Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos on how Hong Kong’s cityscape inspired Enchanted Forest, her first show in the city, and why ‘wow moments’ count

ArtisTree Selects: Enchanted Forest features fabric-covered works with LED lights in a nod to Hong Kong, which reminds Joana Vasconcelos of movie Blade Runner

The Portuguese artist talks about why the exhibition will be held in non-traditional art spaces in the city, representing women, and why art is in her veins

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Joana Vasconcelos with her piece Valkyrie Seondeok, which features in her first Hong Kong exhibition, ArtisTree Selects: Enchanted Fores. The Portuguese artist reveals what inspired the show. Photo: Pedro Jafuno

Published: 5:16pm, 18 Mar 2024Updated: 1:23pm, 19 Mar 2024

Minimalism is not welcome in Joana Vasconcelos’ world. The Portuguese artist prefers to go big, bright and bold – as seen in her attention-demanding sculptures that give the old-fashioned image of arts and crafts a modern twist.

Embracing techniques linked to domesticity, she envelops everyday objects such as pianos and laptop computers in knitted, sewn or crocheted material.

And her imagination knows no bounds. At the 2005 Venice Biennale she showed a six-metre chandelier titled The Bride, made from 25,000 tampons. Marilyn, a pair of giant stilettos, was made with hundreds of stainless steel pans and lids. The piece was inspired by the late American actress Marilyn Monroe.

The works – both big in size and the statements they make – challenge societal perceptions of the role of women, which is a thread that runs through much of her art.

Vasconcelos’ work has been featured multiple times at the Venice Biennale. In 2011, her piece titled Contamination adorned the Grassi Palace. Photo: EPA

Hongkongers will be able to get up close to Vasconcelos’ art at her first exhibition in the city.

Called “ArtisTree Selects: Enchanted Forest”, the immersive exhibition, comprising two specially made pieces, will be held at ArtisTree and Two Taikoo Place in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay district from March 22 until April 28.