(Featured image: Menshen: Everyday a kilo of gold, by Benoit+Bo, 2019)
The Consulates of Italy, Belgium, Japan, Hungary and Portugal in Hong Kong (and Macau) joins forces to present a set of amazing, new, contemporary art pieces for all to enjoy for free. Exhibited around the city, some in Taipa and others, in the Macau peninsula. This collection includes works by Benoit+Bo, Hungarian Zsuzsa Péreli, Japanese Taniguchi Hiroki, Shinmura Norito and Ren Takaya, among others.
“Prosperous Years”, from the Brussels-based artist duo Benoit+Bo (東波西波 in Chinese) begins with a visual and sound installation of a giant lantern. The lantern is in the shape of heads, named “Happy Heads” by the two artists. The enlightened head tells a poetic and sentimental text in several languages (English, Chinese, French, Spanish, Portuguese and more). This installation symbolizes the universality of art and human feelings in a globalized world. Near the lantern, there is a neon sculpture represents universal symbols of love. In the other room, there are a series of printed digital works which is called “Menshen” in reference to the images of “gatekeepers” from the Chinese culture. The two artists reinterpret the old idea of protective images with new technologies. The recombination of style in photography, the narration of unlike language in audio and mixed application of various cultural factors in digital precisely reflect the borderless vision of the two artists. For more details on this showcase, check here.
Bo, from China and Benoit, from France, hope to create a contemporary art landscape that integrates the cultures of the east and the west by their different cultural world views and artistic languages. They boldly use different elements of folk art and pop culture to link it with inspirations from life, and express a contemporary vision without boundaries through distinctive colours and different materials. The two artists met in Tianjin in 2002 and used to work in Paris in Shanghai. They have been living and doing art creations in Brussels, Belgium since 2015. Their work has been exhibited in galleries and art museum in China, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Australia and South Korea.
GRAPHIC TRIAL 2010 uroko no utsukushisa ni chousensuru, by Shinmura Norito, 2010
The Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong brings, in collaboration with Toppan Printing, a poster exhibition featuring posters of Japanese culture and performing arts. Toppan Printing has produced posters portraying expressions of graphic design and print expressions designed by prominent Japanese contemporary artists. In addition, some specially curated posters from the “Graphic Trial” and the “Traditional Performing Arts of Japan” series (※), as well as a couple of selected arts and crafts items by Japanese modern and contemporary artists will be displayed at the same time. The exhibition will also feature digital works by the media artist Naoko Tosa as well as various art activities such as lectures and demonstrations on craft arts, flower arrangements, tea ceremony, music performances and so on to be held at designated times.
(※) “Graphic Trial” is an experimental attempt that deeply examines the relationship between graphic design and printed expression, seeking out new expressions through experiments in which creators actively challenge printing expressions. “Traditional Performing Arts of Japan” is a series of posters designed in 1981 and 2017 to commemorate the launch of performing arts collaboration between UCLA and Waseda Universities. It’s displayed at Tap Seac Gallery until September 22, 2019.
A New Wave of Passion, by Francesco Lietti, 2018
Colours of Asia compiles works by the Italian artist, Francesco Lietti. He has been living in Hong Kong since early 2006 and his love of this vibrant, eclectic city is immediately apparent in his works, which derives from the mnemonic imagery of the artist, who lives in symbiosis with the themes of travel and discovery.
When first visiting Hong Kong in the summer of 2005, the painter experienced an overwhelming sensation: fascinated by the variety of colours, the rich smells, and the plethora of images he was drawn to return and stay. This exciting metropolis is something you cannot just put into a frame: something would spill out; something would be missing; one can catch the details, but he or she would never be able to capture the entire picture. The artist portrays this through simple and direct forms. He paints naive visions that often have a humorous quality, describing the city in an almost caricatured magnificence. Through the use of striking colors the painter captures the essence of Hong Kong’s famous harbour skyline and makes it his own. His paintings hover between reality and fantasy. Using strong blocks of paint to represent the buildings, Lietti also includes smaller patches of textured colour, which dance across the cityscape, giving it that dream-like, ephemeral quality. The artist works in acrylic and oils on canvas and also adds collage to give his paintings texture and depth. He then finishes his pieces with a thick, glossy resin, further enhancing the brightness of the colours.
Lietti also captures the colors and delights of other Asian destinations. The lush greens of Vietnam and Bali, the golden sunsets of Rajasthan, the deep blue seascapes of the Philippines, these are just some of the many places he has visited and experienced. The artist gives us rare glimpses, merging reality with a magical world. The exhibition is showcased at the Taipa Houses-Exhibitions Gallery.
Finally, the tapestries of Hungarian artist, Zsuzsa Péreli are displayed at the Macao Contemporary Art Center – Navy Yard No. 1 with Looking out of the Credible exhibition. Péreli uses colourful threads, rather than a brush. Expanding the genre of the tapestry, she experiments with new materials, techniques and procedures as she probes into the layers of time and memory. She includes “found objects” in her compositions, demonstrating both a respect for tradition and a desire to break the mould. She also creates aquarelles and collages. The metaphysical and sacred themes that run through her oeuvre mediate between two worlds, intimating and translating for the viewer all that can only be intuited about non-material reality. The exhibition is organized by the Consulate General of Hungary in Hong Kong and Macao.
When: June–September, 2019
Where: Prosperous Years – Old Court Building, 459 Av. da Praia Grande, Macau
Colours of Asia – Taipa Houses-Museum, Avenida da Praia, Carmo area, Taipa
Looking out of the Credible: Tapestries of Zsuzsa Péreli – Navy Yard 1, Macao Contemporary Art Center – Navy Yard No 1, Rua S. Tiago da Barra, Macau
Japanese Culture and Performing Arts Poster Exhibit – Tap Seac Gallery, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Praca Do Tap Seac, Macau
How much: Free admission
For more information, check the joint event’s website
Exhibitions Organized by Foreign Consulates are part of the mega international art and cultural event Art Macao.
Happening from May to October this year, Art Macao brings together cultural institutions, hotel and resort operators, consular missions in Hong Kong and Macau to create an unforgettable atmosphere and cultural vitality to thrill residents and tourists alike.
