Malaysian artist Choy Chun Wei is known for his conceptual works using found materials, especially those with texts that reflect the pervasiveness and effects of the digital age. In “Get FOMO: The Trending Gesture”, a collage work composed of layers of coloured resin discs of various shapes and design offers a scene depicting people in motion, with numbers and alphabets for “eyes” looking to their sides and next to them, digital phrases such as “emailed” and lifestyle buzzwords like “membership”. FOMO, short for “fear of missing out” captures this restlessness and the social anxieties in the digitally driven world, mirroring those of the real physical world.
Choy highlights the paradox of connectivity – the need to stay constantly informed yet a greater disconnect emerges, resulting in the sense of being lost in the relentless pursuit of ephemeral trends. Choy's work often explores themes of human connection in contemporary life through themes of technology and information overload. His works employ a multi-layered approach, his adept use of material culture through his methodology of collage-making, recontextualising found materials for their cultural and symbolic significance encourage dialogue and interpretation, sparking conversations.
Get FOMO: The Trending Gesture
Year of execution: 2024
Year of acquisition: 2024
Medium: Printed graphic, art resin, and glass ink on a wooden panel base
Dimension: 30.5 (H) x 152.5 (W) x 4 (D) cm
Artist(s)
Choy Chun Wei
