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Easter eggs art installation light up Central Harbourfront

  • By: WANG Jing、AO Wei Ying VinciEdited by: Yau To LUM
  • 2024-03-27

The “teamLab:Continuous” exhibition in Tamar Park, subsidised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department opened on Monday. The Central Harbourfront is the backdrop to the Easter egg theme art work More than 200 glowing ovoids and trees are on display on land and in the water, lighting up Tamar Park and extending into Victoria Harbour. Takashi Kudo, global brand designer of teamLab,who gave a speech in Tamar Park on opening day, said he wanted to make people think about nature, city space and their lives as a continuity since they are all connected. “As the ovoids change their colours when being moved, the wind and waves at the harbour continuously affect them,” said Kudo. “There are many cube-like buildings around which people cannot push or move, but for the ovoids here, you can touch and feel them,” said Kudo. “There is also another metaphor for the pushable ovoids: when people fall, they can stand up again.” Many visitors welcomed the exhibition as they took pictures and interacted with the ovoids. The first week of online reservations for the interaction area is already full. “I have visited many similar art exhibitions in other countries.This event is a good start for Hong Kong,” said Ed Tam, an exhibition enthusiast.  “The exhibition uses Victoria Harbour as its backdrop and creates great scenery. I think this is what makes the art exhibition unique,” he said. Tam said he supported the government in setting up more mega art installations since Hong Kong seldom has such events. “It’s beautiful, but HK$50 million is a huge expense for taxpayers,” said Fanny Wong, a local visitor. “HK$50 million can support the government to do more things for the public.”  “I will still recommend my friends to visit and appreciate these ovoid installations,” said Wong. “The colourful lights along …

Culture & Leisure

World's largest pop culture exhibition ComplexCon debuts in Asia for Hong Kong’s Art March

The pop culture exhibition ComplexCon came to a close on Sunday at AsiaWorld-Expo as its debut outside the US, with an influx of local and other Asian fashion designer brands and musicians. The Asian debut was supported by the government’s HK$1.4 billion Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address last October. ComplexCon, as the world's largest trend festival, was first launched in Los Angeles in 2016, gathering urban culture and music artists, with past performers including Snoop Dogg, Selena Gomez and Offset. “This exhibition used to be held in North America. I've had my eye on it for a long time, but never had the chance to attend,” said Tang Ziqi, 20, a trend culture enthusiast. He said he has been hooked on hip-hop, rap and fashion since he was in secondary school.  "But today, I think ComplexCon has found a more suitable and Asian way to present its artistic effect in Hong Kong," Tang added. “You can see lots of trendy brands and designers from Hong Kong here, like my favourite Offgod, a 19-year-old teenage designer.” ComplexCon consists of a bazaar selling trendy fashion items and a music festival with ticket prices ranging from HK$380 to HK$4,780. Forty fashion brands and 12 artworks landed at the Hong Kong ComplexCon. Asian brands took the vast majority, including Thug Club, a Korean street fashion brand, local brand Lakh and GrowthRing & Supply and Taiwanese brand Goopy Made. Richard Chen Xiyun, a 19 year-old university student and also a fan of trendy sneakers,  said he was very pleased with the variety of booths at the marketplace, which filled up three showrooms.  “The artworks in the marketplace are very distinctive, including some contemporary and conceptual appeal, which allows me to have a variety …

Culture & Leisure

“Art March 2024”: tourists welcome new ovoid installations with full bookings in the opening week

  • By: Chi On LIUEdited by: Ji Youn Lee
  • 2024-03-25

teamLab:Continuous, an outdoor art project featuring hundreds of colourful illuminated egg-shaped installations at Tamar Park & Central and Western District Promenade, was fully booked by tourists on its opening week as part of the government’s new campaign. Around 200 ovoid installations changed colours with interactive sound effects with audiences. The installation is part of the government’s “Art March 2024” campaign, a program which aims to welcome tourists and locals to take part in various artistic events and “take the city’s vibrant cultural landscape to the next level”. In the opening ceremony, Tam Mei-yee, Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, said they were pleased with the public’s reaction to the exhibit. “The 100,000 reservations for the first week were sold out within 2 hours, showing the audience’s enthusiasm for this event,” said Tam. However, some visitors were disappointed in the amount of tickets and available amenities. Gao Xiaoqian, 28, a visitor from mainland China who has been to other teamLabs projects in Japan, said he had to walk more than 100 metres from the exhibit to the nearest vending machine for drinks and snacks. “I think the government can do better in this event, Gao said. “More tickets and valuable souvenirs related to Hong Kong may make this event more friendly.”   To accommodate for high demand, Tam said the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would increase the number of booking quotes and would work with the travel industry to arrange group bookings. According to Klook’s official listing for the event, all tickets are fully booked until Apr.7. Richard Kim, 25, a local resident, said: “If an event has reservations to limit the people coming to the exhibition, I can’t see how it can attract more people to go out and more tourists to come.”   The installations will be …

Photo Essay

Noir & Blanc—A Story of Photography exhibition debuts at M+

  The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Noir & Blanc—A Story of Photography is the first photography programme of the French May Arts Festival in Hong Kong opening in March. As the first stop of the travelling exhibition, M+ is collaborating with the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), the national library of France.  It showcases photographic works from 1915 to 2019 and is the first major public exhibition of BnF’s photography collections in Asia.  “Light and Shadow”, “Aiming for Contrast” and “Colour Chart” are the three main sections in the exhibition. It presents different perspectives for comprehending the creation of black-and-white images over the span of more than a century.  The exhibition includes more than 250 photographs from BnF’s world-renowned collection, complemented by over 30 works from both mainland China and Hong Kong, drawn from the M+ Collections. The exhibition will be held from Mar. 16 to July 1. Tickets are $140 for adults, $70 for full-time students, children ages 7 to 11, senior citizens ages 60 or above, persons with disabilities and one companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.  

Society

Memorial exhibition of Jin Yong brings back the world of wuxia

“A Path to Glory - Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial '', an exhibition celebrating the 100th birthday of the famous Hong Kong writer Jin Yong opened in Central on Friday, free to the public. Fans can immerse in the fictional narratives with sculptures, calligraphy, and augmented reality. 10 sculptures made of bronze or stainless steel featured in the exhibition held in Edinburgh Palace, worth a total of HK$100 million, are on loan without charge from their creator, mainland Chinese artist Ren Zhe. The exhibition will open until July 2. "Seeing these sculptures in person is more shocking than watching them on TV,"  said Joyce Cai, 63, who has read all the novels by Jin Yong. She came from Kwun Tong, which is an hour's drive away. “The expressions of these characters are so real.” Speaking at the opening ceremony on Friday, the centenary of Jin Yong’s birth, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said people worldwide are familiar with Jin Yong’s 15 novels which have become a “golden-plated signboard” for Hong Kong. Jin Yong, also known as Louis Cha, is a prominent Chinese martial arts novelist and writer, whose 15 volumes of works have been translated into 14 languages and whose books have sold more than 300 million copies, with 1,400 characters created. Zoey Siu, 55, a photographer, has read all of Jin Yong’s novels. “Jin Young’s novel is the collective memory of Hong Kong,” she said.”Once Jin Yong's works were published, the whole city seemed to be quieter at that time because everyone was reading his stories.” Siu was deeply impressed by Jin Yong’s style of writing and attracted by his psychological and detailed descriptions. "Many foreigners are able to read Chinese and history probably because they read Jin Yong novels," said Chong Tai-leung, 55, executive director of Chinese University of …

Society

Floral Joy Around Town: 2024 Hong Kong Flower Show

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: LI Sin Tung、MAO Anqi、James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTOEdited by: James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTO
  • 2024-03-18

Hong Kong welcomes the arrival of spring with the annual Hong Kong Flower Show as it returns to Victoria Park for a second straight year after a three-year halt due to Covid-19. This year’s theme is “Floral Joy Around Town,” with the Angelonia as the event’s chosen flower. Angelonia, also known as the “angel flower” and summer snapdragon, comes in various colours and is noted for its long flowering period, flourishing from Spring to Autumn. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department uses the Angelonia to symbolise Hong Kong’s ability to overcome adversity, adding that Hong Kong can always overcome difficulties and bloom with vigour like the theme flower. Around 229 organisations are participating in this year’s event, including several government departments and exhibitors from other countries. The event will be held from Mar. 15 to 24.

Photo Essay

Lions and Dragons Dance again after four years silence

The 15th World Hong Kong Luminous Dragon and Lion Dance Championships returned to Hung Hom Stadium on Mar. 9, after a four year hiatus, gathering 11 lion teams and 8 luminous dragon teams. For the first time the luminous dragon performances took place during the day. “The windows were covered with black cloth and all the lights will be turned off to create a night effect,"said Gong Pui-wai, President of Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Dragon and Lion Dance Association. The championship is held every two years but was canceled in 2022 because of the pandemic.This year's championship includes teams from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao,Taiwan, and eight other countries and regions. The Arts Dragon and Lion Dance Association sent nine referees and more than 50 volunteers to ensure the event went smoothly "Both lion dance and dragon dance are a test of teamwork," said Gong. "Holding such a championship represents Hong Kong's welcoming spirit of tolerance and unity. reflecting our respect for traditional Chinese culture,"he added.                                    

Society

VegCoffee Mix & Match Competition attracts non-vegetarian visitors to Vegetarian Food Asia

The 10th Vegetarian Food Asia held from Friday to Sunday featured the second VegCoffee Mix & Match Competition, with a combination of cafe culture and vegan culture which attracted many non-vegetarians. This year's competition highlighted a vegan and coffee theme, requiring competitors to make desserts and coffee within an hour. The organizer of this event, the Hong Kong Roasters and Coffee Commissioners Association, said this is the only live competition in Hong Kong where coffee and roasting are held at the same time. Lei Bui-dak, 45, chairman of the Vegan Coffee Creation Competition organizing committee, said they wanted to further promote vegan culture through the growing popularity of the cafe culture in Asia. "We wanted to explore how well vegan and cafe cultures could be integrated so that the vegan culture will become widely known as a lifestyle. We were happy to see that the competition did succeed in attracting many non-vegetarians who came because they were interested,” he said. “I came to this exhibition after seeing the Coffee Association's promotion on Facebook​​,” said Cheung Ming-wing, a coffee lover, who specifically came to watch this competition. “I’m not a vegetarian, but I think I might try going vegan after this exhibition,” he said. Lim Sze-han and Chan Sung-ming participated in the VegCoffee Mix & Match competition, presenting a work called "The Hong Kong Tea Set". "The theme of our work is a very classic Hong Kong afternoon tea with pineapple buns and coffee, and all the ingredients of the pineapple bun are vegan," Lim said. “We are not vegetarians. We came to this contest because we were curious about vegan culture and our desire to help spread it for the better,” said Lim and Chan. Lim said that they had made a lot of efforts before the competition, such as …

Society

Sham Shui Po' s first Literary Youth Bazaar immerses visitors in local culture

The Home Affairs Department organised the "Searching for Sham Shui Po" Literati Bazaar at the activity space underneath the Tung Chau Street Flyover on Saturday. It is one of the events under the "District 18 is Colourful Day and Night in 2024" programme, aiming to drive people to understand and immerse themselves in local design products and Sham Shui Po textile culture while promoting itself to become the core area of ​​the innovative economy. The bazaar marked the first time for Sham Shui Po to host an event of this scale, with more than 30 stalls featuring local original works such as fabrics, leathers, and cultural and creative products. The bazaar also promotes city walking activities.After registering for admission, visitors will receive a printed eco-cup as a gift. Shadow Lee, 28, a handmade stall owner, said she was happy that the government has given  young literary youths a platform to promote their work. Cindy Chen, 26, a ceramic craftsman, said that as a resident of Sham Shui Po since childhood, she is honoured to contribute to the development of this area's culture. "Although the economy here is not well developed, the culture of cloth and handicrafts has always been very distinctive, and in recent years, I can feel that the government is emphasising these cultures," said Chen. Effie Zhu, 21, a visitor to the bazaar, said it is her first time participating in such type of bazaar in Sham Shui Po,“ I did not expect that there would be so many visitors, not only some literary youth but also many old people and children joined today’s bazaar.” Karlssen Wong, 7, said his favourite part of the whole fair was the stamping and punching of cards in the fair, where there were all sorts of prizes to be won. “I was …

Culture & Leisure

Budget 2024: Film Development Fund receives highest government investment since 2007

The government will inject $1.4 billion into the Film Development Fund in 2024, the highest investment record in 17 years, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in the most recent budget speech on Wednesday. The Hong Kong Film Development Council has approved a total of $1billion in 2023, of which $134 million has been allocated for the Film Production Financing Scheme, accounting for 12.4% of the total investment. “We feel excited about the investment in film. In the past, government investment had helped many new directors and talents who lacked funding to fulfill opportunities to present their works,”  a spokesman of Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association said. During the 2023 Christmas period, Hong Kong cinema box office receipts were only $19.6 million, more than a 40% drop from last year and is the lowest in 20 years. “The box office increase in 2022 may be related to the delay of the release of foreign films due to the epidemic,” Rose Lu, 27, a film critic said. “The Hong Kong film market is small, the government should spend more money in promoting Hong Kong movies overseas and mainland rather than importing many overseas films,” said Lu. Hong Kong Legislative Council amended the Film Censorship Ordinance on October 27, 2021, which requires self-censorship and monitoring of film making, and re-examination of some subjects involving political factors, large scale and niche films. “It is hard for many directors in Hong Kong to do some sensitive topics, because it may not pass the film audit. This makes the Hong Kong film market less glamorous,” said Lu. People expect this money will promote diversity in Hong Kong movies and provide financial support for the film industry. “The government should support more shooting studios and try to have a new agreement about the renting cost …