K11 Art Karnival 2022

EVENT DESCRIPTION

K11’s highly anticipated annual Art Karnival returns tomorrow for a nation-wide fête! Perspectives will be challenged as a Karnival of artworks invite visitors to question what’s real and tangible, and what’s not! Take a leap into an unfamiliar realm of art and embark on a journey of imagination today!

Unleashing a torrent of creativity, K11 MUSEA is the place to catch exciting artworks from rising artists and renowned maestros alike. Running from 29 July to 11 September, this year’s Art Karnival will once again take all on a journey spanning multiple floors of K11 MUSEA. The Karnival showcases over 20 works from some of the biggest names in the global art and design scene.

Following last year’s inaugural Art Karnival, K11 MUSEA continues its vision to democratise art, culture, and design — inviting art lovers to leap into the surreal, the whimsical, and all that is fun and colourful. With the mission to propagate art and incubate culture in the community, the second Art Karnival promises to be bigger and better, pushing boundaries and borders beyond the limit.

Two Extraordinary Showcases:
Alexvi: Three Distances & ‘Cake Illusions’

Beijing fashion photographer Alexvi makes his debut exhibition in Hong Kong with Alexvi: Three Distances. Displayed in three parts, the showcase consolidates the photographer’s many years of art practice, with works from his ‘Back to Black’, ‘Peking Apartments’, and ‘Lonely Planet’ series. In ‘Back to Black’, Alexvi features globally distinguished celebrities and well-known personalities in a series of black and white close-up portraits. ‘Peking Apartments’ peeks into the lives of foreign models in their apartments in Beijing, examining the humans behind the glamour. ‘Lonely Planet’ captures isolated individuals from 12 countries and 40 cities staring at phone screens. Visitors are also invited to take part in an interactive experience from the ‘Back to Black’ series, where they can have their own digital Polaroid taken in Alexvi’s signature style.

Explore the moody depths of iconic portraiture and get your own likeness taken in the same signature style, and scan the QR code to take it home as a souvenir!

Bringing a sense of humour and wonder to Art Karnival, the creative, playful, and quirky ‘Cake Illusions’ is Hong Kong’s first-ever illusion cake showcase. Presented by Alison Chan, Cake Artist and Founder of Dear Harley Bakery, this showcase challenges viewers’ visual perception with more than 20 replicas of everyday objects made with confectionary. These illusion cakes will be displayed on a 6-metre long table along with real everyday objects. At a special corner presenting 5 mundane items, visitors can join in on the fun by voting for the object they think is cake. During the showcase, Chan will also be hosting weekend “cake-cutting” ceremonies on selected days to reveal a cake hidden in plain sight!

Over 20 Spectacular Artworks by International and Local Artists

The first artwork to be unveiled for Art Karnival, Osaka-born artist Chiharu Shiota’s I hope… is a 12- metre long marquee installation that has already attracted much attention in the past 2 weeks. Suspended 10 metres above the ground, the installation, made with rope, paper, and steel, presents six steel boats — containing thousands of handwritten letters with words of hope — afloat in an ocean of collective blessings. Inspired by this majestic installation, K11 MUSEA’s Artisan Lounge is offering a special afternoon tea set for visitors featuring a curation of red desserts made with strawberries, roses, and cranberries.

Another highlight, seen upon entering K11 MUSEA, is David Altmejd’s The Eve, which explores the relationship between the body and architecture. A solitary figure sits upside down, suspended in space, inviting viewers to reflect on the blurred boundaries between inside and out, surface and structure, and reality and abstraction.

Beethoven’s Trumpet (With Ear), Opus 127 is a 2007 creation by late American conceptual artist John Baldessari. Named after one of Beethoven’s final quartets, the large sculpture comprises of a fiberglass ear and a bronze trumpet. A melody from the string quartet No. 12 in E♭ Major, op. 127 can be heard upon standing at the bell of the trumpet after speaking into the interactive installation.

Visitors can also step inside Zhang Enli’s Studio, a true-to-size reproduction of the painter’s 9-sq.m. studio, where he worked after graduating from college in Shanghai. This replica was constructed during a month-long residency artist-in-residency programme, co-presented by K11 Art Foundation and The Royal Academy of Arts, London, back in in 2018.

Fashion designer Martin Margiela makes a bold point with his sculpture, Red Nails Model. Reflecting the notion of artificial female beauty in the 1990s, these oversized crimson acrylic nails are a symbol celebrating the beauty in the fragile and the fleeting.

Erwin Wurm’s performance work, One Minute Sculptures, challenges viewers to take part in unconventional interactions with everyday objects — such as tennis balls, milk cartons, and stuffed animals — by posing with them for 1 minute. Engaging the viewer into active creation, this series democratises the medium of the sculpture, challenging its long-standing function by allowing anyone to become a work of art.

Immerse Yourself in World-Class Art

For a truly immersive experience, visitors are invited to join complimentary and docent-led Art Karnival Tours at K11 MUSEA. (Please book the tour here: https://bit.ly/3b0sY1t ) The Digital Art Map with the K11 HK mobile map also provides audio guides and virtual tours for visitors to explore the stories behind selected artworks.

Savour the taste of art with a limited-time curation of delicacies at selected restaurants, prepared specially for Art Karnival. Exclusive limited-edition face masks and art merchandise are available for purchase at K11 ESHOP.