As eerie as his theatrical display of mammoth fossils might seem, Danh Vō’s first solo exhibition at White Cube’s Hong Kong outpost nevertheless offers a timely reflection on modern day questions about identity.
The Vietnamese-born Danish artist’s collection of some 450 ancient bones and a 17th-century ivory statue of Christ – suspended from the ceiling of the gallery's upper floor – has been shown before, as part of his 2015 ‘Banish the Faceless/Reward your Grace’ exhibition in Madrid. Here, it takes on a new dimension within the brightly-lit, sheer white gallery.
'It has a completely different energy and spirit to before,' observes the show's curator, White Cube director Mathieu Paris. 'He likes to frame the work in a space, taking the form from the room to create a new conversation.'
The ground floor, meanwhile, provides a stark contrast with just two works: a 16th-century sculpture of Christ's head inside a contemporary fridge topped with a Roman sculpture of a lion. Nearby, is the artist's iconic gold leaf Budweiser box.
'He works with fragments,' Paris explains. ‘The ivory sculpture, for instance, is a reflection on ivory trafficking, highlighting the confrontation between the material and message.’
Like all his works, the exhibition is an intensely personal reflection on his and his family’s history. Born in South Vietnam, Vō grew up in Denmark, after being rescued by a Danish commercial tanker from a boat his father had constructed in order to flee the country.
The artist says he was especially keen to exhibit in Hong Kong, not least because, as a city of economic and political refugees, it reflects his own mediations on dislocation.
The Vietnamese-born Danish artist’s collection of some 450 ancient bones and a 17th-century ivory statue of Christ suspended from the ceiling of the gallery’s upper floor has been shown before, as part of his 2015 ‘Banish the Faceless/Reward your Grace’ exhibition in Madrid
The installation takes on a new dimension within the brightly-lit, sheer white enclaves of the White Cube
The ground floor, meanwhile, provides a stark contrast with just two works: a 16th-century sculpture of Christ’s head inside a contemporary fridge topped with a Roman sculpture of a lion
Born in South Vietnam, Vō grew up in Denmark after being rescued by a Danish commercial tanker from a boat his father had constructed in order to flee the country
The artist says he was especially keen to exhibit in Hong Kong, not least because, as a city of economic and political refugees, it reflects his own mediations on dislocation
INFORMATION
’Danh Vō’ is on view until 12 November. For more information, visit the White Cube’s website
ADDRESS
White Cube
50 Connaught Road Central
Hong Kong
-
Javier's, a new cathedral-inspired restaurant in downtown LA, offers a divine take on Mexican cuisineAt the restaurant's newest location, discovery lies around every corner – and on every plate
-
We'd happily move into this super-stylish New York architecture officeMichael K Chen’s newly expanded Midtown workspace is a calling card for his intuitive style and inclusive approach
-
The Macbeth, an icon of indie sleaze, goes from grotty to gastroAn East End legend meets Portuguese small plates in Jamie Allan’s ambitious revival of a beloved Hackney watering hole
-
Rolf Sachs’ largest exhibition to date, ‘Be-rühren’, is a playful study of touchA collection of over 150 of Rolf Sachs’ works speaks to his preoccupation with transforming everyday objects to create art that is sensory – both emotionally and physically
-
Architect Erin Besler is reframing the American tradition of barn raisingAt Art Omi sculpture and architecture park, NY, Besler turns barn raising into an inclusive project that challenges conventional notions of architecture
-
What is recycling good for, asks Mika Rottenberg at Hauser & Wirth MenorcaUS-based artist Mika Rottenberg rethinks the possibilities of rubbish in a colourful exhibition, spanning films, drawings and eerily anthropomorphic lamps
-
San Francisco’s controversial monument, the Vaillancourt Fountain, could be facing demolitionThe brutalist fountain is conspicuously absent from renders showing a redeveloped Embarcadero Plaza and people are unhappy about it, including the structure’s 95-year-old designer
-
See the fruits of Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely's creative and romantic union at Hauser & Wirth SomersetAn intimate exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Somerset explores three decades of a creative partnership
-
Technology, art and sculptures of fog: LUMA Arles kicks off the 2025/26 seasonThree different exhibitions at LUMA Arles, in France, delve into history in a celebration of all mediums; Amy Serafin went to explore
-
Inside Yinka Shonibare's first major show in AfricaBritish-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare is showing 15 years of work, from quilts to sculptures, at Fondation H in Madagascar
-
Inside Jack Whitten’s contribution to American contemporary artAs Jack Whitten exhibition ‘Speedchaser’ opens at Hauser & Wirth, London, and before a major retrospective at MoMA opens next year, we explore the American artist's impact
