What do we do with the corpses of items we have once so desired but no longer ring true? What does it say about people when a benchmark of success is on how you can spend, can consume, can buy?

What do we do about the ghosts of such expenditure?

Out of sight, out of mind?

Thomas Hirschhon, artist representative for Switzerland this year at La Biennale di Venezia created a rough and tumble answer to consumerism in this exhibition.

Dented soft drink cans, mannequins with enhanced mammaries wrapped in foil, celebrity tabloids and cell phones stacked on top of one another in a junk heap seem to taunt each visitor into guilt.

And guess what?

It succeeded.

The Swiss Pavillion is located at:
Giardini di Castello, Venice

The splash of colours, pieces of fabric strung from tree branches like giant cobwebs with paint splattered exhibition grounds have the tendency to overwhelm the visitor upon his or her discovery of the Hong Kong Pavillion, home to Frogtopia. Hongkornucopia, brain child of installation, multi-media artist, Frog King (Kwong Man-ho).

Past the initial confusion (Now what? Where do I begin? Where are the quintessential sitters with their ciaos and salves? Oh wait, there he is in the corner of the garden blended into the background amidst the colourful chaos), comes delight.

The King's obsession with interaction with his visitors is unbashed. Sunglasses of every size and colour imaginable dangle from place to place, against the dizzying backdrop of prints and colours, encouraging any visitor game for participation in his decade long One-Second performance project.

A clever yet fun exhibition that reminds one to see things in a different light (or froggy lens).

Frogtopia. Hongkornucopia: Hong Kong Pavilion is located at:
Arsenale, Campo della Tana,
Castello 2126-30122
Venice, Italy

After Song Dong's Parapavillion (Intelligence from Poor People) at La Biennale di Venezia


The Cupboard

Too precious to be disposed,
not important for display anymore,
these trophies admit defeat:
a glory expired,
but at least they sit proud
in storage.

The sculpted glass bottle is what
lives on like a spirit
after its body;
the perfume has died.

Baby rompers permanently new in plastic
because motherhood cannot be forgotten
even if a broken promise is all it remains.
In these wooden squares
live clever objects where secrets retreat
to their nondescript shell.

The cupboard protects
these disappointments,
some secrets,
yourself
from vain visitors already distracted by
their reflections
in its front door mirror.

everyday