Audemars Piguet The biennial Audemars Piguet Contemporary art commissioning project is now in its 5th edition this year. Local multimedia artist, He Xufang, and guest curator, Kwok Ying, who curated the Hong Kong Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, have collaborated to create a large-scale art installation titled “The Moon is Leaving Us.” The work will be exhibited at Tai Kwun starting from April 25, allowing viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the moon, the universe, and art.
Hsu Fanghua has always been deeply interested in the theme of the “moon,” fascinated by its intricate complexity. In 2019, she visited the Audemars Piguet headquarters in Brassus and encountered a full moon while taking a nighttime walk. The moon appeared on a snow-covered hillside, a scene that lingered in her mind. Upon returning to Hong Kong, she began researching lunar bodies and discovered that the moon is slowly moving away from the Earth at a rate of 3.78 centimeters per year, the same rate as our fingernail growth.
The art installation “Silent Passage of the Moon” exhibited in multiple galleries at Tai Kwun is Xu Fanghua’s exploration of lunar history and a reexamination of people’s relationship with the moon, embracing new scientific perspectives through contemporary art. The work is mainly composed of two parts, “Selenite” and “Selena.” The name “Selenite” comes from Herbert George Wells’ science fiction novel “The First Men in the Moon” and is located in the atrium of the duplex gallery, serving as the main light source for the exhibition hall. Selenite consists of 48 mechanical arms arranged in a parabolic shape, each arm fixed with a screen covered with a polarizing mirror, projecting fragmented images of the moon, including historical drawings, images from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other publicly available online data.
In Greek, “Selena” means “moon.” It is a robot created and handcrafted by Xu Fanghua, with components including a picture frame and easel, capable of “drawing” ink paintings of the moon based on the latest data released by NASA. The exhibition showcases 4 sets of moon paintings created by Selena, including a painting where the Earth and moon shadows overlap, displayed side by side in two contrasting perspectives.
For those interested in the exhibition, besides visiting the main venue, you can also visit https://www.audemarspiguet.com/com/en/news/art/phoebe-hui-the-moon-is-leaving-us.html to enjoy “moon viewing” from the comfort of your home.
Date: April 25th to May 23rd
Location: Tai Kwun Heritage and Art Gallery Complex
