Beyond Beijing
Osage Art Space
Occupying a massive space,
Osage Kwun Tong presents works by Chinese artists, many of whom have never exhibited in Hong Kong. The sprawling show features paintings, sculptures, videos and even a series of ceramic dogs by Taiwan's Peng Hung-chih with video monitors in their mouths (below).
At turns playful and inconsistent, it's clearly designed to grab a slice of the ever-expanding Chinese contemporary art market.
Unfortunately, while the show is engaging overall, it's hard to see a theme emerge. The impressive floor area (15,000-plus sq ft) houses two exhibitions, both on a larger scale than the city is accustomed to. It may be as much the space - Osage is the largest private/commercial gallery in the city - as the show itself which attracts viewers. This is not to dismiss commercial galleries but to suggest that Osage is raising the bar for what commercial art spaces should be attempting.