Artists’ studios have always held a timeless fascination as if stepping inside is tantamount to delving into the recesses of their minds. We will be separating our gallery booth into two distinct areas: a traditional gallery presentation featuring works by a diverse roster of artists and a one-of-a-kind solo installation by b.wing (Hong Kong, China). Following her tremendous success last year, which included the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi acquiring the entire solo booth and the installation pieces to be exhibited at the Royal’s private collection, this year’s newly designed installation will surely be a sight to behold.
This installation pulls back the curtain on what is often deemed an intimate, revered and compelling space, her studio. From the paint splatters across the wooden floor to the rusted windows looking out to one of the world’s costliest ‘concrete jungle’, b.wing hopes to grant fair visitors exclusive access to a replica of her studio space in Hong Kong. This immersive installation is to be perceived as a powerful manifestation of cultural concerns, identity and finding hope within the increasingly expensive and cramped city many call home.
In stark contrast with the art fair’s pristine white walls, visitors will be captivated by a heavily weathered wall with rusted casement windows reminiscent of the facade of old residential buildings in Hong Kong. Looking into these windows, visitors will get their first glimpse of b.wing’s intimate studio space, which visitors can only enter through a long corridor tucked away in the corner of the gallery’s booth. Starting from the narrow hallway leading to b.wing’s studio, the installation is purposely designed for visitors to feel an increasing sense of confinement. Inside the studio, visitors will find a room full of intersecting clues and emotions, making the studio itself an artwork of hidden messages. Like studying an ancient language no one speaks anymore, b.wing invites visitors to unravel all the possibilities lying within, one piece at a time.
From the visitor’s initial expectation of what an artist’s studio should look like to the reality they encounter within the constraints of b.wing’s quirky and tiny studio filled with items shrouded in mystery, we can ensure that the visitor’s experience will be nothing short of suspenseful. The diverse cultural backgrounds of the fair’s visitors will make this installation even more impactful as they will not only get a taste of how it must feel to live in and be an artist in one of the world’s most densely populated cities but also experience the overwhelming sense of optimism pouring out of b.wing’s works. In the artist’s words, “Everything is as pretty as you are and as ugly as you are. It isn’t what is in front of you but everything that’s inside you.” Every city and every person carries a burden of their own, and this installation is a self-portrait that offers everybody a chance to identify or project one’s own experience.
Juxtaposing b.wing’s raw presentation will be an elegant display of our breathtaking collection of mixed media works by our local and international artists. Key highlights include Cynthia Mak’s (Hong Kong, China) revival of traditional Chinese objects and cultures with a contemporary twist, a large-scale wall installation featuring a plethora of ceramic works by Lokz Phoenix (Hong Kong, China) and newly painted canvas paintings by Afa Annfa (Hong Kong, China).
