Similar to perishables, artworks are bound by “best before date” and Hu Qiren explores this idea for his solo exhibition ‘Strange Times’. On display are ten artworks shaped in the form of food tags that are often found in bread packaging. By using this format, the artist emphasises the preservation and longevity of the artwork. Each artwork is imbued with labels, images and numerical annotations of specific events or ideas. For example, in ‘Life Before’ (2022), the date refers to the start of the COVID-19 circuit breaker in Singapore.