Ho Tzu Nyen: Night Charades

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Co-commissioned by M+ and Art Basel, and presented by UBS, Night Charades is an AI-generated animation that pays tribute to the history of Hong Kong cinema. Against the night lights of Victoria Harbour, the new facade commission features an assembly of AI-generated characters performing a series of mimes that recall iconic scenes and gestures from the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema. The charades players re-enact roles performed by the likes of Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat, Brigitte Lin, and Anita Mui. The scenes are drawn from the chivalric choreography of John Woo films and the hyper-aestheticized romanticism of Wong Kar Wai to the boundless imagination of Tsui Hark and the fearless face of Wong Jing, among others.

These futuristic looking charade players of different generations—some human, some non-human—are presented in the high contrast, theatrical lighting styles of Baroque paintings and high gloss advertising. Who are they? Where did they come from? Where are they going? The ambiguity is further intensified by the charade players’ uniform of luminous stripes, extravagant pleats, and sculptural folds that flutter in the slowed down, surreal atmosphere. Constantly reshuffled by an algorithm as a way of creating ever-changing combinations of characters and scenes, the work presents a pertinent, non-linear re-interpretation of the city’s cinematic past, highlighting its porosity, fluidity, and potential to spark new creative interpretations.

Night Charades will be shown on the M+ Facade every night from 22 March 2025 for three months. This marks the fourth year M+ has collaborated with Art Basel, supported by UBS, to activate the M+ Facade.