1. Angela Yuen and vintage toys
Angela Yuen’s latest exhibition The Lost Time Travel Machine seemingly showcases still frames from old Hong Kong movies. But look closer, her pieces are made with a collection of old-fashioned plastic objects: rubber ducks, toy soldiers, capsule toys, tea party sets, floral beads, hair curlers, rulers, and stencils. Tarnished and apparently valueless they may be, but all are treasures from the 70s and 80s, the golden era when plastic and toy manufacturing dominated the postwar industrial sector of Hong Kong. “The material is imbued with symbolic meaning associated with the spirit, sweat and hardship of the local labour, and plastic manufactured objects serve as an iconic representation of Hong Kong’s manufacturing boom that shapes the early stages of the city’s modernisation,” says Yuen. These materials cast colourful shadows on her sculptures and installations, reminding viewers of Hong Kong’ magnificent skylines and street scenes. Her artistic inspiration? None other than her father, who used to watch classic Hong Kong movies with the prodigy.
Yuen’s exhibition lasts until 31 March 2020 at Contemporary by Angela Li. More about her work can be found here.
See also: 10 Galleries To Check Out In Art Basel's Online Viewing Rooms