Landscapes are also mindscapes and the heart's realm. In this exhibition, artist Danny Lee Chin-fai and designer Chris Cheung Hon-him demonstrate how creative minds can be inspired so much alike as they discover the dynamic spirit hidden in landscapes. The moment we enter the realms they create, we seem to be revisiting Nature in its most pristine state; we can share their insights into what is mountain and what is water, and stroll along the soulful paths paved by nature.

Danny Lee knows very well the inspirational empowerment of nature. He believes the infinite wisdom embodied in natural landscapes will enable busy urbanites to pause, take stock of themselves, and reset into the pristine world they once inhabited. His work Change of State, a sculpture consisting of multiple sets of mirrors, is akin to a three-dimensional landscape painting. As visitors approach the work, the stainless-steel facets reflect their face, as well as the people and objects around them, forming an image that signifies the inseparable nature between people and their surroundings. Similarly, our perception of nature may change with time and life experience. As the wise Song Dynasty Zen Buddhist monk Qingyuan wrote, "To see a mountain as a mountain, and water as water." (The extended meaning is that we will experience a revelation only after gaining a lot of life experience; only then will we finally see the world for what it is.) The artist invites the viewers to enter his realm to experience the joy of curated nature.

Since ancient times, the Chinese literati have taken nature as a transferred epithet in their poetic writing to express their thoughts and emotions. The great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai wrote, "Do you not see the water of the Yellow River pouring from the sky, rushing towards the sea and never coming back?" Chris Cheung realises that the grandeur of a flowing river may purge our troubled minds and even help us make peace with the past. Echoing the poem by Li Bai and inspired by the works of surrealist artist René Magritte, he uses water movement as the artistic concept in his art installation Fall from the Yellow River to express his insights into life. In a set of 16 glass wine jars, the sporadic whirlpool effect of the waterspouts cause the fantastic objects in the water both to come together and to separate. This is a metaphor for life's realities, where we face the inevitability of joy and sorrow, and coming together and separation. If we can live life to the fullest and accept whatever circumstances come our way, we may attain the consummate state of "being at peace, come rain or shine".

Participating Artist: Danny Lee Chin-fai
Danny Lee is a renowned Hong Kong sculptor, who also holds such positions as Museum Expert Adviser of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Chairman of Hong Kong Sculpture. He has been commissioned to create public art pieces installed in various sites, such as the Hong Kong International Airport, the Nam Cheong MTR Station, City Art Square and venue for the Hong Kong 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events. His works have been collected by private corporations and individuals, as well as public bodies, such as the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Arts Centre, The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority, MTR Corporation Limited, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club. He is one of the awardees of the Commendation Scheme of The Secretary for Home Affairs in 2008. He also obtained Certificate of Appreciation from the Chief Secretary for Administration and the Chairman of Equestrian Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008.

Participating Designer: Chris Cheung Hon-him
Chris Cheung is a new media artist, known for his avant-garde audio-visual performances and interactive installation art. His works have earned him awards from the Red Dot Design Award in Germany, the Lumen Prize for Art and Technology in the UK, the Japan Typography Association, the DFA Design for Asia Awards, and the New York Art Director Club Young Guns 11. He was also the recipient of the Award for Young Artist (Media Arts) from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2010. He is the founder of the new media creative teams XCEPT and XCEED, whose works have been exhibited around the world. In 2016, his work The RadianceScape was selected for the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria. Another of his works, RadianceScape Live!, was shown at the first edition of the Sónar Festival in Hong Kong in 2017 and won the ZKM Giga-Hertz Production Prize in Germany in 2020.

Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Co-organised by the Art Promotion Office and the Hong Kong Designers Association
Partnered with Shenzhen Fringe Art Centre
Venue supported by Guangzhou International Grand City

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