HONG KONG.- M+ is presenting a brand-new film Sparrow on the Sea (2024) by celebrated Chinese artist and filmmaker Yang Fudong, co-commissioned with Art Basel and presented by UBS. The moving image work is being shown on the M+ Facade every night from Friday, 22 March to Sunday, 9 June 2024. This is the third year M+ has collaborated with Art Basel to activate the Facade, presented by UBS.
Sparrow on the Sea is an ‘architectural film’ as Yang describes, intertwining moving image with Hong Kong’s landscape, architecture, and soundscape. Shot in the vibrant city, home to both M+ and Art Basel’s only fair in Asia, the black-and-white film weaves together enchanting scenes from picturesque seaside villages to the captivating allure of nocturnal city streets. Drawing inspiration from the visual motifs and textures of classic Hong Kong cinema from the 1970s to the 1990s, Yang’s new work evokes a profound sense of nostalgic familiarity. Intended to function as a short poem, the enigmatic work blends moments from Hong Kong’s past and present to offer viewers a glimpse into an unpredictable future. Demonstrating a continuation of the artist's distinctive aesthetic, the work artfully blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, presenting dreamlike narratives that transport viewers to otherworldly realms.
Yang’s unique perspective reveals a resonant world on the light-powered canvas of the M+ Facade. Sparrow on the Sea invites the audience to embrace the ambient soundscapes of the city as an immersive soundtrack accompanying Yang’s moving image, creating a distinct and captivating viewing experience in Hong Kong.
Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, underscores the significance of M+'s strong, ongoing partnership with Art Basel, ‘As we embark on another year of collaboration with Art Basel and UBS, I am truly excited about the opportunity for M+ to strengthen our relationship with the co-commissioned work by Yang Fudong. This work presents the landscape of Hong Kong in a poetic way and invites our global audience to reimagine this city and discover its boundless creative possibilities.’
Angelle Siyang-Le, Director, Art Basel Hong Kong, says, ‘2024 signifies a year of reconnection. One of Art Basel’s key missions is to activate the entire region from Hong Kong and we can only achieve this with the support of our community. I am thrilled to build a continuous partnership with M+ to continue showcasing the exceptional art scene in Hong Kong. The premiere of Yang Fudong's new video work on the M+ Facade is an extraordinary project that unites our community, ignites a collective spirit that fosters new opportunities, and unleashes boundless possibilities.’
Doryun Chong, Deputy Director, Curatorial and Chief Curator, M+, highlights Yang's prominence as one of the most important Chinese artists today, ‘Known and respected worldwide for his highly refined and sensuous moving image works, Yang’s films often deliberately suspend and confuse time, collapsing the past and the present. His works also delve into the structures and forms of identities found within myths, personal memories, and life experiences, offering a unique visual interpretation of the subject from multiple cultural perspectives.’
Ulanda Blair, Curator, Moving Image, M+, and Kate Gu, Associate Curator, Digital Special Projects, M+, add, ‘With his new “architectural film” Sparrow on the Sea, Yang has carefully considered the physicality and context of the M+ Facade. The work extends beyond the M+ building to incorporate the city’s ambient and spatialised soundscape that changes depending on the location of the audience. Imbued with signature pathos, the new work presents an open-ended and existential narrative that blends everyday rituals with dream states to gently provoke audience imagination. It also pays homage to Hong Kong’s artistic community, including the late Ho Fan, whose striking black-and-white photographs and films display a similar command of light and shadow.’
Yang Fudong shares his excitement about the Facade commission Sparrow on the Sea, ‘I am grateful to have been invited by M+ and Art Basel to create this new work, marking my first site-specific project in Hong Kong. Crafting my moving image work for the city, set against its unique soundscape, is a tremendous privilege. Hong Kong, with its beauty and diversity, holds a special place in my heart as the birthplace of great movies and music from my childhood.’
Yang Fudong (b. 1971) was born in Beijing and now lives and works in Shanghai. He graduated from the Department of Oil Painting, China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. He started creating video works in the late 1990s before working on a wide range of mediums including photography, painting, film, and installation. Yang has participated in prestigious international art exhibitions at Suzhou Museum (2019); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2017); Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris (2016); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2013); Tate Liverpool (2007); Tate Modern, London (2004); and Centre Pompidou, Paris (2003). Yang’s solo exhibitions have been hosted by acclaimed institutions and galleries, including North Hill, Art Basel, Switzerland (2023); Endless Peaks, ShanghART, Shanghai (2020); Dawn Breaking, Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai (2018); Moving Mountains, Shanghai Center of Photography (2016); Twin Tracks: Yang Fudong Solo Exhibition, Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2015); The Light That I Feel, SALT outdoor video installation, Sandhornøya, Norway (2014); Yang Fudong: Estranged Paradise, Works 1993–2013, Kunsthalle Zürich, Switzerland (2013); and Quote Out of Context, OCT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shanghai (2012).
