Street art is more than just murals. That’s the message Maria Wong and Jason Dembski, co-founders of local street art festival HKWalls, hoped to spread in this year’s edition, which took place in March.
Having focused on murals since the festival was first launched 10 years ago, the duo decided to expand the pool of what street art represents. They invited French artist Hopare to create an installation called Indigo Memories that featured portraits of former PMQ residents and current tenants. As Hopare’s work was displayed on the Staunton Street façade of the police residence-turned-design complex, Italian artist El Rughi created a playground installation consisting of a giant board game in the PMQ’s main courtyard.
Both Hopare and El Rughi’s works lasted only as long as the festival, but you can still see evidence of another project in Hong Kong’s streets, where you may have noticed miniature characters peering out from unexpected corners. These tiny figurines were created by Spanish artist Isaac Cordal as part of his ongoing project Cement Eclipses, in which he has installed small sculptures in urban settings from Brussels to London to Penang. With a background in sculpture and stone craft conservation, Cordal creates figurines made out of silicone moulds and cement — each measuring roughly 20 centimetres — and then thoughtfully places them in public spaces where their appearance comes as a surprise.
Cordal has worked with cement since 2001, initially creating large, heavy pieces that were difficult to move. He later embraced smaller sculptures to simplify his public installations. Originally maquettes for bigger projects, these miniatures quickly took on their own meaning.
A chance encounter
During the early pandemic era, both HKWalls and Schoeni Projects had been following Cordal’s work for some time. That paved the way for HKWalls to collaborate with the artist for the first time and co-organise various disCONNECT exhibitions in 2020 in London and Hong Kong.
The first, disCONNECT LDN, was held at Schoeni Projects’ London space inside a Victorian townhouse. It brought together international artists using site-specific works and digital tours. The show reflected on the creative and physical constraints of the global crisis, exploring psychological reactions to Covid-19 and the role of technology as a bridge between people. In Cordal’s case, his figurines were depicted wearing masks, embodying the pandemic era’s realities.
The Hong Kong edition, disCONNECT HK, was set in two locations: a revitalised traditional 1950s tong lau in Causeway Bay’s Pak Sha Road and the Sky Garden in the Hysan Place shopping mall. The exhibition blended physical and virtual formats to confront travel restrictions and social distancing, further emphasising the universal human need for physical belonging and emotional connection in challenging times.
As the world slowly reconnected again, the HKWalls co-founders found their chance to bring Cordal’s works to Hong Kong in a less restricted setting. They first met the artist in person at the Montreal Mural Festival in June 2023. “When we saw Isaac was in the artist line-up, we got back in touch,” says Dembski. “He told us he was also having a solo exhibition. So we showed up and surprised him at the opening.”
Small figures, big meanings
Cordal’s creations evoke a range of real-life issues. He is fascinated by how financial hubs like Hong Kong promote what he calls a “collective solitude” where fast-paced lifestyles leave people disconnected from one another, even as they share physical space. His sculptures of businessmen in suits tell a relatable story for Hongkongers, capturing the city’s intense stress and soaring cost of living. Some of these figures sit alone on ledges, trapped or half-sunken in puddles – symbolising society’s sinking not only in the collapse of unsustainable systems but also in growing environmental crises like climate change. Some of his characters are wearing VR goggles. Through these figures, Cordal explores our complex relationship with technology, where many are physically present but mentally adrift in virtual worlds.
A newer element in Cordal’s evolving narrative is the army of tourists. Clad in typical attire with cameras and shorts, they quietly take over urban spaces. For the artist, tourism is a relentless force that spreads through cities, gradually eroding their unique identities. Together with his other works, these figures reveal how modern life, shaped by relentless economic and technological forces, can leave individuals often isolated and environments vulnerable.
Neighbourhood treasures
Cordal installed more than 30 figurines across Central and Western District, in areas like Kau U Fong and Tai Ping Shan. (Some can also be found on Lamma Island, though they are not officially part of the festival.) He says he made sure to obtain permission from the residents of the buildings where he wanted to install the sculptures. “We’ve had to engage with residents and ask them directly if it was possible to place a figure – and almost always, the response was positive,” he says. “That human interaction, informal negotiation with the space and its inhabitants, becomes part of the work itself.”
Once confirmed, he chose locations that bear visible traces of time — from cracks to decay and forgotten corners — to enrich his storytelling. With Hong Kong’s dense and layered urban fabric, the artist said that he felt like each spot he discovered for his works was more compelling than the last. Cordal then carefully glued each miniature high above ground level to prevent theft. Unlike in cities like Montreal, where his works often go missing, all pieces in Hong Kong thankfully remain intact. Forming a part of Hong Kong’s streetscape, Wong hopes the pieces will remain indefinitely unless the artist specifically requests their removal.
She underlines the sense of humour and playfulness in Cordal’s installations, likening the experience of discovering them to “finding hidden treasures” that brighten the urban environment with moments of surprise and delight. Dembski echoes this sentiment, emphasising that Cordal’s works should speak for themselves. “We don’t really have a point of view to express. We’d simply like to share the artist and his works with Hong Kong,” he explains. Together, these artworks transform public spaces into open galleries that invite personal reflection and discovery.
Looking ahead, Cordal is poised to further leave his creative mark on cities worldwide. He is in the early stages of a new project in Oulu, Finland, planning larger-scale sculptures that continue his exploration of urban spaces beyond Hong Kong. Likewise, HKWalls is also busy preparing next year’s edition, exploring fresh ideas and events to push the boundaries of street art and keep Hong Kong’s lively urban canvas evolving.
Photos: Courtesy of Isaac Cordal and HKWalls.
Click here for more information about Cordal’s works and their locations, under the section Street Interventions.