Valentina Loffredo’s ‘Nosy’ exhibition uses whimsy to explore the issue of surveillance
The Italian artist’s latest exhibition includes whimsical installations that have a serious message about the invasion of privacy.
On the surface, the latest work by Italian artist Valentina Loffredo is just the sort of creative whimsy Hong Kong needs.
Titled “Nosy”, the bold and colourful multimedia project in Loffredo’s signature geometric style features photographs, sculptural objects, installations and a limited-edition book, with noses as the central theme. But Loffredo says that while the images bring much-needed light relief, they carry a darker message about privacy in an age of surveillance.
“I wanted to show the sinister side of technology, how we use our devices to invade people’s privacy by sticking our noses into places where they’re not wanted,” says Loffredo, adding that the project was a collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Hong Kong.
“By making the nose the symbol of online and offline surveillance tools such as CCTV with facial recognition technologies, smart objects and http cookies, the series mimics the seductive power of technology, represented by the playful and attractive appearance of the artworks.”
The show is not just restricted to the Novalis Contemporary Art Design gallery, in Wan Chai, where it runs until the end of the month. Loffredo is also placing 200 sculptural noses in public spaces, restaurants and bars around Hong Kong, mainly in Wan Chai district.