This month, just before Art Basel Hong Kong begins, a series of works of art will appear outside the walls of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, including towering pieces, luminous works and pieces reminiscent of old Hong Kong.
Five of these new large-scale works were commissioned for “Art@Harbour,” an outdoor art project by Hong Kong government departments. The port is Victoria Harbor, which separates Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon Peninsula.
Another work was jointly commissioned by M+, the Hong Kong Museum of Contemporary Art, and Hong Kong Art Basel. This work will feature Chinese artist and filmmaker Yang Fudong's new black-and-white film “Sparrows on the Sea,” which will be projected onto the museum's exterior each night.
“Schrödinger's Bed,” one of the “Art@Harbour” projects, is a work by Hong Kong artist Dylan Kwok.
Mr. Kwok's research is named after theoretical physicist Erwin Schrödinger's famous thought experiment, Schrödinger's cat.
The experiment, which the scientist proposed as a commentary on quantum mechanics, suggests that if a cat is in a sealed box containing something that could kill it, you won't know if it's alive or dead until you observe it. So, until you open the box, the cat is both dead and alive.
Mr. Kwok said in an email that his installation in Tamar Park, a coastal green space in the Admiralty district, “consists of nine futuristic daybeds arranged in a tic-tac-toe arrangement. Six checkerboard-patterned balloon cats sit or lie (randomly) on six daybeds out of a total of nine.” These outdoor sofas are programmed to glow in different patterns from 6pm to midnight, surprising visitors sitting on them, he added.
“Needless to say lying on a bench seems to be a taboo in public parks,” Mr Kwok added. “Using a bed as urban furniture is just a dream.” So, he said, these works are meant to spark conversation about public space.
Kwak also said the experiment “made us think differently about the nature of reality.”
“A cat in a box can be dead and alive at the same time before observation,” he said. “You can only tell if someone sitting on a bench is really sleeping (or awake) by trying to wake them up.” He added that the installation asks observers: “What do we want our public life to be like?” “Can daybeds be introduced in the park?”
Another work in the “Art@Harbour” exhibition, also held in Tamar Park, is by teamLab, an international art collective in Tokyo.
This two-part exhibition, 'teamLab: Continuous', consists of huge, glowing ovoids and trees arranged across land and sea.
The organization explained in a press release that the egg-shaped form of the first of the two works, 'Continuously Standing Resonating Life', stands resolutely no matter where it is placed.
“The oval shape continues to stand even if it is pushed by waves, blown by the wind, or pushed by people,” the artist said. “When you push the egg shape, it rises on its own and shines brightly.” The light and sound the ovoid produces resonates with other ovoids and trees nearby.
“When it is quiet, there is no wind, and people nearby are not interacting with the ovoid, the lights begin to blink slowly,” the research team added.
According to teamLab, in the second work, 'Resonating Trees', the light of the trees responds to ovate light. When they react, the wood may change color.
Another installation at Tamar Park by Hong Kong firm Laab Architects, “Harbour Cup,” consists of soccer-inspired sculptures.
When asked about the inspiration for the work, Raab Architects said in an email, “When I searched for inspiration in the field, I found that many people actually came to exercise. This is how the sports theme was born. “We want to create works of art that blend into people’s daily lives, but also break people’s habits or make them rethink the way they do things.”
The company took the sports theme as a starting point, but later capitalized on it. “In the ‘Harbor Cup’ there are no goals for either side and no clear definition of the teams. People have to negotiate with each other about how to play,” the architect explained. “I hope that through play, people – family, friends, acquaintances and strangers – can talk more with each other.”
'Art@Harbor' works will be on display from the Monday before Art Basel opens until June 2.
“Sparrows on the Sea,” which Yang filmed in Hong Kong, features what M+ described in a press release as scenes of “picturesque seaside villages” and “city streets at night.”
Yang said in an email that his film is inspired by beloved films set in Hong Kong, including “In the Mood for Love,” and that the soundtrack will feature “ambient sounds, sounds of the ocean, boats, cars, etc.” of the city. said. People and the people in the building.”
“Each viewer can have their own unique imagination, combining the sounds they hear in the city with the sights they see in the work,” he said.
The film will be shown at the front of the museum from Friday until June 9.
Angelle Siyang-Le, director of Art Basel Hong Kong, said in an email that the fair hopes that outdoor art will “attract a diverse audience, both domestic and international, who are interested in participating in Asia’s dynamic art scene.”
“We aim to connect guests from around the world in Hong Kong by providing immersive experiences that highlight diverse artistic perspectives,” she said. “This includes art lovers, collectors, curators, scholars and individuals interested in exploring and appreciating contemporary art from Asia and beyond.”
When asked about the importance of interactive art today, Raab Architects said, “These days, we are so used to looking at our phones that we don’t recognize each other’s existence. “This is where interactive art comes into play, to disrupt these kinds of presence-non-existence situations, to break up a bit of routine, and to create real connections, even if the connections are fleeting.”