TREVOR YEUNG

Most of them come from Thailand, where they are farmed in tiny glass bottles until they’re shipped worldwide. As the male fish are aggressive and territorial by nature, they must be bred in silos. Since people are drawn to their vivid colors, they often use mirrors and sticks to provoke bettas into believing they’re being confronted by another of their kind, causing them to spread their tails. This kind of display suggests both aggression and courtship. Trevor Yeung accrued his knowledge on fighting fish from his own experience of keeping them and various other sources.

Meticulous in his method, Yeung not only understands their nature but also the kinds of systems surrounding them. Over time, he saw an affinity between fighting fish and people. Fish being kept in tanks are like people immersed in social media, constantly living under the gaze of others. Fighting fish are always alone. There are three parts to the exhibition: A large bubble nest, where fighting fish frolick; A matrix of thousands of glass bottles, where fighting fish grow; A gladiatorial shelf of tanks, where fighting fish flaunt themselves–to others and to their own reflection. These rooms mirror scenes from contemporary life.