DesignInspire exhibition promotes Hong Kong’s creativity
21 November 2023 – Japan had a taste of Hong Kong designers’ work last month through the 10-day DesignInspire exhibition Design Through Heritage, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)* as the Lead Sponsor, which concluded on 29 October. The exhibition showcased 24 works from 17 design groups, bringing Hong Kong’s creativity to Tokyo and further promoting the development of Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industry. The exhibition has returned to Hong Kong and goes on to display at Times Square in Hong Kong from 16 to 30 November.
DesignInspire continues to showcase innovative ideas and creativity through online and offline channels this year. DesignInspire – Design Through Heritage is divided into three main themes: Cityscape of Hong Kong, (Re)Industrialisation and Traditional and Future Crafts. The 24 Design Through Heritage artworks were inspired by the urban experiences of Hong Kong. Hong Kong designers portray the past, present and future of Hong Kong through innovative expressions and historical craftsmanship.
Works showcased at Tokyo’s style hub Omotesando
Hong Kong-based curator Fan Lok Yi introduces the series Rediscovering the Sandpit. The series uses objects, images and text materials related to 20th-century playscapes to form an open research space. Through these research materials, viewers can add their own insights and stories by connecting Hong Kong’s play spaces to the broader context of international design history and expand public imagination about the city’s future.
A Photographic Essay Hong Kong Reminiscence: Document of Hong Kong’s Old Stores was designed by Chan Hei Shing from Hei Shing Book Design. The book is divided into four chapters: Clothing, Food, Accommodation and Transportation, showcasing the information of 25 old stores in Hong Kong from author Hiuman Lam’s in-person visits. The volume introduces Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage and displays traditional craftsmanship and culture. The book focuses on stirring the public’s memory and connecting it with the beauty of the city’s intangible cultural heritage.
Since 2017, founders of @streetsignhk, Kevin Mak and Ken Fung have explored ways to sustain Hong Kong’s signboard culture, promoting signboard-streetscape as urban cultural heritage by exploring in-depth signboard stories of Hong Kong and the city’s building regulations. In their series, graphic neon-light elements from the recycled signboards that once shone on Hong Kong’s streets are collaged into a new neon art. The display is dedicated to exploring and continuing the possibilities of neon sign craftsmanship, design and urban culture through design in practice.
A Study on Hong Kong Beiwei Calligraphy & Type Design, published by Adonian Chan, documented eight years of his research into Hong Kong Beiwei calligraphy and the Zansyu design type, which are both preservation of culture and a reflection on how heritage can inspire designs today.
Allan Fan and Poe Cheung from Studio Nous, a Hong Kong multidisciplinary design studio, introduce Radiant Eateries: Hong Kong Restaurant Neon Sign Drawings. This book incorporates four additional fluorescent inks to achieve distinctive day and night visual effects, guiding readers to appreciate and re-examine 1950s-to-1970s neon sign artworks from two perspectives – day and night.
Creative artwork showcasing in Times Square
DesignInspire – Design Through Heritage is a creative exhibition where members of the public can slow their pace to enjoy the exhibition amid the bustling city. It provides an opportunity for people to redefine Hong Kong’s traditional culture from different perspectives.
The exhibition is running at Times Square from 16 November, showcasing the artworks of 10 out of the 17 design groups that participated in the Tokyo stop to promote Hong Kong’s culture and creativity. It will also be featured at Chill11, which is sponsored by CreateHK, at AsiaWorld-Expo next month, showcasing the artworks of 13 design groups. We cordially invite the public to join and experience the cultural characteristics and creativity of Hong Kong presented by the designers. The DesignInspire - Design Through Heritage exhibition at Times Square runs until 30 November and is open to the public free of charge.
Event details:
DesignInspire – Design Through Heritage
Date: 16 - 30 November 2023
Time: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Venue: Hong Kong Times Square
Admission: Free of charge
Photo download: https://bit.ly/3SJrHiG
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DesignInspire – Design Through Heritage exhibition went on to display in October at Omotesando in Tokyo, attracting numerous Japanese art enthusiasts to appreciate and understand Hong Kong's cultural and creative history |
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Zansyu is an ongoing cultural research and type design project inspired by Hong Kong Beiwei calligraphy |
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Hong Kong-based curator Fan Lok Yi introduces the series Rediscovering the Sandpit, viewers can add their own insights and stories by connecting Hong Kong’s play spaces to the broader context of international design history and expand public imagination about the city’s future |
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The book Radiant Eateries: Hong Kong Restaurant Neon Sign Drawings uses four additional fluorescent inks in printing to achieve distinctive day and night visual effects |
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Designer of Hong Kong Reminiscence: Document of Hong Kong’s Old Stores introduced the design concept of the book to visitors in Japan |
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Neon graphic elements from recycled signboards that once shone on Hong Kong’s streets are collaged into a new neon art by @streetsignhk |
Websites
DesignInspire: https://designinspire.hktdc.com/en/
Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Kelly Shek Tel: (852) 2584 4537 Email: kelly.yt.shek@hktdc.org
Snowy Chan Tel: (852) 2584 4525 Email: snowy.sn.chan@hktdc.org
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.
About Create Hong Kong
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital.
*Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.