ArtisTree presents Norwegian artist Fredrik Tjærandsen’s debut Asian show

ArtisTree Selects: Light In/Out Film and Exhibition

International collaboration pushes the boundaries of creativity

As part of the Swire Properties Arts Month 2021 programme, ArtisTree presents ArtisTree Selects: Light In/Out Film and Exhibition from 18 May to 8 June 2021. Marrying fashion with movement, film, photography and the visual arts, this project from Norwegian artist Fredrik Tjærandsen features a large-scale installation, the dance film Light In/Out, and a collection of striking photographs.  

Featuring Tjærandsen’s signature bubble dresses, which earned him viral attention and the prestigious L'Oréal Professional Young Talent Award, this exhibition takes visitors on a journey that combines space, time and light. Visitors can interact with shapes, movement and visual textures in the exhibition. They are also invited to explore a four-metre high, three-dimensional sculpture constructed with the same material as that of the bubble dresses – sustainably and responsibly sourced natural rubber latex from Sri Lanka – and view the Light In/Out film that was shot around Taikoo Place last year.  

Supplementing the exhibition is a collection of photographs by British photographer Carlos Jimenez. The collection features the bubble dresses in different forms and colours, created for the live fashion event series Fashion in Motion at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in 2020.

Priscilla Li, General Manager of Taikoo Place, Swire Properties, said: “We are excited to present this exhibition that resulted from a unique collaboration between ArtisTree and a number of international artists, and which sets out to demonstrate people’s resilience during challenging times. The choreography of Light In/Out blends and interacts harmoniously with the best and most distinctive architectural features of Taikoo Place. We will continue our efforts to bring unique programmes to Hong Kong that can add a new dimension to people’s working lives and help to cement Taikoo Place’s reputation as a global business district.”

Norwegian artist Fredrik Tjærandsen, said: “Through the bubbles, one might experience different perspectives and create deeper connections with ourselves and with the world. Taikoo Place has some fascinating architecture that acts as a ‘stage’ for my designs to interact with in the film. I look forward to sharing my work with everyone in Hong Kong.”

Highlights of the Light In/Out film

• Shot on location around Taikoo Place in 2020, the Light In/Out film came out of a collaboration between international artists and creatives, including London-based Fredrik Tjærandsen, Hong Kong’s leading dance artist Yuri Ng, local choreographer on the rise Frankie Ho, and Portugal-based independent curator and founder of Art Curator Grid, Pauline Foessel.

   

• This is the first time Tjærandsen’s dresses have been taken out of a traditional studio environment for the purpose of a film production.

   

• Due to the pandemic’s travel restrictions, the creative elements of the film, including the choreography and cinematography, were planned and completed virtually.

   

• To fully understand the usage and functionality of Tjærandsen’s dresses, a Hong Kong creative trained under the artist in the UK, learning how to inflate and manoeuvre the fragile garments. Upon his return and following quarantine, the creative supported the dance artists and production teams in Hong Kong in recreating the bubble dresses.

   

• The final outcome is a balance between movement and the bubble material, in a film that draws inspiration from the changing aspects of lives under the pandemic and reflects human resilience and reconnection.

ArtisTree Selects: Light In/Out Film and Exhibition 

Taikoo Place Tenant Preview: 18 May – 23 May 2021, 11am – 7pm 

Public viewing: 24 May – 8 June 2021, 11am – 7pm

Registration for entry to ArtisTree Selects: Light In/Out Film and Exhibition is available through the Taikoo Social app.