Tai Kwun is delighted to announce the return of SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts, which will showcase seven versatile performing arts programmes from April through May 2023. The programmes offer a wide spectrum of culture and talents from Hong Kong and the Mainland at Tai Kwun's distinctive venues and outdoor spaces, enabling talented local artists to produce work that is unique in nature with a focus on audience engagement, evolution and continuity.

This season’s SPOTLIGHT features original productions by all-new talent and returning artists who delighted audiences in 2021, continuing Tai Kwun’s dedication to establishing close and lasting collaborative relationships with artists in the performing arts community. Following Tri Ka Tsai and LauZone, multi-talented music artists Anna Lo and Rick Lau continue with the poignant yet playful The Farewell Comeback Tour, the third and final episode of the Hong Kong-style cabaret trilogy that sings tribute to the language and slang that shape the city’s generational identity. Choreographer and dancer Gigi Yang and visual artist Chow Chun Fai give witness to the stories in our lives through dance, images, and sound with The Forgiving Trees. Meanwhile, music and installations performance Since When, guided by the text of Chow Yiu Fai, music of Joyce Tang, visuals and installations of Chan Wai Lap and performances of iii (Iris Liu), Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and a choir of young signers, invites audiences to reclaim their lost sounds. Presenting tales of the diasporic community awash in magic realism, Guangzhou choreographer He Qiwo (ErGao) presents Butterfly Island, while playwright Chan Kwan Yee and director Yan Pat To make their collaborative debut with I will die in my home, a story told from the perspective of three generations of Hong Kong women about ancestral homes. Spanning across Tai Kwun is site-specific theatre The Sublime Progressions by award-winning Vividly, which takes theatregoers on an intimate journey of migration and diaspora that traverses time and space. Finally, the HKAPA drama students continue their work Last Ride, Fresh Eyes, developed in 2022 and enthrals with a podcast that encourages the audience to listen closely to the faint echoes and whispers of the city as they rally together support for Hong Kong artists.

Stretching across four weeks, SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts invites

arts lovers and audiences across the city to celebrate the very best of performing artists inside Tai Kwun’s iconic and dazzling venues.

【Hong Kong-style Cabaret】The Farewell Comeback Tour │ 07–09.04.2023

A diva is preparing for her final show as her swan song…or is she? Following the critically acclaimed productions Tri Ka Tsai and LauZone created in Tai Kwun Performing Arts Season in 2019 and 2021, music artists Anna Lo and Rick Lau continue their musical odyssey in The Farewell Comeback Tour, the third and final instalment of the Hong Kong-style cabaret trilogy that examines our generational identity crisis through the evolution of language and slang. With playful music and drama, the show will tug at your heartstrings and tickle your funny bone.

Date & Time: 07 April 2023, 8pm; 08–­­­09 April 2023, 3pm and 8pm

Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun

Ticket: HK$280

【Dance X Moving Images X Sound】The Forgiving Trees │ 07–09.04.2023

In her first collaboration with Tai Kwun, dance artist Gigi Yang teams up with visual artist Chow Chun Fai, moving image designer Wilfred Wong and soundscape designer Lawrence Lau to create The Forgiving Trees, which transforms Tai Kwun's F Hall Studio into a new realm through dance, visuals, and music. The audience is encouraged to move around the F Hall Studio space to fully experience the immersive fusion of dance, moving images, and music.

Date & Time: 07–08 April 2023, 2pm and 7pm; 09 April 2023, 2pm

Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun

Ticket: HK$280

【Music x Installations】Since When │ 14–17.04.2023

Since When invites Tai Kwun audiences to embark on a quest of seeking, finding, remembering, imagining – hopefully recognising –­­ and reclaiming what used to belong to us. The production, a music and installation project in search of the lost voice, is the first lyrical and musical collaboration between lyricist Chow Yiu Fai and composer Joyce Tang. Together with visual artist Chan Wai Lap, singer iii (Iris Liu), Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and a team of young singers and sound archivers who will bring audience to various locations at Tai Kwun with theatrical experiences of the journey of lost and found.

Date & Time: 14 April 2023, 8pm; 15–16 April 2023, 4pm and 8pm; 17 April 2023, 8pm

Venue: JC Cube and Tai Kwun site-wide

Ticket: HK$280

【Dance Theatre】Butterfly Island │ 15–16.04.2023

Butterfly Island is the brainchild of the quirky and charismatic choreographer He Qiwo (ErGao), who is regarded as one of the Mainland’s brightest stars in contemporary dance. After hisproduction of Disco-teca blended visuals, installations and dance with kitsch-chic in Tai Kwun in 2018, ErGao has assembled a sizable number of visuals on diaspora for his most recent work, Butterfly Island, which features dancers from the millennial to Gen Z generations. Various spaces of Tai Kwun will be transformed into a “synthesise scene” for performances enveloped in magical realism, telling the tales of the fictional island nestled between the discordant past and unresolved future, where people from different regions and eras meet and bid farewell to each other, just as butterflies’ momentary encounters.

Date & Time: 15–16 April 2023, 1pm and 6pm

Venue: Prison Yard & F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun 

Ticket: HK$280

【Theatre】I will die in my home│21–23.04.2023

Local playwright Chan Kwan Yee and director Yan Pat To collaborate for the first time to chronicle the century-old ghosts that linger within Wan Chai. Set at Wan Chai, the narrative theatre traversing time and space sets forth a story a woman who chose to stay and a tale of bygone years that relates to the city’s cultural changes. The story begins with a home bought by a Hong Kong grandmother. Built in the last century and once the home of glitz, with guests coming and going, it is now the place where the grandmother prophesies to her daughter-in-law about her granddaughter’s eventual passing. I will die in my home explores the idea that people, just like homes, will be forgotten eventually… just like the unrecorded last words of abandoned souls.

Date & Time: 21 April 2023, 8pm; 22–23 April 2023, 3pm and 8pm

Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun

Ticket: HK$280

【Site-specific Theatre】The Sublime Progressions│28–30.04.2023; 01, 03–06.05.2023

As humans, we share a special bond with land on our planet Earth. As we survive and expand our footprint on land by establishing cities, we also heed the urge to wander and choose to roam and migrate. Following The Inner Études produced by artist group Vividly in Tai Kwun in 2021 – an immersive theatre inspired by the Victoria Prison and the geological history of Hong Kong’s granite rocks that received four nominations at the HK Theatre Libre Awards and became a Design Mark recipient of Taiwan's Golden Pin Design Award – The Sublime Progressions this year explores themes of migration and diaspora by species and tribes, taking audiences on a journey through time and space in Tai Kwun. Through multi-dimensional soundscapes, lighting, projections, scenery, and performances in various locations, the site-specific theatre offers audiences the chance to rediscover their connection to the land and revelations of life, overcoming challenges and venturing into the unknown.

Date & Time: 28–30 April 2023, 7pm and 9pm; 01, 03–06 May 2023, 7pm and 9pm

Venue: Site-wide, Tai Kwun

Ticket: HK$280

【Online Podcast】Last Ride, Fresh Eyes │ 04–05.2023

Created and produced by the Drama School of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Last Ride, Fresh Eyes first premiered in 2022 as an immersive online performance in Tai Kwun “Onstage Online”. This year, the team presents a five-episode podcast adaptation of Last Ride, Fresh Eyes that transports listeners on a recreated voyage, witnessing how the lives of four Hongkongers become intertwined during a hitchhike ride from Central to East Kowloon. Recorded with ASMR technology alongside rearranged original songs, echoes and whispers of our city have been reimagined in an original audio journey, where audiences can experience together how Hongkongers overcome their struggles with perseverance in the face of difficulties. We don’t know what’s going to happen to our city tomorrow, but at least we still have today.

Date & Time: April - May 2023 (Exact schedule to be announced)

Venue: Online

Ticket: Free

Please visit Tai Kwun website for more details.

The memories and spaces of Victoria Gaol—Hong Kong’s first prison—are the focus of Tai Kwun’s brand-new digital programme DigiRadiance. The heritage digital exhibition consists of two parts: a 30-minute immersive show transforming the F Hall Studio into an immersive project space; and five Augmented Reality checkpoints across the Prison Yard and D Hall that will take visitors on a nostalgic journey to explore Tai Kwun’s history.

Bringing the old Victoria Gaol to life, the new heritage digital exhibition at Tai Kwun, curated by Ying Kwok and Jims Lam, Curators of Heritage Department, allows visitors to experience the past by stepping into the digital world. The first and longest-operating prison in Hong Kong, Victoria Gaol, opened in 1841 and is said to be one of the first buildings constructed of durable material in the city. Now, reimagined and interpreted in a digital context, the prison has been transported back in time to visualise the development of law and order in Hong Kong from artists’ perspectives.

Placing emphasis on architectural materiality and spatial configuration of the 19th century Victoria Gaol, the DigiRadiance exhibition has been designed into two parts. The first programme presented at F Hall Studio takes the original radial plan of Victoria Gaol as a point of departure to revisit Tai Kwun’s prison history and its significance to Tai Kwun as a heritage compound today. Through a 30-minute immersive video experience created by artists Vvzela Kook and Ng Tsz Kwan, the visual production evokes the experience of imprisonment and guides visitors through the prison’s extended implications in societal discourse, such as discipline, punishment, and reform. In the second part, a journey through five Augmented Reality checkpoints across the Prison Yard and the D Hall then leads visitors on a continuous journey that explores Tai Kwun’s history.

Five carefully selected checkpoints centre around the ground-breaking radial plan prison, and its evolvement during the first hundred years when it was first built. The building had experienced dramatic changes, which reflect the changing needs for prison capacity and the ideology for imprisonment. Echoing the artists’ video, the checkpoints highlight the remaining structures of Victoria Gaol and demonstrate how architecture design and spatial configuration reflect the needs.

Ying Kwok, Curator of DigiRadiance and Senior Curator of Tai Kwun, said, “Through reimagining and reinterpreting our historical buildings in a digital context, we hope to bring our visitors back in time, not only to visualise how our buildings have evolved over time, but also to learn and understand how and why these buildings are designed and built as they had. And through these learnings, we hope the visitors can develop a deeper relationship with our historical site, and continue to value and treasure heritage sites such as Tai Kwun. “

DigiRadiance runs from 17 February to 16 March 2023 and starts on the hour and half-hour between 11am and 7pm every day (the last session begins at 6:30pm). Each show has a capacity of 30 people.

Join artists Vvzela Kook and Ng Tsz Kwan as Tai Kwun hosts an artist sharing session for DigiRadiance audiences on 7 March 2023. Together, the artists will delve into the making of DigiRadiance, the depths and challenges of creating cybernetic journeys, and much more. The session is open to the public and is free of charge.

Tai Kwun welcomes Dr Pi Li who joins Tai Kwun Culture & Arts Company Limited in the position of Head of Art, with effect from 13 February 2023. Dr Pi will be responsible for leading the Art Team in setting the overall artistic and curatorial direction, guiding strategy as well as the curation and presentation of art experiences at Tai Kwun. He joins Tai Kwun as the institution prepares to celebrate its 5^th anniversary, and assumes the role from Mr Tobias Berger, who conceived and led Tai Kwun’s contemporary art programme from the outset and, with a small but highly motivated team, rapidly established Tai Kwun Contemporary as a major player in the arts and culture landscape of Hong Kong. Dr Pi will build on this impressive legacy as Tai Kwun deepens its relationship with the Hong Kong public and sustains its commitment to support Hong Kong’ creativity and its emerging and established artists across genres and disciplines.

A veteran of the M+ museum project in Hong Kong for the past ten years, Dr Pi has worked there since 2012 as the Sigg Senior Curator and and then as Head of Curatorial Affairs at M+. Before joining M+, the exhibitions Dr Pi curated include Media City Seoul (2006), After Shock: Contemporary British Art 1990-2006 (2006), Under Construction: New Dimensions of Asian Art (2002) and Moist: Asian-Pacific Media Art (2002). He also served as the curator for the Shanghai Biennial in 2002, and Allôrs la Chine at Centre Georges Pompidou in 2003. Dr Pi was the Chinese Fellow of Aspen Institute and obtained his PhD in art history from the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Dr Pi Li, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, said, “It is my pleasure to join Tai Kwun as Head of Art, and am passionate about contributing to the rapidly evolving cultural landscape of Hong Kong with Tai Kwun being a vibrant platform of experiment, engagement, and dialogue with local and global art scene, and welcoming visitors from all over the world to experience truly world-class and moving art experiences.”

Mr Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts and Ms Chin Chin Teoh, Director of The Jockey Club CPS Limited said, “We are delighted to welcome Pi Li as the new Head of Art at Tai Kwun, and very much look forward to working closely with him to realize his vision for our contemporary art programme, which will build on the tremendous achievements of Tai Kwun’s high performing Art Department under Tobias’s energized and inspirational leadership. The Art Team is very excited about working with Pi Li, who is so highly regarded by his peers across the arts sector in Hong Kong and internationally, and we are very fortunate to be able to maintain an ongoing relationship with Tobias who becomes our Curator-at-large.”

The three themes of InnerGlow 2023—Particles, Geometry, and Neon—are combined with Hong Kong imagery and moods to welcome the Lunar New Year with the utmost elegance

Tai Kwun is set to captivate Hong Kong’s evening skies once again as the second season of InnerGlow takes on a deeper dimension from 26 January to 12 February 2023; inviting some of Hong Kong’s brightest and most original talents to join hands with the compound’s Creative Partner, The Electric Canvas, to devise and create an entirely new programme. Following the enormous public success of the first season of InnerGlow in September 2022, a new series of abstract themes will play with and animate the Parade Ground to such an extent that the imposing classical architectural elements are transformed, morphed and choreographed right before Hong Kong’s eyes.

While InnerGlow 2022 told the imagined history of the Barrack Block, InnerGlow 2023 takes audiences into an entirely different world in which the pure architecture of Tai Kwun becomes the main player. Those longing for a distant time in the city’s history will be delighted by the familiar Hong Kong images and moods woven into the show’s three themes of Particles, Geometry and Neon. Particles set off the show with a burst of fireworks and images of traditional Chinese festivities, while the foundational logic of mathematics, science, engineering and building structures are shifted in Geometry. Next, Neon takes one of the most defining genes of Hong Kong’s DNA, twisting and turning it into abstract forms into a celebration of the city’s vibrancy.

What’s more, InnerGlow 2023 grants audiences the unique opportunity to project light and shadow animations, such as Lunar rabbits, fireworks, Chinese lanterns and many more, on the spot through interactive technology placed on site. Visitors of the light extravaganza can project their creations onto the compound’s famous mango tree to show their creativity.

InnerGlow 2023 is created and produced by The Electric Canvas. Once again, it includes contributions from several individual Hong Kong illustrators and animators, recommended by Tai Kwun, ensuring that Hong Kong’s distinctive landscape is infused with the city’s unique style. This fine group of Hong Kong artists has assumed a greater role, joining filmmaker and Associate Director, Oliver Shing for InnerGlow 2023.  Shing directs several scenes in InnerGlow 2023 in a collaborative partnership with The Electric Canvas. Meanwhile, the dramatic and emotional soundtrack of InnerGlow 2023 is edited and produced by Roy Cheung.

InnerGlow has been devised as a multi-year project to bring an annual series of startling public events to Hong Kong by the world-renowned production company, The Electric Canvas. Through the event, Tai Kwun is developing homegrown talent in 3D architectural mapping, art direction, digital design, animation, illustrating, sound producing and technical delivery to enhance Hong Kong’s capability in this genre of large-scale public installations and entertainment. By January 2024, the creative lead will reside with the Hong Kong InnerGlow team as The Electric Canvas steps back to provide advice and mentorship in specific fields. 

The programme is made possible with core funding provided by The Hong Kong Jockey Club through its Charities Trust as one of Tai Kwun’s arts and heritage programmes, and CLP Holdings Limited as the Principal Sponsor.

Peter Milne, Managing Director and Technical Director of The Electric Canvas, remarks, “It seems like only yesterday that we were in Hong Kong delivering InnerGlow 2022 after the delays the inaugural project faced due to the pandemic. We are thrilled that InnerGlow 2023 is returning to its scheduled time slot in January and are excited to continue sharing our knowledge and experience with local skills and talent. It gives us great pleasure to be supporting the team at Tai Kwun for this second iteration of the event.”

Mrs. Betty Yuen, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited Chairman and CLP Holdings Limited Non-executive Director, says, “CLP prides itself as the energy partner of Hong Kong. For 122 years, we have been providing a reliable electricity supply, lighting up the city just like InnerGlow lights up our night sky. We are grateful that Tai Kwun is bringing this project back after a successful first edition, and this time coinciding with the Chinese New Year. InnerGlow sees the collaboration and exchange between overseas experts and local artists which exemplifies the core strength of Hong Kong as an international metropolis. We hope the light show will inject vitality and hope for the city’s great economic recovery in the Year of the Rabbit.”

Date:               26.01 – 12.02.2023 (except for 30.01 & 06.02.2023)

Time:              6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm, 8:30pm, 9pm

Venue:            Parade Ground

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to present Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III, the first major survey exhibition on LGBTQ+ perspectives in Hong Kong. Curated by Inti Guerrero and Chantal Wong, and co-presented with Sunpride Foundation, Myth Makers circles around the core notion of “queer mythologies”. At the same time, the exhibition explores contemporary mythologies and practices of the body by gathering a diverse range of artistic vocabularies related to LGBTQ+ perspectives from over 60 artists from Asia and its diasporas. Myth Makers includes over 100 artworks in all Tai Kwun Contemporary galleries, with one third of the works loaned from Sunpride’s collection; the exhibition  expands on the “Spectrosynthesis” series, starting with Taipei, Bangkok, and now Hong Kong. Moreover, a publication collaboration with Queer Reads Library is also featured.

Myth Makers draws inspiration from artists addressing “queer mythologies”, who highlight either same-sex love/desire or gender fluidity as found in ancient belief systems and traditions in Asia. The exhibition also foregrounds the “new traditions” of our times, of spectacle and celebrity, playful and/or transgressive, along with non-normative bodily practices and histories in artworks by contemporary artists. The exhibition unfolds through three distinctive chapters and encompasses more than 100 works, which include new productions, historical works from the 1940s to the 1990s, and artworks on loan from the collection of the Sunpride Foundation. In bringing together such a plethora of artistic perspectives and vocabularies, Myth Makers endeavours to present a multiplicity of conversations, representations, and anti-representations of stories, individuals and communities. While the bulk of the exhibition focuses on living artists, some visionary and transformative figures of the past will also be underscored, including artists who lived in times when present-day LGBTQ+ identifications were not possible.

***

Chapter 1 Queer Mythologies: On and Off the Stage

“Queer Mythologies: On and Off the Stage” brings together artists who evoke mythological figures, creation stories, and traditions based on homoeroticism, androgyny, cross-dressing, and gender ambiguity. In doing so, they probe the possibilities of “queering” dominant cultural values—including religion—and highlight queer mythological representations that already exist in traditions across Asia. In counterpoint, other artists playfully unpack idol veneration in contemporary celebrity culture, a mass cultural formation with a significant role in weaving contemporary mythologies, which bind collective identities across the continent.

Chapter 2 Body Politics: Criminalisation, Control, and Counter-Narratives

“Body Politics: Criminalisation, Control, and Counter-Narratives” is firmly weighed down by the violence of history, delving into body politics, power, control, and criminalisation. Such themes moreover reflect the historic location of F Hall: originally a government printing shop, F Hall was later turned into a reception and fingerprinting office with remand cells as well as visitation booths. The physical venue thus offers a historical prism through which to engage the curatorial theme.

Chapter 3 Queer Futurities: Dematerialisation, Transformation, and New Vocabularies

“Queer Futurities: Dematerialisation, Transformation, and New Vocabularies” presents a darkness that suggests without revealing, for obscurity brings a sense of freedom, self-determination, and disinhibition. The body alludes and is alluded to, forming a ground for exploration and potentiality. By darkening the gallery space, the body is removed from sight, opening up the possibility for new meanings and horizons; at the same time, one moves away from a notion of the body as stable—in the imagination of Eurocentric science and medicine—or as sacred, as taught by different religions. On the contrary, the body is reconceived as a site of transformation and potentiality, made up of cells, atoms, organs: a site that can be disassembled, re-designed, and morphed. It is not a limit but a ground to be reclaimed.

Over the course of the exhibition, Tai Kwun Contemporary will also host a wide range of public programming and educational events. These include “Tai Kwun Conversations” series; “Myth Makers After Hours” in collaboration with Dr. Sonia Wong, Corrupt the Youth, and various guests, deconstructs the world of Myth Makers from the perspectives of literature, philosophy, subculture and gender studies; Teacher’s Morning and Teacher’s Workshop; Family Day; other guided public tours. (See appendix)

Already rich in its gender offerings, the current heritage exhibition Gender & Space (until 15 January 2023) explores the contrasting elements of the former prison compound’s masculine and female traits. Past exhibitions have explored issues related to the body and sexuality at Tai Kwun, including; Performing Society: The Violence of Gender in 2019, which articulated power and made traces of brutality that had previously been concealed and rendered invisible, and, as well as My Body Holds Its Shape in 2020 and trust & confusion in 2021.

This exhibition contains sensitive and sexually explicit content that may not be suitable for children or young adults.

Exhibiting artists include

Bunny Cadag, Oscar Chan Yik Long, Shu Lea Cheang, Christopher Cheung, Isaac Chong Wai, Club Ate (Justin Shoulder & Bhenji Ra), Roy Dib, Jes Fan, Chitra Ganesh, Sadao Hasegawa, Fan Chon Hoo, Hosoe Eikoh, Hou Chun-Ming, Yuen Hsieh, Andrew Thomas Huang, Bones Tan Jones, Siren Eun Young Jung, Bhupen Khakhar, Jiaming Liao, Amy Lien & Enzo Camacho, Zihan Loo, Ly Tran Quynh Giang, Zoë Marden & Sonia Wong Yuk Ying, Josef Ng, Patrick Ng Kah Onn, Alfonso Ossorio, Beatrix Pang, Ellen Pau, Sornchai Phongsa, Khairullah Rahim, Ren Hang, Anne Samat, Joshua Serafin, Tejal Shah, Shang Liang, Raqib Shaw, Sin Wai Kin, Sputniko!, Ho Tam, Hiram To, Kwong Chi Tseng, Virtue Village, Danh Vō, Wang Shui, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Ka Ying Wong, Martin Wong, Wu Jiaru, Xiyadie, Maru Yacco, Yau Ching, Trevor Yeung, Alex Yiu & Kei Ying Wong, Kohei Yoshiyuki, Samson Young, Zheng Bo, Bruno Zhu

Queer Reads Library in the Artists’ Book Library

Can’t Get You Out of My Head: From Kary, to Hiram

A display with archival/personal ephemera and artworks from Kary Kwok, on his friendship and partnership with Hiram To; co-curated by Kary Kwok and Queer Reads Library.

Queer Reads Library_Corner

A display with over thirty new books and zines inspired by Myth Makers, including special selections by Queer Reads Library (Kaitlin Chan, Rachel Lau, Beatrix Pang).

Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III

24 December 2022–10 April 2023

11am-7pm (Tuesdays to Sundays)

Closed on Mondays

Tai Kwun Contemporary

Special holiday schedule: open on public holidays (24–27 December 2022 and 1–2 January 2023) but closed for maintenance on 28 December 2022 and 3 January 2023.

For Chinese New Year, the galleries are closed on 22–23 January and 26 January 2023.

www.taikwun.hk

About the curator

Inti Guerrero

Independent curator and art historian, Inti Guerrero has curated exhibitions across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He was the artistic Director of bap - bellas artes projects in the Philippines (2018–2022), the Estrellita B. Brodsky Adjunct Curator at Tate, London (2016–2020), curator of the 38th EVA International, Limerick (2018) and Artistic Director of TEOR/éTica, San Jose. He has also curated or co-curated many exhibitions around the world, including: “Soil and Stones, Souls and Songs” (touring at MCAD, Manila, Para Site, Hong Kong, and Jim Thompson Art Center, Bangkok, 2016–2017);  “Afterwork” (touring at Para Site, Hong Kong; and ILHAM, Kuala Lumpur, 2016–2017); “A Journal of the Plague Year” (touring at Para Site, Hong Kong; The Cube, Taipei; Arko Art Center, Seoul; and Kadist Art Foundation and The Lab, San Francisco; 2013–2015). He has edited and contributed his writing to numerous books, magazines, and exhibition catalogues and has taught and lectured at different universities, art academies, and institutions. Recently, he was named co-Artistic Director of the upcoming 24th Biennale of Sydney (2024).

Chantal Wong

Chantal Wong is the co-founder of three charities in Hong Kong: Things That Can Happen, an art space set up to connect art to the socio-political context of the city; Learning Together, empowering refugee and asylum seeker youth to take on leadership through access to education, scholarships, and leadership training; and Women’s Festival, a platform promoting gender awareness and equality through public discourse. She is a Ford Global Fellow, a global community working to combat inequality brought together by the Ford Foundation.

From 2017 to 2021 she was the founding director of culture at Eaton in Hong Kong, a purpose-driven hospitality brand where she led a culture and programming team to transform the property into a champion for creativity, artistic experimentation and safe-space for intersectional communities, in particular those who have been historically marginalised, and activists. Prior to this she worked with Asia Art Archive, a research centre and archive of modern and contemporary art from Asia as head of strategy helping to build up an invaluable resource for the (re)writing of histories with post-colonial perspectives from the region.

The city’s cultural heart becomes the Christmas destination for the moments that matter

What’s the perfect gift for the holiday season? Often, it’s the intangible things that have the most lasting impression – those spontaneous smiles, those warm embraces, those moments shared together. Christmas is that special time of year where these little things take on an extra special meaning.

It’s this spirit that Tai Kwun and The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“HKJC”) have channelled this Christmas with Simple Gifts of Joy.

HKJC presents Simple Gifts of Joy

Simple Gifts of Joy is all about sharing in the joyous experiences that bring us together. It’s a month-long celebration of joy, giving and togetherness; where we can come together with family and friends, revel in the spirit of the season, and savour those moments that truly matter. The first of a series of annual festive celebrations presented by HKJC together with Tai Kwun, Simple Gifts of Joy aims to inspire the community through arts and culture and welcome new vibrancy and energy back to the city.

On 1 December, Tai Kwun transformed into a glorious festive destination full of colour, music and fun, where joyous performances came alive and filled the air with celebration. Of course, there is a Christmas tree – a grand, 12-metre-tall beauty that will be the centrepiece of Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground, accompanied every evening by a dazzling light show. Throughout the month, there are an array of circus performances, Christmas music, delightful surprises and hidden treats that create a unique festive atmosphere right across the complex.

Conserved and revitalised by HKJC, Tai Kwun has become Hong Kong’s beating cultural heart since opening in 2018 – a destination where heritage, world-class arts and culture, and rich stories all come together in a unique, joyous landmark for Hong Kong. And now, has become home of a whole new Christmas tradition for our city.

Tree of Togetherness

At the heart of Simple Gifts of Joy is a magical scene that sees Parade Ground transform in a sea of festive light, colour and music – a beautiful backdrop where families and friends celebrate together.

The Simple Gifts of Joy journey began across the Parade Ground: at the centre is the soaring, beautifully adorned Christmas tree that has become a festive Hong Kong icon. Every evening from 6pm – 9:30pm, the tree glows with a magical light show, creating a special atmosphere across the space. The historic buildings surrounding Parade Ground also come alive with a symphony of dramatic lighting.

Simple Gifts of Joy Light Show

The Gift of Music

The magic began with an opening concert and lighting ceremony on 1 December, where Bernard Chan, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, switched on the enchanting Christmas scenes together with the visitors. Bearing witness to the stunning Christmas tree light up, glittering and sparkling, the celebration of the joyful season was spent with one another. Continuing from 2 to 4 December, the newly founded Hong Kong choir NOĒMA performs three additional evenings of exquisite choral music under the baton of Sanders Lau.

Share the Joy

Christmas is a time for creating memories that will last a lifetime. As visitors make their way through Tai Kwun, they will come across festive “Snap the Joy” photobooths to capture those spontaneous moments of happiness with friends and family. Visitors can choose to print these photographs as a reminder of these special times or as heartfelt Christmas gifts to loved ones. The photobooths will be available for all Tai Kwun Fans and tenant customers, along with limited walk-in slots.

Special gifts will be given to Tai Kwun visitors to help them share and create happy memories. From specially curated gingerbread cookies to festive hard candies and popcorn, visitors will discover an array of delectable gifts and treats along the way.

To spread the cheer even further, there will be an interactive Festive Instagram Filter to add an extra touch of Christmas spirit to your social media.

“Snap the Joy” Photobooths

Tai Kwun Circus Plays

Inspiring the community through art, culture and heritage is at the heart of Tai Kwun and HKJC, the complex has transformed into a circus of fun with a rich programme of joyous performances, events and workshops. Tai Kwun Circus Plays features a line-up of diverse and delightful acts from around the world. Some of the highlights taking place across different locations of Tai Kwun include:

See the Appendix for details on all performances, events and workshops.

The Merriest of Markets and Meals

Over 30 outlets at Tai Kwun have already unloaded Santa’s sleigh and are ready to spread Christmas cheer with a mix of festive flavours, seasonal goodies, art presentations and hands-on craft experiences. The turkey isn’t the only thing that’s stuffed this season, as Executive Chef Junno Li of The Chinese Library presents a limited eight-course dinner to satisfy your Christmas cravings. Nibble on the city’s best Thai tidings and treats at Aaharn, while enjoying the view of Tai Kwun’s extraordinary Christmas tree over limited-edition dishes. One doesn’t need to travel to the North Pole to spot a reindeer as Stecco Natura presents a very special Reindeer Popsicle. PAZTA is rolling out toothsome plates and new traditions with their exquisite menu, while Dragonfly is serving up warm glasses of mulled wine spiked with spices and fruity sweetness.

Yulephiles can discover seasonal treasures from Tai Kwun’s incredible range of shops. If you are dreaming of a woodsy season, look no further than Ora-Ora: the art gallery will be showcasing paintings inspired by 18^th century Flemish tapestries, redolent of the heroic deeds of the forest. For those looking for family-friendly activities, PAP Studio will host a stained-glass photo frame workshop, giving everyone a chance to hone their skills from copper foil wrapping and colour dyeing. Meanwhile, Touch Ceramics is teaching everyone about Kwon-glazed porcelain painting with their wondrous Christmas workshop. 

Going on a shopping spree? Be rewarded upon spending HK$1,000 at TASCHEN Store and receive a complimentary handcrafted bookmark designed by renowned local designer ZOEE. Finally, warm up with tea-riffic gift sets from LockCha Tea Shop, as the teahouse is brewing up six floral teas to keep you cosy all season long. 

Your festive spirit is just waiting to be unwrapped! Find yourself inspired by Tai Kwun’s charming shops and restaurants as you stroll along Hong Kong’s winter wonderland.

Visitor information

All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Some exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun may be subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. Visitors are encouraged to plan their visits with the newly launched Visitor Planner via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visitor_planner prior to visiting.

Programme details are subject to change; please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

This December, Tai Kwun and The Hong Kong Jockey Club prepare for the solstice with the heart-warming theme of “Simple Gifts of Joy” to invite visitors to embrace a month-long celebration of joy, giving and togetherness as the city’s cultural heart becomes the Christmas destination for the moments that matter. Gleaming with good tidings and cheer, Tai Kwun relishes in the apricity of the season’s days to present the dazzling Tai Kwun Circus Plays, an immersive and magical bazaar for adults and children.

Host to an absolute cracker of concerts, Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard Festival: Music from within showcases the healing power of music, bringing together a series of intimate concerts featuring some of Hong Kong’s finest musicians and an extraordinary international ensemble and stellar soloist. Turning the spotlight onto gender and sexuality, Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III invites one to explore the core notions of “queer mythologies” and examine the emerging “new traditions” of our times, as spectacle and celebrity fuse into playful and transgressive art forms. Gender & Space adopts a gender lens to redress the underrepresentation of women in the gendered spaces of the Central Police Station compound from 1841 to 1941, bringing forth new ideas of representation and delineation in the broader context of Hong Kong’s urban history.

Then in January, InnerGlow 2023 returns triumphantly to rekindle the magic of 3D Mapping technology as it projects breath-taking animations and images onto the facades of Tai Kwun’s historic buildings to celebrate the New Year. Following in February, F Hall Studio will be transformed into an immersive digital project space with DigiRadiance, spotlighting Tai Kwun’s prison history and its significance in the early formation of Law and Order in Hong Kong.

HKJC Presents Simple Gifts of Joy

What’s the perfect gift for the holiday season? Often, it’s the intangible things that have the most lasting impression – those spontaneous smiles, those warm embraces, those moments shared together. Christmas is that special time of year where these little things take on an extra special meaning.

It’s this spirit that Tai Kwun and The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“HKJC”) are channelling this Christmas with Simple Gifts of Joy. It’s a month-long celebration of joy, giving and togetherness; where we can come together with family and friends, revel in the spirit of the season, and savour those moments that truly matter.

Starting from 1 December, Tai Kwun will transform into a glorious festive destination full of colour, music and fun, where joyous performances will come alive and fill the air with celebration. Of course, there will be a Christmas tree – a grand, 12-metre-tall beauty that will be the centrepiece of Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground, accompanied every evening by a dazzling light show. And during the month, there will be an array of circus performances, Christmas music, delightful surprises and hidden treats that will create a unique festive atmosphere right across the complex. (1 December 2022-2 January 2023)

Snap the Joy

Christmas is a time for creating memories that will last a lifetime. As visitors make their way through Tai Kwun, they will come across festive “Snap the Joy” photobooths to capture those spontaneous moments of happiness with friends and family. Join TK Fans for exclusive online registration.

Tai Kwun Circus Plays

"Tai Kwun Circus Plays" proudly enters its fifth edition! From December to January, circus veterans in town and around the world will get together at Tai Kwun to present an array of breathtaking contemporary circus performances. Let's have a merry juggling festive season together with our friends and family!

The circus season will kick off with an opening concert The Gift of Music by Noēma, the city's vocal ensemble, followed by LIFE Event No. 2 by the pioneering British circus group Gandini Juggling. UniCircle Flow from Japan will enthral audiences with their vigorous unicycling dance show, Rock It! Unicycle.

Only Bones v1.0, the award-winning solo show created by New Zealand physical theatre and mime artist Thomas Monckton, will come to Tai Kwun to deliver to audiences a joyful Christmas. Local creative team TS Crew, veteran choreographer Mui Cheuk Yin, and emerging local circus talents, will add a local touch and bring street vbes to life in Ho! Ho! Ho! Monkey King is Coming To Town and New Boom In Circus. The annual circus carnival will culminate with the Ting-koo-ki Mad Skills Gala and Battle (TKK), a passionate circus battle between top non-local jugglers from Taiwan, Costa Rica, Belgium and Brazil, as we welcome the arrival of 2023 at Tai Kwun.

Prison Yard Festival: Music from within

Prison Yard Festival: Music from within celebrates the healing power of music. By bringing together individual musicians, ensembles and audiences, the Festival creates and shares the unique and intimate setting of the Prison Yard in which music leads us from poised introspection to extrovert joy.

True to its title, Music from within begins indoors, in JC Cube. The festival opens with LENK Quartet performing French composer Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. The monumental Goldberg Variations are heard in a new light when pianist Rachel Cheung and lighting designer Amy Chan collaborate to realise Bach’s great keyboard composition from 1737 through a distinctly 21st century lens.

Music emerges from within as the outdoor stage of the Prison Yard hosts a series of highly atmospheric evening concerts, including two chamber concerts by some of the finest musicians from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Revered Hong Kong pianist Nancy Loo will perform Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata under the December full moon. The Prison Yard Festival will close with the unstoppable energy of baroque ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro with their stellar soloist Jakub Józef Orliński, making his Asian debut with two nights of dazzling virtuosity from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. (30 November–10 December 2022; Prison Yard & JC Cube; Tickets are available at URBTIX & art-mate.net)

Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III

Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III circles around the core notion of “queer mythologies” and delves into modern and contemporary mythologies along with practices of the body, by gathering a diverse range of artistic idioms related to LGBTQ+ perspectives from over 50 artists from Asia and its diasporas.

The exhibition draws inspiration from artists addressing “queer mythologies”, who highlight either same-sex love/desire or gender fluidity as found in ancient belief systems and traditions in Asia. At the same time, the exhibition also highlights the “new traditions” of our times, of spectacle and celebrity, playful and/or transgressive, along with non-normative bodily practices and histories in artworks by contemporary artists.

Curated by Inti Guerrero and Chantal Wong, and co-presented with Sunpride Foundation, Myth Makers includes over 100 artworks in all Tai Kwun Contemporary galleries, with one third of the works loaned from Sunpride’s collection. As such, Myth Makers is the first major institutional survey exhibition on LGBTQ+ perspectives in Hong Kong, and expands on the Spectrosynthesis series, which previously showed in Taipei, Bangkok, and now Hong Kong. The exhibition also includes a special publication collaboration with Queer Reads Library. (24 December 2022–10 April 2023; free admission; JC Contemporary and 1/F F Hall)

DigiRadiance

DigiRadiance is a brand-new digital programme that transforms the F Hall Studio into an immersive project space.

The first programme takes the original radial plan of Victoria Gaol as a point of departure revisiting Tai Kwun’s prison history and its significance in the early formation of Law and Order in Hong Kong. Victoria Gaol is the first prison in Hong Kong and forms a significant part of the heritage compound. By exploring the architectural materiality and spatial configuration, it exposes the experience of imprisonment and its extended implication in societal discourse such as discipline, punishment, and reform.  (16 February–16 March 2023; free admission; F Hall Studio)

InnerGlow 2023

Following the enormous public success of the first InnerGlow in September, this engrossing project takes on a deeper dimension in January 2023 as some of Hong Kong’s brightest and most original talent joins hands with our Creative and Technical Partner, The Electric Canvas, to devise and create an entirely new program for January 2023.

While the first InnerGlow told an imagined history of the Barrack Block, InnerGlow 2023 will take audiences into an entirely different world in which the pure architecture of Tai Kwun becomes the main player in a series of abstract themes which play with and animate the building itself to such an extent that all of those imposing classical architectural elements are transformed, morphed and choreographed right before our (disbelieving) eyes. The show will make references to familiar Hong Kong images and moods, ranging from fireworks and traditional festivities to the unique handwriting of Hong Kong neon, and at times will defy the very the foundational logic of our building’s geometry. (26 January–12 February 2023; nightly from 6:30pm; Parade Ground)

Principal Sponsor: CLP Holdings Limited

On-going Programme

Gender & Space

Gender equality is a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. How far have we come in the quest for gender equality in our city? Can the past illuminate the present and provide insight into a better future? The new heritage exhibition Gender & Space adopts a gender lens to revisit the history of our heritage site over its first hundred years from 1841 to 1941. It seeks to redress the underrepresentation of women in the gendered spaces of the Central Police Station compound by sharing the stories and experiences of those often overlooked to fill a gap in its history. The exhibition further explores women’s experience in both the private and public spheres. Visitors are confronted with questions and structural issues surrounding gender inequality in the wider society of old Hong Kong.

In the exhibition space, there is a symbolic, mirror-clad platform, which visitors are invited to ascend and complete the exhibition experience by reflecting on their gender roles and identities. Named “Gender Salon,” this space for community engagement comprises a roster of over 10 dialogues that touch on diverse subjects and visualises the relationship between gender and space in the contemporary cultural context. Together with the exhibition, this inclusive space invites reflection on how every individual has the power to bring positive change and help build an equal and inclusive society. (5 November 2022–15 January 2023; free admission; Block 01 Duplex Studio)

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass direction. Some exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun may be subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

— End —

The new heritage exhibition revisits gender and space in the historic compound of Tai Kwun to uncover hidden stories of underrepresented and forgotten women both in and outside the site.

Hong Kong, Friday, 4 November 2022

Tai Kwun is delighted to announce the new heritage exhibition Gender & Space, running from 5 November 2022 to 15 January 2023, curated by Dr. Anita Chung, Head of Heritage.

The programming of the Heritage team has been strategically building on the value of heritage to contribute to sustainable development, while harnessing the power of culture as a driver of change. Recent programmes include Tai Kwun Conversations: UNESCO Series and the summer exhibition Breathing with Trees. Now, a new heritage exhibition focuses on gender, which will run in parallel with another forthcoming gender-related exhibition presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary.

Gender & Space focuses on underrepresented or forgotten women in history, asking essential questions, such as how far we have come in the quest for gender equality in our city, and whether the past can illuminate the present and provide insights for a better future? Tai Kwun’s Duplex Studio shifts back in time to bring women out of the shadows of history and opens up new, transformative spaces for contemporary dialogue on gender issues.

The exhibition adopts a gender lens to revisit the first hundred years of history of the Central Police Station compound, from 1841 to 1941. Using photographic images, architectural drawings, and archival information to support curatorial interpretation, the exhibition uncovers hidden traces of gendered spaces and invisible women in a historic place of power and masculinity—a man’s world designed by and for men. The alternative stories fill a gap in the site’s history, which scarcely mentions the women in the workforce who supported its operations, the expatriate wives who made their homes in Hong Kong, and gender-related crime and imprisonment issues.

Visitors to Gender & Space are also confronted with questions and structural issues surrounding gender inequality in the wider society of old Hong Kong. The exhibition explores women’s experience in both the private and public spheres. It includes stories of the powerless and marginalised, as well as those who exercised female agency to advocate change. The show offers a diverse picture of power relations in the construction of gender and space.

In the exhibition space, there is a symbolic, mirror-clad platform, which visitors are invited to ascend and complete the exhibition experience by reflecting on their gender roles and identities. Named “Gender Salon,” this is also an inclusive space for community engagement in gender dialogue. It comprises a roster of over 10 dialogues that touch on diverse subjects, including minority voices, the male gaze, sex work and human trafficking, and domestic carers; two workshops on the traditional weaving of patterned ribbons of Hakka and Weitou women; and a “bridal laments” performance by women from Lung Yeuk Tau village in Fanling. The Salon visualises the relationship between gender and space in the contemporary cultural context. All Gender Salon programmes are open to the public and are free of charge, apart from the workshops.

Gender & Space invites reflection on how every individual has the power to bring about positive change and help build an equal and inclusive society. Dr. Anita Chung, Head of Heritage of Tai Kwun and curator of the exhibition, said, “Gender & Space is designed as a safe and reflective space for engaging in meaningful discussion on gender and social equity. We seek to understand history from multiple perspectives, acknowledging not only the different forms of inequality, but also their underlying causes. It is crucial to examine the structures in place and the interlocking systems of power that determine who is free or unfree, powerful or powerless, and dominant or subordinate. Gender & Space shows that gender identity is complex, multi-layered and ever-changing, and why we must challenge discriminatory practices and address the needs and aspirations of all members of society to bring about positive change.”

In parallel with Gender & Space, Tai Kwun will present Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III, another gender-related exhibition to explore alternative gender representations, queer mythologies, and practices of the body from new and exciting perspectives, from 24 December 2022 to 10 April 2023 at JC Contemporary.

Gender Salon—Public Programme Details:

All Gender Salon: Dialogues are open to the public and are free of charge.

Admission fee for workshops: $100 per person, $160 Family Pass (1 Adult, 1 Child); register on the Tai Kwun website.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/gender-salon/1105 .

Gender & Space

Curated by Dr Anita Chung, Head of Heritage, Tai Kwun

5.11.2022–15.1.2023

11am–7pm

Block 01 Duplex Studio, Tai Kwun

https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/gender-and-space/1083

Bringing out the healing power of music, Tai Kwun immerses audiences in six unique star-studded programmes from indoors to outdoors

Having showcased the unique and intimate atmosphere which can be conjured by the dramatically walled Prison Yard during 2019’s Projekt Berlin, Tai Kwun unveils a new Prison Yard Festival: Music from within, stretching from 30^th November to 10^th December 2022. For 11 days, Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard will be transformed into a performance space with a magical atmosphere not found anywhere else in the city, a natural home for music to take one on a heartwarming and soul-searching journey. Musicophiles are invited to find solace inside the festival, as the healing power of music liberates us from feelings of isolation, reminding the city of the joy it feels when we are all reunited.

Prison Yard Festival: Music from within brings together like-minded musicians, ensembles of fine instrumentalists, composers, performers, and, of course, audiences to create and share music in the unique and intimate setting of the Prison Yard. 6 broad-ranging performances will be presented. Amongst them, the unmissable highlight is the long-awaited Asian debut of Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński with the fine Italian ensemble il Pomo d’Oro as the Festival’s finale.

True to its title, Music from within begins indoors, in the JC Cube. And true to its location overlooking the Prison Yard, the festival opens with LENK Quartet performing music written “on the inside”. French composer Olivier Messiaen was a prisoner in a German prisoner-of-war camp in Poland in 1940 and composed Quartet for the End of Time for himself and three fine musicians who were among the other POWs in the camp. Through his extraordinary imagination, Messiaen led his ensemble, and his audience, in an escape from the confines of prison, flying above the material world in cosmic freedom. “Never was I listened to with such rapt attention and comprehension.”

The monumental Goldberg Variations are heard in a new light when pianist Rachel Cheung and lighting designer Amy Chan collaborate to realise Bach’s great keyboard composition from 1741 through a distinctly 21^st-century lens.

Music emerges from within as the outdoor stage of the Prison Yard hosts a series of highly atmospheric evening concerts, including two chamber concerts by some of the finest musicians from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Revered Hong Kong pianist Nancy Loo will perform Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata under the December full moon.

The Prison Yard Festival will close with the unstoppable energy of baroque ensemble il Pomo d’Oro with the stellar Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, making his Asian debut with two nights of dazzling virtuosity from the 17th and 18th centuries. Orliński is known as one of the world’s leading singers, triumphing on stage, in concert, and on recording, with sold-out concerts and recitals throughout Europe and the United States.

Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard Festival: Music from within will be staged from 30 November to 10 December 2022 at Prison Yard and JC Cube; tickets for the programmes are available at URBTIX and art-mate.net. Please visit Tai Kwun website for the programme details.

LENK’s Quartet for the End of Time│30.11.2022          
Performed by: LENK Quartet

Date & Time: 30 November 2022, 7pm
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $250

Goldberg illuminations│02-03.12.2022

Performed by: Rachel Cheung (piano)

Lighting Designer: Amy Chan

Date & Time: 2 - 3 December 2022, 7pm

Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $250

Solitary reunion│05.12.2022

Performed by: Wang Liang (violin), Gui Li (violin), Sun Yu (viola), Richard Bamping (cello), and Avan Yu (piano)

Date & Time: 5 December 2022, 7pm

Venue: Prison Yard, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $300

“Music from within” by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra│07.12.2022                

Performed by: Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Date & Time: 7 December 2022, 7pm
Venue: Prison Yard, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $300

Beethoven by moonlight│08.12.2022

Performed by: Nancy Loo (piano)

Date & Time: 8 December 2022, 7pm

Venue: Prison Yard, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $300

Il Pomo d’Oro & Jakub Józef Orliński (Asian debut) │09–10.12.2022

Performed by: Il Pomo d’Oro, Jakub Józef Orliński (Countertenor) *Asian debut
Date & Time: 9–10 December 2022, 7:30pm
Venue: Prison Yard, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $680

Ticket Discount

• Patrons may enjoy one of the below discount schemes for each purchase where applicable:
• 40% off for Senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minder and full-time students. Available on a first-come-first-served basis.
• 15% off for Tai Kwun Fans with valid discount code. Available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Prison Yard Festival Package Discount

• Each purchase of standard tickets for 2 different concerts (10% off)
• Each purchase of standard tickets for 3 different concerts (15% off)
• Each purchase of standard tickets for 4 different concerts (20% off)
• Each purchase of standard tickets for 5 different concerts (25% off)
• These discounts do not include the concerts of "Il Pomo d'Oro & Jakub Józef Orliński"

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest anti-pandemic arrangements: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm (closed on Mondays).

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must provide either a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass directive. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Passes. Cleaning frequency is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

— End —

Editor’s notes:

Please click here to download hi-res images with captions.

About Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts (Tai Kwun)

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. We aspire to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community.

Tai Kwun invites all visitors on a journey of discovery that unites across multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle in Hong Kong.  Here, visitors will discover the rich heritage of the site through the thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

Opened in May 2018 and operating on a not-for-profit model, Tai Kwun is the fruition of a joint partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Government of the HKSAR to conserve and revitalise the buildings of the historic Central Police Station compound, which represents one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The site comprises three Declared Monuments of Hong Kong – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – all have been meticulously conserved, with unfailing attention to authenticity. The site also includes two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube, by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – and several outdoor spaces – Parade Ground, Prison Yard and Laundry Steps – providing an exciting venue for the public programmes presented by Tai Kwun and its partners.

Tai Kwun, which means “big station” in Chinese, is the colloquial name used by Hong Kong people to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding compound. The name has been adopted as a reminder of the historical importance of this living heritage site.

In 2019, Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This is the highest honour of the prestigious Awards, which bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts of Tai Kwun.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.TaiKwun.hk.

For more information, please contact:

Hong Kong, 28 October 2022, Friday

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III, an upcoming exhibition on view from 24 December 2022 to 10 April 2023. As one of the first major exhibitions on LGBTQ+ perspectives in Hong Kong, Myth Makers circles around the core notion of “queer mythologies”. At the same time, the exhibition explores contemporary mythologies and practices of the body by gathering a diverse range of artistic idioms related to LGBTQ+ perspectives from over 50 artists from Asia and its diasporas. Curated by Inti Guerrero and Chantal Wong, and co-presented with Sunpride Foundation, Myth Makers includes over 100 artworks in all Tai Kwun Contemporary galleries, with one third of the works loaned from Sunpride’s collection; the exhibition furthermore includes a publication collaboration with Queer Reads Library. Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III also expands on the “Spectrosynthesis” series from Taipei, Bangkok, and now Hong Kong.

Myth Makers draws inspiration from artists addressing “queer mythologies”, who highlight either same-sex love and desire or gender fluidity as found in ancient belief systems and traditions in Asia. The exhibition also foregrounds the “new traditions” of our times, of spectacle and celebrity, playful and/or transgressive, along with non-normative bodily practices and histories in artworks by contemporary artists. The exhibition unfolds through three distinctive chapters and encompasses more than 100 works, which include new productions, historical works from the 1950s to the 1990s, and artworks on loan from the collection of the Sunpride Foundation. In bringing together such a plethora of artistic perspectives and vocabularies, Myth Makers endeavours to present a multiplicity of conversations, representations, and anti-representations of stories, individuals and communities. While the bulk of the exhibition focuses on living artists, some visionary and transformative figures of the past will also be underscored, including artists who lived in times when present-day LGBTQ+ identifications were not possible.

In parallel with Myth Makers, Tai Kwun will present the new heritage exhibition Gender & Space, a thematically related exhibition that explores gender from an alternative perspective and reveal hidden traces of women (5 November 2022 to 15 January 2023; Duplex Studio, Block 01).

Exhibiting artists include

Bunny Cadag, Oscar Chan Yik Long, Shu Lea Cheang, Christopher Cheung, Isaac Chong Wai, Club Ate (Justin Shoulder & Bhenji Ra), Roy Dib, Jes Fan, Chitra Ganesh, Sadao Hasegawa, Fan Chon Hoo, Hosoe Eikoh, Hou Chun-Ming, Yuen Hsieh, Andrew Thomas Huang, Bones Tan Jones, Siren Eun Young Jung, Bhupen Khakhar, Jiaming Liao, Amy Lien & Enzo Camacho, Zihan Loo, Ly Tran Quynh Giang, Zoe Marden & Sonia Wong Yuk Ying, Josef Ng, Patrick Ng Kah Onn, Alfonso Ossorio, Beatrix Pang, Ellen Pau, Sornchai Phongsa, Khairullah Rahim, Ren Hang, Anne Samat, Josh Serafin, Tejal Shah, Shang Liang, Raqib Shaw, Sin Wai Kin, Sputniko, Ho Tam, Hiram To, Kwong Chi Tseng, Virtue Village, Danh Vō, Wang Shui, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Ka Ying Wong, Martin Wong, Wu Jiaru, Xiyadie, Maru Yacco, Yau Ching, Trevor Yeung, Alex Yiu & Kei Ying Wong, Kohei Yoshiyuki, Samson Young, Zheng Bo, Bruno Zhu

About the curator

Inti Guerrero

Independent curator and art historian, Inti Guerrero has curated exhibitions across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He was the artistic Director of bap - bellas artes projects in the Philippines (2018–2022), the Estrellita B. Brodsky Adjunct Curator at Tate, London (2016–2020), curator of the 38th EVA International, Limerick (2018) and Artistic Director of TEOR/éTica, San Jose. He has also curated or co-curated the exhibitions: “Institute for Tropical and Galactical Studies” in Yokohama Triennale 2020, Yokohama Museum of Art; “Ming Wong. Your Special Island” at the CCP Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila (2019); “Soil and Stones, Souls and Songs” (touring at MCAD, Manila, Para Site, Hong Kong, and Jim Thompson Art Center, Bangkok, 2016–2017); “Udlot-Udlot: on Jose Maceda” at Asia Art Archive (2016);  “Afterwork” (touring at Para Site, Hong Kong; and ILHAM, Kuala Lumpur, 2016–2017); “A Journal of the Plague Year” (touring at Para Site, Hong Kong; The Cube, Taipei; Arko Art Center, Seoul; and Kadist Art Foundation and The Lab, San Francisco; 2013–2015). He has edited and contributed his writing to numerous books, magazines, and exhibition catalogues and has taught and lectured at different universities, art academies, and institutions across the world. Recently, he was named co-Artistic Director of the upcoming 24th Biennale of Sydney (2024).

Chantal Wong

Chantal Wong is the co-founder of three charities in Hong Kong: Things That Can Happen, an art space set up to connect art to the socio-political context of the city; Learning Together, empowering refugee and asylum seeker youth to take on leadership through access to education, scholarships, and leadership training; and Women’s Festival, a platform promoting gender awareness and equality through public discourse. She is a Ford Global Fellow, a global community working to combat inequality brought together by the Ford Foundation.

From 2017 to 2021 she was the founding director of culture at Eaton in Hong Kong, a purpose-driven hospitality brand where she led a culture and programming team to transform the property into a champion for creativity, artistic experimentation and safe-space for intersectional communities, in particular those who have been historically marginalised, and activists. Prior to this she worked with Asia Art Archive, a research centre and archive of modern and contemporary art from Asia as head of strategy helping to build up an invaluable resource for the (re)writing of histories with post-colonial perspectives from the region.

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest anti-pandemic arrangements: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm (closed on Mondays).

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must provide either a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass directive. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Passes. Cleaning frequency is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

— End —

Welcoming the mid-autumn season, Tai Kwun offers a dreamlike experience blending its rich history and radiant future through the multi-media innovations of lightshow InnerGlow

Tai Kwun is very proud to announce the premiere season of InnerGlow – the first of what will be an annual season of breath-taking animated digital projections onto several of Tai Kwun’s historic facades, with core funding provided  by The Hong Kong Jockey Club through its Charities Trust as one of Tai Kwun’s arts and heritage programmes, and CLP Holdings Limited as the Principal Sponsor of this year’s programme. A complex array of powerful projection equipment has been installed in precise locations across the Parade Ground to support cutting-edge 3D projection technology which will transform Tai Kwun’s grand 19^th Century buildings into living, breathing characters with a wealth of stories to tell, underscored by a nostalgic soundtrack.

In this first season of InnerGlow, the Parade Ground becomes a 3D wonderland of animated projections as our grand old Barrack Block takes on human form - a world-weary dowager whose drowsy slumber and unreliable memories evoke nostalgia, pride, drama, excitement and rebirth in a series of reminiscences which dreamily blur fact and fiction. Through the haze emerge scenes which contain fleeting glimpses of the building’s history, but veer off-course as they mix and meld with dreams and other memories – a car chase in hot pursuit of a crime boss; high tea in Madame Fù’s salon during the height of art deco chic in the 1930s; the feint pencil lines of an architect’s ambitious plans sketched half a world away; an air-raid which scarred the whole city; turbaned police officers on parade; a devastating typhoon. Storm-damaged and battle-weary, this grand old dame is not ready for her close-up, Mr de Mille. She’s ready for a major makeover.

An action-packed 12 minutes encompassing 160 years of memories, InnerGlow will be shown five times each night from 10 September, on the half-hour commencing at 7pm. In addition a special light installation has been created for the Pottinger Ramp which, for the two week season of InnerGlow becomes the Pottinger River flowing fancifully into Hollywood Road.

Tai Kwun is honoured to be collaborating with The Electric Canvas as creative and technical partner for InnerGlow. The Electric Canvas has been responsible for many of the most awe-inspiring architectural projection mapping shows which have illuminated Sydney winters in the last 12 years, as part of the festival of light, music and ideas - Vivid Sydney. Not only has The Electric Canvas created a unique and brand new show exclusively for Tai Kwun, they have invited a number of Hong Kong artists, illustrators and animators to contribute to this first version of InnerGlow and will expand the circle of Hong Kong involvement in 2023 and 2024 by inviting young professionals and emerging artists in relevant fields to take up more and more of the creative and technical roles, under The Electric Canvas’s guidance and mentorship, thereby investing deeply in capacity building in Hong Kong to sustain future creative projects. The participation of The Electric Canvas in InnerGlow has been made possible with the financial support of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations – an Australian Government initiative.

Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts, says, “Tai Kwun is immensely grateful for the combined support of our founder and funder, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Principal Sponsor, CLP Holdings Limited and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations which together have enabled us to collaborate with our creative and technical partner The Electric Canvas on such a grand scale. Not only is The Electric Canvas creating this first InnerGlow exclusively for Tai Kwun, but they are also generously sharing their knowhow, expertise, creativity and vast experience with a core group of young Hong Kong professionals in order to build up Hong Kong’s capability in this exciting field and to take on increasing roles in InnerGlow in future years. We are thrilled to be offering the people of Hong Kong an eye-opening new experience right here in the heart of Central and look forward to building on the inventiveness and creativity year-on-year when InnerGlow returns in 2023 and beyond, sparking curiosity and anticipation as each new show is unveiled.”

Peter Milne, Managing Director and Technical Director of The Electric Canvas, remarks, “The Electric Canvas is delighted to be back in Hong Kong and to be given the opportunity to assist the creative and technical teams at Tai Kwun in the creation of a bespoke projection mapping installation for the inaugural InnerGlow event.  The opportunity to work with local skills and talent will provide valuable sharing of knowledge and experience to assist Tai Kwun to expand the InnerGlow festival from year to year.”

Mr William Mocatta, Vice Chairman of CLP Holdings Limited, says, “We are delighted to be supporting this exciting programme which brings together world-class visual arts, local heritage and technology at this conserved and revitalised hub. CLP and Tai Kwun have much in common – both being staunch supporters of arts development, appreciation of history and innovation. Most importantly, we both have a long heritage that mirrors the colourful development of Hong Kong. That’s why CLP is proud to be the Principal Sponsor of InnerGlow, a project that combines international expertise and local creativity to tell the good story of Hong Kong. I hope it will be a source of positivity and energy for the community during the Mid-autumn Festival.”

— End —

Editor’s notes:

Date:               10 – 25.9.2022 (except for 19.9.2022)

Time:               7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm, 8:30pm, 9pm (duration: 12 minutes)

Venue:            Parade Ground

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high-contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

About Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. We aspire to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community.

Tai Kwun invites all visitors on a journey of discovery that unites across multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle in Hong Kong. Here, visitors will discover the rich heritage of the site through the thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

Opened in May 2018 and operating on a not-for-profit model, Tai Kwun is the fruition of a joint partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Government of the HKSAR to conserve and revitalise the buildings of the historic Central Police Station compound, which represents one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The site comprises three Declared Monuments of Hong Kong – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – all have been meticulously conserved, with unfailing attention to authenticity. The site also includes two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube, by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – and several outdoor spaces – Parade Ground, Prison Yard and Laundry Steps – providing an exciting venue for the public programmes presented by Tai Kwun and its partners.

Tai Kwun, which means “big station” in Chinese, is the colloquial name used by Hong Kong people to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding compound. The name has been adopted as a reminder of the historical importance of this living heritage site.

In 2019, Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This is the highest honour of the prestigious Awards, which bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts of Tai Kwun.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.TaiKwun.hk.

About The Electric Canvas

The Electric Canvas is the Southern Hemisphere’s only dedicated building projection specialist. Established in 1997, we’ve delivered hundreds of projects at home and abroad presenting architectural mapping, field of play and large-scale immersive projections.

Throughout the past two decades we’ve built unrivalled experience and have continually expanded our resources and skills, earning us an enviable reputation as a trusted collaborator and production partner. Our ability to provide innovative solutions to challenging briefs is well known.

We also offer invaluable advice and expert consultancy on permanent and/or mixed technology installations.

About The CLP Group

The CLP Group is one of the largest investor-owned power businesses in Asia Pacific with investments across Hong Kong, Mainland China, Australia, India, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Hong Kong-listed CLP Holdings Limited is the holding company for the CLP Group, which has a diversified portfolio of generating assets that uses a wide range of fuels including coal, gas, nuclear and renewable sources.

Through CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, the Group operates a vertically integrated electricity supply business that provides a highly reliable supply of electricity to 80% of Hong Kong’s population. In Mainland China, the CLP Group is the largest external investor in the energy sector on the Mainland with a focus on low-carbon energy. In Australia, the Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary EnergyAustralia is a leading integrated energy company, providing gas and electricity to about 2.45 million households and businesses. Apraava Energy (formerly known as CLP India) is one of India’s biggest renewable energy producers with operations in power generation and transmission.

CLP Holdings is included in the Global Dow – a 150-stock index of the world’s leading blue-chip companies, the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index (DJSI Asia Pacific), the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific 40 Index (DJSI Asia Pacific 40), the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index Series and the FTSE4Good Index series.

Tai Kwun itself is set to shine in September with the unveiling of a whole new open-air experience every evening starting from the Mid-Autumn Festival. InnerGlow converts the Parade Ground into a 3D wonderland of animated projections as our grand old Barrack Block takes on human form-a world-weary dowager whose drowsy slumber and unreliable memories evoke nostalgia, pride, drama, excitement and rebirth in a series of reminiscences which dreamily blur fact and fiction. InnerGlow is the whimsical dessert of a 3-course evening in Tai Kwun which starts with a relaxed happy hour of jazz or world music (Chilled Steps) followed by full immersion into the vivid imagination of Pipilotti Rist (Behind Your Eyelid) and concluding after sundown in the Parade Ground, ideally with a drink and a snack. In November, Tai Kwun traces the stories of invisible women in Gender & Space giving voice to the silent generations of women in the private and public spaces of old Hong Kong. The comfort, solace and healing power of music is the theme of the Prison Yard Festival when the historic granite walls resonate with Music from within.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club not only conserved and revitalised Tai Kwun, but also through its Charities Trust provides the core funding for Tai Kwun’s arts and heritage programmes.

InnerGlow

This autumn, a new signature event designed for the whole family will light up the Parade Ground every evening during a 3-week season. InnerGlow uses the latest digital and 3D mapping technology to project breathtaking animations and images onto the facades of our historic buildings on a massive scale. In this show, specially created for us by The Electric Canvas in collaboration with Hong Kong artists, our beloved 160-year-old Barrack Block assumes almost human form-a grand old dame, looking back over a long and eventful life, the boundaries between memories and dreams, facts and fiction blurred by coloured clouds and a nostalgic soundtrack. This action-packed 12-minute fantasy will be shown 5 times each evening, on the half hour starting at 7pm.

Showtime: 7pm; 7:30pm; 8pm; 8:30pm; 9pm

(10–25 September; free admission; Parade Ground)

Principal Sponsor: CLP Holdings Limited

Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist

Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist has opened and will run until 27 November 2022, taking over all Tai Kwun Contemporary galleries and beyond. Rist’s signature moving image installations—highly immersive, deeply sensual, and remarkably insightful—wrap visitors with a virtual hug of sounds, colours, and moving images. Visitors can walk and sprawl within her mesmerising installations, which prompt meditative introspection along with joy and exhilaration, opening up explorations of the body and the image, of exterior environments and interior mindscapes. This high-profile exhibition offers major works from Pipilotti Rist’s oeuvre along with newly commissioned site-specific works for Tai Kwun, in the galleries, on the Prison Yard and elsewhere in Tai Kwun.  (3 August-27 November; tickets on sale now; JC Contemporary and Tai Kwun site-wide)

Lead Sponsor: Indosuez Wealth Management

Chilled Steps

Music has consoled our hearts during times of isolation. Now, with the chance to return, there is nothing more powerful than sharing melodies together in the same space. Returning to Tai Kwun Laundry Steps upon popular demand, Chilled Steps will once again turn the heritage space into a jamming stage where some of the best musicians in town come together to connect with audiences in a relaxed setting.

Chilled Steps was first held in March 2021 as one of the first live performances after months of venue closure. The month-long concert series became a popular chill-out spot for music lovers in town. With the Laundry Steps revamped with stylish and friendly seating, the series will return in September and November to present weeks of free evening concerts.

The series will feature jazz, world, classical, and pop musicians to give radically new genres of music each day, returning as the finest spot to relax after a long day. Curated by jazz bassist and veteran Justin Siu and the highly sought-after jazz pianist Joyce Cheung, music lovers are promised a wonderful evening filled with musical delights. (7-24 September and 1-13 November; free admission; Laundry Steps)

Remarks: The performance line-up and schedule are subject to change. Please stay tuned to Tai Kwun website for the latest information.

Prison Yard Festival: music from within

After showcasing the distinctive and intimate ambience that the dramatically walled Prison Yard can evoke during Projekt Berlin in 2019, Tai Kwun will introduce a new Prison Yard Festival in November to December 2022. The Prison Yard will be transformed into a striking outdoor concert venue for two weeks to explore how music can provide optimism, healing and comfort through challenging times. The festival’s theme of “music from within” evokes the allure of live music within the high-walled enclosure of the Prison Yard and the deep sincerity of musical communication, which has nourished musicians worldwide despite isolation, quarantine, lockdowns and vast distances. (30 November–11 December; Prison Yard & JC Cube)

Details of the Prison Yard Festival: music from within will be announced in October. Stay tuned!

Gender & Space

Gender & Space adopts a gender lens to re-visit Tai Kwun’s history over its first hundred years from 1841 to 1941. Revealing hidden traces of invisible women and gendered space in a historic place of power and masculinity, a man’s world designed by and for men, the alternative stories we tell fill a gap in its history.

Outside of Tai Kwun, what were women’s experiences in the private and public spaces of old Hong Kong? How did spatial-gender segregation overlap with class and racial/ethnic divide to reinforce status distinction? This exhibition further explores different women’s identities and roles in a patriarchal society that combines the old and the new with rapid economic development. It offers a diverse picture of gender and power relations in the construction of gendered space. (5 November–15 January; free admission; Block 01 Duplex Studio)

Details of Gender & Space will be announced in November. Stay tuned!

Breathing with Trees

Throughout all the world’s cultures, trees have always had an intimate connection with us physically, biologically, and emotionally. Apart from providing us with food, shelter, and clean air, trees are silent witnesses to our transient existence, as they remain rooted in one place throughout their lives. However, trees are as mortal as human beings. They constantly face existential threats arising from the damages inflicted on the environment by mankind’s insatiable appetite for consumption and thoughtless expansion.

This exhibition acknowledges the vital role that trees play in our daily lives and explores some of the most advanced ways of protecting, preserving, and nurturing them to ensure future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits that trees bring to us. (8 July–12 September; free admission; Block 01 Duplex Studio)

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must provide either a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass directive. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Passes. Cleaning frequency is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

Tai Kwun celebrates 10 million visitors. Brimming with excitement, the compound rejoices in the vibrant outdoor space that fosters inspiration in service of our communities

Tai Kwun is pleased to announce that it has welcomed more than 10 million visitors since its opening in 2018. Since then, Tai Kwun has hosted spectacular and insightful exhibitions, programmes and performances, bringing a sense of wonder and delight to Hong Kong and international audiences, by introducing accessible heritage, art and cultural experiences into the daily lives of Hong Kong people. At Tai Kwun, each visit evokes a transformative moment, with new wonders and extraordinary memories to be made.

Celebrating this milestone with visitors, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said, “we are delighted to have welcomed over 10 million visitors to Tai Kwun, one of Hong Kong’s most significant heritage conservation and revitalisation projects, founded and funded by HKJC. We strive to make every aspect of the Tai Kwun experience as welcoming and meaningful as possible, enriching lives through art, culture and heritage and enabling a culturally vibrant Hong Kong. We look forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy the unique Tai Kwun experience in the heart of Hong Kong for many years to come.”

Transformative experiences in the heart of Central

Since its opening, Tai Kwun has delighted visitors with over 2,800 public programmes, spanning from exhibitions to performances, talks and workshops. Various members of the local and international community have been moved by both the centre’s large and small-scale programmes. Be it families, children, couples, individuals, or art lovers, everyone who has stepped foot in Tai Kwun has been enchanted by its transforming experiences and unique activations.

Guiltless gifts to give away

As a token of appreciation, a limited edition postcard in collaboration with Ciaolink will be given away on 3 September to Tai Kwun visitors. This hot stamped postcard features one of the compound’s most recognisable historic buildings—Block 01 Police Headquarters Block. Limited stock only, while supplies last.

A summer of soirees

Now, in the midst of summer, Tai Kwun is brimming with excitement as the compound rolls out diverse opportunities for everyone to delight their senses. Visitors of all ages are invited to spend the remaining weeks of their summers at Tai Kwun, revelling in the season's vibrancy as Tai Kwun offers engaging and immersive programmes.

Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist

A major new exhibition by the internationally renowned Swiss media artist Pipilotti Rist has landed in Hong Kong for Summer 2022. Rist’s signature moving image installations—highly immersive, deeply sensual, and remarkably insightful—wrap visitors with a virtual hug of sounds, colours, and moving images.

InnerGlow
This autumn, a new signature event designed for the whole family will light up the Parade Ground every evening during a 3-week season beginning this Mid-autumn Festival and to late September. InnerGlow uses the latest digital and 3D mapping technology to project breathtaking animations and images onto the facades of our historic buildings on a massive scale.

Over 4 years into our opening, Tai Kwun remains a place where curiosity is stimulated, creativity is always inspired, and talent is empowered by delivering authentic cultural and heritage experiences. The summer season inside the centre is pulsating with joy, as visitors are invited to feel their heartbeat like never before and relish in divine moments of artistry. Tai Kwun remains committed to excellence, as it aspires to present innovative, insightful, and delightful activities that will promote the community’s enjoyment and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history.

With over 10 million breathtaking moments already recorded in Tai Kwun history, the historic grounds can't wait to stay on the pulse of Hong Kong for many years to come.

Visitor information

All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. Visitors are encouraged to plan their visits with the newly launched Visitor Planner via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visitor_planner prior to visiting.

Programme details are subject to change; please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

Tai Kwun Contemporary today opens the large-scale exhibition Behind Your Eyelid­—Pipilotti Rist, offering visitors a deep dive into the fantastical and humorous world of the internationally renowned media artist Pipilotti Rist (b. 1962, Switzerland). Immersive, sensual, and insightful, the works of Rist embrace viewers with colours, sounds, and moving images. As visitors walk around and lie down in her mesmerising installations of “organised light”, they will take pleasure in how she makes the familiar unfamiliar while pointing out beauty in unexpected places. The exhibition will run from 3 August to 27 November 2022.

As Rist’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, Behind Your Eyelid­—Pipilotti Rist comprises more than 45 of her iconic works from the past thirty years—including early single-channel videos with their tongue-in-cheek humour, large-scale moving-image installations brimming with colour and music, sculptural works that merge video and everyday objects—this exhibition goes far beyond a survey of the artist’s oeuvre. Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist offers new site-specific works that will pass through the glass windows of JC Contemporary and caress the historic Tai Kwun site with gentle colours, creating a large, immersive video sculpture on the Prison Yard, animating the D Hall prison cells, and projecting a giant mural on the Parade Ground. Pipilotti Rist’s first exhibition in Hong Kong will allow visitors to experience the artist’s signature “virtual hug” of sounds, colours, and moving images that has so charmed audiences of all ages around the world, from New York (New Museum; Museum of Modern Art) to Kyoto (The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto), Los Angeles (Museum of Contemporary Art) to Sydney (Museum of Contemporary Art).

Rist’s oeuvre has long explored the possibilities of video in offering alternative visions of reality and utopia, of humans in nature, and of the relationship between the body (especially the female body) and the digital. Her works allow us to see in different ways—sweeping views, close-ups, even inside the body—while giving us a better understanding of how the aesthetics of the camera work with our whole physical being. Drawn to connections between the exterior and the interior, the artist is particularly fascinated by the intermediaries and interfaces that link the two: the camera lens, skin, and membranes of the eye. While such interfaces certainly offer indexicality for the recorded or registered image, they also blur, contort, and reshape it, which in turn opens up a creative space of speculation, reverie, and play. It is this liminal, ambivalent state that has inspired the title of the exhibition, “Behind Your Eyelid”, and which invites viewers to dive into the realm of moving images for new ways of experiencing the world. In doing so, viewers will be able to glimpse new visions with regards to personal expression, the politics of the body, and the vibrant colours of life and nature. At once comforting and humorous, yet served up with an edge, Rist’s mesmerising installations prompt joy and meditative introspection, experiences that are best when shared.

“We are privileged, after the very successful summer exhibition with Takashi Murakami, to showcase another spectacular large-scale exhibition by such an iconic artist at Tai Kwun Contemporary, not only presenting some of Pipilotti Rist’s history-making installations but also many new productions,” said Tobias Berger, curator of Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist.

“An exhibition of the scale, complexity, and vision of Behind Your Eyelid is a major commitment for any contemporary art institution and has been in preparation for more than three years,” added Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts. “As with all of Tai Kwun’s programming in arts and heritage, this signature event would not have been possible without the unwavering support of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, who provides the core funding of the exhibition, for which we are immensely grateful. We are also very pleased to welcome our newest corporate patron Indosuez Wealth Management, whose support as Lead Sponsor of Behind Your Eyelid enhances our ability to realise the full scope and ambition of this intriguing, joyous, and uplifting summer show.”

Signature Artworks

幻彩巨膜 (Big Skin)

Newly created for this exhibition, Big Skin presents a sensorial environment that draws real footage and 3-D animation and fragments them in real space. “You walk through or under the work, and see some bits and pieces of skin hoisted up in the air and then dissolving,” the artist explains. Of particular note is the special new material of these semi-translucent “skins”: sanded on one side, the material catches video projections in mid-air, in shapes that break beyond the horizontal and the vertical—creating an experience of images “floating” in space.

水虎彩膏 (Water Tiger Colour Balm)

This new site-specific work on Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard presents circular projections from dusk to late in the evening. Given the historic context, one might imagine a certain surveillance of the yard. However, for the artist, the work really constitutes an “electronic bonfire”, caressing visitors and passers-by; by interrupting one’s evening routine and offering a different way of seeing and looking, visitors will be prompted to pause and contemplate their surroundings in a new way. For the artist, the slowly moving lights will take us out of our bubbles and bring us together—and in a way, transforming the Prison Yard into a glade in the city.

像素森林 香港中環奧卑利街大館3樓 (Pixel Forest 3rd Floor Tai Kwun Old Bailey Road Central HK)

A “Pixel Forest” of 3000 hand-sculpted LED lights suspended from the ceiling welcomes visitors to the exhibition. Wandering through the installation, viewers might imagine being inside an exploding screen of pixels, or submerged in a marine forest among bubbles of light trapped in sea grass. Examined closely, each light is revealed to be handmade and distinct, like corals or crystals—or “frozen labias,” smiles Pipilotti Rist, making a serious point about female visual representation. At a slight distance, the larger moving picture appears: colourful waves and patterns flicker and shift in precise sequences, as though the viewer is on a magical journey inside a video.

Sip My Ocean

Sip My Ocean invites immersion in a watery world, this time a dreamy, underwater wonderland ruled by primal forces. There is the push and pull of waves in the Red Sea, saturated with colours and sunlight, as toy objects and bodies float and fall. There are occasional glimpses of a man, but there is mainly the artist in a bikini.

Shimmering with joy, Sip My Ocean reflects the artist’s state of mind while shooting the video: “I found the corals so full of humour that I burst out laughing. I was bursting with ideas—about evolution, about everything.” Yet is there trouble in paradise? First singing and then screaming Chris Isaak’s seductive ballad “Wicked Game” (No, I don't wanna fall in love…), the artist could be alluding to loss and heartbreak—and perhaps even to the bleached corals she found upon her return years later: This world is only gonna break your heart…In this sense, her screaming might even be re-imagined as a call to action in fighting for sustainability.

Ever Is Over All

Brimming with a carefree sense of anarchy, Ever Is Over All shows a woman striding down the pavement in red shoes, holding a large flower in her hand. She sashays merrily along—then nonchalantly takes a sudden swing with the flower, smashing the window of a parked car. She strides on, and shatters the window of the next car, and the next. At one point a policewoman who smiles and nods passes her. For the artist, a magical, utopian dimension opens up, where rules are inverted and flowers mightier than cars, where it becomes possible to glimpse the “criminal power of beauty”. As with Sip My Ocean, the influence of both video art and music videos is clear. But as the artist observes, “Music videos are made to sell records, whereas I’m freed from doing that.” Considering her power to unleash the aesthetic promise of music videos, it is perhaps no surprise that this work possibly later inspired Beyoncé’s mischievous rampage in her 2016 music video “Hold Up”.

靈魂之光 (Soul Lights)

The moment you arrive at 2/F floor of the gallery, you notice the natural light, filtered by the tinted windows of the entire glass façade. The atmosphere is joyous, certainly, but pay attention to the subtle effects: Your sense of space has likely changed. Colours have taken on a different, possibly disorientating tone. As the light shifts from early morning to afternoon to evening, you will sense the mood shifting, too. The artist notes: “Colour is underestimated, colour is borderless, it’s dangerous, it’s emotional, like music.” As something both sensed and measurable, the colours we perceive balance meaning and chaos. Be sure to look for one of Pipilotti Rist’s major works, Selbstlos im Lavabad (Selfless In The Bath Of Lava), inserted into the floor.

The Apartment

Taking up the entire room, The Apartment recreates a shared living space where moving images dance with objects—putting the “living” back into the “living room,” the artist quips. Like Das Zimmer, the spaces in art institutions are envisioned as shared spaces. Visitors can take a seat at the dining table, lie on the bed, or immerse themselves in the videos. The assortment of items has been plucked from different places, periods of time, and social backgrounds: “It’s like a collective apartment, it’s a global mix,” says the artist, “with the same criteria I have in my work: having some love for any object.” For this exhibition in Hong Kong, she has added a scholar’s rock to the mix: “The stone has to have some intrinsic quality, it has to be a beautiful piece in itself,” she says. “I have learnt that it becomes a helper in contemplation and focus, seeing and imagining a world in miniature, a landscape in miniature.”

Sleeping Pollen

Much of Pipilotti Rist’s artistic practice experiments with breaking video out of the frame into a physical space, and Sleeping Pollen continues this, with a twist. The mirrored spheres with the projected images of herbs and flora invite you to join in the work, conjuring the orbs as “dreams spinning slowly in the air”. With the work situated in the historic prison cells of D Hall in Tai Kwun, the artist imagines the isolated prisoners and loneliness they may face.

Gnadenschaf & Clever Yuji (Sheep of Mercy & Smart Yuji)

Expanding on Tai Kwun’s seasonal wall art project 55 Squared, the Swiss media artist Pipilotti Rist presents two evocative works on the Parade Ground. On the left is a still called Sheep of Mercy, fantastically depicting a flock of sheep superimposed onto the middle of the stamen of a tulip blossom. In the artist’s culture, “sheep” contains a complex set of symbolic connotations: “innocence”, “sacrifice”, as well as “blind obedience”.

Extending from the tulip to the right side is the photographic work Clever Yuji, which portrays the endless creativity and poetry innate in children. The child is calling his mother who in turn captures his escape inside the tulip—to a wondrous world of possibilities in the subconscious and imagination.

Over the course of the exhibition, Tai Kwun Contemporary will also host a wide range of public programming and educational events. These include Tai Kwun Conversations with Pipilotti Rist (in person at Tai Kwun); a Pipilotti Rist’s Choice evening, featuring the artist’s favourite films/videos; pixel mapping and lighting workshops; Teacher’s Morning and Teacher’s Workshop; curator’s tours and other guided public tours. Of particular interest to families with children will be the Kids’ Opening and the Family Day events held throughout the run of the exhibition, while Pipilotti Rist After Hours will offer an exclusive learning experience involving special guest interpreters.  The Artists’ Book Library’s curated display—with books by Pipilotti Rist as well as selections from the artist’s own collection—also allows visitors to consider how Rist’s irreverent, playful, and performative sensibility also resonates as art in print. (See appendix)

A special kiosk will also open in the JC Contemporary gallery reception area, where visitors can enjoy artist editions and merchandise. In addition to items such as masks, posters, and prints, Pipilotti Rist will also offer exhibition-related merchandise in the form of capsule toys, which will include pins, badges, sticky tape, glass cleaning cloths, and more!

Tickets to the exhibition is available on Klook (https://www.klook.com/activity/74469). HK$88 for general tickets and HK$65 for concession tickets (Full-time students with ID, people with disabilities, and senior citizens over the age of 60).

Tickets will also be available at the JC Contemporary reception: HK$95 (general) and HK$75 (concession).

Family tickets are also available: HK$280 for 2 adult tickets and 2 concession tickets.

For more details about the exhibition, various activities, and ticketing information, visit: www.taikwun.hk/pipilotti

Lead Sponsor: Indosuez Wealth Management

Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist

Curator: Tobias Berger

3 August – 27 November 2022

Tuesday – Thursday   10 am – 8 pm

Friday – Saturday   11 am – 9 pm

Sunday 10 am – 8 pm

(Closed on Mondays)         

On site: HK$95 (Adults) | HK$75 (Concession)

Online: HK$88 (Adults) | HK$65 (Concession)

About Pipilotti Rist

Pipilotti Rist, a pioneer of spatial video art, was born in 1962 in Grabs, Switzerland, located in the Rhine Valley on the Austrian border, and has been a central figure within the international art scene since the mid-1980s. From her earliest video works to more recent large-scale moving-image installations, Pipilotti Rist’s highly immersive, deeply sensual, and remarkably insightful works wrap visitors in a virtual hug of sounds, colours, and moving images. Her mesmerising installations prompt meditative introspection along with joy and exhilaration, opening up explorations of the body and the image, of exterior environments and interior mindscapes.

Since 1984, Rist has displayed her work in an extensive array of solo and group exhibitions. Major solo exhibitions include Big Heartedness, Be My Neighbor at The Geffen Contemporary, MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2021 – 2022); Your Eye Is My Island at MoMAK, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto and ART TOWER MITO (2021); Åbn min Lysning. Open my Glade at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark (2019); Sip My Ocean at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (2017 – 2018); Pixel Forest at New Museum, New York (2016 – 2017); and Your Saliva is My Diving Suit of the Ocean of Pain at Kunsthaus Zürich (2016). Rist has also participated in numerous biennales, including the Venice Biennale (1997, 1999, 2011), Biennale of Sydney (2000, 2008, 2014), and the Istanbul Biennale (1997, 2000, 2007).

Luminous Pictures: Tai Kwun Presents Moonlight Cinema

Enjoy a one-of-a-kind movie-watching experience in the serene moonlight with a series of beloved Hong Kong movies, short films and animations at Parade Ground

This summer, Tai Kwun is thrilled to announce Moonlight Cinema, a series of screenings of beloved Hong Kong movies, short films and animations from 28 July to 7 August 2022 at Parade Ground. Tuning out the hustle and bustle of the city, the audience will put on silent- disco headphones and enjoy a one-of-a-kind movie-watching experience in the serene moonlight.

To Hong Kong, cinema is the crown’s most distinct jewel – after the post-war boom of Cantonese films, the internationally acclaimed martial arts and action movies of Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest, and the golden age of Hong Kong productions in the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong cinema, has been painstakingly crafted and refined. Over the decades, the industry has accumulated countless brilliant works that we know will stand the test of time. Moonlight Cinema selects 10 Hong Kong films spanning from the 1960s to the post-millennium era, showcasing creativity and our cityscape as it fuses together east-meets-west culture and even gives a glimpse of Hong Kong culture abroad. Each feature film will be preceded by a short film screening made by a young Hong Kong filmmaker – allowing the audience to capture the present while reminiscing about the past.

Performances take place nightly from 28 July to 7 August. Tickets are available now at        art-mate.net for $150. There is also a concessionary ticket price of $50* for selected screenings and family package price of $200^# for A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation.

Highlighted of Moonlight Cinema

Premiere of Hong Kong New Wave Cinema Ah Ying (restored version) 

Integrating the real life of the leading actress Hui So-ying and her relationship with her late teacher into a fictional drama, Hong Kong New Wave director Allen Fong’s Ah Ying (1983) has brought Hong Kong cinema to a new height in the questioning of fictional and reality, in the creation and exploration of form, and in the ultimate pursuit of presenting a certain truth. It also recorded the unique art scene and the city in the early 1980s – the hybrid and diverse atmosphere full of vitality and possibility is one of the most distinctive elements of the film.

The restored version is first brought to screen in Hong Kong, at Parade Ground, Tai Kwun.

Women Director Focus: Sharp and Tender in Filmmaking

Woman director Tang Shu-shuen tells a female story of the past with a conscious and critical perspective to present the repressed and intricate emotions of Chinese women in The Arch (1968). Boldly applied the Western New Wave cinema techniques of the time to a conventional Chinese story, the film is a trailblazer in Hong Kong cinema showing the director's unparalleled avant-garde and independent attitude.

Ann Hui’s Summer Snow (1995) depicts the last days of an elderly man struggling with dementia, taking on realism in its characters, as it showcases ordinary people with rich personalities – a representative work of humanistic cinema in Hong Kong. With a tender touch, it tells an ethical story full of humanistic concern.

More Than Kung-Fu: Reshaping Martial Arts in Hong Kong Cinema

The righteous image of Wong Fei-hung has been rooted in Hong Kong culture for years since the first film about the martial arts master in 1949. Martial Club (1981), another film about Master Wong directed by Lau Kar-leung, is one of the pioneering works depicting the hero at a younger age, much earlier than Tsui Hark and Jet Li's phenomenal movie series. Emphasising the spiritual aspects which are essential in kung fu, Martial Club is a masterpiece reflecting the martial arts perspective of master Lau Kar-leung.

The Legend of Zu (2001) is a film that employed special effects with great ambition. Echoing Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain – another ground-breaking classic by Tsui Hark 18 years ago, the film not only explores the new possibilities of special effects at the time but also brings a touch of cyberpunk to this oriental martial-arts fantasy: the "spiritual resurrection" similar to implanting consciousness into a cyborg, the laser-like Thunder Sword, the freewheeling iron wing weapon of Red, etc.

Passionate yet Restrained: Lonely Lovers of the City 

Spanning over the course of many years, Comrades: Almost a Love Story (2000) centres on two migrants to Hong Kong from the Mainland, as they struggle to make a living. Teresa Teng’s OST presents an air of uncertainty before the 1997 handover of Hong Kong, capturing the enchanting once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere of the city.

Taking a more forbidden approach is In the Mood for Love (1996), which only furthered director Wong Kar-wai's nostalgia for 1960’s Hong Kong. The film captures complex attitudes towards memories and loss – featuring corridors, stairs and small rooms where the protagonists linger. A cinematic achievement that offers the most delicate and subtle side of Hong Kong.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of HKSAR, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has donated up to HK$630 million to the HKSAR Government to organise some 60 programmes spanning five key areas of arts and culture, sports, caring for the community, green living and international conferences. Being one of the largest arts and heritage projects ever undertaken by the Club, Tai Kwun also hopes to embrace the distinctive Hong Kong creativity, individuals and outstanding achievement as we mark the HKSAR’s 25th anniversary through a series of programmes.  The Moonlight Cinema is among one of them.

Screening Timetable

Please click here to download hi-res images with captions.

Date: 28.07.2022 – 07.08.2022

Time: 8pm (except screening on 30.7.2022 with opening time at 7:30pm)

Venue: Parade Ground

Ticket Price:

• $150 (including a movie ticket, a LockCha Tea House or PAZTA voucher for a selected drink, and a $50 Tai Kwun shopping cash voucher)
• * $50 (Including a movie ticket, applicable to full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, and people with disabilities and the minders; the discounts are subject to limited quotas)
• ^# Family Package Price: $200 (including TWO adult movie tickets and ONE student ticket, applicable to full-time students; limited quota)

For terms and conditions, please visit the Tai Kwun website: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/moonlight-cinema/1013

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high-contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

About Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. We aspire to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community.

Tai Kwun invites all visitors on a journey of discovery that unites across multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle in Hong Kong. Here, visitors will discover the rich heritage of the site through the thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

Opened in May 2018 and operating on a not-for-profit model, Tai Kwun is the fruition of a joint partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Government of the HKSAR to conserve and revitalise the buildings of the historic Central Police Station compound, which represents one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The site comprises three Declared Monuments of Hong Kong – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – all have been meticulously conserved, with unfailing attention to authenticity. The site also includes two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube, by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – and several outdoor spaces – Parade Ground, Prison Yard and Laundry Steps – providing an exciting venue for the public programmes presented by Tai Kwun and its partners.

Tai Kwun, which means “big station” in Chinese, is the colloquial name used by Hong Kong people to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding compound. The name has been adopted as a reminder of the historical importance of this living heritage site.

In 2019, Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This is the highest honour of the prestigious Awards, which bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts of Tai Kwun.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.TaiKwun.hk.

Synonymous with life itself, trees are best known for their ability to provide us with food, shelter, and clean air. Baring silent witness to human life’s transient existence, they remain rooted in one place throughout their lives. But as with many beings that sustain us and give nurture, trees have been taken for granted, despite their intimate connections with humans. This season trees have arrived at Tai Kwun as part of the Department of Heritage – hosting a majestic exhibition – Breathing with Trees.

Seeking to explore the interdependent relationship between trees and people, Breathing with Trees exposes human beings’ responsibility for destruction while also showcasing the success of our endeavours, whether individual or collective, to save, protect and preserve the living heritage of trees.

Breathing with Trees dares to put on display the rising existential threats of trees from humankind’s insatiable appetite for consumption and thoughtless expansion, exploring the clear dangers for the future of trees, such as pollution, deforestation, logging, urban expansion, and climate change. The exhibition acknowledges the vital role that trees play in our daily lives, offering innovative ways of protecting, preserving, and nurturing them to ensure future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits that trees bring to us.

As Tai Kwun stands at the crossroads of heritage and contemporary art, Breathing with Trees extends this intersection through the works of several contemporary artists which are planted throughout this exhibition with artefacts and documentary displays, setting up a cross-fertilisation between the actual and the imagined, between our fears and our hopes.

Artists and Artworks

Artist: Zheng Bo

Zheng Bo is committed to more-than-human vibrancy, he creates weedy gardens, living slogans, eco-queer films, and wanwu workshops to cultivate ecological wisdom beyond Anthropocene extinction. In 2022, he presented a new dance film titled Le Sacre du printemps (Tandvärkstallen) at the Venice Biennale. In 2021, he staged three solo exhibitions: Wanwu Council, Gropius Bau, Berlin; You are the 0.01%, Schering Stiftung, Berlin; Life is hard. Why do we make it so easy?, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong. In the past, he had participated in the Liverpool Biennial, Yokohama Triennale, Manifesta, Shanghai Biennial, and Taipei Biennial.

The 21^st of June in 2022 was the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere. Since this day had the longest hours for plants to do the ‘work’ of photosynthesis, Zheng Bo celebrated this occasion as a ‘Labour Day’ for trees with the ten trees located inside Tai Kwun. Starting from sunrise, at 5:40am, to sunset, at 7:10pm, he attempted to establish a meditative interaction and bodily experience with these trees by continuously drawing portraits of them, one tree at a time and over the course of the day. Ten portraits have been selected and displayed here in chronological order from the earliest to the latest session.

Artist: Lau Chi Chung

Lau Chi Chung worked in the television industry as an art director before becoming a full-time artist. Although he started out on short films, Lau has mostly worked in photography. Inspired by his passion for cinema, anonymous found photos, and historical images, he is sensitive to space structure and trying to capture the emotion contained in a scene. Lau has exhibited in various international photo festivals and won prizes for his work. His photography series, Landscaped Artifacts, earned him the title of New Photography Artist at the 2013 Lianzhou Foto Festival. Lau also received third prize at the 1st Hong Kong Photobook Dummy Award in 2021 at the Hong Kong Photobook Festival for his latest work: The Dayspring of Eternity.

We build a myriad of architectural structures on land that are sometimes abandoned to nature and left forgotten. Lau Chi Chung’s works captures these ruins as they bear witness to time, trace lives past, and vividly demonstrate the regenerative power of nature.

Artist: Marshmallow Laser Feast

Marshmallow Laser Feast is a London base experiential art collective working in the liminal space between art, technology, and the natural world. Underpinned by research with bespoke software and hardware systems, they strive to produce sensory experiences that push boundaries, redefine expectations, and excite audiences. Their work has been exhibited around the world including the Lisbon Triennial, STRP Biennial, YCAM Center, Sundance Film Festival New Frontier, Tribeca Film Festival Storyscapes, Barbican Centre, Istanbul Design Biennial, London, New York, Toronto, and Shanghai.

Giant Sequoias exist on a scale the human mind struggles to comprehend. They are the world’s largest single trees and one of the largest organisms on the planet. Giant Sequoias can grow taller than a ten-storey building and live more than three thousand years. Treehugger works to bring the breath-taking beauty of one of the world’s most impressive trees to people and places that may never have experienced them. They also try to connect humans with nature, encourage us to consider the future of these natural giants, and question our relationship with the natural world at this time of crisis and change.

Artist: Ng Ka Chun

Ng Ka Chun received his Bachelor of Visual Arts from the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University in 2008. He is keen on unfolding hidden relationships between humans and nature while expressing an equal amount of concern to issues related to rapid urban development. His artistic practice revolves around ready-made objects and his artwork often seeks to challenge the mundane of everyday life. In recent years, he has participated in different public community art projects. They include: Art in MTR with Mass Transit Railway, M+ Rover with the M+ Museum and Public Art Scheme with the Art Promotion Office.

In this newly commissioned work, Ng Ka Chun created a set of sculptures by combining the concept of upcycling with branches collected from the aftermath of natural disasters such as typhoons. The burnt and sharp tips of the sculpture imitate withered grass. When placed in a cluster, they resemble a small bush occupying a portion of the exhibition space. The artist also considers spades to be an important tool for planting as they are often in direct contact with soil where trees are grown. By connecting a familiar object, our daily experience, and fallen trees altogether, the artwork stands as a symbol of rebirth. Additionally, it seeks to further our relationship with trees.

Artist: Anson Ting Fung Wong

Anson Ting Fung Wong received his Bachelor of Arts in Landscape Studies from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is currently a Landscape Designer based in the San Francisco Bay area and works as an associate director at the non-profit Hong Kong Public Space Initiative (HKPSI). Anson Ting Fung Wong was also a winner of the Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (HKYDTA) in 2015.

Stone Wall Trees is a collection of landscape artifacts unique to Hong Kong’s geomorphology, urban density, and climate. It refers to the trees that grow on the surface of historical masonry stone walls – some of which were built with traditional Chinese wall-making techniques which have been lost. These trees are of high historical and cultural value as they symbolize a series of colonial landscape transformations since the 1840s and have shaped local community development. This project outlines the development timeline of stone wall trees since the colonial period in Hong Kong. It also addresses current conditions with a more comprehensive reading in order to provide a range of design options for all stakeholders to consider for our future urban landscape.

Exhibition Events

Breathing with Trees

Date: 8 Jul – 4 Sep 2022

Time: Open Daily 10am – 7pm

Venue:  Duplex Studio, Block 01

Price: Free Admission

Walk-stone wall tree in Central neighborhood
Date: 16, 30 July 2022 (for adults)

           13, 27 August 2022 (for family)

Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Assembly Point: Duplex Studio, Block 01

Price: $80 per person;

           $120 family pair (one adult and one child)

Make a ‘Tree’ and Bring it Home

Date: 16, 30 July 2022

Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm

Assembly Point: Duplex Studio, Block 01

Price: $80 per person

Talking Trees: Creative Sound Walk
Date: 6, 27 August 2022(for family)

          13, 20 August 2022 (for adult)

Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm

Assembly Point: Duplex Studio, Block 01

Price: $80 per person;

           $120 family pair (one adult and one child)

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is pleased to present the collaboration with UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (UNESCO Bangkok). This series of conversations explores innovative strategies for integrating urban heritage into the wider goals of sustainable development. With a regional focus on Asia and the Pacific, it aims to inspire local actions and creative solutions as the catalysts for implementing the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on World Heritage properties and the surrounding communities. It has amplified pre-existing structural issues and raised new problems related to heritage management in the broader context of a city. This series provides an opportunity for creating new value propositions beyond the immediate pandemic response for the achievement of long-term sustainability in terms of economic, social and environmental dimensions.

The three co-curated sessions include: Urban recovery through culture, arts and creativity (4 July); Urban sustainability and resilience through nature and culture (1 August); and Heritage, power and gender in cities (5 September).  Speakers from across the globe and Hong Kong will engage in a lively discussion online and onsite in Tai Kwun’s JC Cube.

The talks are presented in the hybrid format of live/online events with the moderator and a live audience and at Tai Kwun’s JC Cube, as well as a pre-registered online audience. 

Urban recovery through culture, arts, and creativity

With a keynote speech on UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Recommendation, this Tai Kwun Conversations begins with a holistic vision and strategies for urban revitalisation. It explores the role of creativity and the arts in revitalising cities and public spaces, highlighting the power of culture as a transformative driver for sustainable development.

Moderator:
Desmond Hui, Professor and Head, Department of Art and Design, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Speakers:
Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre (keynote speaker)
Edman Choy, Hong Kong Studio Director, Herzog & de Meuron

Commentary:
Xin Gu, Senior Lecturer, School of Media Film and Journalism, Monash University

Date & Time: 4 July 2022, 7:00pm
Format: JC Cube and Online
Free registration on the Tai Kwun website
For more information, please visit:
https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/tai-kwun-conversations-unesco-series-urban-recovery-through-culture-arts-and-creativity/1029

Urban sustainability and resilience through nature and culture

To tackle climate change and disaster risk mitigation, the second Tai Kwun Conversations in the UNESCO Series explores green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, blue-green infrastructure and economies, and nature-based solutions for urban resilience.

Moderator:
Mee Kam Ng, Vice-chairman of the Department of Geography and Resource Management, Director of the Urban Studies Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Speakers:
Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, former Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government (2012-2017)  
Kotchakorn Voraakhom, Chairwoman of the Climate Change Working Group of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA World); CEO and Founder of Landprocess and Porous City Network

Commentary:
Wendy C. Atieno, Programme Officer, Ecosystem-based Adaptation, International Union for Conservation of Nature

Date & Time: 1 August 2022, 7:00pm
Format: JC Cube and Online
Free registration on the Tai Kwun website
For more information, please visit:
https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/tai-kwun-conversations-unesco-series-urban-sustainability-and-resilience-through-nature-and-culture/1030

Heritage, Power and Gender in Cities

The final Tai Kwun Conversations in the UNESCO Series considers gender roles, social mores, power relations, and the impact on urban inclusion or exclusion and social mobility or immobility. Speakers share their views on rewriting heritage narratives and reimagining an inclusive urban community that represents a multiplicity of identities.

Moderator:
Sealing Cheng, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Speakers:
Roslyn Russell, Director, Roslyn Russell Museum Services; Chair, UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Committee
Chantal Wong, Co-founder of Learning Together, Women’s Festival, and Things That Can Happen (2014-2017)

Date & Time: 5 September 2022, 7:00pm
Format: JC Cube and Online
Free registration on the Tai Kwun website
For more information, please visit:
https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/tai-kwun-conversations-unesco-series-heritage-power-and-gender-in-cities/1031  

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

Visitor Information

The entire Tai Kwun site is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

— End —

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. We aspire to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community.

Tai Kwun invites all visitors on a journey of discovery that unites across multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle in Hong Kong. Here, visitors will discover the rich heritage of the site through the thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

Opened in May 2018 and operating on a not-for-profit model, Tai Kwun is the fruition of a joint partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Government of the HKSAR to conserve and revitalise the buildings of the historic Central Police Station compound, which represents one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The site comprises three Declared Monuments of Hong Kong – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – all have been meticulously conserved, with unfailing attention to authenticity. The site also includes two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube, by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – and several outdoor spaces – Parade Ground, Prison Yard and Laundry Steps – providing an exciting venue for the public programmes presented by Tai Kwun and its partners.

Tai Kwun, which means “big station” in Chinese, is the colloquial name used by Hong Kong people to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding compound. The name has been adopted as a reminder of the historical importance of this living heritage site.

In 2019, Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This is the highest honour of the prestigious Awards, which bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts of Tai Kwun.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.TaiKwun.hk.

UNESCO

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, sciences and culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.

UNESCO, as the UN specialized agency with a global mandate on culture, is engaged in unleashing the power of culture for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Thanks to its normative action, UNESCO moves the 17 SDGs ahead through its six cultural conventions by driving sustainable impact. Culture provides the necessary transformative dimension that ensures the sustainability of development processes.

UNESCO developed the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL), a tool for the integration of urban area conservation, management and planning strategies into local development processes and urban planning. The 10th Anniversary of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the HUL serves as a catalyst for greater adoptions of the HUL approach.

Established in 1961, UNESCO Bangkok serves a dual role as both the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education and as a Cluster Office covering Thailand, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Singapore, along with Vietnam and Cambodia, in cooperation with the respective country offices and the antenna office.

TAI KWUN WELCOMES THE SECOND PHASE OF ÉLAN LOST CHILD PROJECT HK
Beginning in July, phase two will usher in four summer programmes, as the first phase of the ongoing project has been met with high acclaim across Hong Kong.

Tai Kwun is pleased to announce the second phase of ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK 2022, an award-winning co-presentation by international physical theatre master and educator David Glass and Hong Kong theatre veteran Olivia Yan, which will run onsite in July this year. Delivering a superb collection of programmes, the project’s April showing has been well-received by the community, with Master Land: The Romeo and Juliet Wars - Work in Progress cementing itself as the crowd-favourite thus far in the spring programming. Now, set to embark on its second phase, the production will shift its focus from performance to sharing and communication.

Returning to Tai Kwun for its second phase this summer, ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK 2022 will span over the weekend of 2^nd and 3^rd July. A weekend not to be missed, audiences can take part in a myriad of spirit revitalising events as both youngsters and grown-ups are invited to join Tai Kwun for an eclectic programme of sharing with the theme "YES AND!...", a fun response for tackling negative, confusing, and frustrating sentiments. "YES AND!..." utilises the power of the arts to activate optimism in the face of our negative emotions and outworn mindsets, helping us to break away from defeatist patterns of "YES...BUT," while restoring the "Lost Child's" confidence and hope.

No Man Is An Island: M & M Pilot Dance Video Project Screening (Tai Kwun site)
Date & Time: 2 July 2022, 2pm – 3:15pm
Location: Laundry Steps

No Man is An Island: M & M Pilot Project, a dance project led by choreographers Abby Chan, Angela Hung of StudioDanz, Hugh Cho of TS Crew and Eve Leung of Rhythm & Tempo. Additionally, the team has created a 60-minute video to showcase their passion for dance and life. Audiences can experience the film and look back on previously recorded dance sessions led by the instructors as they share a myriad of moves from young dance talents of different ages and artistic experiences, thanks to video director Jimi Law.

Our Social Land: The Perfect MATCH (Tai Kwun site & online)
Date & Time: 2 July 2022, 5pm – 6pm (onsite); 2.30pm – 3.30pm & 4pm – 5pm (Zoom)
Location: Laundry Steps, or registration will be required on Tai Kwun’s website for Zoom access https://www.taikwun.hk/programme/ticketing/963
Remarks: There will be a maximum quota of 120 persons per time slot

Visitors can join the interaction and sharing session of Our Social Land: The Perfect MATCH at Tai Kwun or online. Following a series of online theatre workshops in the spring, The Perfect MATCH is a multimedia production co-created by a group of seniors who played as amateur actors alongside young theatre-makers. With stories full of ups and downs, the experience is sure to offer an exclusive journey towards understanding what is meant by "life practice".

My Story Land: The Weight of Life (Tai Kwun site)
Date & Time: 2 July 2022, 3:15pm – 4pm
Location: Laundry Steps

Local raconteurs will be elated by the storytelling session My Story Land: The Weight of Life, in which the public must grapple with ideas about connectivity and community among social workers. With the concept created by theatre-maker Rico Wu, both the video showcase and various digital screens integrate forms of fable and devising theatre as we gaze at our current state of life through the eyes of a social worker. Participants will engage with the act’s two concepts, first through the art of video storytelling and next with the interactive QR codes, which have been scattered across Tai Kwun site.

Blah Blah Land: David Glass "An Unnaturalistic Life" Long Table Sharing (Tai Kwun site)
Date & Time: 3 July 2022, 2pm – 5pm
Location: JC Cube, registration will be required on Tai Kwun’s website: https://www.taikwun.hk/programme/ticketing/965

David Glass, whose career in theatre has never been recognized as "a real job," will tell his personal narrative accompanied by video and images from a lifetime of work and travel in the concluding final event Blah Blah Land: David Glass "An Unnaturalistic Life" Long Table Sharing. Joined by, Ali Lee (a Hong Kong-born actress), Lai Ying (a singer-songwriter and KOL), Changlin Fashi (a photographer dedicated to the promotion of Zen art), Comma Leung (founder of inclusive design studio Mosi Mosi), Jenny Li (co-founder of Sangwoodgoon organic farm and Sangwood KidsClub), and Tommy Kwan (writer) will also gather at Tai Kwun to share their artistic experiences and connections with the community throughout the pan.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun website for updates. 
Please click here to download hi-res images.

Visitor Information:
The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

— End

About Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. We aspire to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community.

Tai Kwun invites all visitors on a journey of discovery that unites across multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle in Hong Kong.  Here, visitors will discover the rich heritage of the site through the thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

Opened in May 2018 and operating on a not-for-profit model, Tai Kwun is the fruition of a joint partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Government of the HKSAR to conserve and revitalise the buildings of the historic Central Police Station compound, which represents one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The site comprises three Declared Monuments of Hong Kong – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – all have been meticulously conserved, with unfailing attention to authenticity. The site also includes two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube, by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – and several outdoor spaces – Parade Ground, Prison Yard and Laundry Steps – providing an exciting venue for the public programmes presented by Tai Kwun and its partners.

Tai Kwun, which means “big station” in Chinese, is the colloquial name used by Hong Kong people to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding compound. The name has been adopted as a reminder of the historical importance of this living heritage site.

In 2019, Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This is the highest honour of the prestigious Awards, which bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts of Tai Kwun.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.TaiKwun.hk.

About ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK

A 3-year project with physical theatre master and educator David Glass and O Theatre Workshop. Its core mission is to use theatre and arts to empower marginalised children and young people in Hong Kong. After the exploration rounds of workshops in 2019, ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK was launched in 2020 with the support of Tai Kwun.

ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK is a cross-disciplinary advocacy campaign using creative interventions such as training workshops and performances. With the core values of “We do not solve problems, We play problems”, social workers, arts practitioners, teachers and students are invited to further their artistic research and use various media and art forms to reach the communities.

ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK has received the “Arts Promotion Award” in the HKADC Hong Kong Arts Awards 2021.

Tai Kwun is thrilled to come fully to life after our city’s difficult winter and spring seasons to quench the city’s thirst for creativity with a profusion of captivating and awe-inspiring programmes throughout the summer season. At the heart of our summer programming is our biggest contemporary art event of 2022, occupying all of the gallery spaces of JC Contemporary and F Hall Gallery, not to mention a few unexpected locations across the whole of Tai Kwun and recharging them with vibrancy and vitality.

With its intensely sensuous and immersive installations, the Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist exhibition provokes investigations of the body and image, of outer settings and internal mindscapes, in order to prompt contemplative introspection. Meanwhile, another exhibition Breathing with Trees delves on the role of the forest as a quiet witness to humanity's fleeting existence. LauZone (Re-run), a critically acclaimed cabaret based on Chinese dialects, returns to the stage to wow audiences. While the co-curated UNESCO programme Tai Kwun Conversations: Urban Heritage Innovations is back with more thought-provoking dialogues on sustainable development. Hong Kong theatre veteran Olivia Yan and international physical theatre master and educator David Glass' beloved ÉLAN Lost Child also returns this summer to restore faith and hope.

Extending programming into the hours after dusk, Moonlight Cinema screens beloved and rare Hong Kong films, under the night skies in the Parade Ground. At the same time, emo gym poetically occupies experimental spaces for visitors to embrace deep connections and vulnerability. An exhibition to be remembered, Double Vision gestures towards memory and the murky everyday lines between truth, perception, and fiction.

Behind Your Eyelid—Pipilotti Rist

A major new exhibition by the internationally renowned Swiss media artist Pipilotti Rist will land in Hong Kong in Summer 2022, taking over all Tai Kwun Contemporary galleries and beyond. Rist’s signature moving image installations—highly immersive, deeply sensual, and remarkably insightful—wrap visitors with a virtual hug of sounds, colours, and moving images. Visitors can walk and sprawl within her mesmerising installations, which prompt meditative introspection along with joy and exhilaration, opening up explorations of the body and the image, of exterior environments and interior mindscapes. This high-profile exhibition offers major works from Pipilotti Rist’s oeuvre along with newly commissioned site-specific works for Tai Kwun, in the galleries, on the Prison Yard and elsewhere in Tai Kwun. (3 August – 27 November; tickets on sale from early July)

Lead Sponsor: Indosuez Wealth Management

Breathing with Trees

Throughout all the world’s cultures, trees have always had an intimate connection with us physically, biologically, and emotionally. Apart from providing us with food, shelter, and clean air, trees are silent witnesses to our transient existence, as they remain rooted in one place throughout their lives.

However, trees are as mortal as human beings. They constantly face existential threats arising from the damages inflicted on the environment by mankind’s insatiable appetite for consumption and thoughtless expansion. Pollution, deforestation, logging, urban expansion, and climate change pose clear dangers for the future of trees, as super typhoon Mangkut unforgettably demonstrated in 2018, leaving 55,000 trees devastated in its wake.

Curated by Ying Kwok and Jims Lam of Tai Kwun’s Heritage Department, this exhibition acknowledges the vital role that trees play in our daily lives and explores some of the most advanced ways of protecting, preserving, and nurturing them to ensure future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits that trees bring to us. (24 June – 4 September; free admission)

Tai Kwun Conversations: UNESCO Series – Innovations in Urban Heritage

Presented by Tai Kwun in collaboration with UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (UNESCO Bangkok), this series of conversations explores innovative strategies for integrating urban heritage into the wider goals of sustainable development. With a regional focus on Asia and the Pacific, it aims to inspire local actions and creative solutions as the catalysts for implementing the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. (Free admission; exclusive to Tai Kwun Fans)
Tai Kwun Conversations UNESCO series:

4 July 2022
Urban recovery through culture, arts and creativity

1 August 2022
Urban sustainability and resilience through nature and culture

5 September 2022
Heritage, power and gender in cities

Moonlight Cinema

This summer, Tai Kwun will be screening a series of beloved Hong Kong movies, short films and animations under the night sky in the Parade Ground. Tuning out the hustle and bustle of the city, audiences will pull up a beach chair, put on silent-disco headphones and enjoy a one-of-a-kind movie-watching experience under the serene moonlight. (28 July – 7 August; tickets on sale from early July)

LauZone (Re-Run)

Back by popular demand this June, Cabaret LauZone Sings to the Tune of Hong Kong’s “Crazy Rich Culcha”.

The question: “Where are you from? Where are you REALLY from? “may seem trivial and only useful while filling in application forms. However, what else does our place of ancestry represent? Other than a few slang words and phrases, Hong Kong people are all but detached from the dialects once spoken fluently among the older generations. To tackle this bittersweet relationship, the multi-talented trio of Yuri Ng, Anna Lo and Rick Lau, presents LauZone—a poignant yet playful cabaret on the rich variety of Chinese dialects. LauZone’s 2021 premier run in Tai Kwun was completely sold out and garnered much praise and positive reviews.

“Lau Zone” is the Cantonese colloquial term used about non-Cantonese natives, which essentially includes most Hong Kong people of previous generations, as most of them were immigrants to the city. Get ready for the euphony of dialects, music, and laughter as Rick Lau, and Anna Lo shine in a cabaret show that sings tribute to the lives and memories of the melting pot known as Hong Kong as well as to our collective roots and inherited legacy. (2– 5 June; tickets are sold out)

ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK 2022

In collaboration with Hong Kong theatre veteran Olivia Yan and international physical theatre master and educator David Glass, Tai Kwun will present the second phase of ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK 2022 in July this year. Delivering a superb collection of programme, the project’s April showing “Master Land: The Romeo and Juliet Wars—Work in Progress” has been well-received by the community.

The second phase of ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK 2022 will span across the first weekend of July. A weekend not to be missed, audiences can take part in a myriad of spirit revitalising sharings with the theme "YES AND!...", a fun response for tackling negative, confusing, and frustrating sentiments.

Programmes include: “No Man Is An Island”—dance video co-created by young dance talents and the city’s tap, contemporary dance and jazz artists; “Our Social Land”—immersive theatre presentation and sharing created and performed by young theatre—makers with senior citizens; “My Story Land”—video created based on true stories of social workers; and “Blah Blah Land”—public sharing by David Glass and a group of young creative talents from different fields. (2–3 July; free admission)

Ongoing programmes

Double Vision

Toying with doubles, the exhibition explores the concepts of déjà vu and parallax, and considers how seemingly superficial differences may reveal much more than expected. While some works are doubled serially or thematically, with subtle slippages and variations, some other artists in the exhibition have works that gesture towards memory and the murky everyday lines between truth, perception, and fiction. (21 April – 12 June; free admission)

emo gym

emo gym—short for “emotion gymnasium”—calls on seven Hong Kong artists to confront, dissect, and possibly embrace the vulnerability of our times. Together, their sincere, poetic artworks invent an intimate yet experimental space, prompting visitors to uncover sentiments by discovering deep connections with the artworks as well as with each another. (21 April – 19 June; free admission)

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/zh/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

Critically acclaimed LauZone returns to Tai Kwun to delight audiences with on-site multilingual performing arts

Tai Kwun is thrilled to announce the return of LauZone, the delightful multilingual Hong Kong-styled cabaret. After receiving rave reviews in its initial run in Autumn of 2021, LauZone is back for the second season in June for a run of six shows with its original cast, who also wowed viewers with their bold creation of Tri Ka Tsai. Audiences can prepare to be overjoyed by this touching yet light-hearted cabaret that examines the many dialects of Chinese.

A Cantonese slang word for non-Cantonese natives, "Lau Zone," effectively refers to the past generations of Hong Kongers, many of whom were immigrants to the city. With collective roots and inherited legacy, Rick Lau and Anna Lo shine in the production as they offer audiences showstopping performances; fusing local dialects, colloquial terminology and vibrant song and dance, the cabaret extravaganza sings a tribute to the lives and memories of Hong Kong as a diverse city.

Leaving no audience member in the dark, LauZone (Re-run) swings effortlessly between Chinese and English with surtitles embedded into the show and forming a natural part of the staging in the intimate performing space of JC Cube. Performances take place nightly at 8pm from 2 to 5 June with additional matinee shows at 2:30pm on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 June.  Tickets are available at URBTIX and art-mate.net from 2 May for HK$250. Full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, and people with disabilities, along with their caregivers, may receive 40% off their total ticket price. A discount of 15% will also be exclusively available for Tai Kwun Fans. All discounts are subject to limited quotas.

LauZone has received widespread recognition for its intimate presentation of music and drama that exposes the tales and sentiments of Hong Kong like never before. Reviewers have praised LauZone for its simple and straightforward delivery, describing it as a lyrical, emotional dialogue with a tinge of intimacy that addresses serious themes like the origins of the Hong Kong people in a pleasant and funny manner.

The production comes from the multi-talented trio of local Cantonese creatives Anna Lo (Co-creator, Composer, Text and Performer), Rick Lau (Co-creator, Text and Performer) and Yuri Ng (Director, Set and Costume Designer).

For a glimpse of what to expect in LauZone, check out these three music videos from the first season: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/lauzone/946)

Please click here to download hi-res images.

Visitor Information:

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest anti-pandemic arrangements: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

Tai Kwun’s beloved flower market returns for its second year

Tai Kwun is pleased to announce the second edition of the breath-taking “In Bloom”, the much-beloved outdoor flower market. Set to blossom in late May, In Bloom will showcase botanical delights and floral-themed lifestyle offerings from 26-29 May, and will coincide with the fourth anniversary of Tai Kwun’s opening. The green matinee is a splendid treat for Tai Kwun visitors and devoted Tai Kwun fans, as the outdoor spaces of the compound will be bedecked with horticultural highlights from over a dozen local brands. Offering a lavish affair until the twilight hours, the anniversary will transform Tai Kwun into a captivating zone for community festivities. Just in time for the easy breeze of the season to usher in vibrant and fun floral activities and workshops, as well as sweet feasts from participating Tai Kwun shops and restaurants who are eager to partake in the compound’s jubilee.

A panoply of everything petalled

Unlike traditional flower markets, In Bloom is a panoply of everything petalled in Hong Kong, allowing visitors to embark on a sensory journey and venture into the realm of sustainability. Open each day from 1–8pm, the floral extravaganza features local businesses that are devoted to eco-friendly designs, with a myriad of goodies spanning from fresh flower boutiques, to single stem flowers, dried flowers, floral posters and more.

Brands featured in this year’s market include DAISYZOOM BOTANIC, Give Her Flower, JFOREST, Kofeflowers, and the Grey Green. Those who are looking to garden on the wild side will also be regaled by the botanical and exotic plants options from Forest Round Round, sunsi.co and root.

Floral finds and food

Not to leave floraphiles without a bite to eat, delicious delicacies such as pastries, chocolates, Japanese pickled food, and more are set to be served from Tai Kwun eateries and pop-ups Hungry Hugger and NAKA. Meanwhile, visitors who are honey-eyed for more than just flowers can discover a wide range of floral accessories, candles and perfume by COURBEGINNING, Veni Vidi Amavi and Scented Niche.

Budding in botanical rewards

A sure way to find oneself rewarded with a bed of roses, Tai Kwun visitors who spend accumulated HK$500 or above at In Bloom partner’s booths, will also receive a HK$50 Tai Kwun cash voucher that may be used at all shops and restaurants at Tai Kwun (terms and conditions apply).

Discover vistas of sylvan charm with “In Bloom” shops & restaurant offerings

Extend the delights of the day, and stay for a sepal soiree, as Tai Kwun’s restaurants and shops offer petalled-themes plates and lifestyle offerings.

Enjoy the perfect afternoon delight as Café Claudel’s special “Délice du Jardin Rose” tart will be served mid-day throughout In Bloom. Also, not to be missed is a delicious “In Bloom” themed Dim Sum from Madame Fù Grand Café Chinois. Fusing together the best of local eats and botanical treats is The Dispensary which will present a limited-edition flower dessert and cocktail with its afternoon tea set.

Who said flowers only belong in pots? Refresh your wardrobe as all floral print items at 112 mountainyam are discounted by 50% and come with a free piece of jewellery. Or choose to indulge in an herbaceous read and enjoy a special discount of 15% off on flower theme titles at TASCHEN. Those with a sweet tooth are in for a treat! Enjoy blooming flavours and nibble on handmade confectioneries, including mini cakes, cupcakes, and cookies from Phoenix Sweets.

For those wanting to get crafty, get ready to release your inner gardener and show off your green thumb by joining bonart’s Mounted Staghorn Fern Workshop. Meanwhile, LockCha Tea Shop will be offering a Floral Cold Brew Tea Workshop for participants looking to scale up their tea knowledge.

Find your essence with Tai Kwun’s exclusive workshop

Enter the world of perfume inside the prison cells of Tai Kwun, to discover the inner workings of DAI HEUNG LEY and partake in a scented confession. In this exclusive workshop, participants will be asked to share a thought that has been haunting their minds before confessing it to the perfumer. Made entirely of natural essential oils and raw materials from France and the UK, a DAI HEUNG LEY perfumer will create an intimate, personalised fragrance based on the stories of participants as they capture their thoughts and memories into a perfume roller. TK Fans are entitled to a HK$50 Tai Kwun Shopping & Dining voucher after the workshop. Join TK Fans now to stay on top of the privileges.

Scented Confession Workshop Details

Get ready to have your heart bloom, as Tai Kwun is budding with exciting programmes. Visitors of Tai Kwun can indulge in the wide assortment of arts and culture events and feel their spirits sprout inside the historic compound.

With In Bloom kicking off in May, Tai Kwun invites visitors to not only discover their green thumbs, but to unearth the other joyful activities taking place during the spring and summer months.

Visitor information

All visitors will be required to use the "LeaveHomeSafe" App upon entering Tai Kwun and must either provide a COVID-19 vaccination record or the relevant exemption certificate for inspection upon request in accordance with the Vaccine Pass Direction. Exhibition and event spaces in Tai Kwun are subject to active checking of Vaccine Pass. Visitors are encouraged to plan their visits with the newly launched Visitor Planner via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visitor_planner prior to visiting.

Programme details are subject to change; please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

Tai Kwun Contemporary is pleased to announce emo gym, a new group exhibition of young emerging Hong Kong artists running from 21 April to 19 June 2022, and curated by Erin Li, associate curator at Tai Kwun. This intimate exhibition calls on seven Hong Kong artists—Dony Cheng Hung, Chloë Cheuk, Michele Chu, Jess Lau Ching Wa, Sharon Lee, Eason Tsang Ka Wai, and Yim Sui Fong—to confront, dissect, and embrace the vulnerability of our times.

The past few years have, in Hong Kong and indeed in the rest of the world, tested old certainties and taxed our collective resilience. Social conditions, global geopolitics, technological acceleration, and a global pandemic—not to mention an anthropogenic climate disaster in the making—have exposed fractures and frailties, laying bare a collective sense of vulnerability that has perhaps always been there, unevenly distributed. This vulnerability, in its various guises, is what each of the artists in the exhibition reflects upon and offers insights into. Their sensitive and poetic works broach issues related to intimate relationships, digitisation of human experiences, and social institutions, among others, all the while forging an intimate yet experimental space where visitors are encouraged to uncover feelings through deep connections with the artworks as well as with one another.

Together, the artworks in the exhibition raise important questions: does vulnerability constitute a fundamental state of human existence, and of the world we live in? Risky as it may be, would exposing and sharing nuanced senses of vulnerability catalyse a new world where we better co-exist with other emotional beings? Indeed, the artists and the artworks in emo gym seek to open up a space for reflective observations and to generate affective structures for each human being to explore and interpret at their own pace.

This seemingly paradoxical openness to vulnerability is also reflected in the title of the exhibition. Short for “emotion gymnasium”, emo gym was inspired by one of the featured artworks by Michele Chu, inti-gym, short for “intimacy gymnasium”. Unlike the gyms where mainstream aesthetics and standard theories of “body management” apply, in emo gym, there is no one clamouring at you to work out this way or that; there are no set recipes for “emotion management”. Moreover, the “emo” of emo gym might bring to mind the sensitive angst in certain punk and rock subcultures, with their distinctive look and airs. While emo gym does not directly invoke the “emo” genre of music, the exhibition does take inspiration from the captivating energy and transformative potential of music in general. Rather than eliciting intellectual revelations on the one hand or inducing spectacular awe on the other, the artworks on show are subtle and sincere creations close to the hearts of the artists, inviting you to pause, take a breath, look closely—and open yourself up in return.

In this spirit, the emo gym exhibition team has also partnered with the participating artists to create a playlist on Spotify and YouTube called “emo gym staff picks”, elevating the way you experience the exhibition or everyday life with a curated list of 25 reflective songs. These songs touch on some of our most vulnerable moments, and expand the curatorial inquiry beyond the artistic space.

           Spotify

          Youtube

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to support the emerging artists of emo gym as they create artworks on an ambitious scale, in addition to supporting a young curator in tackling a curatorial theme. As a relatively new non-profit art programme in Hong Kong, Tai Kwun Contemporary is dedicated to showcasing contemporary art exhibitions and programmes as platforms for a continually expanding cultural discourse—locally in Hong Kong as well as regionally and internationally.

Exhibiting artists include
Dony Cheng Hung
Chloë Cheuk
Michele Chu
Jess Lau Ching Wa
Sharon Lee
Eason Tsang Ka Wai
Yim Sui Fong

About the curator
Erin Li
Erin Li is Associate Curator at Tai Kwun Contemporary. She has co-curated The Unsung (2021) and contributed curatorially to exhibitions including trust & confusion (2021); Francis Alÿs: Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games (2020); They Do Not Understand Each Other (2020); Phantom Plane – Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future (2019). Her writings have been published on Artforum.com.cn and International Association of Art Critics Hong Kong.

Public Programmes
Designed for visitors of different backgrounds and needs, Tai Kwun Contemporary’s learning and experience programmes explore possibilities in the dialogue between art and visitors.
Hi! & Seek
Located on JC Contemporary’s second floor, Hi! & Seek is a space of dialogue and exploration where visitors can learn more about the stories behind the exhibitions and the artworks.
Send us your insights and ideas or questions and thoughts for the curator(s)/artist(s). This edition of Hi! & Seek is co-presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary and Lingnan University’s BA Programme in Visual Studies class VIS4006 Curating Art Exhibitions, the instructor of which is Dr Zeng Hong.

Visitor information
emo gym runs from 21 April to 19 June 2022, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at the art galleries in Tai Kwun. Admission is free, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with emo gym, visitors can visit Double Vision, a group exhibition with 14 artists from Hong Kong, Asia, and the rest of the world, which explores the notion of doubling in its various guises, particularly that of déjà vu,

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest anti-pandemic arrangements: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, so please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is delighted to announce a new group exhibition, Double Vision, curated by Tobias Berger, Jill Angel Chun, and Daniel Szehin Ho, which runs from 21 April to 12 June 2022. With 14 artists from Hong Kong, Asia, and the rest of the world, this group exhibition explores the notion of doubling in its various guises, particularly that of déjà vu.

In circling around the concepts of déjà vu, twinhood, and doubled forms of vision, Double Vision attempts to conjure up a sense of disorientation, of reality being hollowed out. The exhibition playfully foregrounds perception, notably the field of vision and the critical issues related to visuality and visual perception, by providing mirrored scenarios with seemingly superficial and sometimes even contrived distinctions. Double Vision forges and redirects the hallucinatory sensibility of déjà vu towards explorations of the slippery nature of memory and, more generally, the construction of contemporary reality, lived and imagined, in the hopes of getting at alternative modes of possibility.

Double Vision consciously avoids dealing with the relationship of the “original” and the “copy”. Instead, the exhibition forges a sensation, a sensibility, where one might “experience the same situation twice”. Through the curatorial intervention of structural and spatial repetition, the layout is repeated on the 1/F and 3/F of the exhibition space, with works by artists who are (mostly) repeated in the same positions across the two floors. Doubling thus creates déjà vu in the most literal form possible.

Some of the works in Double Vision are formally doubled and extended, with subtle gaps opening up in their differences within sameness: works by Sarah Lai and Magdalen Wong stretches across two floors of the exhibition space, while the new works by Ocean Leung and Li Shuang revel in variations of unifying elements. Likewise, some artists, such as Candice Breitz, Peng Ke, and Tamura Yuichiro, have artworks in series, albeit staged disjointedly over two floors. In contrast, others, such as Omer Fast and Zheng Yuan, present different artworks that revolve around a particular topic. Yet others, such as Ko Sin Tung, Kong Chun Hei, Dane Mitchell, Paul Pfeiffer, and Hito Steyerl, are instead formally and thematically doubled with each other, offering different points of departure and perspectives at similar targets.

Double Vision plays with the imperfections of the repetition. In doing so, the exhibition explores the construction of reality, seeking to detect cracks and fissures, which potentially signal deeper truths or at least potential horizons—while aware of the risk that one could very well be led down a world of distorted mirrors of simulation and conspiracy, where lies feel “truth-y”, and the “real” feels too painful to bear. In defining a distinctive spatial and temporal experience, Double Vision seeks to prompt creative reflection on sensorial awareness and the contemporary production of reality—with possible insights on the relation of structures and accidents, nature and nurture, the said and unsaid.

Tobias Berger, Head of Art, Tai Kwun, said, “The exhibition Double Vision aims to establish a spatial and temporal experience which encourages contemplation on sensorial awareness and the construction of contemporary reality. It is our hope at Tai Kwun that Double Vision can elicit new creative perspectives as our visitors wrestle with contrasting relationships presented to them.”

Artists on show include
Candice Breitz (b. 1972 in Johannesburg, South Africa; lives in Berlin)
Omer Fast (b. 1972 in Jerusalem; lives in Berlin)
Ko Sin Tung (b. 1987 in Hong Kong; lives in Hong Kong)
Kong Chun Hei (b. 1987 in Hong Kong; lives in Hong Kong)
Sarah Lai (b. 1983 in Hong Kong; lives in Hong Kong)
Ocean Leung (b. 1983 in Hong Kong; lives in Hong Kong)
Li Shuang (b. 1990 in Wuyi Mountains; lives in Berlin and Geneva)
Dane Mitchell (b. 1976 in Auckland, New Zealand; lives in Auckland)
Peng Ke (b. 1992 in Changsha; lives in Shanghai)
Paul Pfeiffer (b. 1966 in Honolulu, USA; lives in New York)
Hito Steyerl (b. 1966 in Munich, Germany; lives in Berlin)
Magdalen Wong (b. 1981 in Hong Kong; lives in New York and Lisbon)
Tamura Yuichiro (b.1977 in Toyama, Japan; lives in Kyoto)
Zheng Yuan (b.1988 in Lanzhou; lives in Beijing)

Public Programmes Designed for visitors of different backgrounds and needs, Tai Kwun Contemporary’s learning and experience programmes explore possibilities in the dialogue between art and visitors.

Hi! & Seek

Located on JC Contemporary’s second floor, “Hi! & Seek” is a space of dialogue and exploration where visitors can learn more about the stories behind the exhibitions and the artworks.

Send us your insights and ideas or questions and thoughts for the curators/artists. For Double Vision, “Hi! & Seek” is co-presented by interns of Tai Kwun Contemporary and Lingnan University’s BA Programme in Visual Studies’ class VIS4006 Curating Art Exhibitions, the instructor of which is Dr. Zeng Hong.

Visitor information
Double Vision runs from 21 April to 12 June 2022, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at the art galleries in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with Double Vision, visitors can visit emo gym, an exhibition featuring works by seven Hong Kong artists to confront, dissect, and possibly embrace the vulnerability of our times. The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest anti-pandemic arrangements https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.
Programme details are subject to change. Please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

Tai Kwun is pleased to announce the return of ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK, an award-winning co-presentation by international physical theatre master and educator David Glass and Hong Kong theatre veteran Olivia Yan, which will run in two phases from April until July 2022, online and onsite. The first edition of this project received the Award for Arts Promotion at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards in 2021.

Established in 1997, the Lost Child Project began in over 22 countries, with founder David Glass embarking on a vision of empowering marginalised children and young people through theatre and the arts. The mental health and wellbeing of young people in Hong Kong is an increasing concern, and motivated Olivia Yan to initiate the ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK in 2019, using theatre as a tool to ignite young people and the “inner-child” of adults. This year, the project will take on the theme of “YES AND!...”; a playful rebuttal for confronting one’s feelings of negativity, confusion and frustration. "YES AND!..." harnesses the power of the arts, activating optimism against our negative emotions and outworn mindsets, empowering us to break free from defeatist patterns of "YES...BUT", whilst rebuilding the confidence and hope of the youth and every "Lost Child".

Using the French term "ÉLAN" (vigorous spirit) as its inspiration, the project brings together artists, academics, and the community to investigate the mental health of children and adults via an eclectic programme of dance, theatre, music, storytelling, workshops and forum. "ÉLAN" fuses together the digital and real-world through social media and technology, sparking creative forces across communities.

Over 100 professionals and participants from various fields, such as arts, social work, education, as well as people from all walks of life, have been drawn together to complete the ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK, which serves as a combination of arts and psychological therapy. David Glass has worked intensively with the young people virtually on the performance to bring this powerful and high-impact community project to fruition.

David Glass, Founder of David Glass Ensemble UK and The Lost Child Project, International Consultant of ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK, said, “The title of this year’s Lost Child Festival is ‘YES AND!...’ and through that affirmation, we might imagine a better world with and for our young!”. “’YES AND!...’ invites every ‘Lost Child’ in the maze to join this initiative. Not just for oneself but also your companion to find the light ahead to carry on our stories”, Olivia Yan, Artistic Director of O Theatre Workshop and Artistic Director of ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK, added.

Separated into two phases, this year’s edition of ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK will begin with Master Land: The Romeo and Juliet Wars - Work in Progress. Using the legendary characters of Romeo and Juliet to investigate how family, romance, and social expectations become the spark of generational conflict, we depart from the original 400-year old plot and instead, attempt to discover a way out for "youth" and cheer for "passion" with the topic of "love, madness, and death". In this workshop, the theatre will be a space for dialogue to discuss why one gets lost towards the future from a broader and open-minded perspective.

Zoom Theatre Presentation of Master Land: The Romeo and Juliet Wars - Work in Progress (Online)
Date & Time: 16 April 2022, 8pm; 17 April 2022, 5pm
Registration will be required on Tai Kwun’s website: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/master-land-the-romeo-and-juliet-wars-work-in-progress/961

ÉLAN will return to Tai Kwun for its second phase in the summer, spanning over two days – 2 and 3 July. During the first weekend of July, Tai Kwun audiences can take part in the dance video production No Man is An Island: M & M Pilot Project Screening, where choreographers Abby Chan, Angela Hung of StudioDanz, Hugh Cho of TS Crew and Eve Leung of R&T, together with young dance talents of different ages and artistic experiences, gather to create and perform a video of dance with video director Jimi Law. Furthermore, visitors to Tai Kwun s can also enjoy an immersive theatre production, Our Social Land: The Perfect MATCH, in which they can visit each players’ secret room as they covertly learn from the seniors, and feel the ups and downs of each story, while experiencing an exclusive journey of "life practice". In the storytelling session My Story Land: The Weight of Life, the public will grapple with ideas about connectivity and community among social workers. In the culminating final event Blah Blah Land: David Glass "An Unnaturalistic Life" a Long Table Sharing, David Glass, whose career in theatre has never been regarded as “ a real job”, will share his personal story illustrated by film and photographs from a lifetime of work and travel. A group of young creative talents from different fields will also gather at Tai Kwun and share their artistic experiences and connectivity with the community throughout the pandemic times. The full guest line-up shall be announced soon.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun website for updates.

— End —

About Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. We aspire to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community.
Tai Kwun invites all visitors on a journey of discovery that unites across multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle in Hong Kong. Here, visitors will discover the rich heritage of the site through the thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

Opened in May 2018 and operating on a not-for-profit model, Tai Kwun is the fruition of a joint partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Government of the HKSAR to conserve and revitalise the buildings of the historic Central Police Station compound, which represents one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The site comprises three Declared Monuments of Hong Kong – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – all have been meticulously conserved, with unfailing attention to authenticity. The site also includes two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube, by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – and several outdoor spaces – Parade Ground, Prison Yard and Laundry Steps – providing an exciting venue for the public programmes presented by Tai Kwun and its partners.

Tai Kwun, which means “big station” in Chinese, is the colloquial name used by Hong Kong people to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding compound. The name has been adopted as a reminder of the historical importance of this living heritage site.

In 2019, Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This is the highest honour of the prestigious Awards, which bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts of Tai Kwun.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.TaiKwun.hk .

About ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK

A 3-year project with physical theatre master and educator David Glass and O Theatre Workshop. Its core mission is to use theatre and arts to empower marginalised children and young people in Hong Kong. After the exploration rounds of workshops in 2019, ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK was launched in 2020 with the support of Tai Kwun.

ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK is a cross-disciplinary advocacy campaign using creative interventions such as training workshops and performances. With the core values of “We do not solve problems, We play problems”, social workers, arts practitioners, teachers and students are invited to further their artistic research and use various media and art forms to reach the communities.

ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK has received the “Arts Promotion Award” in the HKADC Hong Kong Arts Awards 2021.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is pleased to announce that this spring, Tai Kwun Conversations will present an all-new series of online talks to discuss worldwide conservation work and the complexities of each individual project. Making its debut as a series of three thematic talks, International Series on Architectural Conservation will be available to the public beginning in March through Tai Kwun’s online channel and carrying on until May 2022, free of charge.

The talks are part of the ongoing effort by Tai Kwun to showcase professionals, industry practitioners, advocates, and participants in the field of heritage conservation, architecture, arts, design, and culture, and connect them to the city’s public to create long-term and meaningful relationships.

To kick-off the spring season, Tai Kwun Conversations will present three international case studies of built heritage conservation: the renovation of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Berlin State Opera) , the adaptive reuse of the former Supreme Court Building and City Hall in Singapore as the new National Gallery Singapore, and the rebuilding of the medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris after the April 2019 fire. Join Tai Kwun to explore the protection and continuity of world heritage that embraces transformation, resilience, and adaptation to changing global conditions.

International Series on Architectural Conservation (1): Renovation of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden

Led by Matthias Schulz, the first chapter of the forum will take place online, discussing the 275-year-old Staatsoper Unter den Linden. The historic building in the centre of Berlin has undergone extensive reconstruction and belongs to one of the world’s most important opera companies. Since its renovation, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden has become one of the most modern opera houses in the world in terms of stage technology.

Speaker biography: Matthias Schulz studied Concert Piano at the University Mozarteum Salzburg. He joined the Konzerthaus Dortmund in 2003 as Project Manager for the opera project "Mozart 22". From 2005 to 2009, he was responsible for the concert and the media productions at the Salzburg Festival.

Date & Time: 7 March 2022, 7:00pm
Format: Webcast
Free registration on the Tai Kwun website
For more information, please visit:
https://www.taikwun.hk/programme/detail/tai-kwun-conversations-renovation-of-the-staatsoper-unter-den-linden/952

International Series on Architectural Conservation (2): The Making of National Gallery Singapore

In April, Sushma Goh will lead the conversations online about the National Gallery Singapore, which opened its doors to the public in 2015 after being merged from two national monuments of Singapore, the former Supreme Court Building and City Hall. As the Director of Project from the outset to its completion, Sushma Goh's talk will touch on stories of innovation, preservation, and the challenges encountered in transforming these historic buildings into the iconic National Gallery Singapore.  

Speaker biography: Sushma Goh is the Director of Architecture for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore. She has more than 30 years' experience working in Australia and Singapore on a number of architectural projects. Goh was project director for the National Gallery Singapore for a period of ten years.

Date & Time: 4 April 2022, 7:00pm
Format: Webcast
Free registration on the Tai Kwun website
For more information, please visit:
https://www.taikwun.hk/programme/detail/tai-kwun-conversations-the-making-of-national-gallery-singapore/949

International Series on Architectural Conservation (3): Notre Dame: How to Rebuild a Masterpiece of Gothic Architecture in the 21st Century?

The final chapter of the International Series on Architectural Conservation delves into the reconstruction of the iconic Norte-Dame de Paris. Built between the 12th and the 14th century, the Notre-Dame Cathedral is widely considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture, as well as being one of the most recognised symbols of Paris and of France. On 15 April 2019, the cathedral caught fire, destroying the spire and the roof. The images of Notre-Dame burning rapidly spread all over the world and triggered a wave of support and donations. Soon after, a question arose: how to reconstruct an iconic monument of French heritage today? Should they rebuild identically or reinterpret the monument in a contemporary way? How could they reappropriate heritage without distorting it? Speaker Pascal Asselin will share his experiences as someone who took part in the reconstruction project of Norte-Dame, and present to Tai Kwun Conversations’ audiences ideas of how the construction site of the famous cathedral and the many arts and crafts that are practised there can provide answers to other major heritage questions.

Speaker biography: Pascal Asselin is the current president of “UNTEC”, the National Union of Construction Economists. He is a former auditor of historical monuments, civil buildings and national palaces, a position which allowed him to work on the Notre-Dame site soon after the fire. He wrote an economic analysis report on the architectural diagnosis of the reconstruction. As a specialist in the cost and financing of heritage projects, he has also appeared on several occasions in the French media to explain the issues surrounding the reconstruction of Notre-Dame.

Date & Time: 3 May 2022, 7:00pm
Format: Details to be provided later
Free registration on the Tai Kwun website
For more information, please visit:
https://www.taikwun.hk/programme/detail/tai-kwun-conversations-notre-dame-how-to-rebuild-a-masterpiece-of-gothic-architecture-in-the-21st-century/950

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

— End —

About Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. We aspire to offer the best heritage and arts experiences, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in the community.

Tai Kwun invites all visitors on a journey of discovery that unites across multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle in Hong Kong.  Here, visitors will discover the rich heritage of the site through the thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

Opened in May 2018 and operating on a not-for-profit model, Tai Kwun is the fruition of a joint partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Government of the HKSAR to conserve and revitalise the buildings of the historic Central Police Station compound, which represents one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The site comprises three Declared Monuments of Hong Kong – the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison – all have been meticulously conserved, with unfailing attention to authenticity. The site also includes two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube, by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – and several outdoor spaces – Parade Ground, Prison Yard and Laundry Steps – providing an exciting venue for the public programmes presented by Tai Kwun and its partners.

Tai Kwun, which means “big station” in Chinese, is the colloquial name used by Hong Kong people to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding compound. The name has been adopted as a reminder of the historical importance of this living heritage site.

In 2019, Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This is the highest honour of the prestigious Awards, which bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts of Tai Kwun.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.TaiKwun.hk.

In light of the current situation and in consideration of the health and safety for all visitors and staff, Tai Kwun will be temporarily closed from 15 – 23 February 2022 inclusively. All shops and restaurants will be closed during the period. Only Loading Bay on Old Bailey Street will remain open for necessary entry.
These arrangements may change from time to time, in response to the latest regulations made under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance by the Government. Please visit Tai Kwun website https://www.taikwun.hk/ for updates.

Bringing the travelling eye to Hong Kong with BOOKED:’s vast range of artists, publishers, booksellers, and more  

Tai Kwun Contemporary’s BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair is back for a fourth edition from 16 to 19 December 2021 (Thursday to Sunday) in the 1^st floor gallery spaces of JC Contemporary and F Hall.

In light of ongoing travel restrictions, BOOKED: highlights how reading can be a form of travelling. As such, the distribution of books offers the opportunity for disparate people and communities to stay connected over great distances—and moreover to expand horizons and spark one’s imagination.

Featuring more than 80 publishers, artists, booksellers, and organisations, BOOKED: is Tai Kwun Contemporary's annual celebration of art and publishing. Artist-made and artist-centred books—including zines, photo books, monographs, and critical as well as experimental writing—will be available for sale alongside associated publications and ephemera.

Once again BOOKED: will feature Hong Kong–based exhibitors sharing their publications on site while continuing to offer non-local exhibitors the opportunity to participate from a distance through our twinning programme.

BOOKED: will showcase a number of displays, book launches, talks, performances, and workshops during the fair as well—bringing the larger world of publishing to Tai Kwun. In addition to other projects and programmes to be announced soon, one highlight is a display featuring Jun Yang, who will present his artist publications as part of a larger installation using storytelling to reflect on how one’s sense of self can change and evolve.

As a crossover event of BOOKED: with TK Conversations, we will host a talk by the celebrated photographer Wing Shya with the Japanese designer Inoue Tsuguya on Thu 16 Dec (7:30 pm).

Tickets will be available on Ticketflap from 23 Nov 2021: $40HKD (regular), $30HKD (concession). Limited numbers of tickets will be available on site.

Highlighted local Hong Kong exhibitors

ACO (twinned with nos: books, Taipei)

ACO is a bookstore in disguise with a strong belief in sharing, offering choices for alternative art and cultural readings, and encouraging originality in publication. ACO is also a publisher for various local art and culture publications. By providing sponsored residencies through managing the art and cultural spaces in Foo Tak Building, ACO supports the sustenance of art and cultural entities in Hong Kong.

Baptist University, Academy of Visual Arts

The Academy of Visual Arts (AVA) of Hong Kong Baptist University will showcase around 60 book projects, zines, and artist books that were created by AVA's students, staff and alumni. Alongside an expanded project of Ex-Libris, there will also be a collection of mini prints under the theme of reading, books, and narratives created with various printmaking techniques by AVA's students.

Kaitlin Chan (twinned with mixed rice zines)

Kaitlin Chan (she/her) is a cartoonist and zinester from Hong Kong who has been self-publishing autobiographical comic zines and zines about Hong Kong, queer identity, and Cantonese diasporic feelings since 2017. She is also the co-facilitator of Queer Reads Library, a mobile collection of over 270+ queer books and zines (qrlib.net).

Chan will also conduct live drawing sessions during the art book fair to complement the current Self, as Portrait Artists’ Book Library display.

Floating Projects

Floating Projects Collective (FPC) remains a site of collaborative-individuated art experiments after an interdisciplinary and intermedia principle, and is itself an art project that interrogates questions of space and being. FPC upholds rigorous mutual critique, and an approach to art-making that views a work as always in-progress with generative potentials. The collective persists in being a place where artists of varied generations could work together, meet in conversations, and write about what they do.

MYEW! MYEW!

MYEWI is an independent publication project dedicated to made-up words, sounds, orientations, bullets, theories, nectar, milk, images, bubbles, fist fights and much more. They love the beginnings of things, the radical moments when ideas and thoughts are yet to have a clear and defined shape—Think of the first mutation of a cell's genome, or the first syllable uttered by an A.I. chatbot.

ODD ONE OUT

ODD ONE OUT is the first gallery in Hong Kong dedicated to illustration, graphic arts and printmaking situated in the burgeoning St. Francis Street area of Wan Chai. Since 2021 ODD ONE OUT has been exhibiting printmakers and illustrators around the world.

Old Textbooks | Lau Chi Chung

Lau Chi Chung is a visual artist and avid collector of old Hong Kong textbooks. Fascinated by stories relating to Hong Kong’s history and vernacular culture, he has written the “Our Old Textbooks” series, which chronicles everything about old textbooks and the histories of local schools. The illustrations seen on his “Old Textbooks” postcards take inspiration from the vintage literature that he has collected, which he updates with modern slang and phrases. Printed with the recognisable colours and unique texture of risograph, his humourous designs play on giving familiar images a contemporary twist.

Onion Peterman & DRY RUN PRESS

Onion Peterman is an illustrator and screen printer from Hong Kong. Onion Peterman is inspired by daily life observations and scenic road trips when traveling around the world. The work is visual and often humorous, clever, and universal.

DRY RUN PRESS, founded by Onion Peterman in 2018, is an independent publisher based in Hong Kong, and specialises in producing limited edition silkscreen prints, artist books and zines.

TASCHEN

TASCHEN is a leading art-book publisher known for its dazzling and audacious world of eye-catching coffee table books spanning architecture, aphrodisia, art, design, fashion, photography, pop culture, style, and travel. Working closely alongside acclaimed creative partners, the company has published thousands of titles in dozens of languages. Headquartered in Cologne and Los Angeles, TASCHEN has regional offices in Berlin, London, Madrid, Milan, New York, Paris, and also at Tai Kwun in Hong Kong.

YeP YeP

YeP YeP, a new cultural magazine for Hong Kong’s creative voices, pays tribute to the city’s vibrant energy and diversity in its first issue. The publication showcases nine emerging Hong Kong creatives across the fields of photography, graphic design and fashion. Drawing inspiration from the city's urban rhythms, each participating artist explores their own relationship with the cultural playground that they also call home. Every page of the magazine is a fascinating portal into the artists’ unique worlds and presents the visual stories about a city that never stands still.

Highlighted Non-local Exhibitors

Art Metropole (Toronto)

Art Metropole is a not-for-profit organisation with a focus on the production, dissemination and contextualisation of artist-initiated publication in any media, especially those formats and practices predisposed to sharing and circulation.

Imageless Studio (Shanghai)

Imageless studio is an award-winning independent publisher of contemporary photography in the Mainland.

nos:books (Taipei)

nos:books is an independent publisher founded by artist Son Ni in 2008 in Taipei. Hong Kong artist Chihoi has been a partner at nos:books since 2014. nos:books strives to realise artists' ideas and concepts in unique book forms. The books are limited edition works by artists from Taiwan and around the world.

Offset Projects (New Delhi)

Offset Projects works to create channels of engagement in photography and book-making through workshops, residencies, artist talks, curated reading rooms and collaborative exercises in publishing. The Offset Bookshop brings forward a consolidated voice of photo books from South Asia from young practitioners to experienced bookmakers and authors.

Singapore Art Book Fair (Singapore)

The Singapore Art Book Fair (SGABF) is an independent annual multi-day event celebrating contemporary art books and zines. Founded in 2013, it was the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, and has now established itself as one of the leading art book fairs in Asia. Each edition showcases the innovative approaches of exhibitors from Singapore and around the world, including artists, designers, distributors, small presses, institutions, galleries, zinemakers, and printmakers.

X Artist’s Books (Los Angeles)

​​X Artist’s Books, founded in 2017 in Los Angeles by Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves, is a small artist-led publishing house that focuses on unusual collaborations and artist books. X Artist’s Books makes thoughtful, high-quality, artist-centered books that fit within and between genres. They have worked with authors as diverse as the poet Diane di Prima and assemblage artist George Herms, the painter and poet Etel Adnan and filmmaker Lynn Marie Kirby, and most recently the painter Sarah Cain.

For more information, please visit https://www.taikwun.hk/booked/.

Hashtag #BOOKEDHK

‘Tis the Season of Tai Kwun

The festive season will soon be in full swing at Tai Kwun, as Christmas décor and jolly activities tinsel the grounds of Hong Kong’s centre for heritage and arts. Visitors can find themselves immersed in a fabulous Christmas environment thanks to The Hong Kong Jockey Club, as a 12 metre tall “The Giving Tree” is hoisted in the centre of Parade Ground. So cosy up and embrace the Christmas spirit at Tai Kwun!

Visitor information

Tai Kwun will adopt social distancing measures in compliance with the latest safety regulations. Temperature scanning and facemasks are mandatory for all admitted visitors. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

Circus Plays is back in December with a three-week Circus Party

Tai Kwun is pleased to announce the return of the acclaimed Circus Plays this December, in time for the Christmas and New Year season. Showcasing exhilarating circus performances, alongside a series of fun family workshops, Circus Plays offers a diverse range of events for all ages to share three weeks of festive joy and circus parties with the compound’s visitors. Tai Kwun Circus Plays will be staged from 15 December 2021 to 2 Jan 2022, site-wide in Tai Kwun; tickets are available at art-mate.net and URBTIX, free registration is available online. Please visit the Tai Kwun website for programme details.

Flotados (Spain) │ 15–19.12.2021
Created by the prize-winning Spanish troupe David Moreno Cia. & Cristina Calleja, Flotados is an otherworldly outdoor circus performance that will  take over the Parade Ground during Tai Kwun’s Circus Plays. Performing from a grand piano suspended a gravity-defying 8 metres overhead, two performers tell an enchanting love story through music, dance, acrobatics and video projections. Take a step back and look into the night sky, follow the elegant moves of the performers and immerse yourself in a universe of dreams. A romantic and holistic aerial dance is set to kick start an amazing Christmas for Tai Kwun guests.

Date & Time: 15–19 December 2021, 7:30pm
Venue: Parade Ground, Tai Kwun
Free Admission

The ChristMice Cracker (Hong Kong) │ 24–27.12.2021
Inspired by the classical ballet The Nutcracker,  Hong Kong’s own, home-grown physical theatre troupe TS Crew  expands its most dramatic “battle” scene  to create The ChristMice Cracker. With local flavours sprinkled to this classic, the exhilarating outdoor performance features lion dance, Chinese Opera, circus, acrobats, and beatboxing, as well as street performance spirits including unicycles, stilts and fire-breathing. Performed by a dozen of highly skilled local artists, this hybrid work of theatre, gala and contemporary circus is set to turn the Parade Ground into the dreamland of Clara and the Prince with a unique “Hong Kong” twist over the Christmas long weekend.

Date & Time: 24–27 December 2021, 4:30pm; 25–26 December 2021, 2pm
Venue: Parade Ground, Tai Kwun
Free Admission

Only Bones v1.0 (New Zealand) │25–27.12.2021
The award-winning solo performance created by New Zealand’s physical theatre and mime artist Thom Monckton and Parisian school Lecoq LEM graduate Gemma Tweedie bring their unique combination of humour, playfulness and astonishing skill to put a smile on every face.

Only Bones v1.0 uses a contemporary approach to clowning and makes challenging criteria by involving only one light, one chair, one performer, no text, and a mini stage area of 1.2 metres. While playing with a low-tech aesthetic, Thom manipulates different tiny parts of the body to create detailed physical movements beyond the audience’s imagination. These funny, quirky, and laugh-out-loud moments will surprise audiences of all ages.

Date & Time: 25-27 December 2021, 3pm & 8pm
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $220 (Tickets will be available on art-mate.net & URBTIX)

PLI (Czech)│31.12.2021–02.01.2022
This festive season, Czech multi-disciplinary artist Viktor Černický gifts to Hong Kong audiences his award-winning solo performance PLI. Honoured by multiple awards including the “Audience Award” and “Total Award” at the 2019 Czech Dance Platform, PLI is all about bringing together 22 conference chairs, an obsessive rhythm and one devoted man to create a clever and playful solo piece. Turning the most ordinary objects with his contemporary circus techniques, PLI illustrates the physical metaphor for endless human dynamics, patience and strive; where words and emotions are never spoken but communicated.

Date & Time: 31 December 2021–2 Jan 2022, 4:15pm; 1-2 January 2022, 2pm
Venue: Prison Yard, Tai Kwun
Free Admission

Ting-koo-ki Mad Skills Battle (Hong Kong x Taiwan) │31.12.2021–02.01.2022
Returning to Tai Kwun for the third year, Ting-Koo-Ki Mad Skills Battle and Gala are the most exciting circus party to showcase local and Taiwanese circus talents on the  outdoor stage in the Parade Ground. Taking place over the New Year, the Gala celebrates each individual performer’s  edgiest acts, before they participate in the Battle to win the audience’s vote in one-on-one challenges.

A co-produced circus movie, Isabella by Tai Kwun and Hsingho Co., will also be presented online in the New Year. Directed by Portuguese circus artist Ricardo S. Mendes, the film features circus talents from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Portugal, Italy and France along with their unique props. The film presents a touching story of circus performers’ lives as they exist as both human beings and artists.

Date & Time:
TKK Mad Skills Gala │31.12.2021-01.01.2022, 3pm;
TKK Mad Skills Battle │02.01.2022, 3pm;
Circus Movie Isabella│from 30.12.2021, online
Venue: Parade Ground, Tai Kwun
Free Admission, registration needed (Circus Movie excluded)

CircusCracker Workshops │24.12.2021–02.01.2022
From Christmas Eve to the New Year, a series of workshops echoing the theme of “Nutcracker” will be available to the public, free-of-charge. Participants will first enjoy the demonstration by the professional artists, before they learn and experience the crafts and tricks first-hand. Designed for families, the CircusCracker Workshops encompass crystal ball, Kendama, puppet-making and more. Join and challenge yourself this season to unleash the untapped potential within you!

Date & Time: 24.12.2021–02.01.2022
Venue: Site-wide, Tai Kwun
Free Admission, registration needed

Circus Camp for Professionals│01–02.01.2022
Returning with critical acclaim, the world’s leading juggling company Gandini Juggling will host another year of advanced training workshop for local jugglers and choreographers. Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala, the Artistic Directors of the company, will take their recent work LIFE, inspired by Merce Cunningham, as the lead to explore the concept of “layering” as well as the relationship between choreography and contemporary circus.

Date & Time: 01–02.01.2022
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Free Admission, registration needed

‘Tis the Season of Tai Kwun
The festive season will soon be in full swing at Tai Kwun, as Christmas décor and jolly activities tinsel the grounds of Hong Kong’s centre for heritage and arts. Visitors can find themselves immersed in a fabulous Christmas environment thanks to The Hong Kong Jockey Club, as a 12 metre tall “The Giving Tree” is hoisted in the centre of Parade Ground. So cosy up and embrace the Christmas spirit at Tai Kwun!

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance with the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun.

Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

— End —

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is pleased to announce new and innovative programming from now till the second quarter of 2022, presenting 11 major exhibitions and programmes all to be enjoyed within Tai Kwun’s historic grounds. Tai Kwun has been working tirelessly to enhance the local heritage and arts experience in the city, with reactivating outdoor spaces being a key focus. Arts and culture lovers are invited to enjoy the season in both the indoor and outdoor spaces of the compound, while friends and families can nestle up for intimate and explorative experiences inside Tai Kwun as the arts hub is fully back in business and all major events are ready to be explored.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club not only conserved and revitalised Tai Kwun, but also through its Charities Trust provides the core funding for Tai Kwun’s arts and heritage programmes.

Creating a space of wonder, Tai Kwun kicks off the season in October with the next chapter of its highly acclaimed exhibition, trust & confusion, with the immersive encounters by Tino Sehgal starting from 23 October. Meanwhile, several titles make their way to Tai Kwun in 2022 including outdoor performances such as Prison Yard Festival: music from within featuring the finest musicians in town including the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, pianists Rachel Cheung and Nancy Loo, and a quintet led by violinist Wang Liang to offer spiritually uplifting and emotionally healing experiences through a diverse programme of Chinese, classical and jazz concerts, films and workshops; InnerGlow, supported by Principal Sponsor, CLP Holdings Limited,  the first-ever collaboration between Tai Kwun and The Electric Canvas, will offer a 3D-mapped projection during the Lunar New Year; Le Bal brings to Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground a choreographed splendour of lamplighters and lampshade ladies as they dance the evening away in a whimsical ball; a music programme; and the annual Circus Plays will return with a series of festive performances, events and family workshops to welcome audiences in Tai Kwun across Christmas and New Year, featuring the Spain piano aerial circus performance Flotados which delivers awe-inspiring moments as the piano is hoisted eight metres into the air.

Heading indoors, visitors can find a series of exhibitions such as Double Vision, a captivating exhibition that explores truth, perception, and fiction through various forms of doubling; emo gym, an intimate and experimental exhibition that touches on the subject of vulnerability; the acclaimed artist Pipilotti Rist’s summer exhibition comes to the compound to showcase a site-specific series of moving image installations, among other works; digiRadiance puts popular prison architecture on display to study the modern adaptation of the architecture and past philosophies; the fourth annual edition of BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair offers an unparalleled readers’ journey; and Tai Kwun Conversations once again makes space for the brilliant minds of the city to engage in dialogue surrounding heritage and the arts.

trust & confusion

One of the most important artists in recent decades, the work of Tino Sehgal (b. 1976, UK; lives in Berlin) manifests itself not by way of the object but by ephemeral constructed situations. Redefining the museum as a place for social relations, Sehgal radically eliminates the conventional art object, shifting the focus to live interconnections—compositions of voices, choreographies, and people, without involving or generating any physical materials.

A new episode of trust & confusion presents two significant works by Tino Sehgal: These Associations and This Variation. Originally commissioned for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, These Associations involves participants of various ages and backgrounds, from all walks of life. Adapted for the context of Hong Kong, 30 participants at any given time transform Tai Kwun’s historic Prison Yard into a changing and fluctuating live environment. In the 3/F JC Contemporary is This Variation—first presented at dOCUMENTA (13)—where Sehgal’s most exuberant and musical work opens up dance to be experienced through listening and sensing.

Date & Time: 23 October - 5 December 2021, 11am - 7pm, Tuesday to Sunday
Venue: Prison Yard (These Associations); 3/F JC Contemporary (This Variation)
 

The final episode of trust & confusion is a performance environment created by the Chinese artist and composer Pan Daijing (b. 1991 the Mainland; lives in Berlin), whose performance-based practice explores modes of storytelling across sound, movement, the architectural environment, and moving images. Pan’s work has developed over the duration of the exhibition, starting with the sound installation One Hundred Nine Minus in the stairwell, and expanding to the entire 3rd floor of the JC Contemporary.

Date: 15 Dec 2021 – 1 Jan 2022
Venue: 3/F JC Contemporary

Prison Yard Festival: music from within

Intimate chamber music gives audiences a reaffirmation of life, allowing them to depart each recital uplifted and reinvigorated. Tai Kwun's Prison Yard will be transformed into a unique outdoor music venue this winter, offering spiritually uplifting and emotionally healing experiences that express positivity and optimism during periods of constraints. Performed at Tai Kwun’s atmospheric locations, the music, films and workshops are set out to create unforgettable experiences for audiences and performers alike, as we make unexpected connections with related art-forms.

The music programme starts with string and woodwind musicians from the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, traversing audiences through multiple genres and eras of intimate chamber music. Many of Hong Kong’s finest musicians including the much sought-after Rachel Cheung, the well-respected Nancy Loo and a quintet led by The Hong Kong Philharmonic’s violinist Wang Liang will participate in the concert series, several of whom are developing never-before-seen before content for the festival.

The Festival will be enhanced by a film season that includes major musical films such as Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) and Max Richter’s Sleep (2019). Meanwhile, the Duplex Studio will become a haven for musical meditation and mindfulness, incorporating guided meditations with improvised jazz curated by Ensemble Transience.

Date & Time: 14 - 23 January 2022
Venue: Prison Yard; JC Cube; Laundry Steps, Duplex Studio

InnerGlow

Bursting with an array of colours, Tai Kwun’s skies welcome the 12-minute 3D-mapped projection entitled InnerGlow, supported by Principal Sponsor, CLP Holdings Limited, which will be displayed on the facades of the Parade Ground over a two-week period beginning this January and into the Lunar New Year.

A bright star on many calendars, The Electric Canvas—Vivid Sydney's creative content and production company—has partnered with Tai Kwun to create a distinctive version for Hong Kong, combining Australian technical expertise with local content, thus offering a new signature event for Tai Kwun's winter season. Promising a warm and welcoming space in the cooler weather, InnerGlow echoes Hong Kong people’s character and deep humanity.

Date & Time: 27 January - 6 February 2022, nightly from 6:30pm
Venue: Parade Ground

Le Bal

An illuminated and moving fresco from France will take place at Parade Ground to amaze the public. Taking the historical artefacts as the backdrop, Le Bal transforms the unique outdoor space of Tai Kwun to a spectacular stage and invites the audiences to be a part of this splendid and unexpected evening ball.

Portraits that have stayed still for too long are escaping from the paintings of Renoir, Degas and Mucha. The characters will come to life in forms of stilt walkers, lamplighters and lampshade ladies, fluttering around two evanescent lovers. These travellers from the past have woken up to dance in Tai Kwun and bring audience into a whimsical ball.

Date & Time: 9 – 17 April 2022
Venue: Parade Ground

Circus Plays

“Tai Kwun Circus Plays” returns in Christmas and New Year with an array of dreamy and exciting circus performances as well as family workshops across the globe.

The Circus Plays kick-starts with the award-winning Spanish performance Flotados, in which a piano is hanged 8 meters up the air while an aerial dancer waltzes with it, telling an enchanting love story through music, acrobatics, dance and video projections. Local physical theatre TS Crew reimagines the classical ballet The Nutcracker and creates the 100%  “Made-in Hong Kong” The ChristMice Cracker that features lion dance, juggling, parkour, fire performance and stilt walk. The breath-taking performance PLI created by Czech artist Viktor Černický is set to crack you up during New Year. Last but not least, the most anticipated finale – the annual Ting-koo-ki Mad Skills Battle, will feature 16 circus talents from Hong Kong and Taiwan, who will battle 1-on-1 at the Parade Ground to compete for the honour of the town’s best circus artist.

In addition to these exciting performances, a series of family-friendly circus workshops will be offered to the public free-of-charge.

Date & Time: 15 December 2021 - Early January 2022
Venue: Site-wide

Double Vision

Toying with doubles, the exhibition explores the concepts of déjà vu and parallax, considering how seemingly superficial differences may reveal much more than expected. While some works are doubled serially or thematically, with subtle slippages and variations, some other artists in the exhibition have works that gesture towards memory and the murky everyday lines between truth, perception, and fiction. Curated by Tobias Berger, Jill Angel Chun, and Daniel Szehin Ho, Double Vision seeks to define a distinctive spatial and temporal experience, with the exhibition prompting reflection on sensorial awareness and the contemporary production of reality.

Date & Time: 21 January – early April 2022
Venue: 1/F & 3/F JC Contemporary

emo gym

The exhibition emo gym (short for “emotion gymnasium”), curated by Erin Li, offers an intimate yet experimental space for visitors to build connections with artworks as they navigate the theme of vulnerability. Artworks by seven Hong Kong artists—Cheng Hung, Chloë Cheuk, Michele Chu, Jess Lau Ching Wa, Sharon Lee, Eason Tsang Ka Wai and Yim Sui Fong—will explore the manifold interrelations between the emotional and the physical.

Date & Time: 15 January – 3 April 2022
Venue: 1/F F Hall (entry through JC Contemporary)

Pipilotti Rist

A major new exhibition by the internationally renowned Swiss media artist Pipilotti Rist will land in Hong Kong in Summer 2022, taking over all of the Tai Kwun Contemporary galleries. Rist’s signature moving image installations—highly immersive, deeply sensual, and remarkably insightful—wrap visitors with a virtual hug of sounds, colours, and moving images.

Visitors to Tai Kwun can walk and sprawl within her mesmerising installations, which prompt meditative introspection along with joy and exhilaration, opening up explorations of the body and the image, of exterior environments and interior mindscapes. This significant summer exhibition presents major works from Pipilotti Rist’s oeuvre along with newly commissioned site-specific works for Tai Kwun, both in the galleries and also on the Prison Yard.

Date & Time: May – September 2022
Venue: JC Contemporary & 1/F F Hall; Prison Yard

digiRadiance

Pushing the boundaries of how stories can be told and how audiences can be engaged, digital technology offers new, exciting possibilities for immersing audiences within a space and creating coherent narratives to form lasting memories.

Tai Kwun’s latest digital programme transforms the F Hall Studio into an immersive project space. The inaugural installation adopts a heritage theme to offer multiple layers of interpretation and an extended modern societal discourse. It takes the previous radial plan of Victoria Gaol as a point of departure for exploring prison design, theory of imprisonment and application, and their modern significance.

Date & Time: 6 - 30 April 2022, 11am - 8pm
Venue: F Hall Studio

BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair

The fourth annual edition of BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair welcomes over 80 local, regional, and international exhibitors—including artists, publishers, booksellers and more—with a programme of talks, live events, displays, editions, workshops and special projects.

BOOKED: provides a platform for creative practitioners and publishers who are invested in books as a medium of artistic and intellectual expression to share their work with public audiences.

Date & Time: 16-19 December 2021
Venue: 1/F JC Contemporary & 1/F F Hall, 2/F Artists’ Book Library

Tai Kwun Conversations

Tai Kwun invites all visitors to embark on a journey of discovery this autumn as the cultural centre fuses together programmes across multiple genres of arts, heritage and culture. The Centre for Heritage and Arts is delighted to continue its regular programme, Tai Kwun Conversations, which provides a forum for experts and professionals to share their knowledge, insight and experience, and to stimulate more dialogue and connectivity with peers and the public. Encompassing a wide range of themes and issues related to the arts and heritage, the bi-weekly conversations inform up-to-date best practices and unique perspectives in our various fields.

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

— End —

Works by six contemporary artists/artist groups reveal neglected, forgotten or untold stories around an expansive notion of heritage

Tai Kwun Contemporary is pleased to announce a new group exhibition, Poetic Heritage, which runs from 2 September to 21 November 2021. Curated by Tam Hok-nang Alex, the exhibition—the result of Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Open Call for curatorial proposals—explores critical and creative relationships between heritage and contemporary art through the works of six artists and artist groups from Hong Kong and beyond.

Each of the artists—Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan (the Philippines), Ursula Biemann (Switzerland) & Paulo Tavares (Brazil), and Jorge Otero-Pailos (Spain/US) from overseas, and local artists Leelee Chan, Leung Mee-ping, and Wan Lai-kuen Annie—offers insight into heritage and its relationship to contemporary issues;  in doing so, the exhibition also reflects on the degree of power and agency individuals have in determining what is retained and reimagined of our own heritage.

One major theme of Poetic Heritage explores how discarded objects might have the potential to be considered “heritage”. By choosing to salvage discarded materials, artists in the exhibition prompt discussion about what differentiates art, heritage and debris—as well as what is worth preserving; in this way, they also reveal neglected, forgotten or untold stories. Another theme of the exhibition revolves around identity and

the problems around essentialist and homogeneous notions of heritage, which may very well end up marginalising non-dominant groups and values. With their creative responses and interventions, the artists in the exhibition seek to open up a way for heritage conservation to become an active and creative process that generates relatable ideas connected to the contemporary world and our common future.

Tam Hok-nang Alex, curator of the exhibition, said, “Poetic Heritage aims to create a common ground that facilitates conversations across disciplines, so that heritage and contemporary art can reflect on their practices and develop new ways of allowing the most significant and valuable aspects of the past to resonate with the present. I can think of no other place more relevant than Tai Kwun in bringing together artists and heritage professionals from Hong Kong and around the world to engage in discussions around this topic.”

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, said, “Tai Kwun Contemporary is very pleased to showcase Poetic Heritage, given that the interconnections between heritage and contemporary art—threads explored in the exhibition—are also very much reflective of Tai Kwun. As part of the Open Call for curatorial proposals, Poetic Heritage also highlights the continual support we offer not only to artists but also curators in Hong Kong.”

Poetic Heritage is the third exhibition in Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Open Call for curatorial proposals and reflects Tai Kwun’s commitment to artists, curators, and artistic partners to provide a platform for exploration and creativity.

Artists on show include
Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan (the Philippines)
Ursula Biemann (Switzerland) & Paulo Tavares (Brazil)
Leelee Chan (local)
Leung Mee-ping (local)
Jorge Otero-Pailos (Spain/US)
Wan Lai-kuen Annie (local)

About the curator
Tam Hok-nang Alex
Tam Hok-nang Alex is an arts and heritage practitioner with experience working on art projects that engage with issues connected to notions of history, memory, and place-making. He is currently undertaking research that looks into the different approaches of contemporary artists entering into dialogue with heritage. Since 2013, Tam has been the founding Centre Executive of the Centre for Research and Development in Visual Arts at the Academy of Visual Arts of the Hong Kong Baptist University and has been involved in several other projects that bring together academia, art, and society. He was a fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme in 2015.

Public Programmes

Designed for visitors of different backgrounds and needs, Tai Kwun Contemporary’s learning and experience programmes explore possibilities in the dialogue between art and visitors.

Hi! & Seek
Located on JC Contemporary’s second floor, “Hi! & Seek” is a space of dialogue and exploration where visitors can learn more about the stories behind the exhibitions and the artworks.

Send us your insights and ideas or questions and thoughts for the curators/artists. For Poetic Heritage, “Hi! & Seek” is co-presented by interns of Tai Kwun Contemporary: Au Ho Yin, Lau Sze Ting and Monique Leong.

Visitor information

Poetic Heritage runs from 2 September 2021 to 21 November 2021, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at the art galleries in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with Poetic Heritage, visitors can visit trust & confusion, an evolving, accumulative group exhibition that unfolds over several episodes, with more than 20 newly commissioned works from an international and cosmopolitan group of artists. Upcoming works include performances by Tino Sehgal, Nile Koetting, and Pan Daijing.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily prohibited. The frequency of cleaning is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today unveiled its upcoming autumn programme. As the historical compound bids adieu to the summer season, the autumn’s cooler breeze offers a fresh gust of creativity to the site’s programming, with outdoor spaces bustling back to life after the languid summer months.

Ushering in a series of new exhibitions and extending visitor favourites, Tai Kwun Contemporary continues its highly acclaimed exhibition, trust & confusion, with the introduction of immersive encounters by Tino Sehgal and performances by Nile Koetting. Meanwhile, Poetic Heritage debuts, inviting all to explore artistic practices from Hong Kong and beyond by showcasing contemporary discourses on heritage- and art-making. SPOTLIGHT takes the city’s performing arts to new heights with a series of multi-disciplinary productions such as the immersive theatre The Inner Études, Hong Kong-style cabaret LauZone, dance theatre Diary VII • The story of......and the timely concert The Happy Family. The delightful Serendipity in the Street extends its observations of the Central neighbourhood, while regular programming such as Tai Kwun Conversations, Art After Hours, Sunday Movie Steps and more can be attended routinely.

Tino Sehgal and Nile Koetting at trust & confusion

trust & confusion follows the conversation of certainty and chance; the transformative power of bodies, intangibles, and ephemeral encounters; music and magic; and the luck of being alive, with all the concerns that come with it, be they human or not. Evolving and accumulating, the exhibition unfolds over several episodes, on-site and online, from now until 1 January 2022.

As you enter the exhibition, there is a chance that you might be immersed by the sounds of birds and humans conversing; witness a short splash of dance; hear melodies sung by a chorus of tone-deaf singers; notice foam mattresses transmitting the sound of one’s favourite radio, among others.

An episode with the internationally renowned artist Tino Sehgal will unfold from 23 October to 5 December in the exhibition and on the Prison Yard, with two immersive performance installations that bring conversation to the core of what humans can do together, in questions, dance and songs. This episode is preceded by an episode with Nile Koetting involving routine exercises for emergency situations from 11 September to 10 October, also on 3/F of JC Contemporary.

Poetic Heritage

Playing with the critical and creative relationships between heritage and contemporary art, Poetic Heritage presents artistic practices from Hong Kong and beyond, which can open up a new discourse on heritage-making and art-making. The artists—Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan, Ursula Biemann & Paulo Tavares, Leelee Chan, Leung Mee-ping, Jorge Otero-Pailos, Wan Lai-kuen Annie—all offer insights on the many ways “heritage” offers a productive lens with which to engage with contemporary issues. By deliberately salvaging unconventional things that have captured evidence of the past, the artists reveal the untold, forgotten and neglected stories associated with expanded notions of heritage. Curated by Tam Hok-nang Alex, Poetic Heritage is the result of Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Open Call for curatorial proposals.  (2 September–21 November)

SPOTLIGHT – A Season of Performing Arts

Carrying on the mission to explore the uncharted areas of performing arts, SPOTLIGHT – A Season of Performing Arts will present six newly commissioned works. The site-specific theatre production The Inner Études takes us on an intimate journey beginning from granite rocks found near the Prison Wall. Meanwhile, two new musical productions – LauZone, a Hong Kong-style cabaret created by the team of the sold-out Tri Ka Tsai – will give a humorous account of the city’s unique cultural values, while The Happy Family presents a concert featuring an original novel and score, as it tells the story of a middle-class Hong Kong family.

Three distinctly different dance works will demonstrate the breadth of movement. These include the innovative Minute Moonshine that takes you from the virtual online world to Tai Kwun; Diary VII • The Story Of……by the celebrated choreographer Mui Cheuk-yin; and No. 60: Back to Basic, a lecture-performance by Thai choreographer Pichet Klunchun on contemporary and Thai Khon dance. Our partner Unlock Dancing Plaza will present free public workshops and performances to explore the relationship between body and methodology of choreography. (16 September–17 October 2021; tickets are available now)

Serendipity in the Street

Serendipity in the Street is an exhibition that brings together urban observers and artists as they record the happenings in the Central neighbourhood, focusing on people’s adaptive and creative use of space.

This exhibition utilises the observation methodology of “Modernologio” to create street-level records of Central’s neighbourhood. This documentation leads us to reexamine the everyday objects that we so often take for granted, arousing interest from the audience as we reconnect them with the simple delights of ordinary life. (30 July–3 October 2021)

Guided tour is available every day at 3:15pm, registration starts at 3:00pm on-site. Alongside the exhibition in Duplex Studio, an online platform is launched as an extension of the journey of urban observation.

Regular Programmes

Tai Kwun invites all visitors to embark on a journey of discovery this autumn as the cultural centre fuses together programmes across multiple genres of arts, heritage and culture. The Centre for Heritage and Arts is delighted to continue its regular programmes such as Sunday Movie Steps, Saturday Music at Laundry Steps, Tai Kwun Conversations and welcome back Summer Institute #4, among others.

Over the crisp months of fall, visitors can attend cosy film screenings in the semi-outdoor Laundry Steps (Sunday Movie Steps), while Tai Kwun Conversations expands its focus this October from heritage-related topics to include issues related to the arts, as we hear from Hong Kong’s brightest cultural and artistic minds. Summer Institute #4 returns to offer student seminars and distinguished public lectures in October. Saturday Music at Laundry Steps continues to showcase daring performances by myriad up-and-coming local artists on selected Saturdays. Contemporary Art lovers can join Art After Hours every other month as the setting introduces new music, film, lecture, and performance formats, while Artist’s Choice showcases contemporary and classic films followed by thought-provoking artist’s talks. Visit www.taikwun.hk for the latest line-up and programming.

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

Seven multi-disciplinary local programmes give a timely response to the present

Tai Kwun is pleased to announce an all-new performing arts season of SPOTLIGHT, which will showcase seven programmes uniquely created for Tai Kwun from September until October 2021; offering performances and a cultural feast of Hong Kong talent for Tai Kwun audiences.

Carrying on the mission to explore the uncharted areas of performing arts, SPOTLIGHT will present six newly commissioned works. The site-specific theatre production The Inner Études takes us on an intimate journey beginning from a granite found near Prison Wall. Meanwhile, two new music productions – LauZone, a Hong Kong-style cabaret created by the team of the sold-out Tri Ka Tsai – will give a humorous account of the city’s unique cultural values; while The Happy Family presents a concert featuring an original novel and score, as it tells the story of a middle-class Hong Kong family.

Three distinctly different dance works will demonstrate the breadth of movement. These include the innovative Minute Moonshine that takes you from the virtual online world to Tai Kwun; Diary VII • The Story Of…… by the celebrated choreographer Mui Cheuk Yin; and No. 60: Back to Basic, a lecture performance by Thai choreographer Pichet Klunchun on contemporary and Thai Khon dance. Our partner Unlock Dancing Plaza will present free public workshops and performances to explore the relationship between body and methodology of choreography. SPOTLIGHT will be staged from 16 September to 17 October 2021, site-wide in Tai Kwun; tickets available at art-mate.net and URBTIX now. Please visit the Tai Kwun website for programme details.

Although Tai Kwun opened its doors only a little more than three years ago, we have been tremendously fortunate to establish several deep, creative partnerships with leading Hong Kong performing artists, some of whom are firmly established, others poised to become major players in this city’s thriving performing arts scene. We are immensely proud to present several of these artists in SPOTLIGHT 2021, especially as each one of them has immersed themselves in the unique, distinctive and occasionally eccentric performing spaces of Tai Kwun and allowed the special character of this place to influence their work,” said Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts.

Eddy Zee, Head of Performing Arts at Tai Kwun, noted, “Since its opening, Tai Kwun’s ‘Theatre Season’ and ‘Dance Season’ have evolved into ‘SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts’, encouraging local artists to explore the breadth and depth of performing arts. In addition to creating space to nurture the artists’ continuous growth, we strive to connect the audience with performing arts.”

“These seven outstanding multi-disciplinary programmes showcase the creative imagination and forward-looking vision of local artists as well as their ability to delve into the subject. Under the influence of the pandemic, the performing arts season also reflects the artists’ responses to the present, and more importantly, enables the audience to relate themselves to every performance”

【Dance】Diary VII • The Story Of......│ 16–19.09.2021

One of Hong Kong's most iconic dancers and choreographers, Mui Cheuk Yin began the Diary project in 1986. Over time, it has developed into a series of intimate and autobiographical dance works that see Mui navigate her illustrious career and, more importantly, making a connection with the world through dance. In her latest work, Diary VII • The Story Of......, Mui chronicles her stories with stray cats through text, images, sounds, and her agile moves to find subtle parallels between feline traits and her philosophy in life. The shrewd and astute gazes of the cats seem to penetrate beyond the ephemeral nature of the city over the years. With their delicate steps and gentle moves, the cats appear to caress the wounds suffered by the fading city.

Date & Time: 16–19 September 2021, 8pm; 18–19 September 2021, 3pm
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $300

【Hong Kong-style cabaret】LauZone │23–26.09.2021

Tackling the bittersweet relationship between Cantonese speakers and their ancestors is LauZone, co-created by Yuri Ng, Anna Lo and Rick Lau. As the same creative team behind the critically acclaimed and hit production Tri Ka Tsai also showcased at Tai Kwun in 2019, the multi-talented trio presents another poignant yet playful performance highlighting the rich variety of Chinese dialects. Prepare yourself for the euphony of dialects, music, and laughter as Rick Lau and Anna Lo shine in a cabaret show that sings a tribute to the lives and memories of the melting pot known as Hong Kong, as well as our roots and inherited legacy.

Date & Time: 23–25 September 2021, 8pm; 25–26 September 2021, 3pm
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $300

【Dance Theatre x ARG】Minute Moonshine │01.10–03.10.2021

Five Hong Kong artists based both locally and in London will immerse Minute Moonshine audiences in the rich historicity of Tai Kwun, as they invite spectators to enter a surreal world traversing between a dance performance, visual images and installations. Through the form of contemporary experimental theatre and an alternate reality game (ARG), Minute Moonshine seamlessly blends ARG, performance and authentic Hong Kong elements in a number of simulated realms that deconstruct and reorganise familiar imageries of Hong Kong.

Date & Time: 1-2 October, 8pm; 2-3 October 2021, 3pm
Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $280

【Music X Literature X Projection】The Happy Family│01–03.10.2021

With Hong Kong ranked 77^th in world happiness, is having a warm and perfect family a foregone conclusion? After the chamber opera Women Like Us, composer Daniel Lo and novelist Wong Yi have collaborated once again with The Happy Family. The contemporary music composition ponders the intimate topic of “family” through a typical middle-class Hong Kong household of five and their dog. The Happy Family features an all-new riveting score for a seven-player instrumental ensemble, narrator Yau Chung Wai, as well as video and animation by media artist Yu Wing Yan. This beautiful encounter of music and literature is a nuanced portrait of the intricate entanglements and inevitable sacrifices made by Hong Kong families.

Date & Time: 1–2 October 2021, 8:15pm; 2–3 October 2021, 3:30pm
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $300

【Dance】No. 60: Back to Basic │07–10.10.2021

One of Thailand’s crowning and scared artistic treasures, Khon is a form of dance theatre that combines elements including dance, drama, music, poetry, and shadow play into an art form traditionally performed in the royal courts. In No. 60: Back to Basic, Pichet Klunchun will lead four Hong Kong dancers from different disciplines and training to an exploration that transcends culture and countries. Through a lively combination of demonstration and lecture, Klunchun contemplates the meaning of maintaining the artistic legacy and its transformation. No. 60: Back to Basic breaks the conformity and translates the spirit of Khon into a contemporary context, allowing Hong Kong dancers to showcase their uniqueness by deconstructing the fundamental Khon techniques.

Date & Time: 7–9 October 2021, 8pm; 9 October 2021, 3pm; 10 October 2021, 5pm
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $280

【Site-specific Theatre】The Inner Études │07–17.10.2021

Presented by the creative team behind the highlight programme Property Guide at Lou Kau Mansion in the 2021 Macao Arts Festival, The Inner Études is a rock-themed immersive theatre inspired by Victoria Prison and the geological history of Hong Kong rocks. Wearing headsets, the audience ventures into the century-old prison built with granite and connects with the emotions and experiences of those imprisoned a century ago, by being immersed in a collage of projections, lighting, soundscape and performance.

Date & Time: 7-10, 12–17 October 2021, 7pm & 9pm
Venue: Site-wide, Tai Kwun
Ticket: $300

【Partner Programme】#DANCELESS complex│16.09–16.10.2021

Our partner Unlock Dancing Plaza will present free public workshops and performances to explore the relationship between body and methodology of choreography.

Drink and Dance

Drink and Dance literally means to drink and to dance – imagine yourself at a party, immersed in the throbbing and excessively loud music – what is left on your mind? Perhaps it is simply a blank state, what is left is the pure joy of overindulgence.

Date & Time: 16–19 September 2021, 6:30pm
Venue: Prison Yard, Tai Kwun
Ticket: Free Admission

FreeSteps Workshop by Su Wei Chia

The workshop employs some of the methodologies into education, leading the participants to explore their body movements, and dance freely to search for and to create endless possibilities of the body.

Date & Time:
15 October 2021, 7:30pm
16 October 2021, 10:30am & 3pm
Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun
Ticket: Free Registration Online

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

Bringing together urban observers and artists as they document Central and Sheung Wan neighbourhood’s happenings and creativity in everyday life

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is pleased to announce a new heritage exhibition, Serendipity in the Street, running from 30 July to 3 October 2021. It is centred around people’s adaptive and creative use of space and presents glimpses of everyday life in our neighbourhood.

The exhibition brings together urban observers and artists as they record tales from everyday life in the Central and Sheung Wan neighbourhood, and capture the complexities of the urban fabric through creative use of living spaces. “Modernologio”, an everyday life observation practice originated in Japan, has been adopted as the research method in this exhibition, to identify the interconnections between people, space and activity.

Bringing creativity into daily lives, fascinating street activities have emerged in and around our neighbourhood, and in order to better observe and systematically outline these traces of urban activities, a research team, led by Brian Kwok, Hong Kong Polytechnic University ‘s Associate Professor of School of Design, assumed the roles of urban observers in the past few months. Strolling through numerous streets and alleys, flyovers, open-air markets, recreational parks and crisis-crossing slopes and stairs in the area to discover seemingly mundane people and things, the urban observers pieced together fragments of stories hidden within different corners of urban space.

Four intriguing stories tucked away in corners of our neighbourhood and seven creative responses by local artists Annisa Cheung, Choi Sai Ho, South Ho, Charles Kwong, Ocean Leung, Frank Tang Kai Yiu, and Nerve to the environment in the area form part of this exhibition. The artists have been invited to collaborate and create new pieces inspired by the findings of the team. The exhibition also invites people to discover their space, resonate with the idea of juxtaposing art and observations, and empower themselves and others into cultivating profound personal connections with their communities.

Public Programmes: Workshops

Serendipity in the Street highlights the folk wisdom in adaptive use of space in Central. A series of family workshops will be held during the exhibition period. Inspired by the observation methods and sharings in the exhibition, the workshops encourage participants to observe their daily lives with new perspectives, and to reimagine the possibilities of space use.

Play Space Reimagination

This workshop leads family paritcipants in exploring the possibility of creating play spaces for fun despite the spatial constraints in Hong Kong. Participants will be given a set of specially designed gear to build their own play space. They may bring home the creative output from this workshop and turn the spaces around them into their own playground.

Date: 07, 08 & 22 Aug 2021
Time: 11am–1pm & 3pm–5pm
Venue:Lower E Hall at Block 15 LG2/F;Courtroom No.1 at Block 09 G/F
Tickets: $120 per time slot, Family Pair (one adult with one child)
Partner: Making on Loft

Modernologio in Everyday Life

The exhibition Serendipity in the Street employs the research method “Modernologio” to observe the community in daily life. This workshop invites little observers and their parents to explore the architectural complex of Tai Kwun. The observation kits designed for the workshop can be applied  in the city and your home, to encourage children explore everyday life and discover the hidden joy and values.

Date: 15 & 21Aug 2021
Time: 11am–12:30pm, 2pm–3:30pm & 4pm–5:30pm
Venues: Courtroom No.1 at Block 09 G/F
Tickets: $80 per time slot, Family Pair (one adult with one child)
Partner: TWO AND TWO MAKE FIVE STUDIO

Public Programmes: Tai Kwun Conversations

Tai Kwun Conversations – Community Matters: Planning and Design through Narrating Community Stories
Accompanying the exhibition, “Tai Kwun Conversations” organises a discussion between a curator and an architect to share their experiences. Backed by a people-centric approach, they engage community through storytelling while exploring ways to build a sustainable city.

Speaker:
Dr. Chloe Lai | Curator, Urban Diary
Christopher Law | Founder and Director, The Oval Partnership

Date: 2 Aug 2021
Time: 7pm
Venue: JC Cube
Tickets: $80

Visitor Information

Serendipity in the Street runs from 30 July to 3 October 2021, daily from 11am to 8pm at Duplex Studio in Tai Kwun. Free admission and related public programmes available.

The entire Tai Kwun site is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily prohibited. The frequency of cleaning is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun.

Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (“JCCPS”) has submitted a detailed technical report to the Government’s Antiquities and Monuments Office (“AMO”) following a reappraisal of the condition of the Married Inspectors’ Quarters (“Block 4”) of the Central Police Station (“CPS”) Compound. Mindful that public safety is of the utmost importance, the report reveals that Block 4 is weaker than was anticipated when the updated recovery plan was proposed in 2019.  The expert team which compiled the report opine s that the building is too weak for the original recovery plan to proceed. JCCPS has also presented the report’s findings to the Commissioner for Heritage’s Office (“CHO”) and the AMO. In light of these findings, JCCPS will revisit the eight recovery options presented to the Antiquities Advisory Board (“AAB”) in 2016.  

The CPS Revitalisation Project is a large-scale heritage conservation scheme aimed at conserving an important heritage compound for adaptive reuse. Safety has remained the most important guiding principle throughout the revitalisation process.  

Of the 16 historic buildings at the site, 15 have been meticulously restored, with the compound being opened to the public as “Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts” (“Tai Kwun”) in May 2018. Tai Kwun works with programme partners, schools and institutions, stakeholders in heritage and arts, as well as its neighbours and tenants to preserve and showcase local culture and vibrant arts experiences. In addition to free daily heritage tours, Tai Kwun offers year-round programmes to engage visitors from all walks of life. Since opening, it has welcomed over 8 million visitors. Tai Kwun was also honoured with the prestigious Award of Excellence – the highest honour – in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
   
Block 4 is the only historic building yet to be restored as part of the CPS Revitalisation Project. Much effort has been spent in planning for its recovery. Between 2016 and 2018, JCCPS sought the views of the AAB and other stakeholders on the conceptual options for recovery, which were narrowed down to a recovery plan in September 2018. The AAB noted the updated recovery plan, with a detailed programme provided in December 2019. The latter included a series of structural strengthening measures, including a new reinforced concrete structural frame inside the building, in order to safely recover Block 4.

Preparatory work for the implementation of the building’s recovery plan was carried out between June and December 2020. Building movements were detected by monitoring devices installed at the site during this period and work was immediately suspended due to safety concerns. The relevant Government authorities were alerted according to standard procedures. Precautionary measures were taken and preparatory work was resumed when it was deemed safe by the registered structural engineer in agreement with the relevant authority. 

Throughout the preparatory work, JCCPS worked with relevant Government authorities and kept them informed of the progress. No further movements in Block 4 were detected following the completion of preparatory work. Since then the building has remained stable.

With safety being the most important principle for the Block 4 recovery project, JCCPS commissioned a team of local and international engineering, conservation and masonry experts to reappraise the building’s condition. 

After six months of investigation, the expert team opined that the building is weaker than was anticipated when the recovery plan was proposed in 2019. The report – including a detailed account of building movements, and the technical findings of structural engineers and a masonry expert – was submitted to the AMO and copied to the CHO. JCCPS has also presented the report’s findings to the CHO and the AMO. 

Taking into account the expert team’s advice, and mindful that safety must be the priority, JCCPS has no alternative but to terminate the implementation of the recovery plan set out in 2019. It will now revisit the eight original recovery options presented to AAB in 2016. The CHO, AMO and related authorities are studying the report in detail. 

JCCPS remains committed to the conservation of Tai Kwun and will continue to work closely with the Government on a way forward. All other venues at Tai Kwun will continue to be open to visitors.

— End —

Photo caption:

Photo 1:
Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts has welcomed over 8 million visitors since opening in 2018.

Photo 2:

Precautionary measures were taken immediately after movements were detected in the building. These included additional propping and bracing.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts has today unveiled its upcoming summer programme. Following a rejuvenating spring, the summer programming includes enticing and thought-provoking exhibitions and programmes for the community to revel in all summer long.

Tai Kwun seizes the summer with a delightful new exhibition Serendipity in the Street, which presents the discoveries of urban observers and artists as they re-examine the everyday happenings within the Central neighbourhood. Tai Kwun Contemporary’s highly anticipated exhibition, trust & confusion, continues to invite visitors to immerse themselves inside its multisensory journey. This evolving, accumulative exhibition grows in the “day” room with unfolding artworks, while solo and duo presentations debut their new episodes in the “night” room, from June until December. Additional exhibitions — INK CITY and Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys — unfold with a wide range of public programmes for visitors to explore the meaning of urban life. Tai Kwun has also partnered with the Hong Kong Arts Festival to host HKartsFestival@TaiKwun, which will span two weeks in June.

Further extending its summer offerings, Tai Kwun launches a bold programming line-up that can be attended regularly, including the long-awaited Tai Kwun Conversations and a new screening series, Everyone’s Sick, that will run in-depth interviews with more than 20 local artists.

Serendipity in the Street

Serendipity in the Street is an exhibition that brings together urban observers and artists as they record happenings in the Central neighbourhood, focusing on people’s adaptive and creative use of one of Hong Kong’s most precious commodities — Space.

“Modernologio” — an observation practice that focuses on everyday life, originating in Japan, has been adopted by this exhibition as a research method. It helps lead us to identify the interconnections between people, space and activity. A series of pre-exhibition community engagement workshops is being conducted with a primary focus on specific open spaces within Tai Kwun. Participants are invited to explore the adaptability of Tai Kwun’s sites, with the exhibition’s aim being to stimulate the reimagination of every space in connection with our community and lifestyles. (23 July–3 October)

trust & confusion

trust & confusion is an exhibition about the conversation of certainty and chance; the transformative power of bodies, intangibles, and ephemeral encounters; music and magic; and the luck of being alive, with all the concerns that come with it. The exhibition unfolds over several episodes in an evolving, accumulating configuration, presenting more than 20 newly commissioned works from an intergenerational, international, and cosmopolitan group of artists.

As you enter the exhibition, you’ll discover the sounds of birds and humans conversing; a short splash of dance; a posture reminiscent of a public sculpture in Hong Kong; melodies sung by a group of tone-deaf singers; a molecule striking a new olfactory possibility; foam mattresses transmitting the sound of one’s own radio, among others. As a tribute to the bare human voice as the most vibrant and direct form of communication, a weekly release of voices by artists, writers, poets, and choreographers is made available on www.trusting.hk.

During this 8-month exhibition, artworks will grow and evolve in the day room, while solo or duo presentations will debut in the night room for each episode. Changes will take place after each full moon with performances and other happenings.  (Until 5 December)

INK CITY

INK CITY presents an expanded tradition of ink art, with works by artists inspired by the immediate encounters of contemporary life. Collectively, INK CITY showcases the social narrative of a generation marked by transition: some stories tell the unique perspective of Hong Kong at the end of its colonial era, while other narratives take in the vast range of the Mainland’s diaspora and echo shared social experiences of gender identity, desire, and fantasy. The works draw on the history of ink art and yet innovate in terms of motifs and subject matter, allowing for an honest appraisal of social issues and untold stories. (Until 1 August)

Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys 

Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys takes the extensive personal archive of the late Hong Kong artist Ha Bik Chuen as a starting point to explore the concept of the archive as a space of creativity and enquiry. It features new commissions from artists Banu Cennetoğlu, Kwan Sheung Chi, Lam Wing Sze, Raqs Media Collective, and Walid Raad. (Until 1 August)

bewitched, bewildered, bothered
bewitched, bewildered, bothered is a three-day public programme and a publication that explore the politics of posthumous archives. Taking Asia Art Archive’s temporary custodianship of the late Ha Bik Chuen’s personal archive as its roots, this programme brings together artists and thinkers to discuss the challenges and inadequacies of archives to recover and represent what is “lost”. (15–17 June)

HKartsFestival@TaiKwun

Spanning over two weekends in June, the HKartsFestival@TaiKwun encourages public participation in the arts through an array of immersive online and on-site programmes. Curated and performed by over 100 local as well as international artists, visitors to the festival can partake in and witness all-encompassing interactive art tech installations, site-specific creations, pop-up performances and real-time interactive improvisations. (12–20 June)

Regular Programmes

Tai Kwun is also pleased to announce new regular programmes. Everyone’s sick is the latest extensive video series by the artist Wong Wai Yin as she expands on the work from her solo exhibition Without Trying in 2016. The new series showcases interviews with 20 artists, writers and educators who are invited to discuss their growth, struggles and situations related to the art scene; this video series which will be screening throughout June. 55 Squared, Tai Kwun’s wall art project on the Parade Ground, features works by Yarli Allison, which brings together floral and architectural elements, both physically and digitally (with an Augmented Reality sculptural garden). Tai Kwun Conversations returns with seasoned professionals dedicated to heritage and conservation. Other regular programmes continue to delight visitors. The online programme, On Stage Online, extends the performances’ showtime to 31 August. Our Afternoon Series continues to feature enchanting performances by a range of up-and-coming local artists every Monday in July; cinema lovers can drop by Sunday Movie Steps to catch a flick they won’t catch anywhere else.

Please visit www.taikwun.hk for the latest line-up and programming.

Visitor information

The entire Tai Kwun site is open to the public daily from 8am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 7pm every Tuesday to Sunday.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily prohibited. The frequency of cleaning is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun.

Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun

Programme details are subject to change. Please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

Beginning this June, Tai Kwun will rise earlier each morning as part of our “Good Morning Tai Kwun” activation, with gates opening up to the public at 8am until 11pm, along with Tai Kwun restaurants Rise & Dine offers and Good Morning Tai Kwun – Urban Recharge wellness activities happening from late June. During these exclusive early hours, the historic grounds of Tai Kwun is the perfect place to sip on some morning coffee, nibble on delectable breakfast plates and take in the cool breeze before the midday sun arrives. Providing a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere to kick off the summer mornings, Tai Kwun will host an array of events in late June for early risers, with wellness programmes and other surprises.

Greet the Day

As the day dawns crisp and clear, Hong Kong’s morning larks can now enter Tai Kwun from 8am to greet friends and join the community for the first flush of morning. Rise & Dine with Café Claudel and LockCha Tea House as they open at 8am for breakfast with all new menus in their gorgeous outdoor surroundings. Enjoy the first meal of the day outside, as you take in the heavenly sites of Tai Kwun and nibble on a sumptuous breakfast from Café Claudel or a traditional Cantonese style dim sum set from LockCha Tea House. To find out more on how to indulge in their breakfast offerings.

Starting from 28 June until 4 July, Good Morning Tai Kwun – Urban Recharge will host daily sessions for morning happenings from 8.30am. Early risers can start their day by stretching it all out with a variety of wellness sessions in partnership with lululemon that are sure to get the body moving and the mind ready for the day ahead. Join Tai Kwun Fans to receive an exclusive wellness gift (while stock lasts).

After the wellness sessions have reached their end, participants needn’t stop stretching their legs, as Tai Kwun will offer an Exclusive Tai Kwun Guided Tour every day after the morning fitness session There’s no better time to discover the historical significance of the unique heritage site than just before lunch.

Visitors can turn otherwise ordinary mornings into extraordinary ones as they explore all that “Good Morning Tai Kwun” has to offer. Laze in the luminous summer sun and perk yourself up along with family and friends this season with Tai Kwun.

For details about Good Morning Tai Kwun: Urban Recharge and registration details, stay tuned at https://www.taikwun.hk/programme/detail/good-morning-tai-kwun/807

Date: 28 June – 4 July, 2021
Time: 8.30AM – 10.30AM
(Online registration required, first reserved first served, limited slots per day.)

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. Participants of Good Morning Tai Kwun – Urban Recharge and Exclusive Tai Kwun Guided Tour shall comply with the prevailing public health safety measures applicable to those activities. The frequency of cleaning is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visitors are encouraged to plan their visits with the newly launched Visitor Planner via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visitor_planner prior to visiting.

Programme details are subject to change; please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

Tai Kwun Contemporary is pleased to announce a new group exhibition trust & confusion, running from 5 May to 5 December 2021. Curated by Xue Tan, Senior Curator at Tai Kwun, and renowned international curator Raimundas Malašauskas, trust & confusion is an evolving, accumulative exhibition that unfolds over several episodes on site and online.

trust & confusion is about the conversation of certainty and chance; the transformative power of bodies, intangibles, and ephemeral encounters; music and magic; and the luck of being alive, with all the concerns that come with it. This exhibition is an invitation to observe how things emerge in relation to each other—sounds, gestures, smells, identities—and to be a part of it, being surprised and giving attention to your inner landscape while a spectacle is taking place around you. 

Transforming the white cube space into a fluctuating environment that hosts activities and sensations, the exhibition transforms this space in favour of movements, interactions, and deep listening for ears and bodies. There are several visible performances taking place as you arrive, and several invisible ones.

As you move along, there is a chance that you might be caught by the sounds of birds and humans conversing, two or three life retrospectives of previously unpublished photographic works, a short splash of dance, a posture reminiscent of a public sculpture in Hong Kong, melodies sung by a chorus of tone-deaf singers, a sound sculpture morphing into a theatre prop, a molecule striking a new olfactory possibility, an open rehearsal in public, foam mattresses transmitting the sound of one’s favourite radio, a tree so obsessively protected that it is nowhere to be seen, a visual letter speaking of virtual existence and climate change, among others.

Observing nature's cycles and the importance of rituals, which anchor our beings and ancestries, the exhibition space is devised in the alignment of day and night, with a brief sunset room in between. Whereas artworks would grow and evolve in the day room, a solo or duo presentation would debut in the night room for each episode. Changes would take place after each full moon, when the tides are the deepest and the forest the nosiest. Some artists’ contributions will remain for months but in fresh configurations; others will appear in changing roles with the unfolding of time.

As a tribute to the bare human voice as a most vibrant and direct form of communication, a weekly release of voices by artists, writers, poets, and choreographers is made available on www.trusting.hk, where you also find the calendar of the moon to guide you through the coming episodes.

Xue Tan, co-curator of trust & confusion, said, “We first sketched out the contours of the exhibition in 2019 as we imagined creating a ground for our community—polarised and exhausted by the incident of that year—to come together and rest. A constellation of live works of art exploring the individual and collective body through conversations, games, gatherings, and imagination was conceived.”

Raimundas Malašauskas, co-curator of trust & confusion, noted, “The exhibition may trigger a sense of being in a music video, or a backstage of a theatre set, inside a pinball machine, or in the midst of a meditation session—all of it and more, while practising attentiveness, respect, and playfulness in the company of artworks and fellow visitors.”

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, said, “This 8-month-long project is conceived to present exciting forms of art that involve performance, memory, sounds, smells, and more. Such new forms also demand new formats—challenging the notion of the exhibition itself. trust & confusion encompasses evolving and accumulating parts: artworks that remain are reconfigured, while new episodes bring in new works. Visitors will find trust & confusion growing and changing throughout the year.”

Artists on show include:

• Tarek Atoui (b. 1980, Lebanon; lives in Paris)
• Celeste Burlina (b. 1988, Italy; lives in Berlin)
• Alice Chauchat (b. 1977, France; lives in Berlin)
• Mette Edvardsen (b. 1970, Norway; lives in Oslo) 
• Claudia Fernández (b. 1965 Mexico; lives in Mérida)
• Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957-1996, United States)
• Serene Hui Sze Lok (b. 1992, Hong Kong; lives in The Hague)
• Ricky Jay (1946–2018, United States)
• Kazuo Kitai (b. 1944, China; lives in Tokyo)
• Nile Koetting (b. 1989, Japan; lives in Berlin and Tokyo)
• Lina Lapelytė ((b. 1984, Lithuania; lives in Vilnius and London)
• Nicholas Mangan (b. 1979, Australia; lives in Melbourne)
• Yuko Mohri (b. 1980, Japan; lives in Tokyo)
• Pan Daijing (b. 1991, China; lives in Berlin)
• Liliana Porter (b. 1941, Argentina; lives in New York)
• Sean Raspet (b. 1981, United States; lives in Detroit)
• Algirdas Šeškus (b. 1945, Lithuania; lives in Vilnius)
• Sriwhana Spong (b. 1979, New Zealand; lives in London)
• Trevor Yeung (b. 1988, China; lives in Hong Kong)
• Scarlet Yu (b. 1978, Hong Kong; lives in Berlin) and Xavier Le Roy (b. 1963, France; lives in Berlin)

Joining from July

• Maria Hassabi (b. 1973, Cyprus; lives in New York)
• Jamila Johnson-Small (United Kingdom; lives in London)
• Nishimura Tamiko (b. 1948, Japan; lives in Tokyo)
• Moe Satt (b. 1983, Myanmar; lives in Yangon)
• Tino Sehgal (b. 1976, United Kingdom; lives in Berlin)
   

Performances (May­–June)

Still in Hong Kong (2021) by Scarlet Yu and Xavier Le Roy (New commission by Tai Kwun Contemporary)

A performer addresses the visitor to engage in an encounter, sharing a personal collection of “stills” made of actions, postures, stories, and extending into conversations. Embodying individual and collective memories, experiences, and relations of and with Hong Kong, these “stills” are created in dialogue with the Berlin-based choreographers Scarlet Yu (b. 1978, Hong Kong; lives in Berlin) and Xavier Le Roy (b. 1963, France; lives in Berlin), who examine the notion of stillness in this performative proposition, after more than a year of global slowdown and restricted mobility. In collaboration with 22 performers who currently reside in Hong Kong, Le Roy and Yu set out an alluring choreographic situation which questions the traditional divides between object and subject, the organic and the synthetic, movement and stillness, and performer and spectator or visitor.

Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine (2010– ongoing) by Mette Edvardsen

For more than a decade now, Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine, a project initiated by the choreographer Mette Edvardsen (b. 1970, Norway; lives in Oslo), continues to gather a group of people who have decided to learn a book of their choice by heart. Together, they form a collection of “living books”, to be consulted by visitors—or “readers”, if you like. Upon request, the “living book” guides the reader to a comfortable place within Tai Kwun and recites the book to the reader from memory. Time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine currently hosts more than 100 “living books” in 20 different languages. As the project travels to museums, libraries, theatres, and other spaces across the globe, its collection proceeds to grow over time. On the occasion of trust & confusion, four new books are added to the collection, including: The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde, If This Is a Man by Primo Levi, Dubliners by James Joyce and A Woman Like Me by Xi Xi.

Remain Calm (Mobile +) (2021) by Nile Koetting (New commission by Tai Kwun Contemporary)

For the artist Nile Koetting (b. 1989, Japan; lives in Berlin and Tokyo), installation and scenography only live by means of their inhabitation by performers and visitors. Through hybrid environments that host audio, video, performance, and sculpture, Koetting's work reflects the mutual responsiveness between the human body and technology in the digital age. With Remain Calm (Mobile +), Koetting proposes a threefold choreographic installation that poses questions about today's increasing presence of security technologies and their accompanying choreographies. The work puts safety and evacuation procedures centre-stage: a video screen introduces the visitor to preferable modes of conduct and evacuation routes, a performer demonstrates on a weekly basis a choreography inspired by the evacuation protocol of the museum, and a dome-like sculpture suggests associations with sanctuary and protection. The objects, their placement, and arrangement enter into dialogue with the museum-goer’s mindset and embodiment, concocting a space for observation, reflection, and possibly action.

Unison, as a Matter of Fact (trust & confusion) (2021) by Alice Chauchat (New commission by Tai Kwun Contemporary)

With Unison, as a Matter of Fact (trust & confusion), the choreographer Alice Chauchat (b. 1977, France; lives in Berlin) presents a score that draws attention to an activity shared by all living things: breathing. Working with movement, perception, attention, and their interwoven choreographic potential, Chauchat invites the visitor to tune into one's breath and collective breathing in space. The task, written down on a card and passed to the visitor by a docent, contains a formula that, when activated, reveals an incessant choir of breaths. The work evolves and becomes tangible as a conscious doing and activity, as it renews the awareness of what is individual and what is shared; in so doing one explores the fluctuating relationship between one's movements and those of others. In a moment of shared attention and embodiment, breathing is revealed as a wondrous multiplicity of movement, event, and action that, in their differences, falls in and out of unison, towards a common breath.

Rehearsal for Disaster—The Explosion, Rehearsal for Disaster—The Siren (2021) by Serene Hui (New commission by Tai Kwun Contemporary)

Interested in undoing the binaries that structure life, the artist Serene Hui (b. 1992, Hong Kong; lives in The Hague) proposes two works that are rooted in her long-standing research on individual and collective mourning. In Rehearsal for Disaster—The Explosion, the visitor receives, upon request, a balloon with a question printed on top and is asked to carry it with them throughout the duration of their visit. On returning the balloon, a shared moment of poking takes place and a surprise reveals itself. Rehearsal for Disaster—The Siren, inspired by the monthly tests of a siren that purportedly warns the Dutch populace in the event of imminent peril, stages a vocalist who embodies the sound of a siren. By mimicking this wailing sound, Hui seeks to undo the boundaries drawn between human and machine, and raises questions about the embodiment and internalisation of instruments of control and danger.  (The two works are activated on the first Saturday of every month.)

Visitor information

trust and confusion runs from 5 May to 5 December 2021, Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 7pm at the art galleries in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with trust and confusion, visitors can visit INK CITY, a group exhibition pushing the expressive boundaries of ink art, and Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys, a group exhibition that stems from the research of Ha Bik Chuen’s archive with five new commissioned works. The exhibition invites visitors to develop a nuanced understanding of Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic world.

The entire Tai Kwun site is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 7pm daily.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily prohibited. The frequency of cleaning is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun.

Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details:

https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is pleased to announce a new group exhibition, Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys, on view from 23 April to 1 August 2021 at the art galleries in Tai Kwun. Presented by Asia Art Archive (AAA) and curated by Michelle Wong, Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys takes the extensive personal archive of the late Hong Kong artist Ha Bik Chuen (1925–2009) as a starting point, exploring what this archive does in contributing to today’s art history and discourse and additionally inviting contemporary artists to respond to Ha’s archival and art practice with new commissions. The exhibition thus allows more complex narratives about Hong Kong’s art ecology to emerge and reveals parts of Hong Kong’s cultural world that are not always visible.

The starting point of Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys is the late sculptor and printmaker, Ha Bik Chuen, who left behind a vast personal archive—his “thinking studio”—of visual materials such as negatives, contact sheets, photo albums, as well as illustrated magazines and book collages. His documentation of over 2,500 exhibitions over a thirty-year period certainly records a crucial part of Hong Kong’s cultural and contemporary art history, and dispels the common misconception that Hong Kong does not have an art history.

Stemming from Ha’s archive, Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys features a series of “sets”, a carefully composed assemblage of images, objects, and stories. Blurring the line between artwork and archives and placing them on the same plane, the “sets” work together to create an environment where guests can experience portals into new surroundings and possibilities. Some “sets” are newly commissioned works, and present inquiries and interventions by artists. Other “sets” re-stage documents and historical objects in new contexts made possible by research into Ha’s archive. In a way, archives can be thought of as portals—gateways that lead us to places known or unknown, strange or commonplace. In this spirit, either through documented texts and objects or through new works, visitors are guided in this exhibition to explore our sense of scale, self, and history; juxtaposed together are different kinds of knowledge created through artistic, scholarly, and curatorial ways of engaging the archive.

The artworks on display for Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys take on a number of distinct forms, which includes a sofa with pre-stitched Tyvek and LED panel at its back that was designed to emulate an animal in primary colour fields. Other pieces on display include miniature collage landscapes which feature cut-outs of human figures, such as Ha on top of an art crate, flipbooks enlarged to human scale with seating furniture resembling those found inside the pages, sculptures, a series of screenings, and more.

Commissioned artists taking part in the exhibition with their own artistic responses to Ha’s archive include Walid Raad (Beirut/New York), Kwan Sheung Chi (Hong Kong), Lam Wing Sze (Hong Kong), and Raqs Media Collective, comprised of artists Monica Narula, Jeebesh Bagchi and Shuddhabrata Sengupta (New Delhi). Additionally, Banu Cennetoğlu (Istanbul) proposes an artistic intervention—with talks and screenings, among others—that raises questions about the challenges and inadequacies of archives to recover and represent what is “lost”.  

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun commented, “Tai Kwun Contemporary is delighted to be partnering with Asia Art Archive in making this exhibition possible. Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys goes beyond the life archive of Ha Bik Chuen to invite Hong Kong and overseas contemporary artists to intervene with new works that allow us to imagine or reimagine the nature of narratives, memories, and archives. In this respect, we value this collaboration with such a stalwart of the local art scene, Asia Art Archive, which has for twenty years devoted much time, resource, and talent to art historical archiving, research, and interpretation. We hope visitors can gain a great understanding of a key chapter in the history of visual art in Hong Kong but more importantly gain a sense of how the past affects the present and indeed the future. This connection of the historical and the contemporary resonates of course very much with Tai Kwun, as a Centre of Heritage and Arts.”

Claire Hsu, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Asia Art Archive echoed, “As we mark our twentieth anniversary, we are exceptionally excited to be presenting Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys with and at Tai Kwun Contemporary. After 7 years of digitising and making accessible the vast holding of materials documenting Hong Kong’s cultural development from Ha Bik Chuen’s archive, we are delighted to be presenting an exhibition that probes, imagines and activates what is creatively possible from within an archive beyond the important work of research, scholarship and education. We are most grateful to the artists who have so thoughtfully responded to this invitation, and to Ha and his family for their generosity in sharing this life’s work with the community. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has made this exhibition possible, especially Tai Kwun and Exhibition Lead Research Sponsor Chinachem Group, and invite all to journey with us though the many portals the Ha Archive has opened up.”

Michelle Wong, curator of Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys, added, “Through their own creative processes, the artists featured alongside Ha Bik Chuen in Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys have created mysterious portrayals of their own, allowing audiences to see the parallels of archives that are not commonly explored and respond to various facets of his archival and art practice. Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys offers an extraordinary opportunity for visitors to Tai Kwun to delve into the history of Hong Kong’s past through the often-overlooked visual materials and reckon with how contemporary artists see the city’s present and future.”

Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys has given Tai Kwun the opportunity to celebrate Hong Kong’s rich cultural and artistic history, offering an expansive range of programming that is free to the public. At the same time, the exhibition marks a special moment for Asia Art Archive, constituting part of a highly anticipated programme that celebrates AAA’s twentieth anniversary.

Public Programmes

Tai Kwun invites visitors from all walks of life to reimagine and refresh the understanding of art archives—through a series of talks, screenings, sharing sessions, and workshops for educators.

bewitched, bewildered, bothered

bewitched, bewildered, bothered is a three-day public programme and a publication that explore the politics of posthumous archives. Taking AAA’s temporary custodianship of the late Ha Bik Chuen’s personal archive as a starting point, this programme brings together artists and thinkers to discuss the challenges and inadequacies of archives to recover and represent what is “lost”. (15–17 June 2021)

Talk | In Conversation: Banu Cennetoğlu, Michelle Wong, and Özge Ersoy

The first session of the series presents a conversation about the methods, potentials, and impossibilities of working with posthumous archives over Zoom. We ask: is it possible to speak on behalf of the silent ones without occluding their agency? What is erased by the politics of representation? (15 June 2021, 8–9:30pm, online)

Screening and Talk | The Proposal with Jill Magid

The second session presents Jill Magid’s documentary titled The Proposal (2018, 83 min), followed by a conversation with the artist. In the film, Magid grapples with the contested legacy of the renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragán (1902–88). The following conversation with Jill Magid will focus on the ethical questions posed in her film around the legal restrictions of access to an artist’s legacy due to the corporate ownership of their work. It also looks at the ways this film investigates artistic legacy, ownership, national heritage, and repatriation. (16 June 2021, screening at JC Cube: 7–8:30pm, zoom talk: 8:30–9:30pm)

Screening and Talk | Narcissister Organ Player with Paul B. Preciado

The last session of the series features the screening of Narcissister Organ Player (2017, 92 min), followed by a conversation with philosopher, writer, and curator Paul B. Preciado. The film is a hybrid of performance, documentary, and memoir based on Narcissister, an artist who challenges notions of race, sexuality, and body image. The following conversation with Paul B. Preciado responds to the film and draws on his writings at the intersection of social identities, gender codes, and “body archives”. (17 June 2021, screening at JC Cube: 7–8:30pm, zoom talk: 8:30–9:30pm)

Publication | bewitched, bewildered, bothered | Orpheus’ Dilemma

This publication features the English translation of “Orpheus’ Dilemma”, a chapter in the book The Share of the Silent (2015) by the literary critic Nurdan Gürbilek, which is a foundational reference for Banu Cennetoğlu’s artistic contribution to Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys. Gürbilek asks: What does literature compensate for? How does the author question their authority to give voice to the dead? (Work in progress; stay tuned for more details)

Connective Memories

Connective Memories is the result of lyricist, scholar, and educator Chow Yiu Fai’s residency at Asia Art Archive in 2018 to 2019.

Art After Hours: Collective Memories

Co-presented by Asia Art Archive’s Learning & Participation and Tai Kwun Contemporary, this concert and sharing session is a live premiere of six original songs co-created by Sophy Wong and Chow Yiu Fai, inspired by six works surrounding the Ha Bik Chuen Archive from PageNEXT members. Against a backdrop of music and musical visualisations, they will talk about their experience at the residency project, the stories and themes they developed with the archive materials, and what “connection” means to them. (30 April 2021, 7:30–9pm, JC Cube)

Special Display

Viewers are offered glimpses at how lyricist Chow Yiu Fai and songwriter Sophy Wong work together to transform visual materials produced by six PageNEXT members. The display presents archival materials from the creative processes of these six PageNEXT member. They created various works—including modified and handmade books, paintings, video, animation, and digital images—based on their intimate encounters with materials from the Ha Bik Chuen Archive. Six music videos that stem from their collaboration will also be displayed. (11 May to 20 June 2021, Artists’ Book Library and Hi! & Seek, 2/F JC Contemporary)

Education

Teacher’s Morning | Engaging Students in Contemporary Art Exhibitions 

Contemporary art exhibitions can sometimes appear mystifying—so how can educators help students develop meaningful connections with exhibitions and artworks?

Using Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys as a case study, independent curator and art critic Jeff Leung Chin Fung introduces educators to visual thinking methodologies—including an inquiry-based, student-centred facilitation method that promotes inclusive discussions, encourages critical thinking, and fosters collective explorations of exhibitions and artworks. (22 May 2021, 10am–1:30pm)

Teachers Workshop | Collective Collage: Imagination and Interpretation by Lam Wing Sze

Lam Wing Sze, a participating artist of Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys, will walk through the process of creating her exhibited work, Thinking Studio. Lam will also guide participants through the artistic practice of making video collages, and help create a collective collage using mobile phones to capture participants’ perceptions of place—in the process exploring how this practice might benefit students in their creative research. (22 May 2021, 2:30–4:30pm; 5 June 2021, 10am–12:30pm)

Visitor information

Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys runs from 23 April 2021 to 1 August 2021, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at the art galleries in Tai Kwun (F Hall; entry through JC Contemporary). Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys, visitors can visit INK CITY, a group exhibition that presents an expanded tradition of ink art, with works by artists inspired by the immediate encounters of contemporary life.

The entire Tai Kwun site is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 7pm daily.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures are in compliance with the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily prohibited. The frequency of cleaning is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun.

Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun

Programme details are subject to change; please refer to the Tai Kwun website for news and updates.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is pleased to announce a new thematic group exhibition, INK CITY, running from 23 April to 1 August 2021 at the art galleries in Tai Kwun. Curated by Katherine Don and Tobias Berger, INK CITY sets out an expanded vision of ink art grounded in contemporary themes, featuring artists who explore the transformative power of art to shape ideas and awareness.

With a selection of paintings, calligraphy, artists’ books, installations, and video works spanning over fifty years, INK CITY showcases the diverse perspectives of artists from different generations and backgrounds, artists who live in Hong Kong, in other provinces in the Mainland, as well as a few artists who now reside in Europe or North America. These artists are nevertheless united in their passionate exploration of contemporary subjects, revealing to viewers the many ways in which artists understand and interpret the world through the medium of ink, and in doing so, demonstrating the dynamism of ink art.

While recognising the legacy of the ink tradition, INK CITY focuses on selected artists who tackle present-day social issues relatively more overtly through ink art. The exhibition finds its starting point in Hong Kong and extends across the global Chinese diaspora; in many ways, Hong Kong offers an ideal vantage point for viewers to see the conceptual breadth of contemporary ink art, thanks to the city’s multifaceted heritage and its history of change and growth. Additionally, INK CITY revolves around issues encountered in dense cities such as Hong Kong. Some artists featured in INK CITY dive into complex urban problems such as environmental degradation and excessive material consumerism; other artists focus on feelings of isolation and personal struggles, while others tackle universal themes of gender, identity, desire, and fantasy,

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, said, “With INK CITY at Tai Kwun Contemporary, our curatorial intent is to present a thematic exhibition of what ink art can be within a contemporary art context. Some of the most fascinating contemporary artists in Hong Kong, such as Luis Chan and Chu Hing-Wah, have a grounding in ink art and extend its long tradition while providing fresh visual interpretations of everyday life encountered in a modern city like Hong Kong. It is our hope that visitors to INK CITY come away with an appreciation of how contemporary concerns may be addressed through ink art in refreshing and humorous ways—and indeed, how it can enrich artistic discourse in Hong Kong and beyond.”  

Katherine Don, curator of the exhibition, said, “INK CITY is conceived as an opportunity to present contemporary ink art by both established and emerging artists of the genre, with the exhibition curated through a narrative that is focused on cultivating social awareness and change. Therefore, rather than exploring formalist themes of ink art and its materials, the exhibition focuses on social themes inspired, provoked, and articulated by the artists’ intentions. However broadly or narrowly defined, the artworks in this exhibition present examples of ink art free from the narrow confines of tradition and seek to engage with a wider public in the 20^th and 21^st century.”

INK CITY brings together a dynamic range of artists with an inclination towards ink and whose visual art offer a gamut of contemporary perspectives—from penetrating insights and trenchant satire of urban transformation to profound reflections and playful humour around social themes such as gender and cultural identity. Whether living and working in Amsterdam, Paris, Vancouver, New York, Beijing, or Hong Kong, the exhibited artists activate conversations that transcend geographical boundaries and provide a unique opportunity for viewers to witness the social narratives of a generation marked by transition.  

The title of the exhibition is taken from Ink City, a video work by the late artist Chen Shaoxiong which is featured in the exhibition. A video of a day-long journey, the footage is composed of hundreds of ink wash observations that collectively convey a fleeting sensation of the frenetic urban transformation in the Mainland. In a similar way, the exhibition adopts a fragmentary approach in juxtaposing diverse artistic styles and visions of ink art, which are united in the artists’ passionate exploration of the power of art in shaping ideas and awareness.

Artists on show include:

• Luis Chan
• Chen Shaoxiong
• Chu Hing-Wah
• Sherry Fung Hoi Shan
• Frog King Kwok
• Lam Tung Pang
• Joey Leung Ka Yin
• Li Jin
• Wilson Shieh
• Sun Xun
• Frank Tang Kai Yiu
• Tao Aimin
• Walasse Ting
• Tsang Tsou-Choi (King of Kowloon)
• Howie Tsui
• Evelyn Taocheng Wang
• Wei Dong
• Yang Jiechang
• Zhang Yanzi

Katherine Don is an independent curator and specialist of contemporary ink art. Previous roles included Head of Arts and Cultural Development at Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Head of Contemporary Ink Art at Sotheby's Hong Kong, and private advisor based in Beijing for contemporary Asian art. Past curatorial projects in Beijing, New York, Canada, and Spain had a consistent focus on works on paper, including contemporary Chinese ink painting. Born in Maui, USA, Don holds a dual-degree in Art History and East Asian Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University, and received an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. She currently lives and works between Los Angeles and Honolulu where she currently serves as Executive Director of Hawaii Contemporary, presenting the Hawaii Triennial.

Public Programmes

Tai Kwun invites visitors of different backgrounds to join our learning and experience programmes—and explore possibilities through dialogue with art .

Hi! & Seek

Located on Tai Kwun Contemporary’s second floor, Hi! & Seek is a space of dialogue and exploration. Tai Kwun is delighted to share with the public the stories behind the exhibitions and the artworks. Send Tai Kwun your insights and ideas, or questions and thoughts for the curator(s) or artist(s). This version of Hi! & Seek is co-presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary, CUMT4007 Museum Studies class, BA Programme in Cultural Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Dr Vivian Ting.

Tai Kwun Contemporary Weekend Guided Tour

Weekend visitors at Tai Kwun can enjoy an afternoon tour with one of our friendly, professional docents in order to learn about the art in our exhibitions.

Date & Time: 2 May–1 Aug 2021 every Saturday and Sunday, 2pm (Cantonese) & 3pm (English)

Venue: Tai Kwun Contemporary

Family Day

Family visitors at Tai Kwun Contemporary can join gallery activities and family workshops. Each parent or guardian can bring one child (5+ years) to spend the day with us and learn about art.

Date: 9 & 23 May 2021; 6 & 20 Jun 2021; 11 & 18 Jul 2021; 8, 15 & 22 Aug 2021

Time:11am–1pm & 3pm–5pm

Venue: Tai Kwun Contemporary

Tickets: $80 per time slot, Family Pair (one adult with one child)

Visitor information

INK CITY runs from 23 April 2021 to 1 August 2021, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at the art galleries in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with INK CITY, visitors can visit Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys, a group exhibition that stems from the research of Ha Bik Chuen’s archive with five new commissioned works. The exhibition invites visitors to develop a nuanced understanding of Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic world.

The entire Tai Kwun site is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 7pm daily.

Tai Kwun’s social distancing measures comply with the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily prohibited. The frequency of cleaning is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun.

Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details:

https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

From 1 April 2021 to 18 April 2021, Tai Kwun presents a brand-new activation, “In Bloom”, composed of an outdoor flower market and floral-themed lifestyle offerings at Tai Kwun’s shops and restaurants. Various alluring local brands will be showcasing their floral creations, sustainable products and more at this special sun-dappled flower market on the Parade Ground over the Easter weekend (2 April to 5 April 2021). Shops and restaurants will also be presenting tantalising offers during this season of flowers to top off the unique arts and cultural experiences at Tai Kwun (1 April to 18 April 2021).

More than just a Flower Market

Reimagining the concept of a flower market, “In Bloom” allows visitors to embark on a journey of sensory stimulation and exploration of sustainability all the while sampling offerings from selected local brands committed to doing things the right way. The market opens from 1pm to 7pm on 2 April 2021 and between 12 noon and 7pm from 3 April to 5 April 2021.

Sitting in the midst of the flower market, an eye-catching centrepiece will foster a festive atmosphere reminiscent of a delightful afternoon party, featuring Springtime creations from shops and restaurants at Tai Kwun—from refreshing teas and rejuvenating cocktails to ravishing ceramics and glassware. Aspiring photographers can capture dazzling moments at the flower market as well as the Parade Ground, which will be adorned with lush flowers and luxuriant plants for the occasion.

Origami Florist’s floral decorations will join OVOGARDEN’s exquisite arrangements of flowers and bonsais while Gift Flowers HK’s stylish bouquets will delight visitors by celebrating the mystical beauty of flowers.

Hosted by the University of Hong Kong and various social enterprises, FarmShare will introduce a range of sustainable food products sourced locally – including those from UNESCO award receiving project Lai Chi Wo. Meanwhile, social enterprise HK TimberBank will showcase rejuvenated timber creations using locally sourced forestry waste and typhoon felled trees.

Offering confectionery box sets and refreshing drinks, date by TATE, led by chef Vicky Lau from the two-Michelin-starred TATE Dining Room, will tantalise visitors’ tastebuds with its celebrated delicacies, while lifestyle artisan The BLOMSTRE’s aromatic candles, fragrance sprays and essential oils will bewitch visitors’ olfactory senses.

Spending rewards will be available at the flower market. Customers can redeem a HK$100 cash voucher upon spending HK$1,000 or above and enjoy exclusive shopping and dining privileges with “Tai Kwun Treats” vouchers.

Lifestyle offerings to complete the day

The day does not end at the flower market as Tai Kwun’s shops and restaurants will be offering flower-themed specials from 1 April to 18 April 2021 to help everyone blossom for Spring.

Statement will present a brand-new Botanical Afternoon Tea filled with the finest selection of savoury and dessert delights infused with and inspired by fruits and flowers. Budding florists will not want to miss Touch Ceramics’s workshops on the intricacies of Japanese-style floral arrangements.

Meanwhile, thirsty visitors are invited to sample a Blooming Violet Cocktail at PAZTA while those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the cakes and cookies of confectionary Phoenix Sweets. Madame Fù – Grand Café Chinois will present a Flower Blossom Tea pairing with its gold-painted chocolate dessert while Café Claudel’s La Vie en Rose Tea Set will entice guests with iced rose nougat and rosebud tea.

Guests can satisfy their wanderlust and explore Tai Kwun with even more surprises during this season of blooms. Bask in the mesmerising floral scents and get into the swing of Spring with inspirations from charming shops and restaurants at Tai Kwun.

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

Tai Kwun—Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce a brand-new performing arts season, SPOTLIGHT, to be launched with 6 programmes being staged in April and May 2021, offering unique performance experiences to audiences at Tai Kwun.

Tai Kwun is committed to support and nurture local artists. Coming into the new year, Tai Kwun will be presenting the performing arts season, SPOTLIGHT, in a multi-genre format which consists of music, dance, a capella and immersive theatre. Tai Kwun Performing Arts Season: SPOTLIGHT will be staged from 2 April to 16 May 2021, site-wide in Tai Kwun; tickets will be available at art-mate.net from 11 March 2021. Please visit the Tai Kwun website for programme details.

“Tai Kwun is really excited to welcome artists and audiences back this Spring for SPOTLIGHT. We are very grateful to all the artists who are helping Tai Kwun present these wonderful Performing Arts programmes for their patience and flexibility during these challenging times. We hope these programmes will once again bring forth the joy of being on stage for the artists on the one hand, and inspire our visitors on the other,” said Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts.

“In the past two years, we have been aiming to create a new platform and fertile ground for performing arts in Hong Kong, and to establish in-depth and long-term collaborative relationships with local artists. We have of course also been privileged, with Tai Kwun’s unique venues and outdoor spaces. Local audiences have been craving different forms of performing arts, with ‘participation’ being a key element in curating the best arts experience possible for the audience, which is one of the objectives of SPOTLIGHT,” noted Eddy Zee, Head of Performing Arts at Tai Kwun.

【Dance】Unfolding Images: We Are Spectacle(s) │ 02–04.04.2021

Co-presented by Jockey Club New Arts Power

Following the presentation of The World Was Once Flat at Tai Kwun Dance Season 2018, choreographer Joseph Lee continues his inquiry into corporeal language in Unfolding Images: We are Spectacle(s). Lee and his performers decode bodily postures in order to experiment with possible relationships of seeing and being seen. The five performers participating in this experiment turn their bodies into vessels, capturing and channelling this fleeting spectacle which embodies the essence of phenomena in the digital age.

Date & Time: 2–3 Apr 2021, 8pm; 3–4 Apr 2021, 3pm

Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $250

【A cappella theatre】This Victoria Has No Secrets...For Now │16–18.04.2021

This Victoria Has No Secrets first premiered in May 2018 for Tai Kwun’s opening, with re-run performances in 2019 gaining enthusiastic responses from audiences. The show by Yat Po Singers garnered rave acclaim and reviews, bringing the audience together to reminisce on laughter and melancholy as shaped by events, experiences, perceptions and insight. Each of these memories, rooted in a locality, embroiders an album of our memories. Making its triumphal return to Tai Kwun in 2021 with an outdoor rendition, the production continues to blend historical fragments of the harbour—including souvenirs, languages, folklore—into a performance poignantly set against the backdrop of Tai Kwun, a significant landmark imbued with over a century of history.

Date & Time: 16 Apr 2021, 6pm; 17–18 Apr 2021, 3pm & 6pm

Venue: Parade Ground, Tai Kwun

Free Admission

【Dance】Under∞Line │29.04–02.05.2021

The recent works of choreographer Rebecca Wong deals with the relationship between carnal desire and society, between culture and power. Her first presentation at Tai Kwun dated back to Bird-watching in 2018, with Under∞Line now on its heel. Rebecca Wong continues her introspective exploration of desire and gender identity—with no holds barred. Stories too reluctant normally to be told or else too rousing are here put into physical narratives. Teetering between pleasure and pain in rope bondage, Under ∞ Line contemplates the debates of “nature versus nurture” with regards to sex and gender.

Date & Time: 29 Apr–1 May 2021, 8pm; 2 May 2021, 5pm

Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $250

Remarks: This programme contains adult content and nudity; recommended for ages 16 and above

【Immersive Theatre】A Poem in Jail │07–16.05.2021

Since Tai Kwun’s opening in 2018, playwright and director Yan Pat To has been an active collaborator. His new work A Poem in Jail, an immersive theatre inspired by a bed-board with a love poem found in a women’s cell at Victoria Prison, will be staged this year. The groundbreaking immersive production features artists across disciplines, with Kingsley Ng (media installation), Adrian Yeung (video artist), Jass Leung (dramaturg) and Chow Yiu Fai (lyric artist). Together, they reimagine a theatrical experience with lyrics, sounds, images and drama, guiding the audience to tread a path that explores Central then and now.

Date & Time:

7 May 2021, 9:15pm (Preview);

8–16 May 2021, 7pm;

8, 10-16 May 2021, 9:15pm

Venue: Site-wide, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $280 / $200 (Preview)

【Music】Virtuosity: A Solo Violin Recital by Patrick Yim │20–21.04.2021

Patrick Yim, an active figure in Hong Kong’s contemporary music scene, brings his solo recital programme, “Virtuosity”. This will be the premieres of three newly commissioned works by the Hong Kong composers Austin Yip, Kai-young Chan and Daniel Lo. One special treat of the evening will be the Hong Kong premiere of the Solo Violin Sonata by Ma Sicong, one of the most important and prolific Chinese composers of violin music. On the second evening, the programme will focus on new works by Hong Kong composers. The composers will also sit alongside the soloist and the audience to offer a personal sharing session on their compositions and provide an intimate encounter with the artists.

Date & Time: 20 Apr 2021, 8pm; 21 Apr, 9pm

Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $280 (20 Apr) / $220 (21 Apr)

【Music】CONG X ROMER: String QuartetS Recital │27–28.04.2021

These two quartets—with both names emphasising their Hong Kong identity and with both  sharing the philosophy of promoting Asia and Hong Kong’s own chamber repertoire, not to mention integrating chamber music into the daily lives of the audience—will join up on stage for Tai Kwun’s Performing Arts season. In these two concerts, the Romer and Cong Quartet will perform the second quartet by Czech composer Erwin Schulhoff, Consensus for String Quartet by American composer Lawerence Dillon, and Shostakovich’s powerful third String Quartet in F respectively. They will also come together to perform the famous Mendelssohn String Octet, as well as presenting the premiere of a commissioned piece for double string quartets, Double Exposure, by Hong Kong Composer, Joyce Tang.

Date & Time: 27–28 Apr 2021, 8pm

Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun

Ticket: $280

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates.

Saying goodbye to winter, Tai Kwun is committed to refreshing the spirits of our visitors with a Spring programme full of creative energy.

Investigating the impact of contemporary life, Ink City uses ink art to tell stories of a generation in transition, both here and on the Mainland. Meanwhile, Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys explores the role of archives in artistic explorations via the personal archive of the late artist Ha Bik Chuen. Diverse and innovative, SPOTLIGHT—our multi-genre performing arts season—straddles art forms to delight audiences while Tai Kwun Circus Plays returns with more dazzling circus experiences. Music lovers will be happy to reconnect with some of Hong Kong’s most beloved musicians as the Laundry Steps morph into the Chilled Steps for March.

As mixed-media extravaganza Way of the Sword continues to captivate martial arts lovers, fans of iconic artists Francis Alÿs and Mika Rottenberg should not miss this last chance to visit exhibitions further augmented by special programmes. Those in the mood for Spring are invited to In Bloom’s flower market to welcome the stylish dawn of a new flowery season.

Ink City

Ink City presents an expanded tradition of ink art, with works by artists inspired by the immediate encounters of contemporary life. Collectively, Ink City showcases the social narrative of a generation marked by transition: some stories tell the unique perspective of Hong Kong at the end of the colonial era, while other narratives take in the vast range of the Mainland’s diaspora and echo shared social experiences of gender identity, desire, and fantasy. The works draw on the history of ink art and yet innovate in terms of motifs and subject matter, allowing for an honest appraisal of social issues and untold stories. (23 April–1 August; stay tuned for more information)

Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys 

Portals, Stories, and Other Journeys takes the extensive personal archive of the late Hong Kong artist Ha Bik Chuen as a starting point to explore the archive as a space of creativity and enquiry. When does a page open onto other worlds? Who are the narrators, listeners, readers, and protagonists? What creatures inhabit the archive and to whom do they tell their story? Organised as part of Asia Art Archive’s twentieth anniversary, the exhibition features new commissions from artists Banu Cennetoğlu, Kwan Sheung Chi, Lam Wing Sze, Raqs Media Collective, and Walid Raad. (23 April–1 August; stay tuned for more information)

Tai Kwun Performing Arts Season: SPOTLIGHT

Tai Kwun is proud to present a multi-genre performing arts season this year—SPOTLIGHT. Among our spotlight features is This Victoria Has No Secrets…For Now, an outdoor a cappella theatre on the Parade Ground created by Yat Po Singers. Another spotlight is A Poem in Jail, an immersive theatre piece tailor-made for Tai Kwun by theatre director and playwright Yan Pat To, who collaborates with media installation artist Kingsley Ng and lyricist Chow Yiu Fai.

Shifting the spotlight to our two dance productions, choreographers Wong Pik Kei Rebecca and Joseph Lee will showcase their artistic growth through two full-length works Under∞Line and Unfolding Images (II): We Are Spectacles respectively. In addition, two partnership programmes will be part of the season, including Virtuosity: A Solo Violin Recital by Patrick Yim and CONG X ROMER: String QuartetS Recital which will premiere four new works by local composers.
(2 April–16 May; stay tuned for more information)

Tai Kwun Circus Plays

The highly anticipated annual event Tai Kwun Circus Plays is back. Featuring the best circus artists and jugglers in town, Tai Kwun will become an arena filled with breath-taking acts and exhilarating performances.

Several new programmes will join us this year, including the aerial dance Cotton Candy Clouds, Ninja Challenge, giant handcrafted puppets The Majestical Puppet Parade and circus movie screenings in the semi-outdoor Laundry Steps. Skilled jugglers will host interactive and family-friendly workshops on plate-spinning, freestyle football, balloon twisting, pop-up books. Let’s come and play at Tai Kwun. (Weekends from 6 March–16 April)

Chilled Steps

Music has consoled our hearts during a time of isolation, but nothing is more powerful than sharing it together in the same space. Ready to receive visitors in March, Tai Kwun Laundry Steps has turned into a jamming stage where some of the best musicians in town come together to connect with audiences again after months of performance suspensions.

Jointly curated by multi-talented pianist Joyce Cheung and jazz veteran Li Tin-yan, Chilled Steps invites notable and up-and-coming musicians including guitarist Eugene Pao, saxophonist Timothy Sun, pianist Bowen Li and more for a series of late afternoon chill-out concerts cross March. (1 March–25 March)

Ongoing Exhibitions

Way of the Sword

Curated by Hing Chao and Roberto Gotti, this new heritage exhibition is a multi-dimensional presentation of China and Italy’s warrior and sword traditions from the Classical era through to the Early Modern age. The first mixed-media exhibition of its kind, the exhibition includes more than 50 historic swords and polearms, over 20 sixteenth-century martial arts manuscripts and books, as well as a range of historic objects.

Drawing on City University of Hong Kong professor and new media curator Jeffrey Shaw’s world-leading expertise in new media, Way of the Sword offers a wide range of immersive and interactive experiences in order to bring viewers through a historic journey of the sword. The exhibition also features photography by Almond Chu, Chinese ink art paintings by Lin Haizhong, Zheng Li, and Lee Chi Ching, as well as a selection of animations and documentary films especially commissioned for this exhibition. During the exhibition period, Sunday Movie Steps will present a selection of movies on swordsmanship and warriors. Stay tuned for more information. (25 February–4 April 2021)

Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games

Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games gathers for the first time in Hong Kong important recent works by Francis Alÿs, one of the most influential conceptual artists of our time. Structured around the artist’s interest in migration, borders, and his fascination with children’s games from around the world, this solo exhibition highlights Francis Alÿs’s poetic, imaginative sensibility, anchored by geopolitical concerns and individual will while being grounded in everyday life. (until 28 March)

Francis Alÿs’s two new videos, commissioned by Tai Kwun Contemporary and set in Hong Kong, are available on view now.

Hong Kong artist Pak Sheung Chuen will lead a unique art walk “Wandering on the Edges of the Map” for participants, in response to Francis Alÿs’s practice and methodology. (20 March)

SNEEZE

SNEEZE, the first solo exhibition by Mika Rottenberg in Hong Kong featuring four video installations about surreal alternative worlds of global everyday life. With an engaging yet rigorous artistic practice combining film, architectural installation and sculpture, Mika Rottenberg is fascinated by processes of labour and of technology as well as the effects of distance and the production of value in our contemporary world. Her works bring to the fore some of the absurdities in our global world. (until 31 March)

Regular Programmes

Tai Kwun is also pleased to announce the return of the regular programmes. Our Afternoon Series will continue to feature captivating performances by emerging local artists every Monday. Visitors are invited to engage with brilliants minds dedicated to make heritage part of a sustainable future in Tai Kwun Conversations; cinema lovers can drop by Sunday Movie Steps to catch a flick. Please visit www.taikwun.hk for the latest line-up and programming.

In Bloom

From 1 April to 18 April, Tai Kwun presents In Bloom to celebrate the return of Spring. Visitors are invited to bring friends and family as our flower market sprouts under the Spring sun on the Parade Ground for the Easter weekend (2 April–5 April), while Tai Kwun shops and restaurants present tantalising offers for the season of blooms to top off the enchanting atmosphere at

Tai Kwun. Customers can also receive a HK$100 voucher for every HK$1,000 spent at the flower market with no limit to the number of vouchers per visitor. Bask in the mesmerising floral scents and get into the swing of Spring with inspirations from charming shops and restaurants at Tai Kwun. (Stay tuned for more information)

Visitor information

Tai Kwun adopts social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Visitors are required to wear surgical masks, undergo temperature screening, and either scan “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register personal particulars. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS) announced today the appointment of Dr Anita Chung as Head of Heritage, with effect from 11 March 2021. Dr Chung will be responsible for leading the heritage team in the creation and presentation of heritage experiences, interpretive showcases and education programmes at Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts (Tai Kwun). Working in collaboration with her colleagues in Tai Kwun Culture and Arts Company Limited, she will help Tai Kwun comprehensively activate its heritage spaces, raise awareness of cultural heritage conservation and foster community appreciation of a unique part of Hong Kong’s heritage.

Dr Chung is a seasoned museum curator and arts and culture executive, with over 20 years of professional experience in museum practice, the arts and cultural philanthropy. Prior to joining Tai Kwun, Dr Chung was the Chief Operating Officer of the Robert H N Ho Family Foundation in Hong Kong, overseeing and directing a wide range of Hong Kong community, arts and cultural heritage programmes. She has also worked as the Head of the Asian Art Department and Curator of Chinese Art at the renowned Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States, where she collaborated with numerous international museums. She has rich experience in education and public programming, visitor experience, audience engagement and community outreach.

Dr Chung holds a PhD in Art History from The University of Hong Kong and a Master’s degree in Art History from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She served as a member of the Museum Advisory Committee (Art Sub-committee) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the HKSAR Government during 2016-2020.

Ms Chin Chin Teoh, Director of JCCPS said, “I am delighted to welcome Dr Anita Chung as the new Head of Heritage at Tai Kwun. With her extensive experience and international exposure in arts, culture and philanthropy, as well as her many institutional and interdisciplinary collaborations, she will bring new energy to Tai Kwun and its efforts to promote heritage appreciation and education in Hong Kong.”

Mr Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts, added, “We are very much looking forward to working closely with Dr Anita Chung, who brings a new dimension of curatorial and scholarly depth to Tai Kwun which will greatly enhance our holistic programming philosophy. At the intersection of the historic and the contemporary, of heritage and visual and performing arts, Tai Kwun’s unique character will be developed further through our creative collaborations with Anita and her team.”

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce the opening of Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy — the first historical martial arts mixed-media exhibition on this century-old heritage site. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Institute of Chinese Martial Studies, and will be on view from 25 February 2021 to 4 April 2021.

Curated by Hing Chao and Roberto Gotti, Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy is a multi-dimensional presentation of China and Italy’s warrior and sword traditions from the Classical era through to the Early Modern age. The exhibition showcases more than 50 historic swords and polearms which are shown publicly in Hong Kong for the first time, over 20 sixteenth-century martial arts manuscripts and books, as well as a range of historic objects related to martial cultures in China and Italy.

Hing Chao, curator of Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy, said, “China and Italy are ancient civilisations that have developed in parallel for over two thousand years. It is an extraordinary privilege to present their respective historic martial arts culture to the Hong Kong public, which I hope will shed light on how martial culture — swords and swordsmen in particular — has shaped human history.”

At the same time, drawing on City University of Hong Kong professor and new media curator Jeffrey Shaw’s world-leading expertise in new media, Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy offers a wide range of immersive and interactive experiences in order to bring viewers through a historic journey of the sword, ultimately arriving at the twenty-first century when historic martial arts in Italy and China converge upon a common path of rediscovery and exchange.

Professor Jeffrey Shaw, new media curator of Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy, said, “Digital techniques and media art have become very powerful tools of interpretation when applied to cultural heritage. Building on our success innovating and exploring these techniques in previous martial arts projects, the digital media in this exhibition makes the public experience even more engaging and rich.”

Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts, said, “The first ‘embassy’ linking China with Italy was established during the reign of emperors Marcus Aurelius of the Roman Empire and Huandi of Eastern Han Dynasty (漢桓帝). Nearly 2000 years later, the intricate swords showcased in this thrilling exhibition remind us of the significance of martial arts in the history of these two great civilisations. Tai Kwun is delighted to be working with partners like the Institute of Chinese Marital Studies, who share our commitment to bring heritage to life in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences.”  

The exhibition also features photography by Almond Chu, Chinese ink art paintings by Lin Haizhong, Zheng Li, and Lee Chi Ching, as well as a selection of animations and documentary films in historic martial arts specially commissioned for this exhibition. 

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

From historic swords to martial arts books, Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy presents exquisite exhibits from private collections, of which 40 pieces are on view for the first time.

Qijiadao

This is a rare example of early Qing sabre which has been extensively polished by renowned sword-restorer Philip Tom and was remounted on its current hilt. From the rise of the Mongols in the 12th century until the Qing dynasty, the yanlingdao – the cavalry sabre par excellence – was the dominant sword type in China. Then during the Ming dynasty, particularly in the Wanli and Jiajing periods, Chinese blade design and swordsmanship came under heavy Japanese influence as a result of extensive disturbances caused by the Wokou pirates along the Chinese coast. This sword exhibits features of both the earlier yanlingdao and the Japanese sword. The Ming general Qi Jiguang adopted the design of the superior nihonto (Japanese sword) for his troops, hence the name for this type of sword – appropriately named “qijiadao” (Qi family sabre) – which fundamentally combines features of yanlingdao and tachi.  

Migration Period Sword with Gold–gilt Twin Bird–head Hilt

One of the oldest swords in this exhibition, this is a rare specimen from the Migration Period (c. 300–568). The twin-grooved blade–a continuation of the late Roman spatha–falls into the general type of the period. The gold–gilt grip is in the “Byzantine” style and shows its owner was a high-status warrior. The most unusual part is the guard which forms a bird-head at each end. This is the only migration period sword to have such a double bird–head hilt design.

Double-eagles have a long history in heraldry, starting with the Ancient Near East and Mycenae, and later adopted by the Byzantine Empire in the 13th century. The appearance of the double eagles on this early sword therefore suggests an association with the east. This was a period of immense population movement, and judging from the characteristics of the sword, it could have been Byzantine, Gothic, or Longobard, bearing in mind that sword exchanges were frequent and cross-cultural influence was pervasive. Both the Ostrogoths and Longobards formed political alliances and had warriors serving with the Huns, and it is tempting to see in the twin eagle–head hilt a Hunnic connection.

An alternative interpretation is that the bird-heads are not of eagles but ravens, as suggested by the shape of the beaks. Twin ravens are an ancient motif in old Germanic mythology, associated in particular with Woden, the supreme god and the god of war.

Ceremonial Armour for a Manchu Officer of the Blue Banner Cavalry Brigade

During the Qing dynasty, the colours, symbolism and insignia of these ceremonial costume were strictly regulated. The dragon designs and blue satin silk of this costume indicate that it was made for a Manchu officer of the blue banner cavalry brigade, who was assigned to protect the imperial capital of Peking.

Opera Nova system of Renaissance Italian martial arts – Linear Navigator

Achille Marozzo’s Opera Nova (1528) is one of the most important documents for Italian Renaissance martial arts, presenting a comprehensive system that includes the two-handed sword, side sword, two swords, sword and dagger, sword and shield, sword and buckler, sword and cape, halberd, roncone, etc., as well as unarmed martial arts. This system has been revived through Maestro Roberto Gotti’s meticulous research over the past twenty-five years.

Presented through the Linear Navigator, an interactive media machine designed by Prof. Jeffrey Shaw and Prof. Sarah Kenderdine, the audience may discover Opera Nova through their own navigation. For contextualisation, 16th century weapons used in the Opera Nova system are displayed next to the Linear Navigator.

Encountering the Masters at D Hall

For the first time, the 6 prison cells of D Hall are transformed into a part of thematic exhibition venue, featuring performances of 12 different types of weapons, which offer viewers an intense experience of encountering contemporary Chinese and Italian martial arts masters up-close. An original video artwork by Almond Chu — an artistic interpretation of “Sword Shadows” which offers a more meditative, though no less powerful, expression — is also on view.

VISITOR INFORMATION

Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy opens to the public from 25 February through 4 April 2021, Every day from 11am to 8pm at Duplex Studio, Block 01 and G/F, D Hall in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Please visit the Tai Kwun website for the latest update.

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, whilst the Visitor Centre runs from 10am to 8pm. Please refer to the Tai Kwun’s Lifestyle Enjoyment online for a full listing of  restaurants, gift shops, designer stores and other lifestyle offerings.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun website for updates.  Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation. Temperature scanning and facemasks are mandatory for all admitted visitors. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_information.

Tai Kwun Contemporary’s BOOKED: 2021 Art Book Pop-Ups returns for its third and special “boutique” edition from 25 to 28 February 2021 (Thursday to Sunday) across various locations at Tai Kwun.

Featuring more than 80 artists, publishers, organisations and booksellers, BOOKED: 2021 is Tai Kwun Contemporary's annual celebration of art and publishing. Artist-made and artist-centred books—including zines, photo books, monographs, and critical or experimental writing—will be available for sale alongside associated publications and ephemera.

This year, BOOKED: 2021 will once again feature Hong Kong-based participants who will share their materials on site, along with those hosting non-local participants who will contribute from a distance through a special “twin” partner programme.

Due to the pandemic, BOOKED: 2021 is presented within various “pop-ups” throughout the heritage buildings at Blocks 1, 3, and 9, around the Parade Ground of Tai Kwun, and will adhere to the latest health and safety regulations and enforce social distancing measures.

As a special “boutique” edition, this temporary measure will spread out the event across more spaces and will enliven the heritage buildings around the Parade Ground. Tickets will be free, but pre-registration is strongly advised.

BOOKED: 2021 aims to highlight the intrinsic nature of books and the efforts of those who continue to make, publish and circulate them, while offering the chance for disparate people and communities to connect over great distances.

Given the seismic shifts influencing the flows of information and people worldwide, the impulse for art in print to circulate remains strong. It reverberates in BOOKED: 2021 through its participants’ publishing practices, as well as through this year’s commissioned editions, displays, projects and programmes that demonstrate how networks among artists and publishers both reference the history of mail art while continuing to explore possibilities within the digital domain. “Reverberations” of the past also present themselves in both image and sound, through artists working to find ways to bridge distances both near and far, be they real or imagined.

Pre-registration on the Tai Kwun website is open now; limited numbers of tickets will be available on site.

Highlighted participants this year include:

Twin Partners

Art Metropole (Toronto) x Para Site (Hong Kong)

• Art Metropole, a decades-old Canadian non-profit organisation, shares books and more focusing on their efforts to promote the production, dissemination and contextualisation of artist-initiated publishing
• Para Site, the local independent art institution presents printed matter and text-based works by Hong Kong-based artists in their Paid Online Studio Visits and their NoExit Grants programmes, along with Para Site’s own publications

ACO Books (Hong Kong) x nos:books (Taipei)

• Stalwart of Hong Kong’s Foo Tak building brings in the well-regarded nos:books from Taipei

Chan Wai Kwong (Hong Kong) x Zen Foto (Tokyo)

• Hong Kong photographer works with Zen Foto to present some of the best artist books in photography

ODD ONE OUT (Hong Kong) x commune Press (Tokyo)

• Graphic and illustration outfit in Wanchai hosts the renowned photography-based Commune Press

hato store (London)

• Playful riso publications paired with new zines based on local content and collaborations

Hong Kong Open Printshop (Hong Kong) x Typesetting SG (Singapore)

• The institutional printshop of JCCAC brings in publications featuring type experimentation from Singapore

MOSSES (Hong Kong) x motto (Berlin)

• Local publisher and bookstore featuring a range of niche publications including from regional and international contributors

TASCHEN (Hong Kong) x onestar press / Three Star Books (Paris)

• Leading art book publisher (stationed in Tai Kwun) hosts books and editions by artist-focused publications from Paris-based onestar press / Three Star Books

ZINECOOP (Hong Kong) x Independent Publishing Resource Center (Portland, Oregon)

• Indie publishing artist collective collaborates with Portland's resource center for zine creation, letterpress printing, book binding and printing

Select Individual Participants

mini press @ Tiana CloudLand (Hong Kong)

• Mini books from mini press, including a selection of other small-scale books throughout Asia

Old Textbooks (Hong Kong)

• Local artist Lau Chi Chung returns with his print-based ephemera with a nostalgic take on Hong Kong’s visual heritage

Raven Chacon (New Mexico)

• Field Recordings, a project incorporating the sights and hidden sounds of the lands around the New Mexico-based artist’s home

Dorothy Wong Ka Chung, Benjamin Ryser (o!sland) (Hong Kong / Zurich)

• Project by artist collective from Tai Kwun’s Open Call for Artists’ Studios presents a new book with video and sound

Popo-Post Art Group (Hong Kong)

• Young art collective delves into history of food and art publishing to create an interactive project with visitors

Short Hair Studio (Hong Kong)

• Presentation to launch book project from Tai Kwun’s Open Call 2019

Yim Sui Fong (Hong Kong)

• The Man Who Attends to the Times,  a site-conscious project by the multi-disciplinary artist who presents and will share stories (2-6pm daily) from the latest in her annual published series of books connected to her father

David Horvitz (Los Angeles)

• The series of nine postcards and site-specific project for BOOKED: 2021, revisits when Los Angeles-based artist David Horvitz travelled to the Maldives so he could invite his mother back home to watch “the sun in [their] eyes at the same time”. It continues Horvitz’s conceptual practice that explores the possibilities for interconnected experiences by integrating art in print with digital media.

For more information, please visit https://www.taikwun.hk/booked/. Hashtag #BOOKEDHK

Visitor information

Tai Kwun will adopt social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Through the architecture, design, and layout of BOOKED:, adequate spacing between tables is maintained. Temperature scanning and facemasks are mandatory for all admitted visitors. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

Visitors are encouraged to pre-register for their free tickets online via https://www.taikwun.hk/booked/ prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity and safety conditions.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games, a solo exhibition by Francis Alÿs, one of the most influential conceptual artists of our time. Structured around the artist’s interest in migration, borders, and his fascination with children’s games from around the world, this exhibition brings together for the first time in Hong Kong three important and interconnected projects by Alÿs, including newly commissioned videos by Tai Kwun Contemporary. The exhibition runs from 28 October 2020 to February 2021.

Critically acclaimed and internationally admired, Francis Alÿs (b. 1959, Belgium; based in Mexico since 1986) has a complex and at times elusive artistic practice that poetically fuses an imaginative, conceptual sensibility with the socio-political momentousness of issues related to urban spaces, transnational borders, and geopolitical concerns. While his works are charged with political concerns, what is significant is how he opens up an artistic space for doubt and invention—often through ephemeral actions initiated and documented by the artist which leave no trace and yet conjure up fables.

Curated by Xue Tan and Sunjung Kim and co-presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary and Art Sonje Center, Seoul, the exhibition’s title is based on the “spark” to Alÿs’s works on view—the “Wet Feet, Dry Feet” policy on Cuban refugees in 1995. Under this policy, Cuban migrants headed for the United States faced vastly different treatment depending on whether they were intercepted at sea or on land, on US soil. If intercepted at sea (“wet feet”), they would be repatriated back to Cuba; if intercepted on land (“dry feet”), they would be allowed to stay in the United States. For a Hong Kong audience, this might sound uncannily familiar: the “Touch Base” policy in 1970s Hong Kong meant that Mainland Chinese migrants would be sent back to the Mainland if intercepted at sea or in the New Territories; only if they reached south of Boundary Street—the formal boundary between Kowloon and the New Territories—were migrants allowed to stay legally in the territory (in the quirky British sports reference, “touch base”).

Borders and games

The connection between borders and games in Francis Alÿs’s artistic practice lies at the heart of the exhibition. After his quixotic attempt to connect Havana and Key West, Florida by means of a bridge of boats from fishing communities and private individuals in Bridge/Puente (2006), the artist shifted his attention to the narrower Strait of Gibraltar, a waterway 13 km wide, with the imaginative impulse of connecting Northern Africa and Southern Europe with a line of fishing boats—which was later enacted metaphorically by groups of children departing from the shores with “shoe boats”, tiny boats made with babouches and flip-flop sandals. In a process that took two years of preparation, the artist evaded interference and interest from various parties, and filmed the final performance as a “Children’s Game”.

Presented alongside the video installation Don’t Cross the Bridge Before You Get to the River (2008) are over 100 paintings, drawings and notes drafted during the preparation of the project. While working with children for this project, Alÿs was reminded of his long-time observation of children at play, particularly their appropriation of public spaces for play and their strong sense of moving freely within “rules”.

Children’s Games

His latest on-going project, Children’s Games (1999–ongoing), consists of more than 20 documentary videos of children at play in various locations; some were filmed in countries that have suffered from ongoing war and conflicts, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, while other places were shot in Nepal, Jordan, Mexico, France, and Hong Kong—the last featuring newly commissioned videos by Tai Kwun Contemporary. Without ever becoming directly involved, the artist documents children moving about in their own ways and playing their games—games which also echo the rituals, symbols, insights, superstitions and events of the specific society, culture, and locality. Children’s Games is in the vein of his artistic practice—touching poetically on conceptual displacement and alluding lightly, whimsically on politics and social engagement. Viewers can observe a poignant sense of innocence and the redemptive power of play—universal and transcending conventions, languages, and borders.

Tobias Berger, Head of Art, Tai Kwun, said, “We chose to work with Francis Alÿs because he has been very influential in Hong Kong for a group of artists with a certain type of artistic practice. We are delighted to show this exhibition—having worked on this project for nearly three years now—and elated that the artist has managed to come to Hong Kong in person during this difficult time.”

Xue Tan, Curator of Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games from Tai Kwun, said, “I am thrilled to have been able to work with Francis Alÿs, an artist whom I have admired for years. This exhibition is conceived for Hong Kong, and so the fact we have been able to film additional children’s games in Hong Kong—despite the pandemic and travel restrictions—is significant. It speaks to how art can rise above difficulties, and how a great artist creates under all circumstances.”

Public Programmes

Tai Kwun Contemporary Weekend Guided Tour

Come spend your weekends at Tai Kwun Contemporary. Learn about the art exhibitions by joining a tour with one of our professional, friendly docents.

Date: Every Saturdays and Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates) Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm (Cantonese), 4:00pm-5:00pm (English)

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Fun Guided Tour (for ages 5+)

Join Tai Kwun Contemporary for a fun Family Tour, which welcomes 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child. Participants will be fully engaged in the selected artworks through visual references in the form of a tour guide booklet.
 

Date: Designated Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates)

Time: 11:00am-12:00pm, 3:00pm-4:00pm

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Day at Tai Kwun Contemporary: Family Tour and Workshop ““The Ping-Pong Friends”

The Family Tour consists of guiding participants through artworks based on the exhibitions with interactive discussions and visual references in the form of an in-depth tour guide booklet. In the workshop, participants will cut out two countries on the world map and use them as patterns to make wooden ping-pong bats. After completion, children can play a two-player game and become players of that country. Pass the ball and praise each other at the same time. Children can understand each other and become friends through the activity. All activities are designed to welcome 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child (5+ years).

Date: 1, 15 & 29 November,13 & 27 December 2020, 10 January 2021 (Every other Sundays)

Time: 3pm-5pm (Bilingual)

Tickets: HK $80 per timeslot for one family pair (one adult with one child). Get tickets on Tai Kwun website

Visitor information

Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games is on view from 28 October through February 2021, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at JC Contemporary in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games, visitors can visit SNEEZE, a solo exhibition by Mika Rottenberg featuring four video installations that create surreal alternative worlds of global everyday life.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun Contemporary presents a solo exhibition by Mika Rottenberg entitled SNEEZE, which runs from 24 October 2020 to February 2021. Featuring four video installations that create surreal alternative worlds of global everyday life, this is the first solo exhibition in Hong Kong by the artist.

Argentina-born, New York-based artist Mika Rottenberg (b. 1976) is known for her engaging yet rigorous artistic practice that combines film, architectural installation and sculpture. She is fascinated by processes of labour and of technology as well as the effects of distance and the production of value in our contemporary world. Her works bring to the fore some of the absurdities in our global world.

Curated by Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, SNEEZE presents four works by Mika Rottenberg—Sneeze (2012), NoNoseKnows (2015), Cosmic Generator (2017), and Spaghetti Blockchain (2019). Her practice focuses on material surfaces and transformations that are simultaneously stimulating and disturbing, bizarre and banal, beautiful and lethal, productive and also exploitative. More specifically, the artist seeks out locales and locations across the globe to cast a spotlight on specific systems of production, such as a pearl factory in the Mainland, or a Calexico border town—yet she does so in humorous and surreal ways.

Referencing the traditions of both cinema and sculpture, Rottenberg documents aspects of reality but also invents footage from studio-built sets in order to create elaborate and subversive visual narratives. By weaving fact and fiction together, she highlights the inherent beauty and absurdity of our contemporary existence, shedding light on connections, disconnections, and the complexity of exchange.

Exploring production processes that betray a wilful disconnection between labourers, suppliers, products, merchants, and consumers, Rottenberg’s works inspire audiences to rethink theories of production, exchange, and consumption, in the vein where New Materialism advocates a critical materialist attention to distributed global influences of late capitalism and of climate change.

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, says, “Hong Kong has for decades served as an intermediary between what we once called ‘East’ and ‘West’; it is a place of contrasts, contradictions, but also coming together. In many ways, I think Mika Rottenberg’s video works exemplify such contradictions and connections—fascinating and sometimes volatile contradictions that allow viewers to gain insight or awareness into the paradoxes of contemporary existence. Her works are not about Hong Kong as such, but are connected to the overabundance of goods and flows of global trade that Hong Kong is very much part of. Finally, she has this humorous and imaginative approach to these very serious issues.”

Sneeze (2012)

Men with exaggeratingly large red noses sneeze, one after another, ejecting an odd assortment of objects on a tabletop—rabbits, raw meat, lightbulbs, among others. This absurdist, whimsical video work constructs surreal scenarios by means of minimal content and formal repetition. Inspired by the classic work Fred Ott’s Sneeze (1894), Rottenberg explores the connections between “labour” (giving birth and work), “excretions” (masculine and feminine), and gender from a contemporary perspective. The theme of sneezing would also be further elaborated in her later work NoNoseKnows.

NoNoseKnows (2015)

A burly, well-built woman sits in front of a small windmill contraption. She keeps breathing in pollen—until she sneezes and ejects platefuls of pasta. At the other end of the contraption, a female worker below rotates a pulley; like the adjacent female workers producing farmed pearls, the worker is engaged in an endless cycle of repetitive motion, a mere link in the production chain of commodities.

With its outlandish and colourful scenes, NoNoseKnows transforms stereotypical factory buildings and production lines into occasions of delightful surprise while commenting cleverly on contemporary conditions of labour and exchange. Arising from Rottenberg’s experiences during her first research visit in China, NoNoseKnows demonstrates her unique imagination and daring juxtapositions that convincingly fuse fantasy and realism.

Cosmic Generator (2017)

The video presents a fantastical scene in a border town: Chinese restaurants and street vendors in Calexico are juxtaposed alongside storefronts inside Chinese wholesale markets, swallowed up by suffocating quantities of goods. These all seem to exist in parallel universes with no apparent connections. Yet at the same time, the work reveals another level of commodities, of people dressed up as quesadillas—and of a mysterious power invisible to the human eye passing through tunnels and corridors, opening up and bridging the world in a peculiar way. With Rottenberg’s impactful visual language, Cosmic Generator playfully thinks through today’s overabundance of goods and its exhausting flow of global trade. The work forges unexpected connections of time and space, as well as melding fact and fiction, misinformation and earnestness.

Spaghetti Blockchain (2019)

The film starts off with a Tuvan singer throat-singing on the grasslands. As the low echoing and continuous sound transitions to various scenes in the film studio, the latter offers up a series of actions that oddly stimulates the audience through colours, shapes, and acoustics—including cutting and melting a bouncy jelly, crushing stacks of spaghetti, and noisily playing with colourful beads. The artist begins with specific, miniscule objects, and then extends to advanced equipment such as Large Hadron Colliders and potato harvesters, linking the material world together in a way that goes apparently against logic, creating rich and sensorial experiences. Aside from foregrounding the peculiar material characteristics of each object, the soundtrack also incites pleasing and elusive ASMR (Automated Sensory Meridien Responses) effects in the viewer. 

Public Programmes

Tai Kwun Contemporary Weekend Guided Tour

Come spend your afternoons at Tai Kwun Contemporary. Learn about the art exhibitions by joining a tour with one of our friendly, professional docents.

Date: Every Saturdays and Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates)

Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm (Cantonese), 4:00pm-5:00pm (English)

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Fun Guided Tour (for ages 5+)

Join Tai Kwun Contemporary for a fun Family Tour, which welcomes 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child. Participants will be fully engaged in the selected artworks through visual references in the form of a tour guide booklet.

Date: Designated Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates)

Time: 11:00am-12:00pm, 3:00pm-4:00pm

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Day at Tai Kwun Contemporary: Family Tour and Workshop “Bubble Blowing Nose”

The Family Tour consists of guiding participants through artworks based on the exhibition with interactive discussions and visual references in the form of an in-depth tour guide booklet. In the workshop, participants will make a bubble blowing pipe in the shape of a nose with copper wire. This surreal nose can be worn on the children's face, and then the children can use a long nose to dip soapy water and blow bubbles, challenging their illustrative skills and imagination. All activities are designed to welcome 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child (5+ years).

Date: 1, 15 & 29 November,13 & 27 December 2020, 10 January 2021 (Every other Sundays)

Time: 11am-1pm

Tickets: HK $80 per timeslot for one family pair (one adult with one child). Get tickets on Tai Kwun website

Visitor information

SNEEZE is on view from 24 October through February 2021, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at JC Contemporary in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with SNEEZE, visitors can visit Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games, a solo exhibition by Francis Alÿs featuring conceptual works about migration, borders, and children’s games from around the world.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun—Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce that a brand-new series of performing arts programmes, “On Stage Online”, will launch in September, with over 10 programmes to be presented in phases. The first six programmes will kick off this month. This full line-up of performing arts events in a variety of formats will delight viewers and connect audiences on a variety of platforms.

The arts and society are inextricably bound; they respond and react to one another. In a year when the situation with the pandemic remains painful and unpredictable, the performing arts—and indeed society at large—faces incredible challenges, not least with planning programmes that can resonate and entertain audiences. Nonetheless, many artists and performers are drawing on their reservoirs of strength and are rising to this challenge, responding to a difficult transformation of society and everyday life by making breakthroughs in conventional modes of art-making. Tai Kwun is mindful of this, as its mission is to provide the public with arts and entertainment on the one hand and to support and nurture local artists on the other. When performances were unfortunately interrupted or cancelled, Tai Kwun wants to show its support. Therefore, dance, drama, music, online interactive theatrical performances, and many other forms of performing arts events in “On Stage Online” will be presented—free of charge—on the internet from 13 September 2020. Registration is open now. Please visit the Tai Kwun website for programme details. 

【Dance】We Are (digitally becoming) Spectacle(s) │13.09.2020

Co-presented by: Jockey Club New Arts Power

Subsequent to the presentation of The World Was Once Flat in Tai Kwun Dance Season 2018, choreographer Joseph Lee continues his inquiry into corporeal language in Unfolding Images: We are Spectacle(s), a piece to be staged next year. Lee and the performers decode bodily postures to experiment with possible relationships of seeing and being seen. Before Unfolding is performed on stage, We Are (digitally becoming) Spectacle(s) will be hosted by the creative cast in the form of an open rehearsal. When the performers move around and place themselves at different corners of Tai Kwun, they and their cameras embark on a virtual sightseeing tour of the disjointed space. Audience members will interact with the performers by means of the cameras and instant messaging, and will get a glimpse of the prototype of the piece before it is staged. There will be a talk after the presentation, in which the choreographer will share his creative processes with the audience.

Live programme: 13.09.2020, 4pm – 5:30pm

Online registration: now until 11.09.2020*

【Dance】A Lover's Concerto│13.09 & 18.10.2020

Presented by: City Contemporary Dance Company

Established 41 years ago, CCDC has created numerous dance pieces and nurtured its fair share of romantic stories over that time. In A Lover's Concerto, couples from different generations who all met at CCDC will perform a choreographed piece recreating their lasting memories, leading the audience in an exploration of relationships through interactions and by feeling each other’s heart beats. A “meet-the-artists” segment will be held after each duo. A Lover's Concerto is a programme that is part of the CCDC Digital Dance Season.

Live programme: 13.09 & 18.10.2020, 8pm – 9pm

Online registration: from now until full *

【Music】This Victoria Has No Secrets...When It Goes Online │17.09.2020

This Victoria Has No Secrets first premiered in May 2018 for Tai Kwun’s opening, with re-run performances last year earning exciting feedback from audiences as well. It sang along with Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong’s celebrated natural landmark with its world-famous night vista, with the harbour having witnessed the city’s various metamorphoses. Once, a city called “Victoria” faced Victoria Harbour on Hong Kong island. Victoria City no longer exists; so what will Victoria Harbour be like?

Through the video clips taken inside and outside of Tai Kwun in Central with three melodic songs selected from the production, Yat Po Singers is thrilled to show the audience a sneak peek of This Victoria Has No Secrets, the a cappella theatre programme that brings a musical journey of nostalgia in Hong Kong’s heritage and cultural icon – before it will be staged at Tai Kwun’s outdoor space next year.

Online Programme: 17-30.09.2020

【Dance】The Creation of Under∞Line│20.09.2020

The recent works of choreographer Rebecca Wong are concerned with the relationship between carnal desire and society, and between culture and power. Her first presentation at Tai Kwun was Bird-watching in 2018, and the next one will be Under∞Line scheduled for next year. Little is publicly known about what the art-maker has undergone before the art-piece greets its audience in the theatre. The “making-of” documentary The Creation of Under∞Line brings the audience into Wong’s world of creation, allowing a glimpse of the process from conception, researching and interactions among creative collaborators before the work is born; an excerpt of the upcoming work will also be shown.

Online Programme: 20.09 – 3.102020

【Theatre】A Poem in Jail  (in progress) – Happy Together Till the Next Century Comes│24.09.2020

Since Tai Kwun’s opening in 2018, playwright and director Yan Pat To has been an active collaborator. His new work A Poem in Jail, an immersive theatre inspired by a bed-board with a love poem found in a women’s cell at Victoria Prison, will be staged next year. The ground-breaking immersive production features artists across disciplines—Kingsley Ng (media installation), Adrian Yeung (video artist), Jass Leung (dramaturg) and Chow Yiu Fai (lyric artist)—together they reimagine a theatrical experience with lyrics, sounds, images and drama, bringing the audience to tread a path that explores Central then and now. A Poem in Jail (in progress) – Happy Together Till the Next Century Comes - carries a fragment of the time and space of A Poem in Jail, revealing short episodes that will not be unveiled in the future work. In this prelude to the main story, Yan offers his intimate insight to the creation of the new work to the public. Looking forward to next year’s performance, audience may receive a surprise access to the exclusive preview of the new work.

 Online Programme: 24.09-7.10.2020

【Online Interactive Theatre】See You Zoom Again │29.09.2020

See You Zoom Again is a creative work conceived during the ups and downs of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, as a response to society and as a way of coping with the new trend of online theatres. Inspired by the practice of ethnotheatre, a theatre-making method based on ethnographic research, the See team creates this work via Zoom and will share different Hong Kong stories and invites the audience to join in on real-time interactions. Together they give shape to the ongoing adaptations and struggles of people’s lives in Hong Kong. The audience becomes both spectator and participant, experiencing the dissolving boundaries of the stage in online performance. 

The premiere of See You Zoom at the beginning of this year was so well-received that the registration was full to the brim. Its return to Tai Kwun’s “On Stage Online” series will allow a larger audience and feature a stronger creative team, with new additions such as Frankie Ho (Composer) and Tsang Man-tung (Scenographer). Audience can take part in post-performance workshop of selected shows and convert their reflections into personalized artworks.

Online Performance:

29.09 – 04.10.2020, 8pm;

01-04.10.2020, 3pm

Online Registration: now until 2 days before performance*

See You Zoom Again Post-Performance Workshop

30.09, 02 & 04.10.2020, 10pm;

02 & 04.10.2020, 5pm

Online Registration: now until 2 days before performance*

*In first-come-first-serve basis with limited quota

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces the second annual Open Call for Artists’ Studios, an initiative aimed at artists, practitioners, and researchers working in the fields of contemporary art, performing arts, and heritage, the three main programming spheres at Tai Kwun. Applications are open to all, with a strong preference for candidates who can demonstrate a strong connection to Hong Kong. Up to four successful applicants will be eligible to work at the artists’ studios free of charge, in the historic former residential quarters (Block 06 and 07) within Tai Kwun, with a target duration of 3-6 months between April 2021 and March 2022. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to take part in Tai Kwun’s public programming events such as talks and sharing sessions.

The successful candidate should ideally be an artist, performer, art practitioner, curator, architect, researcher, writer, educator, or academic, working in the field of contemporary art, performing arts, or heritage. The successful candidate should preferably demonstrate a strong connection to Hong Kong and ideally Tai Kwun (in terms of connection to the site as well as Tai Kwun’s programming). Applications will be evaluated based on the artistic, creative, and academic merit of the candidates, particularly with regard to the degree to which the successful candidates can gain a rewarding, enriching experience at Tai Kwun, as well as how the successful candidates can contribute to contemporary art, performing arts, and heritage in Hong Kong.

The deadline for applications is Friday, 18 September 2020.

Proposals will be evaluated by a committee that includes representatives of Tai Kwun Contemporary as well as field experts.

Interested parties can submit applications to opencall@taikwun.hk by 23:59pm, Friday, 18 September 2020. Visit Tai Kwun website for full details: https://bit.ly/31c4Ujd.

Tai Kwun’s Artists’ Studios

In parallel with Tai Kwun’s diverse public programming, Tai Kwun’s Artists’ Studios offer a residency programme with a goal to expand the depth of programming and foster a wide-ranging network connecting artists, professionals, and the public,  spurring interdisciplinary collaboration and contributing to a flourishing art and cultural scene in Hong Kong. The aim is to enable artists and professionals in the creative spheres to develop their artistic and creative practices and to benefit from Tai Kwun and its partners’ networks; moreover, hosted guests also actively contribute to Tai Kwun’s engagement with the public.

Tai Kwun’s Artists’ Studios will primarily be focused on candidates with a strong connection to Hong Kong, who are selected in an annual Open Call, with the aim of providing much needed space for artists as well as an important platform and network.

In response to the latest regulations under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance and taking into consideration the public health  of both visitors and staff alike, Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts (“Tai Kwun”) will temporarily close for one week with effect from Wednesday 29 July to Tuesday 4 August 2020 inclusive.

The Loading Bay on Old Bailey Street will remain open for deliveries, mail and pick-ups. Please visit our website for the latest arrangements of individual restaurants and shops: https://www.taikwun.hk 

Tai Kwun wishes to thank all visitors for their understanding the need for this precaution.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce a new group exhibition They Do Not Understand Each Other, which runs from 25 May to 13 September 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries in JC Contemporary. Co-presented by the National Museum of Art, Osaka (NMAO) and Singapore Art Museum (SAM), They Do Not Understand Each Other considers what it means to engage with one another, and looks at the potential of art in facilitating understanding.

They Do Not Understand Each Other is curated by Yuka Uematsu, Curator at the National Museum of Art, Osaka; and Dr. June Yap, Director, Curatorial, Collections and Programmes at Singapore Art Museum.

The exhibition title is inspired by an artwork by Tsubasa Kato, They Do Not Understand Each Other. On a small island that lies between Korea and Japan, two figures are seen performing a simple task together while not comprehending a word uttered by the other. The success of the artist and his Korean collaborator in this act of cooperation appears to have been achieved, if not by virtue of their good humour and patience with each other, then by an understanding that exceeds the plane of language.

Yet this English title was not the first. Originally captioned 言葉が通じない (kotoba ga tsūjinai) in Japanese, the artist’s intent was to mark a lack of communication, which was then translated into the English title “They Do Not Understand Each Other” — for a broader reflection upon an absence of dialogue, in the context of the geographical location that is the subject of the artwork. Its subsequent Chinese translation — 言語不通 (Cantonese: yìhnyúh bāt tūng; Putonghua: yányǔ bùtōng) — is meant to build upon and extend its reference of exchange to the subject of culture (within which language is central), with this succession of translations also speaking to the commutability of culture and the possibility of its obverse — understanding.

If the premise of culture is representation, then the promise of cultural exchange — as one might reasonably suppose — is understanding. But what underlies this promise of understanding?

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, said, “This is a unique chance to see some of the most contemporary works of these two major Asian museums. Taking the idea of understanding and collaboration as a foundation, the exhibition also shows how much intangible artworks like photography, video and performance entered important institutions and are now seen as an essential part of our cultural heritage.”

Yuka Uematsu, Curator for NMAO, said, “On behalf of the National Museum of Art, Osaka, we are delighted to bring the exhibition to Hong Kong at Tai Kwun. Cultural exchange is not about perfect understanding, but rather opening up a dialogue via unique perspectives. Together with SAM and Tai Kwun, we welcome everyone in Hong Kong to come and experience this unparalleled showcase of artworks that represent the power of their respective mediums.”

Dr. June Yap, Director, Curatorial, Collections and Programmes for SAM, said, “The subject of understanding and exchange goes beyond the individual artworks, to a dialogue between artworks, and a convergence at a curatorial level on the subject of interrelation that resonated with both Yuka and myself. This is a connection that we also felt with Tai Kwun via Tobias Berger and his team, whom we appreciate for enabling this collaboration. The promise is thus fulfilled, not merely by what is said or expressed, but also in simply the relation that exists. A relation that exists between us, between things, even between ideas. On behalf of our curatorial partners NMAO, Tai Kwun and SAM, we hope this will be the experience and understanding that visitors will take with them from the exhibition.”

They Do Not Understand Each Other presents 2 new commissions and 23 artworks from the collections of NMAO and SAM. These two institutions have built national collections of art with their regional foci — Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, respectively — and have been collecting contemporary art widely. Through encounters between the two collections and the newly commissioned works, this exhibition considers the negotiations and expectations of culture.

The diverse range of artworks include videos, mixed-media works, paintings, sculptures, textile, stories, performances, kinetic installations, and photography, with artists hailing from Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and beyond, each bringing a unique perspective on representation and cultural exchange. Here, the artists appear as mediators, even as they perform for and from within the frame of cultural presentation and exchange. In observing culture and the nature of culture, these artworks reinforce the agency of art and its power to represent.

Artists on show:

• Saori AKUTAGAWA (MADOKORO) (Japan)
• Jennifer ALLORA & Guillermo CALZADILLA (Puerto Rico)
• Agnes ARELLANO (Philippines)
• chi too (Malaysia)
• Heman CHONG (Singapore)
• CHUA Chye Teck (Singapore)
• HO Tzu Nyen (Singapore)
• Sojung JUN (South Korea)
• Tsubasa KATO (Japan)
• Charles LIM (Singapore)
• Kumi MACHIDA (Japan)
• Jun NGUYEN-HATSUSHIBA (Japan/Vietnam)
• Wit PIMKANCHANAPONG (Thailand)
• Kohei SEKIGAWA (Japan)
• Kazuo SHIRAGA (Japan)
• Akira TAKAYAMA (Japan)
• THAN Sok (Cambodia)
• Ming WONG (Singapore)

Visitor information

They Do Not Understand Each Other runs from 25 May to 13 September 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries, at JC Contemporary. Admission is free. A 360° virtual gallery will soon be on view on Tai Kwun’s website for local and international audiences to experience the exhibition online.

Along with They Do Not Understand Each Other, visitors are welcome to My Body Holds Its Shape, an intriguing contemporary art exhibition that walks through limits and restraints, and is curated by Xue Tan.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions. Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is pleased to announce the new exhibition My Body Holds Its Shape, with newly commissioned works from five artists: Tap Chan, Thea Djordjadze, Jason Dodge, Eisa Jocson and Pratchaya Phinthong. The exhibition looks at how existing limits and constraints can emerge as artistic materials and clues for associations, with processes that embrace poetics and improvisations. Curated by Xue Tan, the exhibition is on view from 25 May through September 2020.

Set in the historic F Hall — a former printing facility and women’s prison — the exhibition takes the metaphorical shape of a body as it becomes live from the first hour with Eisa Jocson’s work-in-progress performance Zoo. Sculptures, photographs and narratives cohabit the space with songs, moving bodies and an escape route. The exhibition is carefully conceived as an experience akin to a walk through lines of limits, divisions and connections — unveiling ways to tie our worlds together.

Xue Tan, curator of the exhibition, says, “This exhibition experiments with concepts of ‘sculpture’; the artworks are ways of exploring our multifaceted facts and ecologies, spanning lived-through stories and realised imaginations. At this very unusual time, we are struck by this sudden shift in our lives, and the global experience of self-isolation and loneliness. I hope this exhibition on limitation and distance would bring some reflection on sustainability, our connection to nature, and empathy for those who are distant and confined.”

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, says, “From the beginning, we at Tai Kwun Contemporary have produced conceptually oriented exhibitions with some of the most formidable contemporary artists of today. This exhibition, curated by Xue Tan, also takes as its starting point the site and history of Tai Kwun, using the notion of confinement and limits to reflect on the relation between the former space of imprisonment and the contemporary ‘white cube’ as a catalyst for imagination. Producing 9 new works especially for this exhibition, this is another example of how the very best of contemporary art can intelligently and inventively reflect on the rich history of Victoria Prison.”

Artists on show include:

• Hong Kong artist Tap Chan (陳沁昕), whose work explores the idea of liminality embedded in daily life, where the boundaries between fiction and reality are often blurred. Chan creates a site-specific kinetic installation that presents the duality of dreams and reality.
• Berlin-based Georgian artist Thea Djordjadze, known for her sculptures and installations developed in situ as responses to the space or context of an institution. Thea’s new works .pullherawaypull., and Needle modify the “white cube” of the exhibition space and opens it up to a new view.
• Berlin-based American conceptual artist Jason Dodge, whose works embrace narratives with twists. His works in the exhibition Above the weather measures the distance from Earth to the weather through weavers’ palms, and When darkness falls… literally disables a family villa in a forest in Hong Kong from being visible at night.
• Eisa Jocson, a choreographer, dancer and visual artist from the Philippines, whose body of work investigates the labour conditions of migrant workers. The new work Zoo is a durational and work-in-progress performance, exploring the emotional influx that comes with the displacement of the living, and furthermore on the quarantine life today.
• Thai artist Pratchaya Phinthong, whose works often rise from the confrontation between different social, economic and geographical systems— an alchemist, as some describe. Phinthong brings new sculptures, transformed from war-time bombshell materials in polluted farmlands in Laos, to enter in dialogue with some of his past works.

Visitor information

My Body Holds Its Shape on view from 25 May through September 2020, every day from 11am to 8pm (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm), at the art galleries in Tai Kwun (F Hall; entry through JC Contemporary). Free Admission; guided tours are available. Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Along with My Body Holds Its Shape, visitors can visit They Do Not Understand Each Other, a group exhibition of contemporary art focusing on the issue of cultural exchange and (mis)communication, co-presented by the National Museum of Art, Osaka and Singapore Art Museum.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces that the programme are gradually resuming from 25 May. With enhanced sanitary measures in place across indoor facilities and outdoor areas, Tai Kwun welcomes the public to enjoy a summer of the arts, heritage and lifestyle experiences following the recent period of social distancing.

The Summer Season at Tai Kwun (June through August) will bring in two new exhibitions by Tai Kwun Contemporary: They Do Not Understand Each Other, co-presented by The National Museum of Art, Osaka and Singapore Art Museum, and My Body Holds Its Shape. Meanwhile, performance aficionados mustn’t miss ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK with dance, theatre, music and more, all themed around mental health of youngsters and grown-ups. What’s more, from Tai Kwun Heritage, Look Left Look Right: Historical Signage presents a unique look at the history of the Central Police Station compound via preserved signage.

Tai Kwun is also home to myriad outdoor spaces for the public to relax and enjoy themselves this summer, as well as delectable F&B choices, chic bars and shops, and many more lifestyle offerings. Visit now to find out more! In addition, Tai Kwun is offering virtual tours and other online experiences, bringing arts and culture to the Hong Kong public, wherever they are.                                                

Tai Kwun Contemporary: Understanding and Limits

This summer, Tai Kwun Contemporary is showcasing two exhibitions that explore themes connected to understanding and limits, respectively.

They Do Not Understand Each Other, co-presented by The National Museum of Art, Osaka and Singapore Art Museum, features works from the two museums as well as new commissions. The exhibition explores understanding, miscommunication, tolerance and representation—seeking to find common ground in the unfamiliar. 19 artists will be on show, hailing from Japan, Singapore, Korea, Puerto Rico, Thailand and beyond. (25 May–13 September)

Taking shape inside the historic F Hall — a former printing facility and women’s prison — My Body Holds Its Shape comprises commissioned works from five artists: Tap Chan, Thea Djordjadze, Jason Dodge, Eisa Jocson and Pratchaya Phinthong. Curated by Xue Tan, the exhibition looks at how existing limits and constraints can emerge as artistic materials and clues for associations, with processes that embrace poetics and live improvisations. (25 May–September)

Play Problems with Arts

In collaboration with UK theatre legend David Glass, local artist Olivia Yan and Dream of Tomorrow, the community arts project ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK will be presented online and around Tai Kwun this summer. Dedicated to empowering young people and exploring childlike spirit of grown-ups through theatre and arts, the Project embraces the motif of “We do not solve problems, we play problems”. A series of learning and creative programmes are available online and on-site, including training workshops, dance, theatre and music performances, as well as open forum and discussions. (28 June–14 July)

Local Heritage in 170 Years of Signage

Shining the spotlight on local heritage, Look Left Look Right: Historical Signage presents signage that previously adorned the walls of the historic Central Police Station compound until its decommissioning in 2006. Oral history from former staff and experts provides first-hand knowledge on the 170 years of signage, retracing the compound’s unique history and evolution. This new programme from Tai Kwun Heritage reflects not only the ever-changing functions of the compound’s buildings but also the aesthetics, craftsmanship and lifestyles of different eras. (24 June–13 September)

Outdoor Enjoyment

Soak up the season of sunshine at Tai Kwun, where visitors will discover a myriad of outdoor spaces to relax, take a break and watch free live performances. Events include the Afternoon Series on Mondays that invites emerging local performers, musicians and artists to curate mini-concerts and more; Saturday Music at the Laundry Steps with an exciting line-up of Hong Kong musicians; Sunday Movie Steps that presents a series of free thematic movie screenings, while Now Showing highlights a nostalgic local moviegoing experience by featuring a series of Hong Kong cinema classics.. Please visit www.taikwun.hk for the latest line-up of outdoor happenings.

Dialogue on Conservation and Heritage

“Tai Kwun Conversations” is a series of inspiring talks from Tai Kwun Heritage, bringing together the leading minds of our time to discuss the challenges and rewards of actively managing heritage resources to shape a sustainable future. Visitors are invited to join this monthly event to explore innovative developments in heritage conservation and share insights with the diverse line-up of renowned speakers. Places are limited; please register at art-mate.net. (6 July & 3 August)

Tai Kwun Brings Virtual Learning to the Public

Tai Kwun is taking its heritage, performance and learning experiences online, giving the public even more ways to interact with arts and culture in Hong Kong. Every Friday in May, Discover Tai Kwun offers five episodes online video tours of Tai Kwun, with a sneak peek of relics, stories and signature locations. Check out the last episode on 29 May at www.taikwun.hk.

For more virtual experiences — including 360-degree videos of Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibitions and online elements of the ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK — stay tuned to Tai Kwun’s website and social media channels.

Visitor information

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, whilst the Visitor Centre from 10am to 8pm. Please refer to the Tai Kwun shops index online for a full listing of “eat & do” destinations, including restaurants, gift shops, designer stores and other lifestyle offerings: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/eat_buy/all.

Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions. Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS), a not-for-profit operator set up by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust under the trading name of Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts (Tai Kwun), announced today that experienced arts professional Chin Chin Teoh has been appointed as Director of JCCPS, with effect from April 17, 2020. The current Director of CPS, Timothy Calnin, will take on the new role of Director of Tai Kwun Arts. 

Ms Teoh will oversee and lead the management and operations of Tai Kwun upon her arrival, while Mr Calnin will be responsible for artistic direction and for the organisation of contemporary art and performing arts programmes at Tai Kwun. He will also be responsible for programme related fundraising.

Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club said, “I am pleased to welcome Ms Chin Chin Teoh as the new Director of JCCPS. Chin Chin has had successful experience launching and managing a heritage and arts venue. I look forward to her leading Tai Kwun as it enters its second year as a much loved heritage and arts centre in Hong Kong.”

“I also would like to congratulate Tim on his new role. Tim has been instrumental to the success of Tai Kwun, from its pre-opening phase, through its launch, to its operations phase. Under his direction, Tai Kwun attracted 3.4 million visits in its first year, offering diverse and creative programming which has brought this historic venue to life. Going forward, Tim will focus on providing the best contemporary art and performing arts programmes, with the aim of making Tai Kwun an even more vibrant cultural destination that all can enjoy,” Mr Leong Cheung said.

Ms Teoh said, “I am most honoured to take up this exciting challenge of leading Tai Kwun. Our team will continue to work closely with our stakeholders with the aim of making Tai Kwun one of the most inspirational and engaging heritage and arts sites in Hong Kong.”

Mr Calnin said, “I am delighted to take up this new role. I look forward to working with Chin Chin and everyone at Tai Kwun to bring the very best contemporary art and performing arts programmes to our visitors.”

BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair by Tai Kwun Contemporary returns for its second edition from 16 to 19 January 2020 (including a preview on Thursday, 16 January) at JC Contemporary and F Hall.

With over 80 local, regional, and international exhibitors taking part, BOOKED: will serve as a platform for the diverse range of artistic and publishing practices at the intersection of ”art” and “books”. What is presented includes (but is not limited to) artists’ books, photography books, art albums, zines, art catalogues, art history and theoretical texts, artists’ editions and gallery editions (e.g. prints), texts by artists, book arts and book sculptures, as well as art-related ephemera such as tote bags, pins, and badges.

BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair will also host a programme of talks, live events, displays, workshops, among others, to further the mission of presenting contemporary art programmes in Hong Kong. This year, BOOKED: will also be accompanied by a special project, OVERBOOKED:,  which extends beyond the art book fair until 28 January 2020, featuring features the work of nine international artists: Fiona Banner aka the Vanity Press (London, UK), Karl Holmqvist (Berlin, Germany), Toshio Matsumoto (Japanese, 1932-2017), Aleksandra Mir (London, UK), Mai-Thu Perret (Geneva, Switzerland), Kay Rosen (Gary, Indiana & New York, US), Aïda Ruilova (New York, US), Tsang Kin Wah (Hong Kong SAR), and Wan Lai Kuen Annie (Hong Kong SAR).

Highlighted booksellers this year include:

• Printed Matter: Seminal New York City artists’ book store and distributor, which also runs the renowned Printed Matter Art Book Fair in New York and Los Angeles.
• ruangrupa: Jakarta-based artist collective ruangrupa — curators of the 2022 documenta, the foremost exhibition in the art world that takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany — will present their own publication practice as well as others from Indonesia and take part in BOOKED: public programming
• Chimurenga: Pan-African platform that engages in research on history, representation and culture, with a periodical Chronic, an online radio station (Pan African Space Station), and the roaming Chimurenga Library (as well as being winner of Vera List Centre’s 2018–2020 Jane Lombard Prize for Art and Social Justice)
• ZINECOOP: A stalwart of the independent art publishing scene in Hong Kong, ZINECOOP will be bringing together zines from around the world, exploring such expressions of alternate ideologies and discourses.
• Charlene Man - Lazy Press: Exploring theories of laziness through humour.
• Diverse Regional Representation: Enlightenment presents zines and artist-led publications from Japan (Enlightenment is the presenter of “Here is Zine Tokyo” 2010–2019); PAPER MATTER represents the vibrant art book scene in Taiwan; Singapore Art Book Fair showcases a range of zines and artists’ books from Singapore; Fully Booked brings a range of artist publications from across the Middle East and North Africa.
• Three Star Books: International publisher of high-end artists’ editions.
• ACO Books, Kubrick, and MOSSES: Three Hong Kong bookstores with a focus on contemporary art publishing.
• Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU): Books and special display highlighting the future of local art publishing with works by students among others.
• mini press: Tiny format books, including books in an egg.

• TASCHEN: A leading art book publisher, which can also be found at Tai Kwun year-round.
• Tables for Artists and Artist Collectives: a strong contingent of local Hong Kong artists and artist collectives being represented

Publishers/Artists/Exhibitors (in alphabetical order)

From Hong Kong

Academy of Visual Arts (Hong Kong Baptist University)

ACO Books

ArtAsiaPacific

Asia Art Archive

Beautiful Land

brownie publishing

Camille Chan

Chan Wai Kwong

Chan Wai Lap

CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile)

Chow San

Display Distribute

dotdotdot

Edouard Malingue Gallery

flip & roll press

Floating Projects

Silas Fong | Hye Kyoung Kwon

Foto Feminas' Library

Hex Editions

icclab (Ink’chacha)

kubrick

Pearl Law

Leaking Rooftop + Siumou

Charlene Man - Lazy Press

mini press

MOSSES

no reason studio

ODD ONE OUT

ONION PETERMAN | Dry Run Press

Para Site

Ping Pong

Soft d press

soundpocket

Spicy Fish/Fleurs des lettres

Tai Yip Art Bookshop

Hang Tam

TASCHEN

Thames & Hudson Asia Ltd. / Asia Publishers Services Ltd.

The Weird Things

thisbakery

WMA

Wong Kan Tai

Zen Foto Gallery

ZINECOOP

From the Rest of Asia

abC Art Book Fair (Beijing)

Art Sonje Center (Seoul)

BonJour! (Nanjing)

Case Publishing / shashasha (Tokyo)

crevasse (Ibaraki)

da大 in print (Beijing)

Dialect (Macau)

Enlightenment (Tokyo)

G/P + abp (Tokyo)

Keita Kasuka (Osaka)

Little Mountain Press (Shenzhen/New York City)

Lushan (Changsha)

Monster Workshop (Beijing)

Nico (Guangzhou)

NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (Singapore)

PAPER MATTER (Taipei)

Prypress (Singapore)

Rondade (Tokyo)

ruangrupa (Jakarta)

Singapore Art Book Fair (Singapore)

STUDIO INSIDE (Tianjin)

The Book Society / mediabus (Seoul)

the shop (Guangzhou)

Three Shadows (Beijing)

White Fungus (Taipei)

From the Rest of the World

blåblå (Oslo, Norway/China)

BOM DIA BOA TARDE BOA NOITE (Berlin)

Chimurenga (Cape Town, South Africa)

Doooogs (Berlin/Beijing)

Fully Booked (New York City/Dubai)

Inpatient Press (New York City)

Kerry Ann Lee & Red Letter (Wellington, New Zealand)

Lubok Verlag (Leipzig, Germany)

motto (Berlin)

OOMK Zine (London, UK/Malaysia)

Primary Information (New York city)

Printed Matter (New York City)

Russian Independent SelfPublished (Moscow)

Three Star Books (Paris)

…and more to be confirmed

Programme Highlight: OVERBOOKED

OVERBOOKED: is a special project of BOOKED: and will extend past the fair from 16 to 28 January 2020.

OVERBOOKED: features the work of nine international artists: Fiona Banner aka the Vanity Press (London, UK), Karl Holmqvist (Berlin, Germany), Toshio Matsumoto (Japan, 1932-2017), Aleksandra Mir (London, UK), Mai-Thu Perret (Geneva, Switzerland), Kay Rosen (Gary, Indiana & New York, US), Aïda Ruilova (New York, US), Tsang Kin Wah (Hong Kong), and Wan Lai Kuen Annie (Hong Kong); OVERBOOKED: is co-curated by Louiza Ho and Ingrid Pui Yee Chu.

Rooted in concrete poetry and related 20th-century movements including Dada, Surrealism, and other modes of non-rational thought that move away from a purely verbal concept of language, these works incorporate and experiment with various formal, conceptual, textual, performative, time-based, sensory and site conscious approaches. The artworks also explore modes of self-expression and the potential to reconstruct reality within society using aspects of publishing to create new spaces of intimacy, both one-to-one as well as through experiences that disseminate through a multitude, albeit to different ends, at once.

The project will also feature a book display including Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Artists’ Book Library, an ongoing collection dedicated to Asian artists’ books and an integral part of the Art Programme that is accessible to the public, free of charge, as a source for learning and research.

Visitor information

Dates & Hours:

• [PREVIEW] Thursday, 16 January 2020, 4-8pm
• Friday, 17 January 2020, 2-8 pm
• Saturday, 18 January 2019, 12-8 pm
• Sunday, 19 January 2019, 12-8 pm

Admission:

• Preview Ticket (Thursday 16 January 2020): HK$100
• Regular Ticket: HK$30
• Concession Ticket (applicable to Children / Students / Seniors): HK$15

Tickets available for reservation here:

https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/booked-hong-kong-art-book-fair-at-tai-kwun-contemporary/454

Tai Kwun is open to the public from 10am to 11pm daily. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass, prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts launches Let’s Do Lunch today, a new heritage exhibition that narrates the trend-setting lunchtime scene in Central and takes an in-depth look at how the district’s one-of-a-kind lunch culture forges unique social connections. Curated by Tai Kwun Heritage, with support from design partner ADO Design, editorial partner Alex Lai, illustrator Sandy Wang, and a group of veteran food journalists as research writers, Let’s Do Lunch runs from 20 December 2019 to 8 February 2020.

Let’s Do Lunch sheds light on the life of workers in Central outside their workplace, exploring the lunchtime habits as a window to understanding the socio-economic development of the Central community over the decades. Observing the district’s diverse network of culinary conventions and institutions, the exhibition presents a kaleidoscopic view of lives in Central.

At the exhibition, visitors will learn more about the evolution of lunchtime among different communities in Central, and how this reflects broader trends in Hong Kong — the earliest takeaway lunchboxes which cost just HK$1.8; the emergence of popular East-meets-West lunchbox cuisine like baked pork chop rice; the rise of the “power lunch” alongside Central’s own development into a major business district; the cultural and linguistic uniqueness reflected from within a fraternity association among many; and the human touches behind company lunch for employees as a kind of welfare at work.  

Through  interviews, videos and interactive installations, visitors can relive a journey that goes beyond the food on table. Heritage and food lovers alike mustn’t miss this unique look at the lesser-seen side of lunch, including the professionalism behind a delicate executive lunch set, the story of the first Chinese lunchbox, the efforts and mission behind a company lunch, and the unique bonding
and nostalgia in fraternity associations.

Let’s Do Lunch will also bring special events and collaborate with Tai Kwun’s tenants during the exhibition period. In collaboration with community partner CACHe, a festive Christmas Party will be held on 20 December at F Hall Studio, and a Spring Banquet will take place on 31 January at Parade Ground. Other lunchtime-themed food experiences are coming soon in 2020, providing our visitors an up-close-and-personal experience to the various dining cultures featured in Let’s Do Lunch. Tai Kwun tenants will also provide the exhibition-inspired experiences, including take-away lunchboxes at Bar at Armoury, “townsmen” lunch sets at Old Bailey, executive lunch sets at Madame Fu and The Chinese Library, and vegetarian lunch set at LockCha Tea House.

Let’s Do Lunch is the second chapter of the exhibition series “Lives in Central” from Tai Kwun Heritage, following on from Trolleys Central earlier this year. With two more exhibitions planned ahead, “Lives in Central” explores Hong Kong’s heritage via four essential aspects of life in Central — travelling (Trolleys Central) and eating (Let’s Do Lunch), as well as clothing and living.

Visitor information

Let’s Do Lunch opens from 20 December 2019 to 8 February 2020, 11am to 8pm, at Duplex Studio (Block 01) in Tai Kwun. Admission is free; guided tours are available.

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces the upcoming programmes for its 2019 winter season. The season’s festivities come alongside a new honour, as Tai Kwun has received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation with commendation by the international jury for creating a world-class centre for heritage and the arts.

Visit Tai Kwun in December to see the Parade Ground transform into a festive wonderland! Tai Kwun Circus Plays is back with more awe-inspiring contemporary circus performances, while Tai Kwun will celebrate a traditional Christmas with warmth and cheer. Under luminous decorations and a sparkling tree is live performance where visitors share memories with families and friends. The winter season will also bring Let’s Do Lunch, a new heritage exhibition looking at how the Central district’s one-of-a-kind lunch culture forges unique social connections; and don’t miss the second edition of “Booked: Hong Kong Art Book Fair” at Tai Kwun Contemporary in January.

A Christmas of wonder and astonishment

This winter will see the return of Tai Kwun Circus Plays, from 24 December to 5 January, with a captivating variety of contemporary circus events all across the Tai Kwun site. Fun and fascinating, these immersive, interactive experiences will dazzle onlookers with sensational performances and the use of innovative modern circus features — just the thing for family and friends to connect and engage with each other at Christmas and New Year.

TKK Mad Skills Gala, Battle and Workshops (Hong Kong × Taiwan)

A thrilling one-on-one contest for performers and a vibrant party for everyone to enjoy, the “TKK Mad Skills Gala and Battle” pits various circus acts and juggling performances against one another in a series of battles to see who will come out on top. From mad juggling to amazing acrobatics, the creative energy and liveliness of Asia’s contemporary circus culture will be on full display. Public workshops are also available for all ages. (24–28 December 2019; workshops to be registered via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

Lumens by Video Phase (Canada)

Hear the music with your very own eyes! The award-winning show Lumens is an interactive musical videogame universe that will take audiences on a journey between virtual and reality. Surrounded by 3D multi-screens, the two performers merge music and visuals into a coherent yet mysterious entity through percussion, electronic music, a virtual choir, invented instruments, laser frames, motion capture and more. This multisensory experience is the creation of music-artist duo Video Phase from Montreal, Canada. (26–28 December 2019; register via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

Discover how this fascinating musical videogame universe is created in a performance-workshop from Lumens creators Julien-Robert and Julien Compagne. (Play with) Lumens will reveal the musical and technological elements of the work, and invite audiences to the stage to improvise electroacoustic music that evokes visual stimulations — a fun and inspiring event for teenagers or anyone who wants to explore the possibilities of creativity. (28–29 December 2019; register via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

LOOP by Compagnie Stoptoï (France)

The LOOP juggling concert will be a can’t-miss event at Tai Kwun, featuring two jugglers and a drummer who transform objects and bodies in time with an ever-changing playlist of tunes from smooth jazz and garage rock — while twisted plastic rings are being pushed to the limit! This free indoor performance welcomes the whole family to watch and sing along. (3–5 January 2020; register via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

Circus Playground

Expanding the fun and laughter of last year, “Circus Playground” will bring Tai Kwun another round of exciting, interactive, outdoor circus-themed performances. Four circus groups will show off their amazing skills with the help of audience engagement, using trunks, colourful sticks, unicycles and more to create live performances that awe and amaze visitors of every age. Don’t miss these fantastic shows from Spanish physical theatre artist Joan Catala, Spanish improv comedy performer Emiliono, Italian group Stalker Theatre and juggler Michael Bonnici from Canada — whose amazing act includes juggling on a 10-foot-high unicycle. (24 December 2019–1 January 2020)

Narrating the fascinating lunchtime scene in Central

Following on its thematic exhibition Trolleys Central earlier this year, Tai Kwun Heritage now unveils the second chapter of the “Lives in Central” exhibition series — Let’s Do Lunch. The new exhibition and events will shed light on the life of workers in Central outside their workplace, exploring how the district’s fascinating lunch scene nurtures social cohesion. Observing the district’s diverse network of gastronomical icons, Let’s Do Lunch documents how a variety of culinary conventions and institutions came into existence, and presents an authentic lunch experience with tastings of culture, language and habits. (20 December 2019–8 February 2020)

Showcasing books as a medium for art

This January, the second edition of “Booked: Hong Kong Art Book Fair” at Tai Kwun Contemporary will welcome over 70 local, regional, and international publishers and host a programme of talks, live events, displays, editions, workshops and special projects. Last year’s inaugural fair was a great success, supporting the expanding art ecology in Hong Kong and showcasing books as a medium for artistic expression. (16–19 January)

Ongoing programmes

Catch these programmes before they conclude!

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future

Curated by Lauren Cornell, Dawn Chan, Xue Tan, and Tobias Berger, the Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibition Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future, examines how cyberpunk aesthetics and futurism have seeped into contemporary art and visual culture, while exploring how the initial allure of the cyber-metropolis has morphed into an inescapable feedback loop. The exhibition will feature urban panoramas and snapshots of their underworlds, observing the dystopian future envisioned by science fiction. (5 October 2019–4 January 2020)

Join a weekend guided tour on a Saturday or Sunday (3–4pm for Cantonese; 4–5pm for English), or take an artistic break over lunch on a Friday (1–1.30pm, Cantonese and English).

There are also a number of public programmes, including a number of screenings and music performances in December. Stay tuned on the Tai Kwun website.

Very Natural Actions

Presented by Arts Collective at Tai Kwun Contemporary, the exhibition Very Natural Actions looks at how contemporary art breaks the constraints of tradition, compelling viewers to move beyond the surface of an art piece and delve deeper into the traces of artistic practice. Representing both a process and a medium, the artworks constitute a bridge from artists to the audience, engendering myriad ideas and questioning what artistic possibilities are unlocked through revealing the hidden dimensions of the artistic creation process. (22 September–31 December)

Guided tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays (2–3pm for Cantonese; 3–4pm for English); Art for Lunch Tours on Tuesdays (1–1.30pm, Cantonese and English).

On 28 November the public are welcomed to join a talk with the curators and the artists of Very Natural Actions; more details on the Tai Kwun website.

TK16: The Headquarters

An absorbing heritage programme and the second in the TK16 series, TK16: The Headquarters immerses audience in the century-old environment of the Police Headquarters Block in order to discover its fascinating architectural features, inspiring functional transformation and meticulous conservation works. The programme reveals the building’s stories throughout the years – from the period prior to its construction in 1919, to its role in catering to the diverse needs of multi-ethnic officers, to its revitalisation as a venue for cultural experiences and exhibitions. Visitors are invited to collect the seven Conservation Notes from different floors of the building to redeem a special TK16 souvenir, as well as join our Guided Exploration every Sat and Sun at 3:30pm. (30 October 2019–2 January 2020)

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts today has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The award bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts for the Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project, undertaken by The Hong Kong Jockey Club. 

Nestled on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Hong Kong, Tai Kwun has breathed new life into the CPS compound as a landmark for arts, culture and heritage in Hong Kong.  Standing witness to more than 170 years of Hong Kong history, Tai Kwun is one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The heritage site comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoor spaces. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In the Award of Excellence citation, an international jury of conservation experts commended Tai Kwun: “The transformation of the former Central Police Station into a world-class centre for heritage and arts has created a vibrant new civic space in the heart of the city’s central business district. The project tackled a complex site with multiple layers of history dating back to the mid-19th century, enhancing its legibility and opening it up to the public. The technical quality of the restoration work is standard-setting on an international level, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the historic fabric.”

“Innovative architectural and engineering solutions are underpinned by meticulous investigation and rigorous conservation principles. The centre’s diverse and creative programming enlivens the historic space with engaging heritage interpretation programmes and contemporary arts and culture. Against tremendous commercial real estate pressures, the successful realisation of Tai Kwun stands as a testimony to the Hong Kong SAR’s commitment to heritage.”

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow said, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club is honoured to receive the prestigious Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The accolade not only recognises the Club’s meticulous efforts over the past ten years to conserve the Central Police Station compound and revitalise it into Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, but it also affirms the principles adopted for its conservation and our commitment to world-class quality in this unprecedented revitalisation project.”

This revitalisation project was carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR. Drawing on the advice of experts from Hong Kong and overseas, and taking into consideration input from the community, the Club has gone to great lengths to be authentic in the conservation and restoration works on the site, where many of the buildings had experienced multiple rounds of reconstruction and reconfiguration and were in poor condition.

Throughout the revitalisation process, three important principles were observed: public safety, authenticity with respect to the original appearance, and the integration of old and new architecture.  The heritage and architectural features of the site have been meticulously conserved with minimal intervention to the original identity and aesthetics of the clusters.

In harmonious coexistence with the historical site are two new buildings, an international-standard art gallery and a performance space, where the contemporary metallic façades echo the original brick works of the historic architecture.

Community participation is one of the key success factors for Tai Kwun. During its ten years of restoration, the Club reached out and listened to stakeholders, neighbours and former users of the site to obtain their views.

Adopting an engaging approach, Tai Kwun works with programme partners, schools and institutions, stakeholders in heritage and arts, as well as its neighbours and tenants to preserve and showcase the local culture and customs. In addition to organising free daily heritage tours, Tai Kwun offers year‐round public programmes to engage visitors from all walks of life.

The Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said, “We are pleased to have played an instrumental role in this project as it defines our purpose as being to act continuously for the betterment of our society. As the most significant ‘arts, culture and heritage’ charities project of the Club and the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project ever yet in Hong Kong, Tai Kwun strengthens the city’s art and cultural life. It has been the Club’s vision that Tai Kwun, which is situated in a prime location in the heart of Central, should be conserved as an open space for the benefit of all. We are proud of the lasting legacy that Tai Kwun will provide to Hong Kong for generations to come.”

The vision has been realised in its first year of operation since opening its gates in May 2018 – Tai Kwun attracted some 3.4 million local and international visitors through its active programmes totalling over 750 public programmes and events, making it the most visited heritage site in Hong Kong. It has collaborated with major arts groups and festivals and provided a platform to home-grown emerging artists and performers. It has also reached out to the local community, recording and sharing the stories of Central district where Tai Kwun is located, and has welcomed citizens from all walks of life, including students, the elderly and the differently abled. 

Support for the project was made possible through the Club’s unique integrated business model comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. It is through this model that the Club contributes to the betterment of Hong Kong society.

Key to the success of the project are the architect, designer and consultant firm engaged in the project. They are Purcell, Rocco Design Architects, Herzog & de Meuron, and Arup; as well as the general contractor, Gammon Construction.

This year marks the 20th year since the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation were conceived. The awards recognise excellent achievement in conservation and restoration of structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region. The awards recipients demonstrate excellence in the articulation of the heritage structure’s values to convey the spirit of the place, technical achievement, appropriate use of adaptation, and the project’s contribution to the surrounding environment and the local community’s cultural and historical continuity.

The four levels of achievement include:
a. Award of Excellence,
b. Award of Distinction,
c. Award of Merit,
d. Honourable Mention.

The Award of Excellence is the highest recognition presented to projects that display exceptional achievement in all criteria and has major catalytic impact at the national or regional level. Tai Kwun was selected among 57 submissions from 14 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

Tai Kwun’s Local and International Awards and Recognition:

Photo caption:

Photographs	Captions
	Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
	The Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung (centre), Director of UNESCO Bangkok Shigeru Aoyagi (right), and Commissioner for Heritage, HKSAR Government's Development Bureau, José Yam Ho-san (left) at the presentation ceremony for the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.        

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoor spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.      

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.          

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2018/19, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$23.3 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.3 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity and community donations were HK$4.3 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.

Tai Kwun Contemporary today announces a new exhibition: Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future. Inspired by 2019 — the year of the future in iconic cyberpunk films like Blade Runner and Akira — the exhibition will examine how the aesthetics of cyberpunk have bled into contemporary art and visual culture, and explore how cyberpunk fictions have become our reality. Co-presented with the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, New York, and curated by Lauren Cornell, Dawn Chan, Xue Tan, Tobias Berger, with Jeppe Ugelvig, assistant curator, the exhibition runs from 5 October 2019 to 4 January 2020.

In cyberpunk, a science fiction genre, futures dominated by advanced technologies often appear hand in hand with sprawling urban backdrops, a radically transformed social order, and a cast of characters pursuing their own stories at the margins of society. First gaining momentum in the 1980s, the genre has continued to evoke meaning and interest in audiences through a broad range of artistic mediums, whether in films like Blade Runner and The Matrix, manga and anime such as Ghost in the Shell, or the novels of Philip K. Dick.

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future centres around what the influential science fiction author William Gibson called the “meta-city” — a sprawling urban space just as virtual as it is real. Whether through spectacular panoramas of virtual mega cities, or fleeting snapshots of their alluring underworlds and dissonant denizens, the exhibition looks at life in the meta-city and how the cyber metropolis has transformed from a fantastic metaphor for life in the future into an inescapable, looping present.

The works of art are widely varied, comprising digital videos, mixed-media pieces, three-dimensional paintings, sculptural works, video, holographic installation, photography, prints and more. Artists hail from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Korea, Australia, Canada, the United States, Indonesia, Japan and beyond, each bringing a unique perspective on the idea of cyberpunk. Some artists look at the urban skyline from afar, others get up-close to its people, machines and practices, while yet others question the appearance of the Asian metropolis in science fiction narratives.

In their curatorial statement on the exhibition, the curators commented, “Inspired by 2019 — the year that many iconic cyberpunk futures were set or scheduled to arrive — this exhibition considers the hold that cyberpunk retains on our collective imagination. Whether through spectacular panoramas of virtual mega cities, buildings or urban surfaces, or through more affective or psychological depictions of life within, the exhibition questions the ways in which the metropolis of cyberpunk has transformed from a fantastic metaphor for life in the future into an inescapable, looping present.”

Artists on show:

• Nadim Abbas
• Bettina von Arnim
• Chan Wai Kwong
• Chen Wei
• Cui Jie
• Aria Dean
• Ho Rui An
• Tishan Hsu
• Tetsuya Ishida
• JODI
• Lee Bul
• Seiko Mikami
• Takehiko Nakafuji
• Shinro Ohtake
• Yuri Pattison
• Sondra Perry
• Seth Price
• Jon Rafman
• Hiroki Tsukuda
• Nurrachmat Widyasena
• Zheng Mahler

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a range of public programming and educational events. These include “Art After Hours: Blade Runner screening with Ackbar Abbas Lecture” (21 November), as well as regular guided tours. Stay tuned to the website.

Visitor information

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future runs from 5 October 2019 to 4 January 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries, at JC Contemporary. Admission is free.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions. 

Works by young and emerging artists from Hong Kong, the Mainland and Taiwan will be the highlight at the Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibition entitled Very Natural Actions. Presented by Arts Collective and curated by André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong, this group exhibition will run from 22 September to 31 December 2019 and explore oft-ignored dimensions in the process of artistic creation.

The English title of the exhibition Very Natural Actions refers to the words of French theorist and cultural critic Roland Barthes, who believed that great meaning can come from “an unimpressive foundation of ordinary acts.” Contemporary art can embody this idea of spontaneous natural reflection towards the world, and can shift the focus towards life itself, away from “art for art’s sake”, where art is viewed in isolation as objects of pure aesthetic inquiry.

Very Natural Actions encourages viewers not to linger on the surfaces of works but to seek out that gem of a tree within the forest of forms and meanings — one that resonates with one’s experiences, allowing artworks to serve as bridges between artists and viewers. Beneath the artworks lie worlds and dimensions ordinarily hidden; such reflexive questioning holds out greater possibilities in the viewing of artworks.

Very Natural Actions at Tai Kwun Contemporary is an extension of the artistic discussions from last year, in the Shanghai exhibition A Tree Fell in the Forest, and No One’s There, presented in parallel to the Shanghai Biennale at the Power Station of Art. While the previous exhibition focused on the works that formed after the artists peered out at the world, Very Natural Actions explores the relation between an art object and the practice that results in the art object — offering a cross-section of themes and creative impulses.

Curators André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong commented, “Through the creative process, artists create distinctive worlds which can be shared with audiences, letting them see a dimension of art which is normally hidden. Very Natural Actions is an opportunity to let observers get a peek into the deeper practice of contemporary artists and unfold greater possibilities in viewing their works.”

Artworks on display in Very Natural Actions include installations, mixed-material prints, created and found objects, videos, photos and more. A variety of themes are explored through these works, showcasing art as a process of creation and a conduit to express the artists’ interests and interpret the world – from mesmerising neon lights in a new context, to manipulated materials giving shape to invisible air, to superimposed images creating a new context for historical narrative and personal memories.

To bring Very Natural Actions to fruition, the Tai Kwun Contemporary team has engaged in intensive collaboration to support the curators André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong in creating artistic exchange and dialogue locally, regionally and internationally. This is, of course, part of Tai Kwun Contemporary's mission of supporting emerging artists and curators who are making innovative contributions to cultural discourse in the field of contemporary art.

Curators André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong, based in Hong Kong, have demonstrated their curatorial vision in recent years. In 2018, André Chan’s curatorial proposal for the exhibition Kotodama was selected as part of Para Site’s Emerging Curators programme; and in that same year Chan and Chong were selected in the Emerging Curators Project at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai.

Artists on show:

• Chan Ka Kiu  
• Oscar Chan Yik Long  
• Cheng Tingting
• Chi Po-Hao
• Mark Chung
• He Yida
• Lau Wai 
• Sudhee Liao Yuemin
• Lin Aojie
• Andrew Luk
• Remy Siu
• Nicole Wong

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a range of public programming and educational events. These include “Art After Hours: ‘Foxconn Frequency (no. 3)’ by Remy Siu and Hong Kong Exile”, a work of "algorithmic theatre" that incorporates real-time game mechanics, piano pedagogy, 3D-printing, and poetry (11 October), “Curators and Artists Talk” for the exhibition (28 November), as well as regular guided tours. Stay tuned to the website.

Visitor information

Very Natural Actions is ongoing from 22 September to 31 December 2019 at the art galleries in Tai Kwun (F Hall; entry through JC Contemporary). Admission is free.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts, fulfilling its mission to bring the world of arts and heritage to Hong Kong, will present a new arts festival this autumn: Projekt Berlin, in partnership with the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hong Kong, Goethe-Institut Hongkong and visitBerlin. The festival runs from 4 to 17 November, with a diverse variety of ticketed and free public arts programmes; tickets will be available on Ticketflap from 12 September 2019.

Projekt Berlin brings together the breadth and depth of Berlin’s historical and significant influence as a powerhouse of creativity, culture and the arts. All programmes will be set against the distinctive backdrop of Tai Kwun’s old and new architecture, offering uniquely immersive, site-specific experiences tailored to the different tastes and interests of Tai Kwun visitors from all walks of life.

Historically engaged in a perpetual state of transformation, Berlin represents one of the most versatile arts scenes in Europe. Projekt Berlin marks a special moment for Tai Kwun to celebrate Berlin’s cultural collision between the old-world charm and modern-day verve through the multi-faceted lens of both classical and contemporary arts.

Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn

For three nights in November, the Prison Yard becomes Hong Kong’s newest and most unusual concert venue for a series of performances by the renowned Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn— one of Germany’s most established and admired ensembles. Three programmes explore vastly contrasting moments of Berlin’s history, but all find their starting point in a fascinating historical moment in 1747, when the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach took on a musical challenge from the King of Prussia. (8-10 November; tickets at HK$580 - $300*)

Ute Lemper’s Berlin Nights

Today’s greatest exponent of the Berlin cabaret style, Ute Lemper brings her unique artistry and compelling dramatic presence to Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard to explore the radical and seedy underground of Berlin in the 1920s and 30s. She performs the songs of composers such as Weill, Hollander, Spoliansky and Eisler, whose edgy sounds capture the decadent decades between World War I and II in which boundaries were crossed and taboos challenged. (16 November; tickets at HK$680, $480*)

Berlin Cinema

A feast of handpicked masterpieces from German cinema from the 1930s to today! In collaboration with Goethe-Institut Hongkong, the first week of Projekt Berlin will feature some of the most iconic movies by influential German filmmakers including Wolfgang Staudte, Tom Tykwer and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Seven evenings in a row, this is a cinematic representation of the pre-war to modern day Germany for audiences to delve into its culture and history. (4-10 November; tickets at HK$120*)

Films with music

A cinematic journey connecting Berlin’s past and its present, director Walter Ruttmann’s 1927 Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (11-12 November) and director Johannes Schaff’s 2018 Symphony of Now (13-14 November) will race the audience through the transformation of this great city. Through the silent classic accompanied by piano and oboe, the audience can experience an entire daily cycle in Berlin with the constant flow of urban objects appearing as in musical notes to compose a symphony called “City”. The present-day show turns the original narrative on its head with the addition of a live music mix by legend of the Berlin club scene Frank Wiedemann and Alex.Do, celebrating the vibrancy, danger and exhilaration of today’s Berlin. Following their live scoring of Symphony of Now, Frank Wiedemann and Alex.Do will also DJ a one-night-only Berlin Club Night at Cassio on 14 November.

One of the most notable classic in the history of sound film, director Josef von Sternberg’s 1930 The Blue Angel draws the audience into a life-changing love story with cabaret diva Marlene Dietrich. Bringing the two generations together, celebrated cabaret singer Ute Lemper will share her precious memories of Marlene Dietrich before the screening. (Tickets at HK$380*)

Berlin Binge

Known as the most expensive television drama series in Germany, Babylon Berlin, directed by award-winning German film-maker Tom Tykwer, depicts the thrilling story of Gereon Rath, a police inspector on a secret mission in the Weimar Republic – a post-WWI period when the metropolis was trying to rebuild and recover from the war destructions.

Over the last weekend of Projekt Berlin, F Hall will transform into a cosy living room with sofas and bean bags for an all-day binge-watching of the 8 episodes of Babylon Berlin Season I. Immerse yourself into 1930s Germany to discover the extraordinary history and story of a city that rose from the ashes. (16-17 November; tickets at $280*)

Prison Break by LiCHTPiRATEN

From 6pm every evening during Projekt Berlin, all of the facades around Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard will be transformed into a dazzling re-imagining of the thrilling metropolis that is Berlin. Through an immersive and engrossing installation of light, projections and sound, the Berlin-based performance and installation artist collective LiCHTPiRATEN will create a fanciful world in which past eras collide and bounce off each other, highlighting the sweep and drama of this modern day capital, accompanied by a specially composed soundscape. Open to the public with free entry. (4-17 November)

The Flying Steps

From their grungy beginnings on the streets of Berlin, The Flying Steps have taken on breakdance championships, toured the world and established an urban dance academy. For Projekt Berlin, The Flying Steps join forces with Hong Kong street performers to spring a series of spontaneous performances on an unsuspecting public in the Parade Ground during the final weekend of Projekt Berlin. Open to the public with free entry. (16-17 November)

Berlin Street Art with WENU

Seen from the East, the Berlin Wall was a massively fortified and austere barrier, but seen from the West it evolved over 40 years into a gigantic canvas for street artists, graffiti and shameless commercialism, layered up with billboard posters and fanciful paintings. Berlin’s WENU artistic collective will create a huge piece of street art in Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground, inviting Hong Kong artists to join in this major street art project which will take shape in full public view during the exhibition period. Open to the public with free entry. (From 4 November)

Bauhaus meets Hong Kong

A film exploring one of the most influential cultural movements of the 20th century, “Bauhaus meets Hong Kong” shows how Bauhaus reached far beyond architecture to affect all pillars of design, all over the world — including graphics, typography, products, furniture and even today’s digital gadgets. Commencing with the profound and always insightful Bauhaus founder, Walter Gropius, the movie then takes a global perspective and looks at how the Bauhaus spirit has been shaping the skyline of Hong Kong, as well as new technologies that are now continuing the Bauhaus movement with digital transformation for the next generation. Open to the public with free entry. (6–12, 15-17 November)

Support and sponsorship

Tai Kwun thanks its sponsors for their support of Projekt Berlin, including The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Co-presenters: Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hong Kong, Goethe-Institut Hongkong and visitBerlin; Programme Partners: Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Limited and RIB Software SE.; Enlightenment Sponsors: BASF East Asia Regional Headquarters Ltd. , BMW Concessionaires (HK) Limited, Hong Kong Wine Vault, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. , Siemens , and Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI); Official Airline Sponsor: Lufthansa Group Airlines and Supporters: Commerzbank AG Hong Kong Branch, DZ BANK AG Hong Kong Branch, PUMA Bodywear and thyssenkrupp Elevator Asia Pacific.

Visitor information

* Concession tickets are available.

Tickets will be available at Ticketflap on 12 September: https://www.ticketflap.com/projektberlin. More information is on https://www.taikwun.hk/projektberlin.

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces the upcoming programming for its autumn season 2019.                                                      

Taking centre stage this autumn is Tai Kwun Dance Season 2019, with performing arts programmes that push the boundaries of the genre. Bringing history to life through art and performance, Projekt Berlin brings the best of Germany’s renowned arts and performance to Hong Kong. Autumn at Tai Kwun will also bring about two new contemporary art exhibitions, as well as the interactive heritage programme TK16: The Headquarters which reveals the fascinating stories of Police Headquarters Block throughout the past century.

Tai Kwun Dance Season 2019

Breaking forms, pushing boundaries and exploring identity through contemporary dance, Tai Kwun Dance Season 2019 will present a series of shows from renowned and independent performing artists. These talented figures hail from Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, America and beyond, bringing a fresh look at the power and the possibility of dance to audiences in Hong Kong.

16 Strings and One body

Award-winning Israeli actress, choreographer and dancer Renana Raz joins the Toscanini String Quartet for a dance performance that passionately integrates the energy of chamber music into her choreography. This inspiring juxtaposition of dance and music takes the performing arts experience to the next level, with imagination and drama building between melody and dance, as tension reverberates between the movement and rhythm. A concert by the Toscanini String Quartet will take place on 29 September. (27–29 September)

MMM:RE

Independent contemporary Hong Kong dance duo Mcmuimui Dansemble (Abby Chan and Yeung Wai Mei) celebrate their 20^th anniversary, reuniting for a reprise of their iconic humour and style. The limited series of performances at Tai Kwun centre around themes of identity, Hong Kong, age, gender and the lives of the dancers themselves from Asia to America. The work unveils weird and wonderful facets of Hong Kong urban life, integrating funny anecdotes and unexpected participants from the Hong Kong community into the performance. (4–6 October)

Morphing

Inspired by his own grandfather’s story of immigrating to South Africa by ship, cross-media artist Enoch Cheng transforms the stage into a vessel traversing from past to future in this immersive dance event that encourages audience participation. Themes revolve around the search of identity and the collective experience of venturing into unknown lands, dancers’ bodies become containers of memory and enact the ritual of metamorphosis through choreography. (18–20 October)

Dream Team

Experience a dance revolution waiting to spark from an ordinary “underground” ballroom! Israeli choreographer Dana Ruttenburg has put together a “Dream Team” of seemingly ordinary figures who together comprise a deviant gang — a 60-year-old performer, a has-been dancer turned physiotherapist, a single mother who seeks her return to the stage and a choreographer. Audiences are encouraged to participate in this immersive experience of madness, joy and sadness, as the performers reveal their dreams, fantasies and nightmares. (24–27 October)

Mind Flowing – Hip Hop Battle, Workshop and Showcase

Learn to control your mind and apply that power to dance! Everyone is invited to come and witness two days of dance performance, competition and community workshops at the Tai Kwun Parade Ground. The first day of dance will introduce contact improvisation, capoeira, house and hip-hop; while the second day will bring in dance crews from the Mainland, Japan and Taiwan to showcase their signature street dance moves. Truly a feast of dance all in one place! (12–13 October)

Partnering with Hong Kong Ballet and CCDC

This autumn Tai Kwun is partnering with two of the city’s flagship dance companies in Hong Kong – Hong Kong Ballet and City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) – to bring rich programme of films, interactive experiences and live performances to visitors of Tai Kwun. There will be a variety of free public programmes to see stunning Hong Kong Ballet dancers as they take on beautiful, vibrant, technically challenging works of performance both classical and modern (5–6 October). Meanwhile, CCDC’s Jumping Frames will capture and share the interplay of inspiration between dance and film, influencing one another’s choreography in creative, unexpected ways. (7–15 September)

Projekt Berlin

Tai Kwun joins hands with the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hong Kong, Goethe-Institut Hongkong and visitBerlin to present Projekt Berlin 2019, sharing a wide variety of music, dance, film and arts experiences with the community. Bringing all of Tai Kwan’s distinctive venues together, the programme will delve into the history of a city torn in two and reborn, its intrinsic resilience finding relevance in every era. (4–17 November)

Contemporary art and culture

Very Natural Actions

Presented by Arts Collective at Tai Kwun Contemporary, the exhibition Very Natural Actions looks at how contemporary art breaks the constraints of tradition, compelling viewers to move beyond the surface of an art piece and delve deeper into the traces of artistic practice. Representing both a process and a medium, the artworks constitute a bridge from artists to the audience, engendering myriad ideas and questioning what artistic possibilities are unlocked through revealing the hidden dimensions of the artistic creation process. (22 September – 31 December)

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future

Curated by Lauren Cornell, Dawn Chan, Xue Tan, and Tobias Berger, the Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibition Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future,  examines how cyberpunk aesthetics and futurism have seeped into contemporary art and visual culture, while exploring how the initial allure of the cyber-metropolis has morphed into an inescapable feedback loop. The exhibition will feature urban panoramas and snapshots of their underworlds, observing the dystopian future envisioned by science fiction. (4 October 2019 – 4 January 2020)

Diverse stories of heritage

TK16: The Headquarters

An absorbing heritage programme and the second in the TK16 series, TK16: The Headquarters immerses audiences in the century-old environment of the Police Headquarters Block in order to discover its fascinating architectural features, inspiring functional transformation and meticulous conservation works. The programme reveals the building’s stories throughout the years – from the period prior to its construction in 1919, to its role in catering to the diverse needs of multi-ethnic officers, to its revitalisation as a venue for cultural experiences and exhibitions. (30 October 2019 - 2 January 2020)

Tai Kwun 101 Environmental Theatre

Don’t miss your last chance to take an interactive journey through the Tai Kwun 101 showcase of 101 historical objects. Transcending the traditional boundaries of theatre, Tai Kwun 101 Environmental Theatre is a unique exploration of objects in which performers leave the boundaries of the traditional stage to guide visitors through the Duplex Studio to relive stories of the compound and learn more about its history. (Exhibition: until 22 September; Environmental Theatre: 11, 18 & 25 August, and 8, 15 and 22 September).

Visitor information

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts is excited to announce an extension of opening hours for MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI at Tai Kwun Contemporary on Saturdays until 9 pm, starting from 3 August.

In response to the tremendous success of MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, Tai Kwun Contemporary is extending its opening hours on Saturdays to 9 pm. This accommodates even more visitors and gives the public a better chance to discover this important exhibition by Takashi Murakami, with a wide range of the artist’s paintings and sculptures. 

Starting from 3 August, the exhibition is open from 10:30 am to 7 pm on Sundays to Thursdays, and from 10:30 am to 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Last entry is 30 minutes before the closing time.

Since its opening on 1 June, the exhibition has welcomed a record number of 60,000 visitors. Due to popular demand and extraordinary public enthusiasm, Takashi Murakami has planned a return to Tai Kwun, where he will be taking part in another public talk on 27 July together with a signing session.

Murakami and animation

Accompanying the MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI exhibition, Tai Kwun Contemporary is hosting a series of animation screenings, which will include Jellyfish Eyes, Murakami’s first feature, as well as Anime Impact!—a selection of seven representative Japanese animated films produced between the 1970s and the 2000s.

The selected movies in Anime Impact! include Galaxy Express 999, an important milestone work by Leiji Matsumoto about adventures throughout the universe; Patlabor The Movie and Neon Genesis Evangelion, an interesting revamp of Japanese anime by the unconventional directors Mamoru Oshii and Hideaki Anno; Memories, Mind Game, and Paprika, extraordinary masterpieces by the creative geniuses Katsuhiro Otomo, Masaaki Yuasa, and Satoshi Kon.

The screening series gives viewers the unique chance to gain a fresh understanding of Japanese anime and grasp its connection with Japanese and international contemporary art.

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI will run until 1 Sep; Anime Impact! will run from 27 Jul to 18 Aug 2019.

Advance tickets to the exhibition are now available on Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com/murakami):
HK$60 (general) and HK$45 (concession)*

Tickets are also available at the Tai Kwun Contemporary reception:
HK$75 (general) and HK$55 (concession)*

* Concession tickets are applicable to students (aged under 18 or with full-time student ID), seniors aged over 65, and persons with disability.

For more details about the exhibition, various activities, and ticketing information, visit:

www.taikwun.hk/murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI

Curated by Tobias Berger and Gunnar B. Kvaran
Presented by Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo

Exhibition from 1 June to 1 September 2019

Tai Kwun Contemporary

JC Contemporary and F Hall Studio
Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily from 10:30 am–7 pm (until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays)

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (b. 1962, Tokyo, Japan), which runs from 1 June to 1 September 2019. The exhibition will explore the multifaceted universe of the cultural phenomenon of this Japanese super-star artist.

Curated by Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, and Gunnar B. Kvaran, Director of Astrup Fearnley Museet (Oslo, Norway), MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI features divergent extremes of the artist’s oeuvre — from his large-scale post-apocalyptic works to his optimistic flower pieces, and then to his contemplative Enso paintings, offering Buddhist visions of enlightenment.

Also on view for the first time is a showcase of some of the artist’s iconic and outlandish costume designs, which visitors will experience alongside other important video works, samples of his private art collection, as well as the artist’s spectacular wall and floor art — which serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact.

Utilising all spaces in the art galleries at Tai Kwun, this comprehensive survey will feature over 60 paintings and sculptures in a stunning, immersive setting that showcases the intriguing paradoxes embodied in the diverse work and life of Takashi Murakami.

THIRD FLOOR

The Birth Cry of a Universe

The main hall of 3/F encapsulates Takashi Murakami’s mélange of high and low, elite art and pop culture. Under the cute surfaces, however, lurk darker visions of trauma and pain, forging strange and singular scenes of a dark wonder. This in part reflects the artist’s anxiety about nuclear power, especially in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown—but also echoes the broader postwar trauma in Japan that resulted from the detonation of two atomic bombs and the subsequent flood of American culture.

The figures of Tan Tan Bo, based on a manga character by Mizuki Shigeru that was Murakami’s favourite when young, appear as phantoms writhing while spewing out bodily fluids in glorious psychedelic colour. Such combinations of a cute “kawaii” aesthetic with something gloomier can be unsettling. Not only do they reflect the artist’s personal sense of cracking under pressure but also envisions possible apocalyptic futures for humanity.

The highlight of the room is the large gold-leaf clad 4.5-metre-tall sculpture The Birth Cry of a Universe, shown here for the first time in its final version after 14 years of preparation, presents a majesty flustered and disturbed, collapsing under its own weight in formal deterioration. The floor art of skulls, too, forces visitors to traverse a scene of devastation— as visceral memento mori, a reminder of the vanity of earthly goods and pursuits.

The Collection

While Takashi Murakami is certainly a pop icon the world over, he in fact has a deep understanding of art history, with a PhD in traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga). Over the years, the artist has also built a remarkable collection that reflects his historical rigor and eclectic tastes. Also on view is a selection of his art collection—in total numbering thousands of works and items—with works by postwar artists who influenced him, from Japan to the West. The pieces chosen were driven by nostalgia, reaching back to the roots of his own career, as well as a respect for great artistic geniuses.

SECOND FLOOR

Costumes

Takashi Murakami is known for dressing up, partaking in zany “cosplay” which one sees in Japanese subculture. The artist sees himself as somewhat of an “otaku” and claims modestly that with a weakness in speaking English, he communicates and achieves attention with his costumes—which perhaps also serve as an armour against the rarefied world of contemporary art. Eight colourful costumes of his are now shown for the first time in an exhibition setting.

FIRST FLOOR

Francis Bacon

Takashi Murakami has long been fascinated with the British artist Francis Bacon, seeing a kindred creative spirit in Bacon’s disturbed, unbalanced inner world. Drawn to the way Bacon expressively distorts bodies and faces, Murakami transforms the images with his characteristic surrealism—faces protruding from faces, appendages sprouting forth from mouths—in the motifs of his artistic iconography. Since the early 2000s, Murakami has pursued this multifaceted series as part of his broader homage to artists both Western and Japanese. In many ways, the multiple layers in his Bacon works, with inner psychological turmoil resulting in a dark yet beautiful final expression, encapsulates the complex trajectories present in the exhibition.

Tan Tan Bo Studies

Tan Tan Bo—which is also a reincarnation of Mr. DOB, which in turn is an alter-ego of Takashi Murakami—is based on a manga character by Mizuki Shigeru. Here we see the meticulous preliminary sketches in preparation for a final painting with its perfectionist aesthetic. Viewers can scrutinize the exhaustive research, the attention to detail, and endless rounds of editing that goes into the production of every “Superflat” work.

Superflat Flowers

One steps in a room of overwhelming affective power—generated in no small part by Takashi Murakami’s signature flower icons, obsessively and repetitively combined and presented. Takashi Murakami himself has elaborated the concept of “Superflat”, which refers not only to the perspectival flatness on the picture plane in Japanese art, but also ushers in the rejection of hierarchical divisions between high and low art, and of society itself. With his abiding interest in art history, these works also allude to Abstract Expressionism’s explorations of allover compositions.

Enso

Covered wall to ceiling in gold, this room serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact. On one level, this gestures towards Andy Warhol’s silver Factory, a studio decorated in tin foil and silver paint. In many ways, Murakami’s creative approach resembles that of Warhol’s: repetition in variation, commingling of high and low, erasure of boundaries between the canonical and the popular, as well as the scaled-up production of the studios and an eye for commercial and promotional impact. On another level, however, his usage of gold equally recalls the sacred aura of religious icons, figures, and spaces throughout history. With the Enso paintings, Murakami moreover harks back to Japanese tradition. As a motif, the Enso (literally “circle”) symbolises emptiness, unity, and infinity in Zen Buddhism; here, some are spray-painted over gold and silver, while some are painted over embossed patterns of skulls. The artist thus offers a meditative space to reflect on nothingness and finitude—a contemplative finale to the exhibition MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI.

PRISON YARD

Kaikai and Kiki

At once playful, lively and devoid of obvious meaning, Kaikai and Kiki features two mischievous characters that reoccur in Takashi Murakami’s artistic practice. “Kaikai” is the child figure with the rabbit ears while “Kiki” is the figure with three eyes and fangs for teeth. “Kaikai Kiki”, which are inscribed on their ears respectively, can be translated as “supernatural” or “weird” and was the phrase used to praise the blend of weirdness and refinement in the works of the sixteenth-century Japanese painter Kanō Eitoku. “Kaikai Kiki” also happens to be the name of Takashi Murakami’s art management and production company. In a characteristic “Superflat” style that flattens meanings and depth, these two sculptures at the same time stand in for the artist’s company as mascots of the brand while also reflecting the consumerist visual economy that Takashi Murakami has always explored and intervened in. Kaikai and Kiki are the first outdoor sculptural works by Takashi Murakami since his exhibition at the Château de Versailles.

F HALL STUDIO (GROUND FLOOR ENTRANCE)

Pop-Up Store

A special pop-up store will be open during the exhibition period, where visitors are able to enjoy neon and wallpaper works by Takashi Murakami. In many ways an extension of the artist’s intervention in a broader visual culture, the pop-up store will offer Takashi Murakami products for sale, including Tai Kwun–exclusive items made for the occasion of the exhibition.

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a wide range of public programming and educational events. These include videos by Takashi Murakami to be screened regularly on the Laundry Steps, as well as a public discussion with Takashi Murakami, Gunnar B Kvaran, and Tobias Berger. Other events slated to be present include frequent guided tours, educational workshops, public talks, anime and film screenings, among others. Stay tuned to the website.

Advance tickets to the exhibition are now available on Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com/murakami) :

HK$60 (general) and HK$45 (concession)*

Tickets will also be available at the Tai Kwun Contemporary reception:

HK$75 (general) and HK$55 (concession)*

* Concession tickets are applicable to students (aged under 18 or with full-time student ID), seniors aged over 65 and persons with disability.

For more details about the exhibition, various activities, and ticketing information, visit:

www.taikwun.hk/murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI

Curated by Tobias Berger and Gunnar B. Kvaran
Presented by Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo

Exhibition from 1 June to 1 September 2019

Tai Kwun Contemporary

JC Contemporary and F Hall Studio
Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily from 10:30 am–7 pm (10:30 am–9 pm on Fridays)

For more information, please contact:

social/capital                                                                                                                        

Cat Wong                                                            Blair Ng
E-mail: cw@social-capital.com                          E-mail: bn@social-capital.com
Tel: +852 2552 8775                                          Tel: +852 2552 8775          

Takashi Murakami at JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun
Photography by 13thWitness

About Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami (b.1962), who has a PhD in Nihonga painting, combines the most cutting-edge techniques with the precision and virtuosity of traditional Japanese art. Inspired by manga and kawaii culture, his irresistible world is peopled by monstrous and charming characters alike, as facetious descendants of past myths. His theory of the Superflat aesthetic, which he introduced in 2001 with the trilogy exhibition he curated (the third part was entitled “Little Boy”, which refers to the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945), attempts to blur the boundaries between popular art and high art; it has explored the evolution of Japan’s understanding of its post-Hiroshima condition and the interrelationships between vanguard art, manga, anime and their forerunner, Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The absence of perspective, the two-dimensionality of ancient Japanese art, filters in to every medium. Over the years, Murakami has become recognised as one of the most prominent contemporary artists of his time, and his work has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions at museums and art institutions throughout the world.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.        

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts.      

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.           

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts celebrated its first anniversary today (25 May) with the launch of Tai Kwun 101 heritage exhibition as guests and visitors watched the spectacular performance by the Hong Kong Police Force at the ceremony.

Since opening its doors to the public a year ago, the heritage site has come alive with heritage and arts exhibitions, musical performances, film shows, docent tours and more. Some 3.4 million visitors were recorded in its first year of operations, making it the most visited heritage site in town.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam, Dr Anthony W K Chow, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung officiated at the anniversary celebrations. More than 200 guests including Government officials, community leaders, heritage, arts and culture representatives, as well as programme partners attended the ceremony.

Dr Chow said Tai Kwun had more than lived up to its purpose as a vibrant and vital part of Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic life. “Since its opening, Tai Kwun has mounted an active programme of exhibitions, events and performances. It has collaborated with major arts groups and festivals and given a platform to up-and-coming artists and performers. It has also reached out to the local community, recording and sharing the stories of Central district, and has welcomed citizens from all walks of life, including students, the elderly and the differently abled.”

Coinciding with the first anniversary celebrations is the opening of Tai Kwun 101, a thematic exhibition that showcases 101 objects related to the Central Police Station compound and chronicles a variety of stories about work and life in these historic buildings over time.

In addition, an inspiring array of exhibitions and programmes featuring home grown and international artists and troupes has been lined up. For example, a contemporary arts exhibition by world famous artist Takashi Murakami will open from 1 June.

Dr Chow said the restoration of the Central Police Station compound and its revitalisation as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, has enabled the Club not only to set a new standard for heritage conservation in Hong Kong, but to transform the site into a living, breathing cultural space that all can enjoy.

Support for the project, as for all of its community initiatives, was made possible through the Club’s unique integrated business model. It is through this model that the Club contributes to the betterment of our society, delivering economic and social value for the benefit of all. As the most significant “Arts, Culture and Heritage” charities project of the Club and the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project in Hong Kong, Tai Kwun contributes to the city’s heritage and cultural life and strengthens Hong Kong’s position as an international arts and cultural hub.

Dr Chow expressed special thanks to Chief Executive Carrie Lam who was a driving force behind the project from the very beginning. He also thanked the Government departments involved, the Antiquities Advisory Board, members of the Jockey Club Central Police Station Advisory Committee, members of the Heritage Working Group and the Art Working Group, as well as the Central and Western District Council and the neighbouring community for their support over the past year.

Led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR, the project was recognised on its structural excellence with its project engineering consultant, Arup, presented the Structural Excellence Award 2019 by The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. Tai Kwun also received the HKICON Conservation Award 2018 – Interpretation Category by The Hong Kong Institute of Architectural Conservationists. The revitalisation project was named by The Telegraph as one of the largest and most intricate conservation projects in the city.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts.

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com.

Photo captions:

Photo 1:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow addresses the audience at Tai Kwun’s first anniversary celebrations.

Photo 2:

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam says she is pleased to return to Tai Kwun to celebrate its first anniversary.

Photo 3:

Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung says that following its revitalisation and official opening last year, Tai Kwun, with its rich history, has become a cultural centre.

Photo 4:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow (right), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (centre) and Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung (left) officiate at Tai Kwun’s first anniversary celebrations.

Photo 5:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow (front row, 3rd right); Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (front row, centre); Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung (front row, 3rd left); the Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council and Chairman of the JCCPS Advisory Committee Bernard Chan (front row, 2nd right); Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) 1, Joey Lam (front row, 2nd left); Club Deputy Chairman, Lester C H Kwok (front row, 1st left); Club Stewards Michael T H Lee (back row, 6th right); Philip N L Chen (back row, 6th left); Stephen Ip Shu Kwan (back row, 5th right); Dr Eric Li Ka Cheung (back row, 5th left); The Hon Sir C K Chow (back row, 4th right); The Hon Martin Liao (back row, 4th left); Margaret Leung (back row, 3rd right); Silas S S Yang (back row, 3rd left); Richard Tang Yat Sun (back row, 2nd right); Dr Rosanna Wong Yick Ming (back row, 2nd left); Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 1st right); Club Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung (back row, 1st right) and Director of Tai Kwun Timothy Calnin (back row, 1st left) celebrate Tai Kwun’s first anniversary.

Photo 6:

The Hong Kong Police Force put on a spectacular drill display and band performance at Tai Kwun’s first anniversary ceremony.

Photo 7:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow (centre), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (right), and Head of Heritage of Tai Kwun Winnie Yeung (left) at the Tai Kwun 101 heritage exhibition, which showcases 101 objects related to the rich history of the Central Police Station compound. 

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today opened a new flagship exhibition: Tai Kwun 101 at Duplex Studio at Block 01 and site-wide at Tai Kwun. Showcasing 101 objects – each symbolising work and life at the historic Central Police Station compound throughout the years – Tai Kwun 101 invites visitors across generations to connect with rarely seen insider stories of the police, judiciary, prison and immigration systems in Hong Kong.

Tai Kwun 101 is curated by the Tai Kwun Heritage Department and launches on 25 May 2019; forming an important part of Tai Kwun’s first anniversary celebrations this summer. The exhibition, designed by One Bite Design Studio, also coincides with the 175th anniversary of the Hong Kong Police Force in 2019, with Tai Kwun having been the very first official headquarters for the Force.

Winnie Yeung, Head of Heritage, Tai Kwun said, “This exhibition is a ‘101’ course in the history and heritage of Tai Kwun, overviewing the vibrant and multifaceted stories of the former police station, magistracy and prison. Tai Kwun 101 represents a step forward from the very first show exhibited at Tai Kwun. It symbolises all our success in the first year of Tai Kwun and heralds a bright future for arts, culture, performance and heritage on these grounds.”

An evolution in object-based storytelling

Tai Kwun 101 is an evolution from Tai Kwun’s very first show 100 Faces of Tai Kwun. Showcasing “100+1” objects, Tai Kwun 101 introduces the next level of historical exploration into the lives, moments and artefacts which are inextricably woven into the rich tapestry of Tai Kwun. These include both typical and atypical items – defining the compound across the years and at times subverting visitors’ expectations to tell unexpected tales of time, people and place.

Objects on display for Tai Kwun 101 will take a number of distinct forms, including newspaper clippings, photos and signage; personal items such as tools and ID cards; artefacts; and lots more – making Tai Kwun 101 a unique, unprecedented opportunity to see all of these pieces in one exhibition.

Experiencing and interacting with heritage

An exhibition of artefacts as well as interactions, Tai Kwun 101 welcomes visitors to take an experiential journey through the heritage of the compound. Various objects and demonstrations of Tai Kwun 101 will span across the indoor and outdoor areas of Tai Kwun, introducing ambient sounds and stylised, interactive scenes to contribute to the all-encompassing voyage into Tai Kwun’s history.

Oral histories form a major part of the Tai Kwun 101 experience. Some of these stories are recorded and shown in videos on-site, while others have been integrated into content across multiple parts of the exhibition. Visitors can also step into a personal experience of heritage by picking up a character handbook on LG1. There are five available, each one showing a different side of Tai Kwun 101 through the eyes of a police constable, Justice of the Peace, prisoner, prison warder and member of the public.

A few highlighted objects coming to Tai Kwun 101 include:

• A sculpted reinterpretation of a tiger’s head, based on the real animal which was killed by police in the New Territories in 1915. (Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A police detective’s badge which dates back to the 1920s/30s, when the detective squad was reorganised to become the Criminal Investigation Division (CID). (Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A water cart used by early firefighting forces in Hong Kong. (Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A painted sign calling for “Silence” on the wall of Central Magistracy Courtroom No 1, which once served as a reminder to members of the public who came to observe hearings. (Block 09; replica at Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A Servis Recorder used by officers to record the time and frequency of their night-time patrols around former Victoria Prison. (Duplex Studio, Block 01)

Public engagement & activities   

Various public events, installations and activities will be held during the exhibition period, inviting Hong Kong locals and visitors to engage with Tai Kwun 101 through a variety of formats. These include Chinese Orchestra, a recital from the Police Children’s Choir, art club performances and more. The Police Force will also put on Tai Kwun 101 - Down Memory Lane with the Police – a historical talk and sharing series with police officers who were involved in tracking down infamous Hong Kong gangster Yip Kai-foon.

Meanwhile, Tai Kwun will partner with local paper artist Because Yeung to deliver a series of bookbinding workshops, inspired by this historical form of industrial light labour in the early days of former Victoria Prison. Today, the practice remains a vocational training option offered by the Correctional Services to people under its custody.

Visitor information

Tai Kwun 101

Date: 25 May-22 September 2019

Time: 11am-8pm

Location: Duplex Studio at Block 01 & site-wide, Tai Kwun

Tai Kwun 101 is curated by the Tai Kwun Heritage Department, with additional support from Design Partner One Bite Design Studio and Programme Partner the Hong Kong Police Force. 

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (b. 1962, Tokyo, Japan), which opens from 1 June to 1 September 2019. The exhibition will explore the multifaceted universe of the cultural phenomenon of this Japanese super-star artist. Utilising all spaces in the art galleries at Tai Kwun, this comprehensive survey will feature over 60 paintings and sculptures in a stunning, immersive setting that showcases the intriguing paradoxes embodied in the diverse work and life of Takashi Murakami.

One of the most influential artists in the world, Takashi Murakami has the ability to amaze as well as to confound, with a particular but subtle critique of contemporary culture. He also has an uncanny knack for reaching out far beyond the realm of contemporary art to a broader mainstream audience, from fashion to cosplay to graffiti.

Curated by Gunnar B. Kvaran, director of Astrup Fearnley Museet (Oslo, Norway) and Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI features divergent extremes of the artist’s oeuvre — from his large-scale post-apocalyptic works to his optimistic flower pieces, and then to his contemplative Enso paintings, offering Buddhist visions of enlightenment. Also on view for the first time is a showcase of some of the artist’s iconic and outlandish costume designs, which visitors will experience alongside other  important video works, samples of his private art collection, as well as the artist’s spectacular wall and floor art — which serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact.

“We are immensely proud to bring the first survey of Takashi Murakami’s work to Hong Kong—including the premiere showing of ‘The Birth Cry of a Universe’, a 4.5-metre-tall sculpture in the making for over 14 years, as well as presenting important parts of his private collection. The entire exhibition is a huge immersive experience that demonstrates what an incredibly intelligent and thought-provoking artist Takashi Murakami is,” says Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun.

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a wide range of public programming  and educational events. These include videos by Takashi Murakami to be screened regularly on the  Laundry Steps, as well as a public discussion with Takashi Murakami, Gunnar B Kvaran, and Tobias Berger. Other events slated to be present include frequent guided tours, educational workshops, public talks, anime and film screenings, among others.

A special pop-up store will also open in F Hall Studio during the exhibition period, where visitors are able to enjoy neon and wallpaper works by Takashi Murakami. In many ways an extension of the artist’s intervention in a broader visual culture, the pop-up store will offer Takashi Murakami products for sale, including Tai Kwun–exclusive items made for the occasion of the exhibition.

Advance tickets to the exhibition will be available from 8 May 2019 at 10:00 am on Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com/murakami) :
HK$60 for general tickets and HK$45 for concession tickets (Full-time students with ID and seniors)

Tickets will also be available at the Tai Kwun Contemporary reception:
HK$75 (general) and HK$55 (concession)

For more details about the exhibition, various activities, and ticketing information, visit: www.taikwun.hk/murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI

Curated by Gunnar B. Kvaran and Tobias Berger
Presented by Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo

Exhibition opens from 1 June to 1 September 2019

Tai Kwun Contemporary

JC Contemporary and F Hall Studio
Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily from 10:30 am–7 pm (10:30 am–9 pm on Fridays)

For more information, please contact: social/capital

About Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami (b.1962), who has a PhD in Nihonga painting, combines the most cutting-edge techniques with the precision and virtuosity of traditional Japanese art. Inspired by manga and kawaii culture, his irresistible world is peopled by monstrous and charming characters alike, as facetious descendants of past myths. His theory of the Superflat aesthetic, which he introduced in 2001 with the trilogy exhibition he curated (the third part was entitled “Little Boy”, which refers to the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945), attempts to blur the boundaries between popular art and high art; it has explored the evolution of Japan’s understanding of its post-Hiroshima condition and the interrelationships between vanguard art, manga, anime and their forerunner, Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The absence of perspective, the two-dimensionality of ancient Japanese art, filters in to every medium. Over the years, Murakami has become recognised as one of the most prominent contemporary artists of his time, and his work has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions at museums and art institutions throughout  the world.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today revealed its upcoming programme for the summer season. Following a successful spring, the new season marks the arrival of yet another vibrant and enriching programme — as well as the celebration of Tai Kwun’s first anniversary.

The upcoming summer season will see novel points of view on historical artefacts, complex artistic explorations through Contemporary Art exhibitions and theatre, and limited-edition offers to mark one year of cultural inspiration and stimulation at Tai Kwun.

A fresh look at Tai Kwun’s history and heritage

Tai Kwun 101

Curated by the Heritage Department of Tai Kwun, Tai Kwun 101 offers a fresh look into the history of the Central Police Station compound through a range of everyday objects and interactive installations. The show brings back to Tai Kwun 101 objects related to the police, judiciary, prison and immigration system, giving visitors a new opportunity to explore the myriad stories of Tai Kwun and its heritage.

Tai Kwun 101 runs from 25 May to 22 September; more information available soon.

The world of Takashi Murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI Exhibition

Tai Kwun Contemporary will showcase MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, which runs from 1 June to 1 September. The exhibition will explore the multifaceted universe of the cultural phenomenon of this Japanese super-star artist. Utilising all gallery spaces at Tai Kwun, this comprehensive survey will feature over 60 paintings and sculptures in a stunning, immersive setting that showcases the intriguing paradoxes embodied in the diverse work and life of Takashi Murakami.

More information will be released on 6 May.

A new touch of theatre

A platform to champion worldwide creators and artists of all stripes, Tai Kwun will present a novel performing arts programme this summer. The Theatre Season aims to showcase the best of theatrical artists together with both local and multinational creations in the art and culture space, and ultimately develop even more appreciation of the arts in Hong Kong. Each of the four productions will make creative use of Tai Kwun’s unique venues, to provide Hong Kong with a rarely seen performing arts experience. Tickets will be available at Urbtix from 27 May 2019.

Tri Ka Tsai

Multi-talented musical artists Anna Lo and Rick Lau have collaborated with choreographer Yuri Ng to create the original multilingual show Tri Ka Tsai. The production examines Hong Kong's love-hate triangle of Cantonese, English and Mandarin, in a jubilant and thought-provoking Hong Kong-style cabaret exploring the role of language for different generations in Hong Kong. Audiences are brought along on a whimsical musical journey that tugs the heartstrings and tickles the funny bone. (4-7 July)

Happily Ever After Nuclear Explosion

Happily Ever After Nuclear Explosion is a provocative work by Yan Pat To, the first ethnic Chinese playwright awarded by the Berlin Theatertreffen Stückemarkt. Commissioned by Munich’s Residenztheater and re-staged in Cantonese, the narrative centres around two people whose lives have been affected by nuclear catastrophe, taking them back to their hometown and immersing the audience in the characters’ world through everyday objects, video and installation. Following on from Yan’s acclaimed production A Concise History of Future China, this theatrical experience represents yet another unique take from the playwright on a dangerous yet relevant issue. (12-14 July)

The Day I Fell Into A Book

An immersive storytelling adventure for kids and adults alike, The Day I Fell Into a Book from the UK explores the magic of reading to ignite the imagination of all. Conducted in English, the narration blends in with binaural sound recordings, intricate lighting technology and projection to take the audience into a lost world of classic myths and legends. Bit by bit, the fiction becomes reality as the stories seep into the room and come alive across a three-dimensional sound and theatre experience. Young readers will be particularly delighted by the show. (18-21 July)

Please, Continue (Hamlet)

Please, Continue (Hamlet) is an unprecedented opportunity for the general public in Hong Kong to witness top legal minds in action. Deeply related to Tai Kwun’s magisterial historical background, the legal drama explores the eternally elusive question of truth, recruiting real-life legal professionals including a judge, prosecutor and barrister to get on stage together with three actors. As the actors improvise the roles of Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude, seven individuals from the audience will be appointed to form a jury and decide whether Hamlet is guilty. This fascinating conceit is a rare opportunity to get an up-close insight into how justice is administered, through the medium of performance. (26-27 July & 2-3 August)

First anniversary limited editions

All-in Tai Kwun collaboration

In collaboration with brands under the same roof of the historical compound, Tai Kwun is working with various designers on limited-edition souvenirs and creating special dining offers across its F&B outlets. Special anniversary gifts and discounts will also be coming soon to the Tai Kwun Store; stay tuned for more information.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce the arrival of a new exhibition entitled Trolleys Central. Presented by the Heritage Department in partnership with community design group Making on Loft, the exhibition will take place from 30 March to 28 April.

Nowadays, the traffic network in Hong Kong is well-developed, but there are still many steep and narrow roads in the Central and Western District. The flow of traffic in this area is further affected by restricted parking and loading areas; hence, many merchants and delivery workers in this area prefer to work with a trolley for the benefit of more convenience and flexibility.

Trolleys Central showcases relationships between the shops in the district, to explore how trolley manufacturers have advanced their designs with the times to satisfy evolving user demands and improve the local working styles and quality of living.

The history and transformation of trolleys

The exhibition starts with an exploration of urban planning and road development in Central. The steep slopes of Central District forced early urban design to create steep, narrow streets and many stairs. This led workers to use trolleys instead of trucks to deliver goods, for easy parking and loading.

A variety of trolley designs will be shown in the exhibition, including the traditional two-wheeled handcart, the hawker trolley, the worktainer, the two-wheeled stacked goods trolley (also known as the soda trolley), and the angle iron trolley with brakes. Some of the designs are over 30 years old.

The Making on Loft team conducted six months of research into the history and modern usage of trolleys to prepare for the exhibition, including trips to the Central and Western Districts to observe how people use trolleys today. Time-honoured brand who still use trolleys to deliver goods were also interviewed, including Po Yuen Store, Po Wah Furniture Company, Companion Import & Export Company, Ping Kee Waste-Paper Factory and more, to understand how trolleys help their work over the years. The team also spoke with Chiu Kee, whose trolley business has over 60 years of history in Sheung Wan and only closed in 2017, to understand how to design and build a good trolley for the merchants and residents.

Originally designed trolleys

After this research in the Central and Western District, the Making on Loft team created four original trolley designs which are on display at the exhibition. These adapted designs, based around the needs of people in the area, include a retractable angle iron trolley and a multi-layer, eco-friendly shopping cart.  

Trolleys Central opens every day from 11am to 6pm at Parade Ground with free entry. Guided tours and workshops are available on Saturdays and Sundays. Workshop costs are HK$200 per parent-child pair.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces its upcoming spring season, with a gamut of programming in performing arts, heritage and contemporary art. Spring will also mark the arrival of two new heritage storytelling spaces at Central Magistracy, with a focus on judicial heritage and social development. The season’s wide range of events, performances, lectures, demonstrations, workshops and exhibitions, among others, is set to entice enthusiasts and aficionados of art and culture in Hong Kong and beyond to come to Tai Kwun in order to experience, learn, and enjoy.

Transforming knowledge into art — "SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer"

"SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer" is a new performing arts programme at Tai Kwun which invites professionals and celebrities from different fields to share their experience of transforming knowledge into artistic creation. Through a series of interactive workshops, lectures and showcases from 30 March to 28 April, "SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer" will enrich the imagination and prompt visitors to question the relationship between everyday life—from culinary art, to architecture, music, dance and machinery—and artistic inspiration.

About Khon and You

Unveiling the mystery of the traditional Thai dance practice “Khon”, About Khon and You bridges the gap between traditional customs and contemporary performing arts. Through a lively combination of demonstration and discussion with local Cantonese Opera artist Paris Wong, Khon master and audacious Thai artist Pichet Klunchun will explore and reinterpret the meaning of tradition, training and learning. In addition to his workshops and showcase, Klunchun will host a free open Khon class on 6 April at the Prison Yard, giving Hong Kong audiences the chance to experience this centuries-old Thai court dance practice in person.

Workshops*: Daily, 1-7 April

Open Khon Class: 6 April

Showcase*: 7 April

Starting from Research: Automated Landscapes

Starting from Research: Automated Landscapes is based on the research project "Automated Landscapes" which is done by Het Nieuwe Instituut (the Netherlands) on the incursion of automation and artificial intelligence in the built environment. Through interactive workshops and an experimental performance-lecture, project researchers Merve Bedir and Marten Kuijpers will reveal their insights on how automated labour is transforming architecture and urbanism, and share how this research flows into design and art.

Creative Research Workshops*: 4 & 22 April

Performance-Lecture8: 28 April

Music Making of Tomorrow

The creative delights of music-making come under the spotlight with Dr. Leung Chi-hin, who has long transformed how music is learned and created. Visitors can learn more about his innovative music creation and performance project, including the chance to test out colourful electronic building blocks and tablets—an extraordinary demonstration that you can invent instruments and make music without years of musical training and experience. Dr. Leung’s performances, lecture-demonstrations and interactive events will appeal particularly to families, musical artists, and arts and music educators.

STEAM in Music Exhibition & Workshop*: 13-14 April

e-Orch Lecture-Demonstrations*: 21-22 April

An Edible Performance

The chef, entrepreneur and restaurateur Peggy Chan will join a group of local performing artists to present an artistic tasting menu, cooking up dishes within the context of art, identity, food and culture. The interactive food experience event at Grassroots Pantry will be accompanied by a talk at Tai Kwun and interactive sessions, including a local farm visit. Throughout all these events, Chan will elaborate on her advocacy for responsible sourcing and sustainability and explain more about her signature plant-based cooking—drawing not only on her deep knowledge of gastronomy but also the stories and memories behind her dishes.

Creative Research Workshop*: 30-31 March

Talk*: 2 April

Interactive Food Experience*: 20 April

*Advanced registration is required

For full details on "SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer" programme at Tai Kwun will be announced on the Tai Kwun website in mid-March

Heritage of the humble trolley  

Presented by Heritage Department in partnership with community design group Making on Loft, Trolleys Central calls attention to the stories and histories surrounding the trolley in the Central and Western District, exploring its transformation over the years. Running from 30 March to 28 April, this exhibition at Parade Ground showcases examines the area's business connections and how they have been forged through the use of trolleys. Various adapted trolley designs will also be on display, speaking directly to the needs of users and reflecting how innovation can progressively improve people’s livelihoods.

Welcoming new heritage storytelling spaces

Block 09: Two new storytelling spaces at Central Magistracy

In this spring season, Tai Kwun brings two new Heritage Storytelling Spaces to the Central Magistracy.  The current structure was built in 1914 and its function as the Central Magistracy was decommissioned in 1979.  It was later used by the Supreme Court as an annex and was also used for other purposes such as offices for Police, Immigration and International Arbitration Centre. The design of the building is imbued with the judicial power and authority of the court.

Within the Central Magistracy, two existing courtrooms had docks connected by staircases to holding cells on the basement level. One of the original holding cells is conserved and open to the public as a Heritage Storytelling Space, Evolution of Central Magistracy. Next to it is a timeline introducing the background and evolution of the building, as well as certain relevant cases. The former Courtroom No.1 is also transformed into a Heritage Storytelling Space, The Court Rises, with stylised furniture in order to re-enact the setting and layout of the courtroom. Digital books and multimedia presentations are available for visitors to explore some of the high-profile cases preliminarily heard in this courtroom; visitors can thus witness how the nature of legal proceedings in Hong Kong has evolved alongside its social and urban development.

Meanwhile, the Heritage Education Courtroom Theatre, an education programme to be held periodically in The Court Rises, immerses students in the heritage of Tai Kwun. By inviting students to participate in drama-based courtroom roleplays based on well-known cases of the past, the activity helps them to learn more about Hong Kong's judicial system and policy development, enhancing their sense of civic responsibility. Tai Kwun is partnering with the Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong (SRACP) for the programme.

Ongoing exhibitions

Following their debuts during the winter season at Tai Kwun, Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close and Performing Society: The Violence of Gender will continue on into spring.

Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close

Co-produced by the art and heritage teams of Tai Kwun, Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close tackles the subject of contagion in Hong Kong. The art exhibition curated by Ying Kwok presents artists who explore the links between contagion, superstition, memory and history.  Alongside the art exhibition is also an exhibition curated by Heritage Department, which showcases new angles about the Plague in 1894 in Hong Kong, and how it affected later public health and urban development policies. The exhibition continues on until 21 April.

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender probes the nature of violence over the contested terrain of gender, unpacking the notion of “structural violence” and offering counter-narratives and alternative imagination. The exhibition features 11 international, regional and local artists—Dong Jinling, Jana Euler, Anne Imhof, Oliver Laric, Liu Yefu, Ma Qiusha, Julia Phillips, Pamela Rosenkranz, Marianna Simnett, Raphaela Vogel, and Wong Ping—presenting videos, paintings, sculpture, among others. Open to the public at Tai Kwun until 28 April, the exhibition is presented by MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and curated by Susanne Pfeffer.

Specific parts of the exhibition are age restricted due to the explicit content of some artworks.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce that the film Prison Architect, directed by the Chinese artist Cao Fei, was selected for Berlinale 2019 (the 69th Berlin International Film Festival) in the programme category of " Forum Expanded". The film was commissioned by Tai Kwun and exhibited as a significant part of Cao Fei's first institutional solo exhibition in Asia — A hollow in a world too full, recently housed at Tai Kwun Contemporary.

As one of the three most important international film festivals in the world, the Berlinale attracts 500,000 visitors each year, providing a platform for filmmakers across all disciplines to showcase projects in a prestigious international forum. Prison Architect was selected for "Forum Expanded", which stands for reflections on the medium of film, socio-artistic discourse and a particular sense for the aesthetic. This programme category aims to expand the understanding of what film is, to test the boundaries of convention and to open up fresh perspectives to help audiences grasp cinema and how it relates to the world in new ways. 

Prison Architect takes inspiration from the sombre histories of the Former Victoria Prison built in Hong Kong under British colonial rule. The two protagonists — an architect and a prisoner living in parallel realities of the present and the past — conjure up imagination and experiences of imprisonment. In their dialogue across space and time they debate the relations between humans, the world, and freedom.

The work was filmed on the site of the Central Police Station compound before it opened to the public as Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts. Prison Architect premiered last year at Tai Kwun Contemporary, in Cao Fei's solo exhibition A hollow in a world too full.

Amongst the most internationally renowned artists of her generation, Cao Fei has shown in prominent events and museums across Europe, Asia and North America. Always with an eye for the surreal and the fun, her explorations propose characters and scenarios that question larger realities by deviating from them, creating spaces for suspended reflection in a full and fast-moving world.

Tobias Berger, Head of Arts at Tai Kwun, said, "We are incredibly proud that the first major film commissioned and exhibited at Tai Kwun Contemporary has received such wonderful recognition, especially seeing as it is a work inspired by the heritage and histories of the Central Police Station compound. Prison Architect brings these histories into a contemporary context.”

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce a new exhibition Performing Society: The Violence of Gender, to be held from 16 February to 28 April 2019, presented by MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and curated by the Director Prof. Susanne Pfeffer. This group exhibition will investigate the underlying structural violence in issues related to the body, gender, sexuality, identity and behaviour.  

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender probes the nature of violence over the contested terrain of gender, unpacking the notion of “structural violence” and offering counter-narratives and alternative imagination. The exhibition will feature 11 international, regional and local artists — Dong Jinling, Jana Euler, Anne Imhof, Oliver Laric, Liu Yefu, Ma Qiusha, Julia Phillips, Pamela Rosenkranz, Marianna Simnett, Raphaela Vogel, and Wong Ping — presenting videos, paintings, sculpture, among others.

Violence of a structural nature is no less brutal than its physical counterpart. The everyday presence of structural violence causes a mute paralysis. The definitions of gender based on symbolic, cultural, and physical boundaries are as hard and clear as they are painful to experience. Upbringing, cultural attribution, existing power structures, social codes, religious traditions, and biological manifestations unite to form a violent normative framework that governs body, sexuality, identity, and behaviour.

Susanne Pfeffer, Director of MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and curator of Performing Society: The Violence of Gender, said, “In view of the national-conservative and rightist discourses currently on the rise all over the world, gender is a domain all the more fiercely contested, a terrain on which freedom, plurality, and self-determination are at stake.”

The artists featured in the exhibition Performing Society: The Violence of Gender contest the symbolic castration of women and reclaim the abilities fundamentally denied them. Pfeffer added, “They dissolve the framing of adolescents and overturn the rules controlling gesture, voice, deportment, and desire. In the process, they develop a counter-narrative to the institution of the family as the foundation of the heteronormative society. They show how mother’s milk serves to delineate a territory in a realm between sexuality and reproduction, and they reveal the extent to which reproduction, technology, and exploitability are intertwined.” The artworks uncover the violence that lies concealed in normative constructions of gender. With self-assurance, confidence, fantasy, humour, and pain, the artists transcend boundaries with their works and allow different images to emerge.

A renowned curator, Susanne Pfeffer put up a series of well-regarded exhibitions on new materialism and on the notion of the human and of Nature under the impact of technological transformation at the Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany; at the 2017 Venice Biennale, she also curated the German Pavilion, featuring the artist Anne Imhof, which won the Golden Lion award for best national pavilion. With her recent Cady Noland exhibition, among others, Susanne Pfeffer has recently taken on a greater curatorial interest in structural violence.

Artist List:

• Dong Jinling
• Jana Euler
• Anne Imhof
• Oliver Laric
• Liu Yefu
• Ma Qiusha
• Julia Phillips
• Pamela Rosenkranz
• Marianna Simnett
• Rafaela Vogel
• Wong Ping

Visitor information

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender is ongoing from 16 February to 28 April 2019 at Tai Kwun Contemporary — a not-for-profit art centre dedicated to presenting contemporary art exhibitions and programmes as a platform for a flourishing cultural discourse in Hong Kong. Opening hours: 11am to 7pm every day, except Friday, from 11am to 9pm.

Specific parts of the exhibition are age restricted due to the explicit content of some artworks.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts will welcome the first edition of a new international art book fair in Hong Kong this January.

The inaugural “Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” will take place from 11 to 13 January 2019 at JC Contemporary in Tai Kwun. The three-day event will provide a platform for art book publishers and artists to display and sell a diverse range of art books, such as photography books, art albums, art historical and theoretical texts, zines as well as artists’ books, among others. “Booked” aspires to enable local, regional and international publishers and artists to showcase and share their works; additionally, the art book fair will feature talks, workshops and performances over the three days.

Examples of art books include (but are not limited to) artists’ books, photography books, art albums, zines, art catalogues, art historical and theoretical texts, artists’ editions and gallery editions (e.g. prints), texts by artists, book arts and book sculptures, as well as art-related ephemera (such as tote bags, pins, and badges)—in sum, the results of artistic practice at the intersection of “art” and “books”.

Art books of various types undertake a crucial role in art appreciation and education. In particular, artists’ books challenge the idea, content and form of the traditional books. Such publications have been conceived as artworks in their own right, in which the artist uses the book as a medium of artistic expression. Such artists’ books are sometimes published in limited editions and occasionally even as one-of-a-kind objects.

“Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” will present a wide range of art books for the public to enjoy and to use as resources for learning and research. This will be the first time in Hong Kong for approximately 60 art publishers and artists from Asia, Europe, North America, as well as Hong Kong to attend such a book fair.

Some of the books displayed at the “Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” are also collected in the Artists’ Book Library at Tai Kwun Contemporary—an ongoing collection of Asian artists’ books and an integral part of the programming at Tai Kwun Contemporary.