Hauser & Wirth’s private party to celebrate Lorna Simpson’s solo exhibition could not have been better timed
Hauser & Wirth’s private party on July 3 to celebrate Lorna Simpson’s solo exhibition could not have been better timed: one week later, Hong Kong was back to strict restrictions on gatherings.
The event was cohosted by Fiona Römer, one of Hauser & Wirth’s senior directors, and art collector Vicky Lam. “[Those within] the art community have always gravitated naturally towards each other,” says Lam. “And because of Covid-19, it seems that people have more time to spend exploring their passion and studying art.”
Simpson’s show drew a crowd of familiar faces, including Alfredo Tsui, Pauline Lo-Chu, Daisy Leung, Honus Tandijono, Jonathan Cheung, Audry Ai-Morrow and Renee Hung.
The large-scale blue paintings, which use images of inhospitable worlds of ice as a metaphor for life in the US today, captured Lam’s imagination.
“The hazy washes of ink and acrylic over gesso capture the mystifying allure of an imaginary arctic landscape,” Lam says. “It’s both arresting and poetic.”
Lam also highlights collages that depict black women and speak to issues around race in the US in a way Lam found she could identify with. “Thinking of the lives of Asians living in the US, I resonate with her experience living as a minority. The more I learn about Lorna Simpson, the more I appreciate her work.”
Guests took in the heavy-hitting works while moving to the tunes of Gilbert Yeung, founder of local nightlife institutions Dragon-i and Tazmania Ballroom. Meanwhile, for those looking for something to warm them up, Hauser & Wirth announced a new gallery will open in Menorca, Spain next year, adding to a network of spaces across the world in cities including London, New York and Los Angeles.
See also: Hong Kong's Creative Community Comes Together At Design Trust Charity Auction
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