The art connoisseur shares what we can expect from her gallery in the upcoming Art Central.
Rarely has the art scene in Hong Kong been as proactive and dynamic as it was in the recent one to two years, with pop-ups and an intriguing lineup of exhibitions more than making up for the postponed and cancelled shows.
Arguably no one knows it better than Jaime Lau, whose gallery has been a permanent fixture in the local art scene since founded in 2013. Now comes the year’s big-ticket entrant to the market, Art Central, The Spectacle Group is unveiling a range of digital, NFT and physical works from prominent international artists.
Among the highlights is the ground-breaking “Figures” NFT collection by Adam Neate, in which the British street artist has created the world’s first NFTs to interact with a physical component. “By projecting animations on cardboard paintings, it combines the physical and the virtual, the permanent (animation) and the fragile (cardboard),” Lau says. “Even without the projection, the painted cardboard is a piece of art in its own right.”
It isn’t the only technologically and artistically innovative work Lau is showcasing. Belgian art photographer Antoine Gaussin’s “Uncharted” collection is the first NFT with an unlockable function, presenting a bird’s eye view of the abstract and geometric beauty of aviation hubs that keep us in the air, along with an exclusive five-part behind-the-scenes video of the inspiring work taking shape.
As 2022 coincides with Hong Kong’s 25th handover anniversary, look out for Birdy Chu's NFT photography taken back in 1997. "Resurrection", in particular, captures the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China, most of whom are female soldiers donned in emerald-coloured outfits with a beret cap, performing the first dance against a crimson backdrop on the day of the city’s handover.
Lau says that the photography affords Hongkongers a softer side of the army as the stage came alive with the rhythmic flow of the Communist colours of red and green. "It was a memorable event as the PLA came to Hong Kong not for a military march but a first dance performance, something the city’s colonially-raised community were unfamiliar with. The work is significant in that it marks the beginning of the political power shift and the rebirth of Hong Kong, hence the title 'Resurrection'."
Another work worth mentioning is the art and philosophical scholar Frank Vigneron’s “Le Songe Creux” painting laden with colourful inks of spirals and dots to recreate a sense of infinity.
“Although thousands of lines can be seen coiling, layering and intertwining, when you look closely, you see that the central focus of Vigneron’s map-like paintings are the void spaces created in between,” Lau explains. “The painting has such an immersive draw as if we are there with him during the creation process, inviting us into a calming meditative state.”
Also on display is a 3D virtual sculpture created by Vigneron for the same series, one of the artist's first NFT artworks at The Spectacle Group. Made of the intricate lines and colour Vigneron is known of, the work is visually stunning and can be viewed in augmented reality or inside the NOIZ metaverse.
