By Lupita Peimbert.
(San Francisco) – Huge, colorful, extravagant, and full of meaning; nineteen large-scale sculptures by Taiwanese artist Hung Yi adorn the Joseph L. Alioto Performing Arts Piazza, commonly referred to as the park in front of City Hall. The fancy carnival of animals open exhibit is in place already and will stay until May 2nd.
At a press conference Tuesday, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee formally opened the exhibit and thanked the artist for sharing his amazing work with local residents and visitors. “Meaningful cultural exchanges of artwork from around the world keep San Francisco at the cutting edge of innovation and artistic expression, and we are proud to be the temporary home of the Fancy Animal Carnival,” Mayor Lee said.
Anybody who gets closer to the fortune cat, the surprised giraffe, or any of other animal-like sculptures cannot but be amazed at the display of forms, figures, and color. The artist interprets fauna and the meaning given to animals by tradition. He mixes this with colors that also have a traditional meaning, such as red, yellow, and gold for good luck, or just with colorful colors, and adds pop culture, creating a visual spectacle that shows past and present in a fun way.
“My message is one of friendship and love to all the world,” Hung Yi says. A huge message, one may say while looking at some of the 7-8 feet tall pieces, made of some type of steel and covered with baked enamel.
The fortune cat, for instance, was a fish before turned into a cat by the God of Wealth. Fish represents wealth in Mandarin, and so the fortune cat represents all wealthy fish, therefore it brings you good fortune.
The Fancy Animal Carnival exhibits is, to say the least, very inviting. It presents Taiwan in a friendly way. The fact that is free, in an open space, and that one can get there by public transportation via Bart (Civic Center) or MUNI, truly makes this art exhibit a family friendly one.
Who is going?
#HungYiSF #DP&A #Lupitanews.
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