Art exhibition: Invader at PMQ

The French artist Invader is internationally known for his pixelated mosaic “space invaders” which he has placed in over 60 cities around the world for almost 20 years. In January 2014, the artist launched the third wave of his “invasion” in Hong Kong, 13 years after he first hit the city.

Most of the works did not survive more than a few days, but for many it was a fun exercise to track the different characters through Hong Kong. For instance, here’s a blog post about chasing the invaders through Hong Kong that I really enjoyed.

I tried to find some invader artworks too – and I saw the girl on Ladder Street and the ghost at Hopewell Centre a few times before they were removed.

Now, Invader has returned. Officially. There is an exhibition at the PMQ until May 17 (10am to 7.30pm) that shows the evolution of his work. The show is called ‘Wipe Out‘ (following the destruction of his mosaics) and includes photos and a map of his 2014 “invasion” of Hong Kong, as well as documentation of what it looked like after the pieces were ripped off the walls.

In addition, the exhibition includes life-size replicas of mosaics that he dotted around different towns and cities (not just Hong Kong), photos of where mosaics could be found, plus never-before seen videos and new LED artworks (given that Hong Kong is the city of street signs!).

Further, there is a whole area of vending machines selling some of his popular symbols (such as the Dollar sign) but also some newly created ones (like the Bauhinia flower for Hong Kong). For 5 HKD you can buy a sticker, which are distributed randomly. The money will then be donated to the charity pathfinders.

It also seems that the next wave is starting… there are reports of new mosaics popping up across Hong Kong, for instance on Shin Hing Street and in North Point (check out the comments section here) and some ‘replicas’ like this Pac Man in Tin Hau.