Ocula Conversation Cinga Samson: ‘a different conversation on representation’ By Jareh Das, New York Cinga Samson 's paintings lay bare the complex relationship between contemporary life, African traditions, globalisation, and representation. His strikingly sombre portraits contain similarities to those of contemporary painters such as Toyin Ojih Odutola, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye , Kehinde Wiley , Florine Démosthène, and Tunji...
Ocula Report Dhaka Art Summit 2020: Seismic Movements By Radha Mahendru, Dhaka Seismic Movements , the fifth Dhaka Art Summit, plotted movements, solidarities, and exchanges across the Global South with over 500 artists, scholars, curators, and thinkers.
Ocula Insight Guo Hongwei on Seeing Patterns That Don’t Exist By Sherry Paik, New York Guo Hongwei's recent watercolour paintings, showing at Chambers Fine Art in New York from 3 March, trigger pareidolia—the phenomenon of seeing random objects or patterns where they do not exist.
Ocula News Fake Furries Feature in Art Basel Hong Kong's Encounters Section Hong Kong, 28 January 2020 The fair's most Instagrammable section will feature 12 works, including Gimhongsok's fictitious furries and textile off-cuts by Marion Baruch.
Ocula Photolog Art Basel in Hong Kong 2019 'Art Basel reinforces its ongoing commitment to showcasing exceptional art from Asia and the Asia Pacific, with over half of the participating galleries having exhibition spaces in the region. The main sector of the show features 196 of the world's leading galleries presenting the highest quality of painting, sculpture, drawings, installation,...
Ocula Report Taipei Dangdai: Art Fair as Ecosystem By Stephanie Bailey, Taipei There was a great connection between the first edition of Taipei Dangdai (18–20 January 2019), staged on the 4th floor of the Nangang Exhibition Center, and the 11th Taipei Biennial, Post Nature—A Museum as an Ecosystem (17 November 2018–10 March 2019). Installed at the fair's entrance was John Yuyi's live tree, I Tree to Call You...
Ocula Insight Christopher K Ho’s homecoming at De Sarthe: CX 888 By Elliat Albrecht 'Why cover the same ground again?' Odysseus asked in The Odyssey , one of literature's most lionised tales of homecoming. His question is echoed by New York and Telluride-based artist Christopher K Ho in the presentation CX 888 at de Sarthe Gallery, which explores the complexities of departure and arrival through a Hong Kong-specific lens. As...
Ocula Photolog Art Basel in Hong Kong 2018 'The sixth edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong brought together a uniquely global mix of galleries spanning six continents, outstanding artworks by established and new artists from across theworld and a singular gathering of international collectors and institutions.' –Art Basel in Hong Kong (29–31 March 2018).
Ocula Report The Lowdown: shows to see during Hong Kong Art Week By Diana d'Arenberg, Hong Kong Once again, the Hong Kong art machine is gearing up for Art Basel in Hong Kong (29–31 March 2018), now in its sixth edition. With surrounding art fairs like Art Central (27 March–1 April) opening alongside the main event, and an ever-expanding list of exhibitions and happenings taking place, here is a selection of things to see during the week....
Ocula Conversation Adeline Ooi By Diana d'Arenberg, Hong Kong Art Basel Hong Kong has started early this year. I don't mean just the dates, which have been pushed forward from May to March. I mean inboxes are already flooded with invitations for previews and dinners taking place well ahead of the March 22 VIP preview. There are more events, more exhibitions, and certainly more collectors descending upon Hong...
Ocula Insight Wang Guofeng at de Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong By Katie Fallen Following the Chinese artist Wang Guofeng’s recent intervention in the gallery space at de Sarthe Beijing, the artist has just opened a new show at de Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong. While for the Beijing show (entitled Probe ) the artist presented a large site-specific installation, for the Hong Kong exhibition (entitled Probe II ), he...
Ocula Report Ocula Report: ART021 By Sam Gaskin, Shanghai The opening of ART021 on Friday, 20 November ended at Shanghai Night Club (上海之夜), a four-storey karaoke bar run by Chinese collector Qiao Zhibing. Painter Ding Yi held a cigar in his hand and wore a bemused expression on his face as singer QT tottered around the venue’s main stage, watched over by several large Yang Fudong photographs,...
Ocula Report A report from ASIA NOW By Anna Dickie, Paris When details of the new Parisian art fair, ASIA NOW, were announced only very shortly before its inaugural opening on 20th October 2015, it appeared as though the fair might be a last minute job. Yet, it has, according to numerous accounts, been a very successful fair: carefully planned and organised, and well attended by collectors genuinely...
Ocula Photolog Asia Now, Paris 2015 Asia Now Paris Asian Art Fair is the first art fair in Paris dedicated to the Asian scene and designed with a human size format that makes its specificity : each selected gallery presents a curatorial proposition (less than 20 projects) in an environment that allows in-depth relations with the key players of the Asian contemporary art world.
Ocula Report Occupied With Art By Diana d'Arenberg, Hong Kong A hastily cobbled together barricade dissects Connaught Rd. It signals the beginning of the Occupy Central zone where for over eight weeks one of Hong Kong’s main CBD roads has been blocked to all traffic in a pro democracy protest that, in its first few weeks, brought the city to a stand still and captured international attention. A...
Ocula Conversation Pascal De Sarthe By Anna Dickie, Hong Kong Pascal de Sarthe sits in his Hong Kong gallery office surrounded by art books – hundreds of them. They line the walls and they are piled up on his desk, and each book is thoroughly thumbed. In stark contrast to the looming bookshelves are three computer screens, which face de Sarthe at his desk – making him appear more a trader of...
