Isaac Chong Wai

Isaac Chong Wai (b. 1990, Guangdong, China) investigates themes of collective memory, history, and the body in relation to power and control in his artistic practice that traverses performance, installation, video, and sculpture. Navigating through his intimate experiences, Chong explores how personal and political narratives intertwine, often reflecting on protests, migration, and ideological conflicts. His work frequently reinterprets historical events and social movements, questioning the mechanisms that shape public consciousness.

Chong's approach is deeply rooted in performativity, using the body as a site for negotiation and resistance. In his projects like Falling Reversely, showcased at the 60th La Biennale di Venezia, he stages choreographed gestures that blur the lines between past traumas and speculative futures, envisioning alternative possibilities for coexistence. His use of repetition and slowness amplifies tension, prompting viewers to reconsider notions of time, labor, and collective action.

Materiality also plays a crucial role in Chong’s practice, as he employs fragile yet resilient materials, such as glass, paper, or even breath, to highlight the precarity of social structures. His installations often evoke a sense of stillness or suspension, capturing moments of transition and uncertainty. By engaging with both intimate and geopolitical narratives, Chong crafts a poetic yet critical discourse on power, vulnerability, and the potential for transformation.

Isaac Chong Wai holds an MFA in Public Art and New Artistic Strategies from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and a BA in Visual Arts from Hong Kong Baptist University. His works have been exhibited internationally at museums and bianilals such as the 60th la Biennale di Venezia, Bangkok Art Biennale, Bangkok 2024, Biennale Sesc_Videobrasil, São Paolo 2023, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, M+ Museum in Hong Kong, and the Berlinale Forum Expanded.

His works are featured in notable collections including Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin; Kadist, Paris and San Francisco; Sunpride Collection and Burger Collection, Hong Kong. He received the New York Désirée & Hans Michael Jebsen Fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council and is a fellow of the Kulturakademie Tarabya. In 2024, he was selected as one of the TOP 100 most important cultural figures in Berlin by Tagesspiegel