In Hong Kong Arts Month, Harbour City has invited the renowned French artist Camille Walala to create the Colourful Public Art Show “Planet Walala @Harbour City” from 21 March to 21 April. The three major highlights include two large public installations and a solo art exhibition, all interacting with the public in different ways.
The first-ever Hong Kong City Sign “Now You See It Now You Don’t” as a brand-new permanent artistic landmark, together with the outdoor artistic maze “A-MAZE”, will be displayed at Ocean Terminal Deck alongside the iconic Victoria Harbour. Meanwhile, Camille will host her first solo art exhibition “Metropolis” at Gallery by the Harbour to showcase the charisma of colours. In addition, Harbour City will organize a series of extensive and thrilling art activations targeting a wide range of audiences throughout the campaign.
Camille Walala, a multi-disciplinary artist based in London, is well-known for her artworks encompassing full facade murals, immersive 3D installations, street art, interior and set design – all characterized by a fusion of bold colours and playful geometric patterns. Being in awe of the architecture in Hong Kong, Camille incorporated geometrics found in the cityscape into the City Sign and the Maze, bringing connectivity between people and the locality. More than just a photogenic spot, the installations inspire happiness and spark positivity with the design of joyful colours.
First-ever Hong Kong City Sign, the Brand-new Artistic Landmark and Photo Spot
Numerous famous tourist destinations around the globe have their own city signs as an iconic landmark, such as “I Seoul U” in South Korea, “TORONTO” in Canada, and “HOLLYWOOD” in the U.S., all serving as popular photo spots for visitors and a highlight of their journey. This year, Harbour City invited Camille Walala to design the first ever Hong Kong City Sign, titled “Now You See It Now You Don’t”, which stands at a height of 3m and stretches a width of 6.5m. From the perspective of a foreign tourist, in the eyes of both an artist and a designer, Camille has outlined the unique silhouette of the city. With the blue of the Harbour as its primary tone, the City Sign echoes with the cityscape in various ways, including the overlapping sculptural letters resembling the dense skyline and the tile-like texture in parallel with the mosaic tiles found in old buildings.
Drawing influence from optical artworks by George Rousse, Camille adopted an anamorphic approach to the design of the art piece. Though each sculpture stands alone as a beautiful object, people can only read the letters of “HONG KONG” from a certain point of view, giving the City Sign its name “Now You See It Now You Don’t”.
Be Amazed at “A-MAZE”, the Playful Maze that Brings People the Joy of Discovery
As an evolution of Walala x PLAY, an immersive maze created for Now Gallery in London, “A-MAZE” is Camille’s first outdoor maze. Like the City Sign, “A-MAZE” resonates with the landscape of Hong Kong and is a repository of various structural forms. It is not only an art installation, but also a playground and a public open space. Spanning an area of 3,500 sq ft, the fascinating vibrant maze is equipped with seating, allowing people to pause, reflect, and soak up the spectacle around them. Through “A-MAZE”, Camille hopes visitors tap into the state of playfulness, joy, and discovery that we experienced as a child.
In addition to the public art installations, Camille’sfirstsolo exhibition “Metropolis”, along with a series of thrilling art activities, will take place during the public art show. Further details will be announced soon.
Camille Walala’s Previous Art Installations and Collaborations
