I descended the stairs to find Yumco (2016), an installation of branches, earth and dried artichoke leaves with all of the appropriate natural smells. In the same room, lingering fog was punctuated by light from digital projections of Yin Skin, in which shiny, slimy snails glide, writhe and convene. Everything was damp, but comfortably so. I traipsed onto uneven dirt, and joined the Yukti (2016) ceremonial performance, in which participants’ hands were cleansed before they were offered artichoke water. The blue ceramic drinking vessels, which were made by Korb’s collaborator Jonas Wendelin, have fins along their rims; fingers and lips must work together to find the right spot for tongues to taste the tea. As I did this, the video Cynara (2016) played behind us: a naked man handles an artichoke flower, then a woman in near-fetal position lies facedown with a nebulous cloud hovering above her; it carries the shades that are seen in Artischocken Kosha, which was in the gallery’s deepest recess, where the darkness was displaced once the Oculus headset was strapped on.

Korb studied in Berlin at Olafur Eliasson’s Institute for Spatial Experiments and then went on to study under the tutelage of Hito Steyerl at the Universität der Künste Berlin. He continued his artistic training in Ethiopia and the United States, honing his craft at Addis Ababa University and Hunter College. His use of mixed-media installations and new technologies fits Empty Gallery’s ethos of showcasing experiential art. The gallery’s darkened rooms were a salient contrast to not only other art spaces, but also Hong Kong’s rat-race streets, where every crevice is packed with dense visual information—advertisements and retail displays, mostly—that bombards and overloads pedestrians every day. “Kaya Cynara” was an opportunity to reboot our senses, and spend just a brief moment in a weird, mystical world crafted by a young German visionary. Don’t forget to try the artichoke water. It’s just a little sweet.