Art and the architect

Of Edging Space 2 continues the wire work that he first developed in 2008 with About Frustration.

Based on the maps of Kowloon districts such as Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok, it is a series of overlapping wire mobiles taking on the negative shapes of a city.

Chan purposely used the same type of wire for chain-link fences to suggest that these spaces belong to everyone and no one, allowing the material to rust over time.

"We all go to cities to look at landmarks," he says. "But the voids, such as streets and abandoned areas, are just as important as the buildings. This installation deconstructs a city, reducing its physical appearance to its purest form."

By suspending the installation, he feels it becomes less of an object and more dynamic.

In a departure from his usual neutral palette, Chan uses neon yellow for Of Other Space 5. Consisting of 20 plastic rectangles each 200 by 300 millimeters, each mobile offers a different pattern taken from photos snapped of Central's skyline from the ground level.

"The neon references Hong Kong's neon lights," he explains. "It appears to be glowing from within, but the two sets of shadows are created just from the warmth of two halogen lights."

So far, Chan has shown his work about once a year, mostly in galleries within the city, though he would love to mount exhibitions in other cities such as Beijing.

He plans to play with textiles for his upcoming installations. "I think it would be fun to deconstruct clothing," he says.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.