Fung Lam
Four Symbols (detail)
2024
Parts of an upright piano, mechanical components, ready-made objects, four-channel soundscape

Presented as a sound installation paired with a four-channel, four-movement soundscape, Four Symbols crafts a sprawling sonic journey across four element-themed movements. Speakers broadcast distinct soundscapes at each corner of the venue, enveloping visitors in a site-specific composition. A central evolving sculpture recombining everyday objects and prepared instruments forms unexpected sounds. Revivifying a water-damaged piano, Lam sculpts an array of timbres from objects like copper. By mapping minimalism onto the experience, the artist prompts thoughtful wandering as borders dissolve into an all-encompassing audio-visual experience connecting domains through multiple senses.


Artist Biography

Classically trained as a composer, Fung Lam has enjoyed a multifaceted career as a composer, artist and artistic planner. Lam holds a doctorate in composition from the University of Sussex in the UK. His music has been performed at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Proms, and in some of the most prestigious venues in the world, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Konzerthaus Berlin, the Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall and the South Bank Centre in London. He holds the distinction of being the first Hong Kong composer to have been commissioned by the BBC. His prolific and diverse output includes over 10 orchestral works, including three commissions for the BBC and two commissions for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He was awarded the Young Artist Award (Music) from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2011.