Oil Street Art Space's two new exhibitions use water as creative lens to spark imaginations (with photos)
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Zheng Jing's "Oi! Spotlight - Space · Ecology · Poetics: Zheng Jing's Way of Art"
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Zheng, a professor at the China Academy of Art, is a leading figure of public art. His first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, "Oi! Spotlight - Space · Ecology · Poetics: Zheng Jing's Way of Art", explores the possibilities of various non-solid media such as water, sound, air and light within public spaces. He presents several sets of art installations at the Oi! warehouses. Artwork "Echoes of Space·Time - The Pearl of the Orient" was inspired by his childhood memory of playing with reflections in mirrors. Zheng collected a wide range of urban sound elements in Hong Kong, including the distinctive "ding‑ding" of trams, local transit announcements, the melody of local ice‑cream trucks, the clamour of street markets, and local children's songs, transforming them into an integral part of the artwork. Stepping into the gallery at the Oi! Warehouse 1, visitors feel as if they are submerged beneath the waters of Victoria Harbour, looking up while manipulating light from a mirrored installation, tracing time and space through the wave movements beneath the sea surface. At the core of another installation, "Convergence of Time and Space", is a suspended cube, from which beams of light project outward, piercing through the space of the Oi! Warehouse from multiple directions. The artwork "Drifting Bottle" was Zheng's graduation creation more than 20 years ago. He constructed a huge vessel, utilising video projection to encapsulate a human figure in perpetual diving.
Standing on the Oi! Lawn is "Spirit Consonance - Stone's Wandering III". The five sculptural forms, modelled after "Taihu" stones, are clad in golden mirror-like surfaces. Through the manipulation of gas, these "stones" engage in an elemental cycle of "breathing" - as if inhaling and exhaling - allowing energy and spirits to flow continuously, imbuing the work with an unending sense of vitality. Apart from four sculptures inspired by the four famous stones of Jiangnan Classical Gardens, the "Kwong Yat-sau Rock" was created by Zheng using 3D scanning during a field visit to the Kowloon Walled City Park. Oi! Study showcases videos and exhibits related to Zheng's largest and continuously evolving public art initiative in his artistic career to date - the "Expeditionary Light" public art project.
Chan Wai-lap's "Oi! Spotlight - Jeremy's Bathhouse"
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Hong Kong artist Chan Wai-lap presents his new solo exhibition "Oi! Spotlight - Jeremy's Bathhouse" at Oi! Glassie. Continuing his "Swimming" series with an immersive bathhouse installation that blurs the boundaries between reality and imagination.
Chan drew inspiration from bathing cultures across different places and historical periods. The site-specific installation "LEVO LOVE" is composed of more than 1 200 handcrafted ceramic tiles. To create this contemporary version of a "bathhouse" that is uniquely for Hong Kong, Chan travelled to Jingdezhen to learn ceramic firing techniques to produce custom tiles and decorative motifs specifically for the exhibition. Its heart-shaped form evokes immediate associations with love and romance, while also functioning as a spiritual symbol of emotion. Visitors are invited to step into the pool, dissolving the divide between the public and the private, and explore a unique sensory journey about distance, intimacy, and publicness.
Another installation, "Chromatic Soap", captures the intimate relationship between soap and the body, highlighting the former's malleable qualities. The ceramic soaps displayed along the wall metaphorically reflect individual uniqueness within interpersonal relationships, while suggesting the diversity inherent in collective coexistence. The atmosphere of the space evolves through the timed release of mist, creating shifting visual conditions that move between clarity and obscurity, offering an immersive sensory experience.
The exhibitions are presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and organised by Oi!. "Oi! Spotlight - Space · Ecology · Poetics: Zheng Jing's Way of Art" will run from March 19 to October 11, and "Oi! Spotlight - Jeremy's Bathhouse" will run from March 19 to August 30. Admission is free for both exhibitions. Artist tours guided by the two artists will be arranged on March 21 and 22 respectively. For details of the exhibitions, please visit the website www.apo.hk/en/web/apo/oi_projects_and_programmes.html.
Ends/Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:00
Issued at HKT 19:00
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