Ready for Takeoff
Street artist Futura lands at the Landmark Atrium
It was one small step for man and one giant leap for the Landmark Atrium on June 3 when the city’s hypebeasts and art lovers came out to witness the unveiling of X-6000, a six-metre-tall sculpture of a silver rocket by Futura. The artwork was the highlight of an exhibition of the American graffiti artist’s work organised by homegrown creative studio Allrightsreserved and Belowground, the hybrid artretail space in the Landmark Atrium’s basement.
Futura flew in from New York and spent two weeks in quarantine to be present at the event—x-6000 is his largest public installation to date, so he didn’t want to miss its big reveal.
“Since I was a child, I’ve always been fascinated with space travel—the man on the moon, the Mars missions,” the 65-year-old said. “With this, I wanted to introduce people to who I am and get them familiar with my character universe. This project with the spaceship and alien figures helps tell that playful story.”
Futura, born Leonard Hilton Mcgurr, rose to fame in the Seventies alongside his friends and fellow artists Jean-michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. He has since had his work exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, MOMA PS1 in New York and Palais de Tokyo in Paris, and worked with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Nike.
SK Lam, founder of Allrightsreserved, hailed X-6000 as a boon for the city’s art scene. “I’m glad to have Futura here in person to witness the opening with us,” he said. “Futura has always been a legend to me. When I was younger, I would often read about him, and I admired his role in the world of art, graffiti and street culture. It’s an honour for me to be able to work with him on this scale.”
The exhibition, which ran until June 16, was visited by Futura fans including Kevin Poon, Antonia Da Cruz and Elaine Kwok. Hongkongers may not be able to travel as easily these days but, even if just for a moment, Futura took visitors far out of this world.