Sparrow on the Sea 《雍雀》
Yang Fudong, China, 2024.
60 min. Digital. Black and white.
In Cantonese with subtitles.

Asia Society Museum is proud to host the North American premiere of artist Yang Fudong’s latest film, Sparrow on the Sea (2024), a co-commission by M+, Hong Kong, and Art Basel, presented by UBS. The screening will be followed by a prerecorded conversation with the artist, moderated by Kelly Ma, Curator, Learning & Outreach, Asia Society Museum. The conversation will be in English and Mandarin with translation. The program is free and pre-registration is encouraged. Please note that Yang Fudong will not be appearing in-person at this event; we invite attendees to stay for the newly recorded interview with him following the film screening.

A culmination of artist Yang Fudong’s film practice over two decades, Sparrow on the Sea presents a nonlinear narrative following Mr. Ng, a mysterious man dressed in a dark Chinese robe and a fedora, carrying a suitcase, who traverses the varied terrains of Hong Kong. Unfolding like a love letter to the fragrant harbor that still prides itself as a destination of possibilities for Chinese and expats alike, the film references and builds on the rich cinematic culture and history that is inseparable from the city’s character, as well as Yang’s earlier work, including Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest (2003–2007) in Asia Society Museum’s collection.

This program is part of Asia Society Museum’s offering during Frieze and TEFAF New York art fair week (May 7 through 13), coinciding with the Museum’s spring exhibition Yang Fudong: Seven Intellectuals in a Bamboo Forest, on view through August 10, 2025. Yang’s seminal, five-channel video work made over the course of five years from 2003 to 2007 is among the Museum’s first acquisitions of contemporary video art. Asia Society is also honoring Yang Fudong in its upcoming Asia Arts Game Changer Awards on May 12.