Trevor Yeung: Not a Fighter, But a Lover

Magician Space is pleased to present Trevor Yeung’s second solo exhibition at the gallery. Drawing from the artist’s observations and personal experiences, the exhibition delves into the lives of betta fish (fighting fish) and the aquarium and economic systems that surround them, reflecting contemporary humanity. Yeung offers a unique perspective on the way we live together. His approach in artistic practice is both deeply sensitive and remarkably incisive. Through meticulously crafted objects, images, and installations, he stages narratives and power dynamics that we encounter daily.

Inspired by the experience of keeping betta fish, Yeung extracts elements from their habitat, growth, and display environments, transforming the gallery space into three parts: a large bubble nest, a matrix of thousands of glass bottles, and a gladiatorial shelf of tanks. These scenes reference the breeding process, fish farms, and aquarium stores, encompassing the entire life cycle of betta fish.

By drawing parallels between these scenes and life in the contemporary city, Yeung presents a nuanced metaphorical reflection. The joy of love, the isolation and selection within fish farms, and the mirrors used to provoke bettas into confronting their own reflection—these scenes all resonate our social systems and social media.

Yeung is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary art in Hong Kong today. He is deeply concerned with relationships and draws our attention to the delicate balance we must strike to preserve our vulnerable ecosystems, whether among friends, lovers, or communities.

Trevor Yeung (b.1988, Dongguan, China) has been chosen as the featured artist for Hong Kong’s participation at the 60th International Art Exhibition—the Venice Biennale. His solo exhibitions include Gasworks (London), Para Site (Hong Kong), Aranya Art Centre (Qinhuangdao). He has participated in large-scale international exhibitions such as the 3rd Lahore Biennale, the 24th Biennale of Sydney, Singapore Biennale, Kathmandu Triennale, la biennale de Lyon, the 38th EVA International Biennale, the 4th Dhaka Art Summit, the 10th Shanghai Biennale. His work is collected by Kadist Art Foundation, M+, Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, FRAC Alsace, Centre Pompidou, and Stiftung Skulpturenpark Köln. He was participated in exhibitions at M+ (Hong Kong), He Art Museum (Guangdong), Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (Paris), Tai Kwun Contemporary (Hong Kong), Macalline Art Center (Beijing), Jameel Art Centre (Dubai), Power Stationof Art (Shanghai), Pinchuk Art Centre (Kiev), HOW Art Museum (Shanghai), Skulpturenpark Köln (Cologne), Contemporary Art Centre (Vilnius), UCCA Dune (Qinhuangdao), Taikang Space (Beijing); esea contemporary (Manchester), Asia Culture Center (Gwangju), 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (Sydney), OCAT Shenzhen (Guangdong) among many others.