danh vo's modular installation spotlights noguchi's akari light sculptures

Danh Vo’s evolving installation at M+ museum

Danh Vo In Situ: Akari by Noguchi, the inaugural display of a long-term project, has opened as a reimagination of M+’s Found Space. This initiative, led by artist Danh Vo in collaboration with M+ — the Herzog & de Meuron-designed visual arts museum in Hong Kong‘s West Kowloon Cultural District — seeks to redefine the museum‘s Basement concrete atrium as a social and cultural hub.

Now hosting a lighting installation of Isamu Noguchi‘s iconic Akari light sculptures, Danh Vo In Situ will evolve over several years, integrating Vo’s modular structure with rotating displays of artworks and design objects by Vo and other creators. The adaptable installation aims to foster dialogue through performances, events, screenings, and exhibitions. ‘Danh Vo is an artist who takes on major ideas, histories, and spaces by interweaving symbolic objects with intimate personal narratives,’ notes Doryun Chong, Artistic Director of M+.

installation view of Danh Vo In Situ: Akari by Noguchi, 2024 | image by Lok Cheng © Danh Vo

the Debut activation: Akari by Noguchi

The first phase of the M+ museum activation, Danh Vo In Situ: Akari by Noguchi, spotlights Isamu Noguchi’s Akari light sculptures, blending traditional Japanese craftsmanship with modern design. Noguchi’s Akari, inspired by Gifu city’s lantern-making traditions, resonate with the artist’s interest in objects as carriers of layered meanings. The installation also features tropical plants, creating a serene and immersive environment.

‘The launch of Danh Vo In Situ marks an exciting new chapter for M+,’ Museum Director Suhanya Raffel says. ‘This innovative project exemplifies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of how we engage with contemporary visual culture and introduce groundbreaking practices to visitors. By inviting Danh Vo to reimagine Found Space, one of our key architectural spaces, we aim to enrich the way our visitors interact with M+ to foster dialogue between artists, spaces, and audiences.’

Danh Vo In Situ: Akari by Noguchi, installation view, 2024 | image by Lok Cheng © Danh Vo

Curated by Doryun Chong and Russell Storer, this initiative establishes Found Space as a venue for artistic experimentation. ‘Danh Vo’s ability to make meaningful connections across cultures, places, and times makes him an ideal collaborator for this long-term project. The evolving display will introduce new artists and makers and their works, creating a new matrix of meaning within M+,’ Doryun Chong adds.

‘By transforming Found Space into a venue for new encounters, the project creates a platform for diverse and experimental activities over time, offering audiences refreshing ways to engage with visual culture and M+.’