Buds That May

Ora-Ora is pleased to announce a new group show focused on digital art, comprising contributions from three artists: Genesis Kai, Cindy Ng and Henry Chu. The title is “Buds that May.”

A group show dedicated to digital art is consistent with the gallery’s mission to explore the frontiers of possibility, both in philosophy and in technology. In that spirit, “Buds that May” marks Ora-Ora’s first collaboration with AI artist Genesis Kai. In 2021, Ora-Ora was the first gallery to present NFT artworks at Art Basel 2021. Cindy Ng was the artist who produced that work, and is also included in the line-up for this new show.

The title is an adaptation from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day,” in which the lines: “rough winds do shake the darling buds of May” appear. The poem’s touching allusions to the transience of the seasons and long-lasting romantic memory begin a dialogue on what is real and what isn’t, what is permanent and what is temporary. These dichotomies and dilemmas form parallels in the digital landscape which offers a verisimilitude of reality, or perhaps an alternative world, part of, and no less real than ours. Furthermore, buds form a link to the flowers which appear in the “Red Prayer Series” of Genesis Kai, and in the oeuvre of Cindy Ng and Henry Chu.

In the words of Ora-Ora co-founder and CEO, Henrietta Tsui-Leung, “We are all feeling the transformative effects of technology in our daily lives, and we’ve tried to express this sense of wonder, energy and forward momentum in our show. We think visitors will enjoy being in the warmth of technological possibility, and we’re delighted with the three artists that have made it possible.” Dr. Tsui-Leung continued: “Our Tai Kwun gallery has been specially designed to comfortably present digital art, and we are excited to see it achieve its full potential.”