Art Central in Hong Kong to feature evolving installation, kinetic crystal

The second edition of Hong Kong's contemporary art fair Art Central, taking place next week, will feature over 100 selected galleries from 21 countries, 75 percent of which are from greater Asia.

Art Central 2016 will introduce 5 large-scale installations and spatial interventions. Indonesian born Dwi Setianto has been commissioned for a 12 meter site-specific installation entitled "Growth" (Sin Sin Fine Art, Hong Kong). The work is made of ink drawings and plant motif installations of on recycled paper, as well as vines, seeds, and inflorescent lighting. Other highlights include Thomas Canto's "Suspended Landscape" (2016, Opera Gallery, Hong Kong), Locust Jones's "Back to the Dark Ages" (2015/16 Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney) and Henry Hussey's "Locking Horns" (2015, Coates and Scarry, London).

Crystal manufacturer Swarovski will be unveiling a kinetic crystal installation by British-Chinese designer Elaine Yan Ling Ng at "Art Central this year." The work "Sundew" features hand-made textiles that combine natural fibers and 316 meters of crystal fabric, which make up around 20 million crystals. The installation draws inspiration from the Sundew carnivorous plant that uses scent to attract its prey.

New to this year's Art Central is MEDIA X MUMM, a curated project developed in partnership with G.H. Mumm Champagne. This is an exhibition of new media and performance art. The projects in the exhibition include a commissioned performance by Ting-Tong Chang entitled "Colosseum" (Christine Park Gallery, London). This is a durational installation that will continue to evolve over the course of the fair.

Also new to Art Central this year is SCREEN X EXPERIMENTA, which is a curated platform for experimental and narrative filmmakers. It will feature a collection of short films from around the world that will be screened daily.

Finally, this year's edition of the fair will introduce ROUNDTABLE X 4A, which is a series of discussion, interviews, presentations and performances hosted by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney.