Chan Wai-lap
Mr. Caution
2024
Warning cones, mechanical and sound installation

Though they are typically stationary sentries along streets, traffic cones spring into life in Chan Wai-lap’s kinetic sound installation. Stacked throughout the gallery in choreographed pairings, each cone is imbued with distinct motion and an original object soundscape. Their swirling duets, accompanied by whooshing sound of aerophony, invite navigation of the soundscapes evolving throughout the exhibition. The artist wonders whether the cones might attract attention simply through their animated exchange and cultivate new bonds. Playfully breathing expression into forms often overlooked, the artist sparks reflection on unheard voices in our built environment.


Artist Biography

Chan Wai-lap is an artist. He holds a Bachelor of Art (Hons) in Visual Communication from Birmingham City University. Drawing on his past experience and his fondness for collectibles, his works portray serious issues with a sense of humour. With his interest in swimming, his recent practice addresses the relationship between public space, the humanities and the artist’s inner-self, and creates displays in the form of drawings and installations. He has participated as an artist in residence in Hong Kong Tai Kwun Contemporary, Istanbul and New York, and was a finalist of 2022 Sovereign Asian Art Prize, and a finalist in the 2021 Art Sanya Huayu Youth Award and the Young Artist Award (Visual Arts) from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2019.