Fountain of life

Trevor Yeung is more interested in peripheral matters, as opposed to tackling the big global issues head-on. While exploring "the relationship between human beings and the ecological system" is at the heart of his practice, Yeung says he prefers "to take a step back from such a heavy and complicated idea" instead of addressing it directly.

"When I approach a subject, I tend to take away one bit of information that may not be the most important thing about it and amplify that minor aspect," he says on a video call from Campo della Tana, Castello, the venue of his solo exhibition, Courtyard of Attachments. Curated by Olivia Chow, Courtyard is a Venice Biennale of Art 2024 collateral event supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the M+ museum. The so-called minor element dominating Yeung's Venice showcase is the use of fluorescent lights - a reference to the typical lighting in Hong Kong's goldfish retail shops. One of the installations in the exhibition, Cave of Avoidance (Not Yours), comprises over 40 stacked aquariums, filled with water and other paraphernalia associated with the retailing of aquarium fish, such as nets, colorful baubles, plastic mugs and tubs and terracotta fish breeding apparatus. Awash with strong fluorescent lights and yet the room presents a picture of dereliction. The stage is set. The props are in place. But there isn't a single fish in sight.

The room exudes a cold, humid vibe - enhanced by the millions of tiny bubbles formed on the walls of plastic aquarium accessories - heightening the overarching sense of abandonment. Yeung, however, points out that the empty aquariums could also be viewed as awaiting the arrival of fish. "There is no way of knowing if the scene suggests a beginning or an ending," he says. "I think the absence of fish allows the audience more space to ponder about the situation and reflect on the possible relationships they could have developed with aquarium fish."

If Yeung talks of owners connecting with fish kept in aquariums on an emotional level, it is because he has been there himself. As a socially awkward Guangzhou-born young person growing up in Hong Kong in the '90s, he always felt more at home spending time with his pet fish. Over time, caring for household plants and aquarium fish led him to develop an empathetic understanding of the ways in which they thrive best, which, in turn, has shaped his artistic practice.