Observer

Stepping into the exhibition space of Observer, you are not simply viewing art—you become a part of it. Here, every gaze is an indispensable part of the artwork.

This technology-driven artwork begins with the artist’s own face as its foundation. As each visitor participates, their facial image is instantly blended into the piece and is never saved or recorded. Through an “eigenface” algorithm, the facial features of every passerby are continuously merged and layered, ultimately generating a unique and ever-evolving “portrait landscape.” This living image evolves day by day with every encounter, reflecting the connections between viewers and the artwork. This process of blending not only records these moments of meeting, but also blurs the boundaries between individual and creator, converging into a collective identity that belongs to everyone.

Composite faces are then rendered by a robotic arm as a magnificent landscape painting, capturing the fleeting intersections between audience and artist. This painting presents a “portrait landscape” as seen through the eyes of the machine—transcending age, gender, and labels, leaving only pure existence.

Observer invites you to participate and experience how personal identity flows and dissolves within the collective in the digital age. This is a journey that transcends the senses and imagination, encouraging us to reconsider the invisible connections between people through technology.

Art Installation Details

Date: 2025.09.03 - 2025.09.17

Time: 10:00am - 8:00pm

Venue: G/F Lobby, Hong Kong Arts Centre

Fee: Free 

SpinArt Workshop

As an extension of Observer, SpinArt workshop invites creative exploration at the intersection of art and technology. In each session, participants will assemble and experiment with simple DrawBot techniques, discovering the joy of creating automatic drawings through basic mechanical devices.

Guided by Hong Kong Arts Centre Art Ambassadors, every participant collaborates with their DrawBot, observing how simple mechanisms give rise to unexpected patterns and movements. This playful process encourages new perspectives on the relationship between observing and being observed, transforming creation into a shared exploration of presence and agency. 

Language: Cantonese

Fee: Free

Registration: Please click here
*This activity is suitable for persons aged 5 or above.

About the Artist

Phoebe Hui, based in Hong Kong, is an artist and researcher. She received her MFA from UCLA Design Media Arts, her MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, and her BA in Creative Media from City University of Hong Kong.

Hui’s artistic practice centers on the relationship between language, sound, and technology. In recent years, her work has explored how technology transforms our perceptions of reality, engaging with themes from the philosophy of science, systems aesthetics, and uncertainty. Her projects span a range of media, including kinetic and mechanical sculpture, generative art, installation, sound, comics, and painting.

Recent projects include: “Oi! Spotlight: The Garden of Resemblances” (Oil Street Art Space, Hong Kong, 2025); “No Boundaries: Reinterpreting Palace Museum Culture” (Hong Kong Palace Museum, 2022–2023); and “The Moon is Leaving Us” (Audemars Piguet Art Commission, Tai Kwun, Hong Kong, 2021).