In February, while I was crafting a piece for the Michelin Guide, Art Central stood out as a highlight. This year marked the 10th anniversary of this artistic extravaganza, celebrated for its display of groundbreaking and extraordinary art. Eager for fresh inspiration, I revisited the event and anticipated the unexpected.
Walking around Central has always been a pleasure for me. I strolled through the bustling commercial hub to the Central Harbourfront, where excitement filled the air. On a warm day, I entered the venue with a glass of rosé to add a sparkle to my visit.
Photography looking at space
The first piece that captivated me was Taiwanese artist Shen Chao-Liang’s photograph of a neon-lit travelling stage. This glowing structure serves as a mobile platform for street performers. The pop-up stage dominates the picture, but there is not a single soul. With neon-light decorations of dragons, lion dancing, and dome-like architecture, the stage assumes a dreamlike quality. I can imagine seeing it at a night market in Taiwan, surrounded by chattering crowds. The emptiness highlights the stage’s connection to the community.
This piece reminded me of German photographer Candida Höfer’s work. Two years ago, I visited her exhibition of large-scale photographs of European cultural venues at the Macao Museum of Art. Like Shen’s, her photographs feature no people, yet the grandeur of the interiors evokes a rich sense of humanity. What is the function of this structure? I asked myself while admiring the stunning views. While Höfer’s work poses questions different from Shen’s, both inspire reflections on our connection to the structures that shape our lives.
Also presented by Avocado Art Space was Lo Sheng-Wen’s photograph of polar bears. One at the front is observed by a crowd on the left. Below the crowd, a young person gazes up curiously at the bear. This piece, which won the LensCulture Emerging Talent Awards in 2016, incorporates a large expanse of turquoise water and cleverly creates an interplay of gazes. It raises questions about the well-being of wildlife and our relationship with nature.
Go look for your mountain
Mountains serve as sanctuaries in many Chinese ink paintings. They are pleasant to look at, venture through and reside in (可觀、可遊、可居) for travelling literati in ancient times. Lok Yuen Tung’s “The Power of Harmony” (2024) features three pieces, each consisting of 16 grids of mountains. The sumptuous palette includes shades of yellow, red, orange, green, and blue, with several threads hanging from each grid. The playful interplay of light, shadow, and colours makes these mountains a delightful space for contemplation (可思). This piece earned the silver at the UOB Art in Ink Awards in 2024 and is a surprising find for me.
Take time to smell the rose
The event features some compelling black-and-white photographs by the late Japanese photographer Eikoh Hosoe (1933-2024). Apart from his early remarkable work “Man and Woman”, the see+ Gallery displays Hosoe’s iconic artwork, “Ordeal by Roses #32”. It features the Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima (1925-1970). Ordeal by Roses (1961) is a collection of provocative black-and-white photographs featuring Mishima as the muse. This piece features a striking composition where you can’t see the writer’s muscular build but his ardent gaze, and a delicate rose. Roses often symbolise desire, but I find the desire of Mishima’s gaze even more intense. I simply couldn’t take my eyes off his face.
Threads of connection
If you look for something to marvel at, Hong Kong artist Alfred Cheng’s thread art is your cup of tea. I must admit I was unfamiliar with Cheng’s practices before visiting Art Central. When I walked along the stalls of galleries, his “Choir No.2” (2025) drew my attention with threads weaving an image of some children in a choir. I was tempted to look closer, only to find dense thread work on nails. You must step back a bit to appreciate its eloquence and simplicity. It seems that you could even hear the children sing. Yes, as simple as that. I visited his website and watched a video of him creating an artwork with threads and nails — an absolute spectacle.
Emotions in every frame
I was drawn to Lise Johansson’s “Within Frames #2” (2024), which features a woman gazing out of a window. I wonder what she stares at or if she’s simply lost in thought. Is she contemplating her existence outside the frame? The residential blocks out of the window suggest that she is in a home—her home or someone else’s? I don’t know, but she seems uncomfortable. The space is in the shade, and so is the plant (Ah, plants need sunshine.) The sunlight streaming through the window casts grids of shadows on the floor, indicating her limited physical and mental space. The work evokes a pristine atmosphere while prompting many questions. Visit her website to explore more of her “Within Frames” series.
Gorgeous colours speak volumes
Two artists intrigue me with their palettes: French-Chinese artist Feng Xiao-Min and Korean artist Heungduk Lee.
Presented by Opera Gallery, Feng Xiao-Min’s “Composition n°22.3.20” (2020) is highly aesthetically pleasant. The shades of lemon yellow, olive green and black suggest a rural scenery. The abstract illustration of distant woods with trees wavering in the wind. The bold brushstrokes of yellow and green abstractly suggest the wind or the vitality of the field. It evokes the viewers’ imagination and memories. You are not sure which scenery it tries to depict, but that’s not the point. You seem to be able to feel the breeze (or the gust) in the field.
At the fair, the Kwanhoon Gallery presented Heungduk Lee’s oil painting “Beach Cafe” (2025). The vibrant palette of glaring pink, rouge, indigo and azure plays in concert. However, these uplifting shades draw your attention to the characters’ thoughts. The ladies, one in a blue swimming suit standing behind the one in yellow, seem to contemplate some life challenges. The lady holding a drink and the girl standing awkwardly next to the cafe’s pillar look perplexed. A great deal of psychological drama unfolds in this piece. What about the three people (one as grey as a statue) standing at the far left? They are looking at the sea with their backs to us. We can never fathom their inner conflicts.
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Images taken by Vivianna Cheong at Art Central HK