As Trevor Yeung returns to M+ with a new configuration of his commissioned solo exhibition, what challenges and opportunities arise when transforming living ecosystems into museum displays?

Trevor Yeung: Courtyard of Detachments examines the relationships between human and aquatic ecosystems through the concept of detachment—the conscious practice of letting go by withdrawing care even as lingering remnants make their presence known, which is the extreme counterpart to attachment.

Envisioned as a return presentation of Yeung’s project for the 60th International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia in 2024, where it was presented as Hong Kong’s Collateral Event, Trevor Yeung: Courtyard of Detachments revisits his work in a new context. The exhibition continues Yeung's investigation on sentimentality, desire, and power dynamics through his enduring fascination with aquatic systems and site-specific installations. Visitors familiar with Yeung’s presentation in Venice may find themselves wondering: Where did all the water go? The pet fish shop and Venetian courtyard—once teeming with life in Venice—now return to M+ stripped of their living elements, leaving behind dried algae marks and water stains that set a somber tone.

Moderated by conservator Alessandra Guarascio, Trevor Yeung will join exhibition curator Olivia Chow in a conversation reflecting on how living installations might be presented within a museum context. Together, they will also discuss the artistic and curatorial considerations through the response exhibition’s concept and display at M+.

This talk will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation in Cantonese and Mandarin. Click ‘Register’ to sign up for free. Participants can access General Admission exhibitions (excluding Special Exhibition) after the event. Please retain a copy of your registration to facilitate your entry to the galleries.

This talk is co-organised by M+ and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

Yeung has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including the Biennale of Sydney (2024), the Singapore Biennale (2022); the Kathmandu Triennale (2022); La Biennale de Lyon (2019); EVA International, Dublin (2018); the Dhaka Art Summit (2018); and the Shanghai Biennale (2015). His work has been exhibited at institutions include Aranya Art Center, Beidaihe (2024); Gasworks, London (2023); Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (2022); Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong (2022); Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai (2022); PinchukArtCentre, Kyiv (2021); M+, Hong Kong (2021); Power Station of Art, Shanghai (2021); Para Site, Hong Kong (2020); and Stiftung Skulpturenpark Köln (2020).

Yeung’s work is held in the collections of Centre Pompidou, Paris; Stiftung Skulpturenpark Köln; Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris; Kadist Art Foundation, Paris and San Francisco; FRAC Alsace; and M+, Hong Kong.

At M+, Chow also contributed to the museum’s visual art collection by managing the inaugural M+ International Council for Visual Art and leading acquisitions from around Asia and beyond. Prior to joining M+, she held curatorial positions at Para Site in Hong Kong (2015–2017) and at The Works Art and Design Festival in Edmonton, Canada (2010–2014). In July 2025, she will start her appointment as Director of Curatorial Programs at the Chinese Canadian Museum, Canada.

Prior to her current appointment, she worked at National Gallery Singapore and ArtScience Museum in different roles, from Collections Care Manager to Senior Conservator and Registrar. Alessandra also worked as a Collection and Exhibition Conservator at the Italian Design Museum in Milan and collaborated with Museo del Novecento and Hangar Bicocca for the documentation and rearrangement of monumental installations. She obtained her master's degree in Conservation of Contemporary Art from Brera Academy of Fine Art in Milan in 2010. Her interests lie in conservation theory, museum practice, oral history, and artist interviews, with a special focus on unconventional materials. She is the Coordinator for the INCCA-AP (International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art—Asia Pacific) Working Group.

Established in 1995, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) is a statutory body set up by the Government to support the broad development of the arts in Hong Kong. Its major roles include grant allocation, policy and planning, advocacy, promotion and development, and special projects. The mission of HKADC is to support and promote the development of 10 major art forms in literary arts, performing arts, visual arts as well as film and media arts in Hong Kong. Aiming to foster a thriving arts environment and enhancing the quality of life of the public, HKADC is also committed to facilitating community-wide participation in the arts and arts education, encouraging arts criticism, raising the standard of arts administration, and contributing on policy research.