Eggspression – An Immersive Art Experience has transformed GalaxyArt and Galaxy Promenade into a whimsical world of eggs for the summer holidays, featuring large-scale interactive art installations by renowned Dutch public installation artist Henk Hofstra and The Egg House team from New York.
The installations explore the hidden marvels of life, the power of art, the magic of love and the wonders of sustainability in this playful, thought-provoking journey.
The first part of the exhibition features Eggs Fall from the Sky, a masterpiece by Henk Hofstra, marking its first appearance in Macau.
“All my projects have something to do with how we see things, what is happening, where we come from, what we do and what we do with our planet,” notes Henk Hofstra, although he admits he doesn’t know exactly where his inspiration comes from.
“I have been drawing since before I could talk and art is what I’ve always done. But I tell people, I’m not inventing art, the art is just coming to me.”
The enormous “sunny side up egg” installations are not only visually striking, but also aim to raise awareness about global warming.
“An egg is the beginning of life and we have to be careful with life, but we are not always careful and we are warming up our planet. Now you can go outside and fry an egg on the streets because it’s so hot,” he explains. “So the eggs are kind of a warning. It’s always difficult to warn people, so you have to present the message in a fun package. Children love to play with the eggs, and I hope the memory and the message will stay with them for a long time.”
As you wander around the Galaxy Promenade, the bright yellow yokes grab your attention first. Then as you come closer, you notice the shape of the egg white, each one unique and symbolic of a particular message. To get more insight, you can scan the QR code on each art work.
Hofstra has also created a special egg-shaped installation called Loving Birds for this exhibition, adorned with heart-shaped eggs, flower petals, clouds, and trees, emphasizing the importance of life, love, wholesomeness, and positive energy.
The Dutch artist is renowned worldwide for his passion for transforming everyday objects into captivating large-scale public art installations. His exhibitions have been presented in many cities from Rotterdam and St Petersburg, to New York, São Paulo, Bilbao and Lisbon. Eggs Falling From the Sky has previously been exhibited outdoors in San Tiago, Chile and Beijing. There is even a permanent outdoor version of the exhibit in Wuhan made of concrete and stainless steel.
“That one will be there for many years. I think you can even see it from space,” laughs Henk.
The exhibition at Galaxy Macau is the first large-scale indoor display of Henk’s artwork.
“We had to make some small adjustments of course, but I’m very happy with how it looks and I love watching how people interact with the eggs, especially children. It’s very beautiful”.
Another highly immersive and interactive part of Eggspression is The Egg House, presented at GalaxyArt, a multi-sensory experience created by Biubiu Xu, the founder of Sense Creation Inc., along with a group of young artists and designers from New York.
“Regardless of your cultural background eggs are something very universally appealing so everyone can enjoy them,” notes Vivian Cai, the Creative Director of the project. “Eggs have a lot of symbolic meanings across different cultures, and they’re all very positive, like newborn life and potential, so we believe the theme of eggs can attract a very wide audience.”
The Egg House features Ellis, an egg whose name evokes the whimsical story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The artists ingeniously blend egg elements into the foyer, living room, bedroom, kitchen, and even bathroom, making every corner filled with surprises and transforming the ordinary egg into something extraordinary. In this vibrant “home”, visitors can interact with the exhibits and immerse themselves in a joyful atmosphere.
“We didn’t want to do an egg museum or an egg gallery, because we wanted people to feel comfortable and really have a fun and cozy experience. So we decided on ‘Egg House’ because it’s a place where people can really enjoy themselves. But it is not your ordinary house, it’s definitely extraordinary,” comments Vivian.
“We want to give people a new perspective on their daily surroundings. When they enter the space, they’re not a normal passive observer; they become part of the art piece and part of the whole story. The Egg House is not complete unless there are people inside of it,” she adds.
This thematic installation exhibition has captivated audiences of all ages and attracted over 200,000 visitors when it first debuted in New York in 2018, successfully paving the way for a global tour to many vibrant cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Shanghai, and now Macau.
“Because we are living in a digital age, the exhibition becomes a sharable experience,” Vivian observes. “The immersive and interactive nature of The Egg House gives you more chances to put something on social media and this can foster a sense of community for people who have been here. They can discuss it and share their opinions and this extends the experience of the exhibition.”
The creative team at The Egg House are also very happy to be collaborating with Henk Hofstra.
“Henk was actually one of our inspirations when we first started to make The Egg House. We’ve known and admired his work for a long time so this is like a dream come true!” says Vivian.
