HONG KONG.- Ora-Ora is presenting an exciting two-part exhibition of leading-edge Non-Fungible Token (‘NFT’) artworks, entitled Poetic Enigma. Poetic Enigma I is already open at Q9 Crypto Hub until January 21, featuring NFT innovators such as Peng Jian, Cindy Ng and Ernest Chang among others. The venue for Poetic Enigma II is Ora-Ora’s Tai Kwun gallery space, where it will run from January 17 to February 13.
Poetic Enigma alludes to a tendency to romanticize that which we do not understand or cannot directly experience, giving full rein to the attractions of mystery, the unattainable and the unrequited. Fast technological change habitually stands in opposition to this tendency, often provoking feelings of disturbance, disorientation or resentment outside the circle of trusted initiates. Poetic Enigma places innovation in our immediate and familiar orbit. In so doing, it invites visitors to dispel suspicion and give way to naivety, wonderment and romance, mindfully deferring understanding and revelling in sensory abandonment.
Ora-Ora’s quest to the frontiers of the possible is embodied at the beginning of 2022 by this two-part exploration at the forefront of the ever-changing NFT landscape. The combination of artistic and technological pioneering forms the springboard for the ingenious, the unforeseen and the deftly innovative.
Ora-Ora has partnered with Q9 Capital, a leading full-service crypto investment hub for individuals and institutions. Taking place at the Q9 Crypto Hub, Poetic Enigma I is an exhibition of NFTs created by three of the most innovative contemporary artists and four NFT creators established in the digital world. Poetic Enigma II will include new work by Ernest Chang, as well as additional contributions from Ora-Ora’s artists. The entire exhibition constructs a unique crucible of innovators highly attuned to the dynamically evolving digital landscape in the worlds of art and technology.
Most noteworthy in Poetic Enigma I are works by three artists with contemporary art practices predating the age of NFTs. Hunan-based artist Peng Jian expounds on the ancient Chinese architectural discipline of jiehua. The process is rigorous yet meditative, and this precision and clarity of mind are reflected in Harmony X, a colourful and geometric composition that is balanced and harmonious. By disrupting this ordered universe, the artist introduces the concept of the void. One by one, the geometric blocks fall out of the picture in reverse tetris style, lulling viewers back to square one of their existence.
Born in Macau and based in Beijing, Cindy Ng reinterprets her contemporary Chinese ink works in sensual flowing digital creations, promoting much-needed therapeutic serenity. Her NFTs preserve the unscripted immediacy of her performances, during which she pours, mixes and activates varied liquids and substances. With an inherent understanding of how the fluids interact, the artist summons beaches, far-off constellations and other natural phenomena. In Flower 01, the surreally swaying, biomorphic forms create an abstract visual feast, rich in body and colour.
US-born, Hong Kong-based artist Ernest Chang is the founder of The Stallery, a hybrid gallery and studio. Using cutting-edge visual media, digital innovation, and futuristic elements, Chang’s NFTs investigate the themes of contemporary urban life, consumerism and technology. Using heightened colour contrast, Not to be Reproduced is inspired by the legendary Belgian surrealist artist, René Magritte (1898-1967). The theme of space exploration offers a respite from an unsatisfying reality, becoming a metaphor for Chang’s escape from a mundane existence.
Other works included in the exhibition highlight the plethora of possibilities intrinsic to blockchain innovation and exploration. This potentiality emboldens our natural instinct to create, explore, question, and escape. Infinite Tiles is an art collection generated from unique ETH addresses, with fluctuating pricing of each mint. Loot (for Adventurers) is a collection of 8,000 unique bags of adventurer gear. Stripped of ownership, direction or intent, Loots allows creators to use these in any way they want. Mendel Genesis Odyssey was created by Remy Bond, and is a collection of 770 NFTs based on the adventures of the astronaut Mendel. Other NFTs by artist Pak are interactive project and strategy games, each possessing different requirements and rules that challenge a player’s intellectual boundaries.
