Emerging from the adventurous spirit of the early 20th-century Dadaists and Surrealists, installation art solidified itself as a distinct genre in the late 1950s. This artistic form gained considerable traction over the subsequent decades, often focusing on site-specific interactions within various interior environments. Installations can take on diverse manifestations, commonly blending elements such as light, sound, projections, performances, and engaging or immersive features.
“Although many of these works were crafted by women, the historical narrative of art has predominantly highlighted male artists,” states a press release from M+ in Hong Kong. Currently, the museum features the exhibition Dream Rooms: Environments by Women Artists 1950s-Now, which aims to rectify this imbalance by showcasing the groundbreaking contributions of female artists.
Dream Rooms presents twelve immersive installations designed by artists from four different continents. Initially launched at Haus der Kunst München in 2023 under the title Inside Other Spaces, the exhibition later made its way to M+, where the works have been thoughtfully reconfigured.
Several of the featured pieces have a rich history, such as Yamazaki Tsuruko’s “Red (shape of mosquito net)” from 1956, alongside Aleksandra Kasuba’s “Spectral Passage” from 1975. According to the museum, “The exhibition navigates ideas and forms relevant to their time while inviting visitors to engage, explore, and experience a range of emotions, from joy to discomfort.”
Moreover, three new pieces have been commissioned from Asian artists specifically for this exhibition. These include Pinaree Sanpitak’s reimagined installation, “The House Is Crumbling,” originally conceived in 2017. Chiharu Shiota’s installation, “Infinite Memory,” showcases her iconic red string cascading throughout the space, while Kimsooja’s “To Breathe” entrancingly utilizes translucent film on windows to create prismatic light patterns within the museum.
Dream Rooms will be on display until January 18, 2026. More details can be found on the museum’s website. Additionally, you may want to delve deeper into site-specific works by women artists featured in Groundswell: The Women of Land Art.
