By: Juncong SHUAI、Junzhe JIANGEdited by: Bella Ding
Digital Art Fair 2023 highlights AI-generated art on nostalgic theme
- 2023-10-19
- Society
- By: Juncong SHUAI、Junzhe JIANGEdited by: Bella Ding
- 2023-10-19
The 2023 Asia edition of the Digital Art Fair kicked off with nostalgia at K11 Art & Cultural Centre today, highlighting AI-generated art. It is the first post-pandemic digital art fair in Hong Kong with a special exhibition zone dedicated to AI-generated art. “AI can unlock the creativity of artists,” said Jessica Marinaro, senior director at digital artwork market, MakersPlace, “Artists can train AI to be an expert in their work and be prompted like ‘if you were me, what would you do next’.” The Red Prayer of Park Young Sook’s Moon Jar I & II is the result of collaboration between new media artist, Ming Shiu and her AI partner Genesis Kai. They used traditional Korean Joseon ceramics to explore interaction with Asia’s diverse cultures. “We artists have also been super nostalgic but we will use the tools of the future,” said Herman Rahman, Co-Curator and Fair Manager of Art & Technology. Take Your Time, a site-specific and multi-sensory installation, was created by Hong Kong artist, Jonathan Jay Lee under the inspiration of old neon lights in this city. The artwork is meant to showcase and preserve the cultural heritage of Hong Kong utilising digital technology, according to Digital Art Fair. Echoing a theme of nostalgia but beyond generative arts, digital artist Henry Chu launched Rainfall Piano this year, which is made of just LED lights, screens and stones. “I was driven by technology to showcase something new because it could easily attract people’s eyeballs and earn quick money,” said Chu, “But I want to go back to the purity of art…many artists are focusing on the origin of the art after the pandemic.” This year’s fair also includes four other sections: the immersive zone filled with 3D animations, the Inspire Zone of web3 technologies, the Prestige Zone displaying …
More than 1500 Join Petition to Demand Clarity on Rosaryhill School
- 2023-09-27
- Society
- By: Lisheng CHENGEdited by: Yixin Gao
- 2023-09-27
The number of parents, teachers, students and alumni who signed a petition to demand an explanation on the expected closure of Rosaryhill School on Stubbs Road reached 1525. They accused the school’s sponsoring body, Dominican Missions of failing to consult and respect them before an announcement on Sep. 19 to merge the kindergarten and primary school of Rosaryhill School with Dalton School Hong Kong and abolish the secondary department after two years. An internal notice of the Merger and Abolishment Plan was reportedly released to students and teachers without prior consultation. The principal was informed on Sep. 14, and parents and students were informed on Sep. 15. A parent meeting was then held less than 24 hours after the release of the notice. “It was released so late that many parents and students didn't see,’’ said Param Verma, 15, a secondary student from the school. Parents had insufficient time to attend and discuss the possibilities of better student arrangements”. Aaren Sapra, 15, a year three secondary student, said that parents were forced to look for other schools and were concerned that the government secondary school Central Allocation system may not be the best option for their kids, and they were worried that their children could not adapt to a new school and may lose their friends. “I will consider transferring our child to another school. We hope to give our child a fresh start sooner rather than waiting here for an uncertain future,” said Tracy Lo, 32, a secondary student’s mother. “Switching to another school means sacrificing the elective courses crucial for my future career aspirations,” said Param. With the school facing an uncertain future, alumni expressed profound disappointment and heartbreaks. "I have spent one-third of my life at Rosaryhill, forging valuable relationships with educators and peers and igniting my …
New archeological discoveries from Sanxingdui sites unveiled at Hong Kong Palace Museum
- 2023-09-27
- Culture & Leisure
- By: Juncong SHUAI、Yuqi CHUEdited by: Chengqi MO
- 2023-09-27
The Hong Kong Palace Museum exhibition of Sanxingdui relics opened Wednesday, with nearly half of the 120 artefacts unearthed since 2020 and showing for the first time in a major exhibition outside Sichuan province. The bronze, gold, jade and ceramic artifacts dating back 2,600 to 4,500 years are from the Sanxingdui, Jinsha and Bodun archeological sites on the Chengdu Plain. Twenty-three items are grade-one national treasures. Sanxingdui, referring to three remnants of man-made mounds that might have been part of ancient city walls, was first discovered in the late 1920s near Guanghan, Sichuan province. “The reason why we choose to unveil many of the new discoveries in Hong Kong is that compared to the mainland, there is a lack of knowledge of ancient Chinese culture,” said Lei Yu, the curator of Sanxingdui Museum. “The new archeological discoveries are significant because they extend our understanding of Sanxingdui or Shu cultures, with abundant bronze wares that have never been seen before,” Lei added. "After viewing these relics, I was particularly shocked by the beauty and design, which express the Sanxingdui people's respect for nature and gods," said Richard Cheng, a 65-year-old Hong Kong resident. "The exhibition really empowers my cultural confidence." The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections which explore the art, urban life, belief systems and the origins and legacy of the ancient Shu civilization. The exhibition has over 10 multimedia displays, including a holographic projection of a bronze tree and virtual reconstruction of a broken bronze figure. “After watching this exhibition, I find ancient Chinese culture so mysterious,” Zack Brown, 34, said. “ It’s amazing that scholars don’t exactly know what these artefacts were used for thousands of years ago, which leaves space for imagination.” Ray Chen, 22, a student from Chinese University of Hong Kong, said he was disappointed …
Alibaba logistics arm to come under separate listing at HKEX
- 2023-09-27
- Business
- By: Junzhe JIANGEdited by: Bella Ding
- 2023-09-27
Alibaba Group Holdings (09988, BABA) announced on Tuesday that its logistics arm Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, will come under a separate listing. It will be the conglomerate’s first initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after its restructuring earlier this year. The proposed spin-off will comprise the Hong Kong public offering and international offering. According to the announcement, after its completion, Alibaba will still hold more than 50% of Cainiao’s shares, retaining Cainiao as a subsidiary. As of Tuesday, Alibaba holds 69.54% of Cainiao. Citi Group, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and CITIC Securities are joint sponsors of the offering, according to the preliminary prospectus on HKEX. “The proposed spin-off should better reflect the value of Cainiao Group on its own merits and increase its operational and financial transparency,” said Kevin Zhang, secretary of Alibaba Group Holding, in the filing, “through which investors will be able to appraise and assess the performance and potential of Cainiao Group separately and distinctly from those of Alibaba Retained Group.” Cainiao shares are expected to be the world’s second-largest initial public offering this year, following the US$5 billion listing of SoftBank-owned chip maker Arm Holdings. HKEX has approved the listing of Cainiao on the main board so far. However, the disclosed filing did not specify the date and price of Cainiao’s shares. It has yet to be approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission. The revenue of Cainiao Smart Logistics Network increased by 15% to 18.915 billion yuan (about HK$ 20.251 billion) in the first quarter, and 72% of it was from external customers. According to Alibaba's latest financial report, the increased revenue is mainly because of the rising demand for logistics services and the price per order. The stock price of Alibaba increased 0.66% to HK$84.50 at the close of Wednesday. …
Hong Kong Disneyland pushes prices to record high with new ticketing system
- 2023-09-20
- Society
- By: Junzhe JIANG、Yuqi CHUEdited by: Bella Ding
- 2023-09-20
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has revealed price increases in certain ticket categories while rolling out a new tier of day passes for its most popular periods, effective from Wednesday. Disney created a four-tier ticketing system. The newly added Tier 4 day pass costs HK$879 for adults and HK$659 for children, a 15.8% hike over the previous highest "Peak Plus Days". “Select days that historically see high demand will be tiered as Tier 4 days. The Tier 4 days will start to kick in during the coming Christmas season,” said a spokesman, according to the press release. Tiers 2 and 3 tickets, or what used to be “Peak Plus Days” and “Peak Days”, now cost HK$799 and HK$719 respectively. The price of Tier 1, original “Regular Days”, remains the same. Prices for annual passes including silver, gold and platinum cards have also gone up. Students will no longer pay the same price as children and instead will pay an extra 15% for passes. Adult and children tickets have gone up by around 9%, while senior tickets remain unchanged. Local people and magic annual pass holders can renew their passes at the current prices before Nov. 15. Hong Kongers can also purchase annual passes at current prices before the date. Some mainlanders decided to buy annual passes ahead of the price hike. Summer Xia, a 23-year-old mainland student and her friends spent more than 45 minutes online before they could buy their tickets. During the process, Disney’s official page was overloaded and paralyzed several times. “Disney is going to launch its new Frozen-themed zone,” said Xia, “We were waiting for the Magic Access Group of 3 Special Offer but decided to purchase now to save money.” According to the Resort, the new tiered-pricing structure aims to effectively manage visits and market demand. …
M+ museum is criticized for hindering artistic freedom
- 2023-07-30
- Politics
- By: Bella DingEdited by: Bella Ding
- 2023-07-30
Hong Kong immigrants take a breather from “lower-end” UK jobs
- 2023-07-26
- Culture & Leisure
- By: Yixin GaoEdited by: Bella Ding
- 2023-07-26
With more than 144,000 Hong Kong people immigrating to Britain since the launch of the British Overseas Visa scheme in January 2021, their living and working conditions in the country are major concerns. Some found it difficult to get a decent job in the United Kingdom and others chose to start their own business or yielded to lower-end jobs in the foreign country. Fanny Leung, one of the shop owners of a Hong Kong style rice noodle restaurant called Yun Gui Chuan, considers the catering industry as a good opportunity to develop a new business. She said the rental cost of shops in London is much cheaper than in Hong Kong. But as some Asian ingredients are not commonly used in Britain, the expenses of importing ingredients are higher than in Hong Kong. The restaurant also needs to pay higher salaries to staff. “There are not many similar restaurants in London so the market environment is quite friendly to us. And even though some ingredients are relatively hard to get, many important ones (ingredients), such as pork, are much cheaper than in Hong Kong. However, the high tax rate is indeed a big disadvantage to running a business in Britain,” said Leung. However, revenue is more fluctuated in the UK. Fanny explained that one of the reasons is that footfall of the restaurant will be affected by the weather, season or even weekdays. “In Brick Lane, the footfall will have a great jump during the weekend, they may have to work continuously without resting or lunch hours to serve the customer.” She also believes that the footfall in winter will drop sharply, making their revenue varied. Yun Gui Chuan is a fast casual restaurant chain founded in Hong Kong more than 9 years ago. Operating a London branch of the …
Corporate and government seek more ESG practices in small businesses
- 2023-07-26
- Business
- By: Nga Ying LAU、Yuchen LIEdited by: Bella Ding、Rex Cheuk、Yuhe WANG
- 2023-07-26
Dehtlet, a Hong Kong-based small and medium-sized enterprise specialising in innovative eco-toilet systems, has received international and Hong Kong awards for improving the environment. The eco-toilet system has undergone more than seven generations of modification. The use of fabric glass in producing the eco-toilets at first was later found to contaminate the environment and so low-density polyethene, a material that poses less harm to the environment was adopted instead. “We are still searching for technologies in making reclaimed rubber as suitable construction materials to replace low-density polyethene, which would still create pollutants during the manufacturing process,” said Lian Chan Lai-yan, the co-founder and managing director of Dehlet. By deploying wind power, thermal power and gravity to conduct aerobic decomposition, the eco-system separates faeces and urine through aerobic decomposition. The separation process does not require the use of water, which avoids the effluent problems associated with water treatment, and the solid could eventually return to nature while the liquid can be used for handwashing. Chan said that reported by the United Nations, the sanitation coverage in rural areas of mainland China was even 2% lower than that of Kenya, shocking her husband and her to hop on the train of a sustainable business. Citizens getting infected through bathroom drain pipes during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 also inspired her to improve the toilet system amid the ongoing gloom of COVID-19. In line with the career they wish to contribute to, recent years have witnessed the growing awareness of the Environment, Social and Governance concepts within corporates, ranking higher in the business agenda. “The ESG standards become more demanding as most of our customers are listed and multinational corporations,” said Chan. A Deutsche Bank research found out that more companies are adopting ESG as it could improve the …
High inflation and anti-strike laws ignite London train workers, but people complain about their strikes
- 2023-07-26
- Business
- By: REN Ziyi DavidEdited by: REN Ziyi David
- 2023-07-26
About one and a half months ago, Gyrd Hanks planned to watch the Eurovision Song Contest Final in person, which is about three hours of public transport from his home at London Zone 5. However, on May 13th, when the final contest began, he was sitting on the couch, drinking beers, and watching the show live on TV, all because of the RMT strike that disrupted the Avanti West Coast line operation. The Avanti West Coast Line was not alone. A total of 19 rail operators were affected due to the strike that took place on May 12th and 13th, led by RMT and ASLEF unions, as their salary increase proposals got declined amid the sky-high inflation rate in the UK and the new anti-strike law. Although the strike gained support from the public, some have raised complaints. Hanks said he understood the frustration and dissatisfaction of the train workers. Still, being a fan of the Eurovision Contest, he was rather unhappy about not being able to attend the show in person. “The inflation and ascending living costs are something we all need to face. Sometimes I feel like the unions are too greedy,” he said. According to National Rail, the strike covered “large areas of the national network.” National Rail also warned about late start and disruption of the network on the day following the striking day. “I have four kids, plus my wife. That makes it difficult for us to go on a private vehicle for any trips together,” said Hanks. He said that the family heavily relies on the rail or buses to travel. The RMT and ASLEF union strikes forced him to cancel the Eurovision Contest family trip. The long-term salary dispute between the RMT union members and the company triggered the strike once again. The …
Going green could be expensive but worthwhile in the UK
- 2023-07-21
- Culture & Leisure
- By: Bella Ding、Zimo ZHONG、Le Ha NGUYENEdited by: Bella Ding
- 2023-07-21
Paprika is a spice made from dried, ground peppers used in Spanish and English cuisines, and among different flavours, smoked paprika won great popularity with BBC listing 261 recipes in total using this ingredient under its food column. The ordinary smoked paprika sold at grocery stores costs around £1.69 for 75g while the same product tagged environment-friendly costs £1.3 for just 10g, or nearly five times more expensive, in Re: Store, a zero waste shop located in Hackney, London. Established in 2019 by founder Megan Adams, Re: Store encourages zero waste-conscious shopping to help protect the planet from harmful degradation. Consumers could bring their own containers for products or utilise paper bags provided by the shop to reduce the use of plastic for packaging. “Our customers want to shop locally and shop sustainably to reduce their environmental impacts,” said Shaniah Bond, assistant manager at Re: Store, “A lot of them like the process of bringing their own jars, filling them and taking them home.” Food waste situation in the UK According to the true cost accounting published by Sustainable Food Trust, people in the UK spend £120 billion annually on food, and an additional £116 billion in environmental and health costs caused by the food and farming industries, which are instead passed onto the public through taxes and expenses related to climate change and environmental damage. Sustainable food reduces the negative environmental impact during their production process, which no longer depends on businesses and systems based on extraction and growth but towards approaches based on the principles of regeneration, sustainability and the circular economy. According to Statista, UK households are estimated to throw away nearly 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging per year, or 66 items per household per week on average. In 2021, the waste reached a staggering number …