the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) and has extensively participated in a wide array of international exhibitions. Recent solo exhibitions include 'Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread' (2019) at the Hong Kong House of Echigo-Tsumari Art Project, Japan; 'Zan Baak Fo' (2017), Cheung Hing Grocery Store, Hong Kong; and 'Lost in Translation' and 'Borrowed Kitchen' (both in 2024), PF25 cultural projects, Basel. Her notable group exhibitions include the 11th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea; 'Remarking History' (2022), ACC at Art Basel, Hong Kong; 'Interbeing' at The Ceramic House, UK; 'Poetic Heritage' (2021) at Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong; 'Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint' (2019) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art; the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2014) in Kochi, India; and the Asia Triennial Manchester 2014 in Manchester, UK.
She has participated in artist-in-residence programmes at institutions such as the Museum of International Ceramic Art, Denmark; Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Japan; Watershed Centre for the Ceramic Arts, Maine; International Workshop of Ceramic Art in Tokoname, Japan; and PF25 cultural projects, Basel.
Wan's works are featured in collections at M+ Museum, Hong Kong; the Philippe Charriol Foundation; Hong Kong Museum of Art; Burger Collection; Hong Kong Heritage Museum; Hong Kong History Museum; Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Shiga Prefecture, Japan; Christian Dior; New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan; the Museum of International Ceramic Art, Denmark; and IWCAT, Tokoname, Japan.
Recently retired from her position as Associate Professor at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, Wan now resides and works in Taiwan.
Daniel Kurjaković has been curator of programs at Kunstmuseum Basel since 2017. He was the founding curator and head of programs of Burger Collection, Hong Kong; senior lecturer at the University of the Arts Zürich; curator-at-large at Kunsthof Zürich; head curator at CNEAI, Paris; cofounder and director of Memory/Cage Editions, Zurich; and assistant curator at Kunstmuseum Luzern. His essays on artists such as Etel Adnan, Rita McBride, Maxime Bondu, Theaster Gates, Dan Flavin, Vittorio Santoro, Lawrence Weiner, and others have appeared in numerous exhibition catalogs, he has published widely in newspapers and specialized press. He was the founder of Torrent: Magazine for Source Material by Artists. His curatorial work deals with contemporary art from the 1960s to the present, the epistemology of exhibition making, post-media practices, and transcultural aesthetics. He holds a Master’s degree in Art History and Philosophy from the University of Zurich. His thesis was a systematic examination of post-minimalist sculpture, entitled: Skulptur als System von Ereignissen / Sculpture as System of Sensations: Eva Hesse, Sol LeWitt, Bruce Nauman and Richard Tuttle (chair Prof. Stanislaus von Moos).
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​Photo of 'Lost in Translation' (2014), ceramics by Annie Wan. Courtesy the artist.
Photo of 'Stories from Hong Kong' conversation at Domushaus EG. Photo by Julian Salinas. Courtesy PF25 cultural projects.
​Photo of Annie Wan by Julian Salinas.
Photo of Daniel Kurjaković © Alain Kantarjian, Paris.
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Exhibition, Events
BASEL
Inner Alchemy
Hanison Lau Hok-shing x Julia Steiner
curated by Angelika Li
Vernissage Friday 7 June, 6-8pm
PF25 cultural projects: entrance through Nadelberg 33 into Pfeffergässlein 25, Basel.
A site-specific video installation by Julia Steiner will be on view.
Exhibition 8 – 28 June 2024
Viewing by appointment only
connect@PF25.org +41 7678 17678
Art Basel VIP Program
'Inner Alchemy Mixology Hours' by Traditional Chinese Medicine Dietician Modanzski. Her seasonal recipes, specially crafted for this exhibition, offers a blend of wellness and sensory indulgence. A site-specific video installation by Julia Steiner will be on view.
Please refer to the Art Basel VIP Program for details.
General Enquiries celine@PF25.org
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Press Enquiries connect@PF25.org
Link to Curator's Notes & Map
Link to List of Work
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The 'Homeland in Transit' series, initiated in 2019, delves into the narratives and imaginations of 'homeland' from Hong Kong perspectives. It intricately examines boundaries, roots, diaspora, cultural identity, colonial ideologies, displacement, and interweaves them with experiences and voices from other parts of the world. By metaphorically venturing into hydrological cycles—water, clouds, and wind—and reflecting on the concepts of disappearance and silence, the series navigates challenging landscapes, contemplating human conditions and resilience.
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In response to traumas and catastrophes, many questions arise: What can we do? How can we contribute? What steps can we take? How do we react when faced with states of fear, distress, powerlessness, and vulnerability? Instead of solely focusing on external observations, do we also take a moment to turn inward to our inner selves, replenishing our essence, reviving our vital energy, and nurturing spiritual qualities? Can we view the alchemists' pursuit of transmutation as a symbol of transforming inner turmoil into strength?
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In the 11th chapter, 'Inner Alchemy,' the focus is on introspection towards our well-being and inner selves as a process of healing. Curated by Angelika Li, the exhibition brings together Hong Kong artist Hanison Lau Hok-shing and Swiss artist Julia Steiner to cultivate a dialogue through their art. Lau's enchanting sculptures, created between 2014 and 2024, evoke a scholar's cabinet of curiosities, intertwining literati fascination with miniature landscapes. This exhibition marks their debut in Europe. Working in an instinctive language, Steiner’s drawings and sculptures reflect her mindscapes reacting to the space and context. Her new drawings and a newly commissioned site-specific installation for this exhibition will be unveiled at PF25 cultural projects.
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Video above by Michael Du
Photos below by Maris Mezulis
Courtesy of the artists and PF25 cultural projects
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Tumbling Through Time
A solo exhibition of Dorothee Sauter
Villa Renata, Basel
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Vernissage: Saturday, 23 March, 17-21h
Artist-guided Tour: Sunday, 24 March, 16h
Artist - Curator Conversation (in German and English)
Friday, 26. April, 17:30 Uhr
Socinstrasse 16, 4051 Basel
info@villa-renata.ch
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This exhibition is curated by Angelika Li,
co-presented by Villa Renata and PF25 cultural projects
image credit: Julian Salinas
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Curator's Notes
Angelika Li, Tokyo 2024
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From her last solo exhibition in 2021 entitled ‘Geology, Cooking Heart, Curiosity, and other stories’ in Basel, Swiss ceramic artist Dorothee Sauter progresses forward, responding to her observations of the world in ‘Tumbling through time’ at Villa Renata in 2024. Scattering across a white plain in the Garage space, fourteen works made through Sauter’s experiments with her unique techniques test the limits of clay, minerals, porcelain, glazes, pigments. Each piece is individual, yet as a group they generate conversations and resonate with one another’s energy: an animated cycle of scenarios populated with uncanny characters and gestures.
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With three years between the two solo exhibitions of Sauter, the world indeed has faced drastic changes. This has prompted the artist to reflect heavily on the human condition worldwide. The new sculptures created between 2022 and 2024 are given titles such as ‘Risky theory’ (2024), ‘Tumbling through time’ 1 to 3 (2023), Vase 7 (2022), Food gatherer (2022), and Heartbeat (2022).
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To Sauter, her sculptures are films for the mind’s eye: fragments of memory whether conscious or subconscious, moments in a lecture, images in the newspaper, something she has seen but cannot fully understand, stimulation by science and literature. Her goal is not only the finished sculptures and vessels, it is also her developing process: the peculiar poetry of becoming, the dance between intent and chance.
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Images from the news are impactful sources for this exhibition. In a bird’s eye view image, Sauter saw a city that was bombed out 90%. Lives gone, homes and cities falling apart. Rubble, skeletal structures, memories remain. In a newspaper, Sauter saw a photo of two young boys walking in debris, wearing flimsy plastic flip-flops, carrying a large pipe-looking object on their shoulders. What is it they are actually carrying? Where are they heading? To build a water pipe for their grandmother or to prepare a shelter or weapon?
How do we deal with absurdity as humans? To Sauter, nature is where she takes refuge and inspiration. Not only is nature a medium that interconnects her with other people in the world, simply walking in the forest, mountains, being in nature is a healing process on a personal level. Sauter’s curiosity in biology and microbiology leads her to wonder about what plants do. How do they build their networks, and how do they fight against adversity and heal after atrocities? What is the future of humanity?
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Ethno-Botanic Resonance
An Ikebana performance by Hedy Leung
curated by Angelika Li, followed by a panel discussion
The Wash Houses, London Metropolitan University
6 March 2024
In partnership with the Liliesleaf Trust UK and PF25 cultural projects, and in collaboration with Chelsea Physic Garden, CREATURE (Centre for Creative Arts, Cultures and Engagement) presents Ethno-Botanic Resonance. It comprises an artist performance and a panel discussion with art and cultural practitioners, a botany specialist, and a social anthropologist, fostering a visual and conceptual dialogue on ethnobotany across diverse cultural landscapes.
Ethno-Botanic Resonance delves into the profound intersection of ethnobotanical knowledge, cultural well-being practices, and the art of Ikebana. Ethnobotanical studies illuminate the global recognition of herbal bathing as a healing practice deeply ingrained in diverse cultures. Emphasising its dual impact on physical and psychological well-being, the narrative unfolds within the historical context of The Wash Houses, the oldest public washing facility in London since 1847.
Curated by Angelika Li, London-based Hong Kong artist Hedy Leung will embark on a journey through ethnobotanical wisdom, unveiling the interconnectedness of human societies, plant ecosystems, and ancient well-being practices through an Ikebana performance. Weaving a historical entwinement of cultural traditions and botanical insights, the performance elucidates the intrinsic relationship between ethnobotanical knowledge and herbal bathing practices across cultures and time. It explores the shared heritage of botanical wisdom and cultural well-being rituals. Through the integration of medicinal herbs, the performance transcends traditional aesthetic boundaries, offering a contemporary discourse on the ecological and therapeutic aspects of plant life. Collaborating with the Chelsea Physic Garden, Leung meticulously examines each herb for its visual charm and historical-cultural significance in traditional medicine, creating intentional narratives embedded in Ikebana arrangements.
The Ikebana performance will be followed by a panel discussion, with the artist and the curator, on plant-based healing, migration, trade routes, and colonialism across cultural landscapes from South Africa, East Asia to Europe, and beyond.
Panel discussion moderator:
Professor Wessie Ling, Professor of Transcultural Arts and Design at the School of Art, Architecture and design at London Met and the Director of CREATURE.
Click here for full profiles of the panelists:
Caroline Kamana (Liliesleaf Trust UK)
Hedy Leung (Artist)
Angelika Li (PF25)
Dr Jacek Ludwig Scarso (London Met)
Dr Vibe Nielsen (University of Oxford)
Shivani Patel (Chelsea Physic Garden)
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In English, admission free. Registration essential.
Venue: 16 Goulston Street London E1 7TP​
Image above: Courtesy the artist and London Metropolitan University.
Curator Talk
FREIBURG BREISGAU
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From hydrological cycles to disappearance. What’s here and now for Homeland in Transit?
Angelika Li
Till Ten, Kunstverein Freiburg
Thu, 22 Feb 2024, 7pm
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Angelika Li will discuss her exhibition series Homeland in Transit which is channelling narratives and imaginations of ‘homeland’ starting from Hong Kong perspectives: boundaries, roots, diaspora, identity, colonial ideologies, displacement and interweaving them with experiences and voices from other parts of the world. The project was inaugurated in Basel in 2019 and has since expanded to various cities, including Berlin, Murrhardt, Freiburg, Zurich, Zollikon, and Ishigaki. Furthermore, Li will provide insights into PF25 cultural projects, a Kulturverein she co-founded with Donald Mak in 2018. This initiative aims to foster mutual understanding, cultivate an intercultural network, and generate creative energies between Hong Kong and Basel, with a broader outreach extending to other regions in Switzerland and Europe.
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Angelika Li, a Hong Kong curator based in Basel, is dedicated to exploring the essence of places and the connections through culture, heritage, and stories. She actively fosters a continuous dialogue between international communities. Recent projects she has curated include Dorothee Sauter’s solo exhibitions 'Tumbling Through Time', 2024; and 'Geology, Cooking Heart, Curious and other stories', 2021; Isaac Chong Wai’s performance 'Difference/Indifference' at the Basler Münster, 2022; Luke Ching and Mei Cheung’s community projects and exhibitions series 'On the Ground', 2023; Ellen Pau, 'Speculative Generations of Flora Zero', 2023; Hedy’s Leung’s 'Menhir Tapestry 1' for Radio X X_ARTS Festival opening performance, 2023; and her ikebana performance 'Ethno-Botanic Resonance', 2024 with a panel discussion at London Metropolitan University.
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In English, admission free.
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Image: Ellen Pau, Speculative Generation of Flora Zero 明日黃花, 2023, Video installation, Curated by Angelika Li, Courtesy of the artist and PF25 cultural projects
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Partner Institution
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Ma Umi Residencies
PF25 residency partnership announcement
Ishigaki Island, Japan
To inaugurate the Year of the Dragon, we're thrilled to unveil our exciting new partnership with MA UMI RESIDENCIES. This self-funded, non-profit initiative serves as an international platform for artists and researchers, spanning various specialisations, disciplines, and practices. Nestled in the picturesque Northern Peninsula of Ishigaki Island, Japan, participants come together to live and work amidst the serene beauty of this enclave.
The residency aims to foster a vibrant platform for collecting, discussing, and experimenting with the surrounding land, ocean, and local communities. Our PF25 alumna, Hedy Leung, a renowned Sogetsu Ikebana practitioner and sound artist, will be joining MA UMI this March and April. During her residency, she'll delve into the mesmerising world of night blossoms and pollinators, infusing the programme with her distinctive blend of visual and auditory experiences.
Joining Hedy at MA UMI are PF25 co-founders, Angelika Li and Donald Mak, who will collaborate with MA UMI's co-founders, Valerie Portefaix and Manami Fujita. Valerie, herself an alumna of PF25 residency in 2018, continues her ongoing research on water mapping across the oceans between Hong Kong and Basel. This partnership forms another vital connection on the global map, bridging our cities with Ishigaki and fostering an ongoing exchange and dialogue.
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