7 art exhibitions you can't miss this summer

Galleries all across Hong Kong are opening their doors to the public this summer. From Katsuyoshi’s brand new “Cosmic View of Earth” show that builds upon his acclaimed ‘Inokuma Blue’ series, to the seven-week long “Play and Loop” motion picture exhibition, featuring eight different Chinese artists, there is truly something for everyone. Here are a few of the shows that you absolutely need to make it to.

Cosmic View of Earth

Celebrated Japanese artist Katsuyoshi Inokuma, best known for his ‘Inokuma Blue’ Series, has opened a show at the Whitestone Gallery, featuring an array of acrylic and pastel paintings. Among the artworks in the exhibition is a newly-created eight-meter painting of Inokuma’s signature ultramarine blue. Much like his past creations, Inokuma aims to present artworks that call upon a viewer’s past emotional experiences through colors that occur naturally in nature; his famous ‘Inokuma Blue’ series was heavily inspired by water and the sky. The exhibition will be on display until the end of July. 

When: July 6-29 2018, Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm

White Stone Gallery, 7-8/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong, +852 2523 8001, whitestone-gallery.com

Tedious Paradise

Working with acrylic and oil paint on canvas, as well as watercolors on Starbucks napkins, Wang Yuping depicts scenes from his time spent in Thailand in a very distinct way. Focusing on capturing the essence of memory, every piece conducts a somewhat dream-like aura; Yuping’s artwork focuses on things that peaked his curiosity during his travels, and were preserved by his own memory. Tuk tuks painted from the driver’s perspective evoke feelings of nostalgia and history, with cats scuttling across the streets, and uniquely decorated dashboards each telling a different story. His invigorating use of color brings each scene alive, be it one from reality or his elsewhere. You can check out Wang Yuping’s work until the end of July.

When: June 22 – July 28 2018, Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm

Tang Contemporary Art, 10/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong, +852 2682 8289, tangcontemporary.com

Play and Loop

The Blindspot Gallery very recently opened an exhibition featuring both iconic and recent video works from locally and internationally active Chinese artists Cheng Rana, Hao Jingban, Jiang Zhi, Li Ming, Lin Ke, Tao Hui, Wang Tui and Shen Xin. Works from 1-2 of the artists will be screened each week at the gallery, presented on continuous loops during the opening hours of the gallery. Those who are able to make it out to the exhibition this week can expect to see works from Jiang Zhi. Zhi is famous for his 1999 film Forefinger, a documentary feature that follows the struggles of Chinese poet Forefinger in the throws of mental illness and the Cultural Revolution.

When: July 10 – 25 August 2018, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm

Blindspot Gallery, 15/F, Po Chai Industrustrial Building, 28 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong, +852 2517 6238, blindspotgallery.com

KOTODAMA

In an effort to emphasize the importance of language in an age when so many seem to be withering away, the KOTODOMA exhibition looks to explore the power of language itself. The name of the exhibition itself comes from the japanese belief “that words can magically affect objects, carrying and enacting the speaker’s will in their curses or blessings.” KOTODAMA features artworks that examine the idiosyncrasies of different languages, as well as a program investigating different forms of hip hop around the world and their influence as the powerful forms of modern poetry that they have become for so many disenfranchised communities.

When: June 16 – 26 August, 2018, Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 7pm

Para Site, 22F Wing Wah Industrial Building, 677 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, +852 2517 4620, para-site.org.hk

Brilliant City

A group exhibition curated by Leo Xu is currently showing at the David Zwirner gallery in Central. The show focuses on the variety of perspectives that individuals have when it comes to interpreting a complex urban environment such as Hong Kong, and features work from seven different artists who grew up around the globe and in a variety of time periods. The gallery looks to juxtapose these artists’ work against one another in the David Zwirner space to explore how generational differences inform each artists’ take on urban environments. The title of the exhibition is inspired by the lyrics of 1987 Cantopop classic “Starry Night,” a song that speaks to the exciting energy that Hong Kong has at night, along with the inhibiting emotions that the city supposedly instills upon its youth.

From: July 6 – August 4 2018, Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm

David Zwirner, 5-6/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2119 5900, davidzwirner.com

New Waves

Prompted by the elastic lifestyle of California surfers, LA-born artist, writer, and eyewear designer Alex Israel looks recreate the feeling of contented pacificity through his art: “…I often think about my approach as related to surfing: I’m on a wave, and I either go with it or I don’t. In some ways, I find it interesting to let myself go with it, to see where it goes and to see how it works…” Israel’s “New Waves” show is his first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, and can be seen at the Gagosian Gallery in Central. Many of his works call back to his 2017 film SPF-18, a romantic comedy in where he captures the nostalgic qualities of the LA coast.

When: May 24 – August 11 2018, Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm

Gagosian, 7/F Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, +852 2151 0555, gagosian.com

Flying Taxi

Head over to Hotel Jen to check out the results of the “Discovery: Photography Prize” competition, a contest hosted by Affordable Art Fair alongside Hotel Jen where emerging photographers were challenged to take to the streets of Hong Kong and produce exceptional street photography. Nine finalist artists were given the opportunity to display their work at this year’s Affordable Art Fair to over 25,000 attendees. Out of all the photographs showcased at the fair, Tommy Fung’s surreal image, “Flying Taxi,” was awarded first place by a vote made by over 8,000 members of the public, both at the fair and over social media. His photograph will now be the centerpiece of a 30-day solo exhibition at three separate Hotel Jen properties located in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Singapore.

When: July 3 – 1 August 2018

Hotel Jen Hong Kong, 508 Queen’s Rd W, Kennedy Town, +852 2974 1234, hoteljen.com