Fountain of life

Shape of water

The more obvious championing of sustainable lifestyle practices is in the way water is sourced, used, filtered and recycled in Courtyard. The water used for the fountain in Pond of Never Enough is harnessed from the Grand Canal. Designed after the large containers with metal rings used to breed fish in Hong Kong, the fountain is fitted with a double-layer filtering mechanism at its base. The impurities are left behind while the filtered water goes back to the Venetian Lagoon.

In Yeung's elaborate theater referencing several stages in the life cycle of farmed fish - from spawns to objects displayed in aquariums to food waste - water has the key role. The artist takes on the role of the director-choreographer, making water dance to his tune in Courtyard. And as is common with live performances, there is an element of unpredictability, adding unforeseen twists to the show.

For instance, the high mineral content in Venetian tap water, used for the indoor installations, left its mark on some of the works. "Three days after we started using tap water, we found a lot of mineral residues at the bottom of the aquariums in Cave of Avoidance (Not Yours)," Yeung says. The creative team took an impromptu decision "to let the mineral content collect at the bottom of the aquariums, which are fitted with mirrors".

"The base now looks like it's covered with rubble from an earthquake. So in this case, it's not just me playing around with water, but also the water displaying certain characteristics specific to the location of this exhibition," Yeung says. "The audience can actually experience how water responds to the materials it comes in contact with."