“Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal”– Asia’s Largest Touring Exhibition

“In the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” — Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987)

So you’ve heard Warhol’s signature prediction, but do you understand the wisdom behind his observation? “The prophetic saying is not only about the power of media publicity but also about time,” explains Mr. Ng Ka-lun, the modern art curator at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. “[Warhol's statement] leaves us [pondering] our fate of time-limited existence.”

During his limited time on earth, Warhol had made a name for himself and became one of the most prominent artists in the world of pop art, a sub-genre of avant-garde art that communicates social commentaries. His “Marilyn” portraits and “Campbell’s Soup Can” series are instantly recognizable.

Marilyn Monroe, II.23 Aqua Green Marilyn, 1967

Campbell’s Soup II, II.51 Pepper Pot, 1969

By turning ordinary objects and pop culture materials into an art form, Warhol shaved the barrier between high and popular culture and made art accessible and relatable to the mass. Indisputably, Warhol broke down the hierarchies of art and redefined what art could be.

Warhol created a lot more than just paintings. The avant-garde artist conceived a wide variety of works encompassing many forms, such as films, music, videos, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and screen prints.

Today, Warhol’s works have remained influential and his fame has lasted far longer than 15 minutes.

Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal

If you still haven’t visited the Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal exhibit, Asia’s largest touring exhibition of works by Warhol held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, do stop by before it comes to an end on March 31, heading next to Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo.

Marking the 25th anniversary of Warhol’s death, the exhibition displays over 400 items to give viewers a more comprehensive picture of the contemporary artist’s life and creative career between the 1950s and 1980s. Works on display include:

• Famous artworks “Jackie,” “Liz,” “Self-Portrait,” “Marilyn Monroe,” “Campbell’s Soup,” and “The Last Supper.”
• “Time Capsule-23,” a cardboard box that stores over 20 mementos related to Hong Kong and Beijing when Warhol visited the cities in 1982.
• Works that have never been shown elsewhere during the touring exhibition, such as “Mao” and “Reflected.”
• Self-portraits and portraits of celebrities taken by Warhol with a Polaroid camera.
• Screenings of Warhol’s avant-garde films Eat and Empire.

Liz, 1964

Mao, 1972

Self-Portrait, 1986

The Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal exhibition is divided into four sections according to different stages of Warhol’s artistic career: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

You’ll find intriguing exhibits and attractions in every section, but the second section showcasing Warhol’s career in the 1960s, entitled The Factory Years, is not to be missed, says Ng.

There, you’ll see the Cow wallpaper, the Silver Factory, and the Silver Cloud installation – “all of which demonstrate Warhol’s avant-garde and creative flair,” Ng continues.

• The Cow wallpaper was the first in a series of wallpaper designs Warhol created from the 1960s to the 1980s.
• The Silver Factory is a re-creation of Warhol’s studio, where the artist’s experimental films including Eat and Empire are screened.
• The Silver Clouds, originally created by Warhol, is an art installation filled with silver-colored balloons floating freely around visitors. “The avant-garde installation [blends] technology and contemporary art. [It] invites interaction and is fun to participants,” Ng enthuses.

Cow, 1976

Some of my favorite artworks by Warhol are shown in the 1970s section, a period which the artist used skulls as his subject.

Skulls, 1976

Skull, 1977

Self-Portrait with Skull, 1978

With so much to see, you can easily spend hours in the exhibition. Before you leave, don’t forget to get your pictures taken at the Hall of Fame photo booth, where your photos will be shown on the screen looking like one of Warhol’s iconic portraits.

There, your 15 minutes of fame!

To learn more about Warhol’s transformation into New York’s dark prince of Pop, check out Andy Warhol “Giant” Size.

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