Frank WANG Yefeng “Pantheon of Octopi”
Duration：2024. 03. 26 – 2024. 03. 30
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center
Vanguard Gallery is pleased to present “Pantheon of Octopi,” a solo project by Frank WANG Yefeng, at Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 (booth 1C40). Featuring 3D animation, light installation, sculpture, and painting, the project is a vibrant fusion of symbolism, historical references, mythologies, and even personal narratives of struggles. A whimsical space of contemplation in a playful way, “Pantheon of Octopi” invites the viewers to immerse deeply in the imagination of a new and uncanny Asian subjectivity. Through the process, the artist delves deeper into a research genealogy concerning the Asian diasporic experience and the notion of “in-betweenness” that arises from a nomadic transnational existence.
Pantheon of Octopi
Acrylic print, yellow and Orange light tubes, woodwork, electronic components
190 x 68.5 x 15 cm | 2022
Pantheon of Octopi Painting 01
Acrylic on canvas, color pencil, pencil, Diptych
40 x 30 cm / piece | 2024
Installation View
ABOUT THE ARTIST | Frank WANG Yefeng
Frank WANG Yefeng (b. 1984, Shanghai) is a transdisciplinary artist, researcher, and digital nomad situated in-between New York City and Shanghai. Yefeng earned his MFA in Art and Technology Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011. His projects have been featured in exhibitions internationally, including the BRIC Biennial (SH, CN), the OCAT Biennial (SZ, CN), the WRONG Biennale (USA), City Project of the 14th Shanghai Biennale (SH, CN), The Armory Show (NY, US), CCS Bard Hessel Museum of Art (NY, USA), Times Square (NY, USA), Denver Theater District (CO, USA), Gasworks London (LDN, UK), Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art (Jeju, KR), Pylon Lab (DRS, DE), Tai Kwun Contemporary (HK, CN), Hyundai Motorstudio Beijing (BJ, CN), Shanghai K11 Museum (SH, CN), Duolun Museum of Modern Art (SH, CN), etc. Yefeng has also been awarded solo exhibitions, residencies, and fellowships at K11 Art Foundation x ArtReview (WH, CN), Smack Mellon (NY, USA), International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) (NY, USA), New York Art Residency & Studios (NARS) Foundation (NY, USA), Pratt Institute (NY, USA), Asia Art Archive in America (NY, USA), MacDowell (NH, USA), and Vermont Studio Center (VT, USA), among others.
His recent solo exhibitions include: “The House of the Solitary”, Smack Mellon, New York, USA(2023); “Slow Spectre”, SEAGER, London, UK (2022); “The Levitating Perils”, Chazan Gallery at Wheeler, Providence, RI, The USA (2022); “On Hold”, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China; “The Expelled New”, Multispace NYC, New York, US (2020).
He also attended the following group exhibitions: Vanguard Onwards, Vanguard Gallery, Shanghai, China(2024)；“Pidgin Spectrum: Nonlinear Narratives of Multicultural”, Shanghai Biennale x Emerging Curators Project, Shanghai, China(2023); “Mediums and Messengers: on shifting discourses in ‘new media’ and ‘technology’”, Bannister Gallery, Rhode Island, USA(2023); “Beast, Chimera, Kin”, Hessel Museum of Art, New York, USA(2022); “ART WEEK ENCORE – Art021Special Project”, No.8 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China(2022)“YY OS Golden Canopy”, YveYang Gallery, New York, USA(2022);“Snuggling in the Drifting World”, Jeju Museum of Modern Art, Korea(2022); “Boomerang ‒ OCAT Biennale 2021”, OCAT Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China (2021); “Liminal Pavilion”, Bangkok Biennial, Bangkok, Thailand (2020); “World on Fire”, Supernova Animation Festival 2020, Denver Digerati, Colorado, USA (2020).
