Christophe Domergue at The Aftermath (Central, Hong Kong)
There’s something about Central, Hong Kong that always feels slightly hidden, like you just need to know where to look. That’s exactly why The Aftermath works so well as a venue. This time, Christophe Domergue at The Aftermath—Sydney-born and fiercely texture-driven—brings work that turns urban architecture into something closer to living archaeology. Rather than treating buildings and surfaces as background, his practice treats them like archives. And once you start seeing them that way, it’s hard to look at the city the same. At the center of Domergue’s process is a technique he calls “peeling”. Instead of working on a traditional canvas, he applies malleable resins, pigments, and fiberglass directly onto industrial and urban surfaces. When the mixture sets, he strips the layer away—forcefully—so what remains is the surface’s embedded history: textures, paint fragments, and all the physical residue that time leaves behind. It’s a pretty intense approach, and Domergue himself describes it as performative and a little violent in spirit—because that’s part of the point. He’s not trying to smooth history into something neat. He’s capturing it as it is. The resulting pieces feel like a hybrid of sculpture and relief painting. You’re looking at more than just a surface image—you’re looking at physical memory and the geometric scars of the place the work was pulled from. Domergue’s fascination with industrial decay isn’t random. His interest traces back to his youth in the 1990s, when he explored abandoned warehouses and Sydney’s underground rave scene. So bringing his practice to The Aftermath makes sense—it creates a natural connection between warehouse culture in Australia and the indie creative energy found in Hong Kong’s underground art spaces. Set against the venue’s low ceilings and neon glow, Domergue’s textured panels sit in an almost effortless way. They feel familiar—like weathered walls, like old floors that have seen years of movement, sweat, and sound.…