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The Art of City Living
Hong Kong
When I travel, I often comb through the bustling hubs and quiet side streets for a city’s quintessential spots. I always try to capture whatever city I most recently call home. I started painting at the tender age of 14 years old and I have never looked back, pursuing the creative life to Parsons School of Design, then Meiji University, and beyond. Now, I'm showing some love to the unbridled talent of the city where I found my passion: Hong Kong!
Updated 4 years ago
In the haze of the daily grind, I find solace within the black walls of Empty Gallery. Stephen Cheng, its founder, built the gallery with the words “tai kong” (太空) or extreme emptiness in mind. All you’re left is a quiet moment alone with the artwork. Gather your thoughts away from the distractions of the outside world, and ponder on Empty Gallery’s time-based art—whether that’s video projections, installations, or multimedia art.
- +852 2563 3396
18 & 19th Floor, Grand Marine Center, 3 Yue Fung Street, Tin Wan, Hong Kong
香港田灣漁豐街3號大洋中心大廈19樓- https://www.theemptygallery.com/
The K11 Art Foundation is a pioneer for contemporary arts in Hong Kong. Their Chi K11 Art Space is a multi-purpose venue dedicated to injecting the arts in the heart of the commercial district. Expect artist workshops, talks, and tours on top of the exhibits throughout the year! Keep in the loop on ongoing exhibits and upcoming events through their website.
K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
- https://blog.chi-artspace.com/
Keeping in the spirit of what’s different, Videotage has been preserving the history of new media with their Videotage Media Art Collection. These aren’t your ordinary vlogs, home movies, or short films; they’re an art form that ties itself together to our quickly advancing technologies. The actual space is quite small, so I recommend visiting Videotage along with other places in Cattle Depot Artist Village. You will want to keep coming back for the workshops and art talks that always keep the local artists at Videotage busy. Just tune into their Facebook and websites for updates.
- +852 2573 1869
Unit 13, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan, Hong Kong
九龍土瓜灣馬頭角道63號牛棚藝術村- http://videotage.org.hk
Try your luck to catch local artist Kwok Mang Ho, also known as “Frog King”, in his own art space and personal studio. Every inch of his corner of the village is intimately marked by frog faces and random objects. While realism was the main concern of the 1970s and 1980s, Frog King was intent on going against the flow with his installations and performance art. Visiting this museum is a hit-or-miss as they don’t have set business hours. A little insider info: time your trip just right and you could have a chat with one of Hong Kong’s pioneers in contemporary art!
- +852 2833 2173
Cattle Depot Artist Village, Unit 10, Block 571, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
馬頭角道63號牛棚藝術村571號10室- http://www.frogkingkwok.com
1aspace is an on a crusade to bring contemporary art to the public. They’ve been doing so since 1998. With the support of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and other partners, 1a space has hopped around the area. Their home, though, remains in the artist village. Tickle your brain with the big ideas. 1a space is always looking for new ways to present concepts, to connect different audiences, to use different media. But more than an incubator for new art for art’s sake, 1a space is a platform to discuss pressing issues weighing down on our modern society.
- +852 2529 0087
Unit 14, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong
香港九龍土瓜灣馬頭角道63號牛棚藝術村14號- https://www.oneaspace.org.hk/
Founded before Hong Kong’s handover from the United Kingdom to China, Para Site is one of the oldest and most active independent art institutions in Asia. They’ve become the leading space for contemporary art, where both emerging artists and world-renowned names have a home in the white-walled gallery. Twenty years later and they haven’t slowed down, hosting artist residencies, workshops, and talks for the next generation of artistic minds. Whenever I come to Para Site, I love to look out on to Kowloon from the rooftop.
- +852 2517 4620
22nd Floor Wing Wah industrial Building, 677 King's Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
香港鰂魚涌英皇道677號 榮華工業大廈22樓- http://www.para-site.org.hk/
100ft. Park Gallery
220 Apliu Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Hong Kong, China • Recommendation •
In only 100 square feet (just under 10 square meters), 100ft. Park has carved out a space to enjoy art around the city. Eventually, they landed in Sham Shui Po, where they remain as a hidden refuge to artists and passers-by looking for a few moments away from the flea market on Apliu Street. Even with the limited space, they are able to foster a community through residencies, exhibits, and special events. Hong Kong’s contemporary art meets a relic from the 1960s; 100ft. Park is housed in an aging tenement buildings (唐樓/ 騎樓, “tong lau” or “qi lou”). Steal away into the balcony area, a chill spot, to enjoy old-school Hong Kong—sometimes they even have music performances during exhibit openings.
Ground Floor, 220 Apliu Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- https://www.100ftpark.hk/
From 100 square feet to one of the largest galleries in Hong Kong, Blindspot has the elbow room to house Hong Kong’s best contemporary art. Get delightfully lost in the expansive collection of modern works from the region’s most talented names, all showcased in 7,000-square feet of industrial space. The peeling paint of the building contrasts with the clean white gallery walls and hung photographs. In the past, they’ve exhibited seven local-born artists born in the 1980s in a group show called “780”. Some names on the local scene to keep an eye out for: Leung Chi Wo, Chen Wei, Trevor Yeung, South Ho Siu Nam, and Angela Su—just to name a few. They’ve exhibited at Blindspot time and time again, so make sure drop on your neighborhood art crawl. Making an appointment is recommended, especially if you’re planning to visit on a Sunday or Monday.
- +852 2517 6238
15th Floor, Po Chai Industrial Building, 28 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
香港黃竹坑道28號保濟工業大廈15樓- https://blindspotgallery.com/
Venturing into the more mainstream art haunts, the Hong Kong Arts Center is a must-visit spot. It is a cornerstone of art in the city as they feature everything: film, performance, comics—you name it! You could spend countless hours just exploring the various spaces in the complex. Watch a film or two, attend a play, or visit an art exhibit. There’s an art form for everyone at the Hong Kong Arts Center. For the versatile artist, it’s the optimal venue to learn something new. Cap off your day at the art center with a sip and a new read at the Hong Kong Arts Center’s café and bookstore.
- +852 2582 0200
2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
香港灣仔港灣道二號- https://www.hkac.org.hk/
The Hong Kong Museum of Art is a great starting point into classic and modern Chinese fine art. Each antique and artifact on display is a study in culture and history, immersing guests in China’s heritage through its various attractions and thematic exhibitions.
- +852 2721 0116
10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
香港九龍尖沙咀梳士巴利道10號
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