The Hong Kong Contemporary Art (HOCA) Foundation proudly unveiled ‘Visual Disobedience’, the largest survey exhibition of American artist Shepard Fairey in Hong Kong today.

The show explores the trajectory of Fairey’s career through 300 works, focusing on the theme of power and responsibility, contemplating the wide-spread abuse by positions of authority, and the response this exploitation solicits. The exhibition runs until 27 November 2016 at Shop B104 – Shop 305, The Pulse (No. 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong). New large-scale public murals inspired by Hong Kong and China have also been unveiled at Taikoo Place, Sheung Wan, and Central amongst other locations.

Visual Disobedience Installation View, 2016
Photo: José Pando Lucas. Courtesy of HOCA Foundation

Shepard Fairey’s vision and mantra, “Question Everything” seeks to redefine the complex relationship between humanity and the environment. From his first sticker campaign featuring images of Andre the Giant, appropriated from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News to his most recent works, Fairey seeks to effect change from the embedded and conventionally accepted systems of contemporary society. Never one to shy away from controversy, Fairey’s works continue to stir critical debate, an element of important value to the artist, and ‘Visual Disobedience’ exemplifies this spirited vision of propaganding change politically, socio-economically and environmentally. The exhibition presented by HOCA Foundation presents a diverse and complex body of work, encompassing original stencils, rubyliths, canvases, prints and sculptures. The survey showcases Fairey’s evolving approach to the subject of power and responsibility, from the celebrated Obey Giant campaign, the ‘Hope’ poster designed for Obama’s 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign, his collaborative work with artists and musicians to his latest Earth Crisis series. To coincide with the opening, Fairey also painted a large-scale mural measuring 12 meters wide by 20 meters tall at Cornwall House, Taikoo Place, boldly showcasing a “peace” hand sign, whilst a mural on Hollywood Road bears his classic ‘Visual Disobedience’ composition, among other public murals in Hong Kong.

Visual Disobedience, 2016
La Cabane, Shin Hing Street, Central
Photo: Jonathan Furlong Copyright Obey Giant Art / Courtesy of HOCA Foundation.

Together, the survey encourages the audience to contemplate one’s relationship with the environment both physically and philosophically, and attempts to stimulate curiosity and reevaluate one’s perception of visual obedience, simultaneously embodying HOCA’s commitment to promoting awareness and access to contemporary art.

‘Visual Disobedience’ – A solo exhibition by Shepard Fairey
Presented by HOCA Foundation
Exhibition Times: October 27 – November 27 | Open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12 – 8PM
Location: Shop B104 – Shop 305, The Pulse, No. 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

About Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation (HOCA)
HOCA Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2014, aimed at promoting public awareness and developing access to contemporary art in Hong Kong. With a curated series of programs across the city, HOCA will focus its attention on the younger generation of established international artists who are conceptually engaged with contemporary life and society. The curatorial strategy draws inspiration from popular culture, reappropriating or reinterpreting a wide range of mediums from animation, illustration, graffiti, and graphic design, and seeks to enhance the dialogue of “high art” within the city. In 2015, HOCA Foundation hosted landmark exhibitions of JR, Invader and Vhils to critical acclaim, as well as a parallel education program, all accessible to the public. To further HOCA’s community outreach, the Foundation will oversee the publication of contemporary art books and the subsequent donation of these to schools, libraries and charitable institutions. www.hoca.org

About Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, S.C. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, R.I. While there he created the “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker that transformed into the OBEY GIANT art campaign, with imagery that has changed the way people see art and the urban landscape. His work has evolved into an acclaimed body of art, which includes the 2008 ‘Hope’ portrait of Barack Obama, found at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. In addition to his guerrilla street art presence, the artist has executed more than 50 large-scale painted public murals around the world as of 2015. His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and many others.