The Solitary Playground
August 26 – September 14, 2024

Grotto Central
Room 2302, 23/f, Car Po Commercial Building,
18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong
*viewing by appointment only

Urban solitude is often linked to population mobility, cost of living, and a high percentage of people living alone. Young adults who move to a new city for university or for work may find themselves experiencing loneliness for the first time as they leave existing social ties behind and struggle to establish new friendships. In a large city, there is little that unifies us unless we actively seek out clusters and create sub-identities based on interests or culture.  To live alone and be content about it subsequently becomes a dominant social trend that transforms traditional values, culture and even aesthetics.

In a transforming Hong Kong landscape of the 21st century, this brand of solitary elitism offered a counterpoint to political optimism. The works of Kevin Fung, Wong Yeeki and Rosanna Li can be considered alongside the film noir of the 1930s and 40s, and the work of American artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967). Like Hopper, these artists were concerned with the negative effects of urbanization and increasing economic disparities. At the heart of their urban vision are the paradoxes of the foundational democratic myth. We are all created equal, and yet what makes us equal is our absolute, inviolable uniqueness and individualism. As a result, this collection of works is melancholy and longing that haunts our common psyche.  Set in a playground with no one to play with, we feel strangely content with our loneliness, even at times enjoy the solitary existence.

Exhibiting Artists:
Wong Yee Ki
Kevin Fung Lik Yan
Rosanna Li Wai Han