The colorful menagerie sprung from the fertile imagination of artist Hung Yi (洪易) will take up residence at New York City's Garment District as part of the 2016 Fashion Week from Sept. 20 through April 15, 2017.
Decorated with traditional symbols and motifs, each of the eight animal sculptures represents a narrative from Taiwanese folk culture. For example, the "Auspicious Triple Sheep” is a stacking of three ruminants alluding to a homophonic phrase meaning "fortuitous” in the Chinese language.
There are also several installations presenting the artist's rendition of animals more commonly associated with western cultures, including a majestic eagle perching upon a formidably horned buffalo, as well as a highly intricate Bactrian camel and its double-humped counterpart, the Dromedary camel.
The collection also encompasses whimsical creatures that exist only within the realm of Hung's imagination. From rotund, grinning dragons to draconic horses armed with elaborate horns, "Fancy Animal Carnival” is a celebration of nonconformity and the ingenuity of the human mind.
Hung, 46, hand-paints and bakes enamel on steel plates, which are then mounted on granite pedestals. From delicate whitish-blue patterns reminiscent of Chinese imperial vases to peonies, hearts, flames, and smiley faces, his installations mesh traditional symbols with pop culture references to convey the universal message of positivity.
Moreover, through iBeacon technology, additional information about each sculpture will be beamed to passersby when they are within 30 feet of the installation.
"Fancy Animal Carnival” is part of the Broadway Sculpture Series, which was launched in 2010 to bring life and culture to the heart of Garment District Plazas at Midtown Manhattan.
‘Fancy Animal Carnival'
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