About the event
Oi! is honoured to host renowned Japanese artist Toyofuku Ryo’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. One of Japan's most active contemporary artists, Toyofuku Ryo is known for his art-making concept of creating "the extraordinary in the ordinary" through his large-scale installation works. He believes that his art can provide an unforgettable experience for visitors, and hopes that what they experience will remain in their hearts and give them new perspectives, allowing them to gain new insights when they step back into their everyday routine.
To tailor-make for this exhibition, Toyofuku Ryo came to Hong Kong and collected elements from the local culture to present two large-scale installations at Oi!. Aglow with golden brilliance, the serene and elegant Golden Tearoom is full of drawings showing Hong Kong elements through the eyes of Toyofuku. This tranquil space, complemented by a garden reminiscent of a Japanese karesansui (dry garden), resembles a floating island in the heart of the bustling city. Golden Playroom offers a stark contrast as an "extraordinary" game room detached from reality. Filled with decorative elements from different cultures, as well as various electronic and board games, Golden Playroom invites visitors to interact and engage with others through the act of play in Toyofuku’s "another world". While the two installations represent two different types of artistic expression, they are unified by the overarching theme of "The Golden Realm". We hope this exhibition will offer visitors an immersive experience in a space infused with Japanese aesthetics and elements of local culture, inspiring cross-cultural exchange and encouraging visitors to contemplate everyday life from a distinctive perspective.
Artist: Toyofuku Ryo
Date: From 22.3 – 17.8.2025
Venue: Oi! Glassie
Free Admission
Website: https://www.apo.hk/en/web/apo/oi_spotlight_golden_realm_by_toyofuku_ryo.html
About the organizer
Oi! is an art space located in the North Point community which is popular among the public. Its name links the ideas behind it with its location: Oi! sounds similar to the address in Cantonese and conveys a call for people's attention while providing a platform where they can realise their dreams in art.
Oi! includes a historic building complex opened in 1908. It was a yacht club clubhouse that was located on the waterfront in North Point at the time. Following land reclamation work in the 1930s, the buildings were initially converted into staff quarters for the Government Supplies Department and later into a storage facility for the Antiquities and Monuments Office. After it was allocated to the Art Promotion Office for revitalisation and restoration, the red-bricked Grade II historic building complex with tile roof was renamed as Oi!, which was opened to the public in 2013.
In order to provide more space to inspire and increase imagination, Oi! has further expanded in 2022, in which an adjacent outdoor space has been integrated with the original premises. The new extension provides both outdoor and indoor spaces to host a wide variety of art exhibitions and community-engaged activities that encouraging the public to enjoy the environment and to ignite creative ideas.
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