Traces of the Past and Beyond the Future

Architecture serves as a great reflection not only of culture and society, but also of the humanity of a city. This exhibition series aims to showcase musings on Hong Kong’s past, the eclectic creative communities of its present, and the city’s plans for a sustainable future. With a significant focus on displaying the profession and contributions of Hong Kong architects in orchestrating a matrix of “PAST meeting FUTURE, and EAST meeting WEST”, the exhibition series demonstrates the boundless possibilities of cultivating Hong Kong’s position at the forefront of architecture in the region and beyond.

The exhibition series’ Curatorial Team represents a dynamic mix of various architectural backgrounds. Reputable names in the team include Mr Bernard V. LIM, BBS, JP, the Principal and Founder of the Architecture Design and Research Group Ltd., Mr Roger WU, who has profound experience in architectural regeneration projects and is an active architect in Hong Kong, the Mainland and the UK, and Mr Stanley SIU, an eminent award-winning architect in Hong Kong.

This acclaimed Curatorial Team invited more than 40 local and overseas exhibitors to showcase the growth of Hong Kong into a major international city. The exhibitors use innovative installations, immersive experiences, multimedia displays, and research analysis in three core zones themed on Made, Make, and Making. This unprecedented show invites visitors to explore the spirit of unparalleled perseverance and the unique aesthetics of the high-density and diversity of Hong Kong with a series of inspirational architectural and design works. The aim is to create a cross-generational dialogue within the city about our own traditions, culture, and future from an architectural perspective.

Highlights of the exhibition

Along with the manifestations of the architectural work through the exhibits, visitors can also get a sneak peek at the multidisciplinary talent from different architectural members who have simultaneously contributed their knowledge of different aspects such as Art, Heritage, Sustainability, Cultural Reservation and Trend Setting that created the “Hong Kong” of today.

The Made zone connects the past with the present while documenting the fascinating history and essence of Hong Kong through the aesthetics and powers of modern design. It pays tribute to well-known architectural masters by tracing their perspectives and appreciating their impact on the city. “Intergenerational Dialogues” by SKY YUTAKA reflects on the collaborative nature of the architectural profession where design dialogue has played a vital role in nurturing and energising Hong Kong's creative community through practice and academia across generations. The installation presents visual essays on two monitors and two drawings that reflect different interests spanning across different generations yet with an inter-dependent relationship within the wider discourse on landscape and architecture.

The Make zone unveils the vivid and creative environment of Hong Kong and the hidden stories of districts, showcasing the local culture and the collective projects resulting from cross-professional placemaking. Densely populated, Hong Kong is widely known for its landscape of skyscrapers which encourages the exploring of diversified communities and examination of the constantly evolving relationship between human beings and space while reflecting on humanity through the city’s architecture. Among the exhibitors, Hong Kong Housing Authority created “Housing for Millions” which visualises existing public housing estates as a splendid collection according to their years of completion and flat numbers. While these public housing estates were seen to be designed in an orderly and highly standardised manner, they were instilled with unique characteristics according to the site-specific planning and design. The open end of the timeline anticipates the public housing developments yet to be built in the future. Designed by Picture Rhythm Studios, “Street Scene Dream” is an installation that creates the illusion of life through animation. With inspiration from the evolution of Hong Kong’s streets, the eye-catching time-lapse videos in this artwork vividly showcase the story of Hong Kong’s iconic street billboards. In the collective work “Power of 4 x 4” by cocoon architecture and afloat studio, the design team provides another perspective reviewing a city with a “top-down” city planning. When we take a closer look at street and building scales, the planned greenery and the spaces of spontaneous human activity give a glimpse of the lifestyles of each household and the city. Such spontaneous growth of greenery reflects the lives of the architecture and reveal the resilience and spirit of Hong Kong.

The Making zone gathers innovative ideas and voices to transcend the boundaries of architectural frameworks. It concentrates on exploring the possibilities of increasing the city's resilience to tomorrow’s unpredictable challenges for a better future. A joint work by Quad Studio and Dimension Plus, “MIRROR MIRROR” consists of 2 parts: installation and media artwork. While the installation tells how the technology of transmitting information has been profoundly changing the lives of humans and the structure of society, the artwork indicates how the medium connects people and things in multidimensions without the limitations of time and boundaries in an era of rapid development. The digitalised cityscape immerses the audience into an everchanging multidimensional Hong Kong.

The Curatorial Team has also invited thematic exhibitors, who represent the multiple identities of a creator in various professions, namely Prof. Thomas CHUNG Wang Leung (Architect, Professor, and literature lover), Raymond CHAN Chi Hang (Calligrapher), Anthony LAI (Architect and Videographer), and LAM Fung (Composer). They express their own interpretations of the architecture of Hong Kong in the forms of literature, calligraphy, video, and music.

In addition, a large-scale installation video wall inspired by the signature coastline of Victoria Harbour is also showcased at the exhibition. This invites visitors to weave in and out through the shorelines of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula.

Mr Bernard V. Lim BBS, JP, one of the curators, says: “After touring from Hangzhou and Beijing to New York, the exhibition series has come to its final stop in Hong Kong. With the extraordinary and inspiring works of talented architects, designers, and artists, we see excellence and uniqueness in the multidiscipline of Hong Kong’s past, present, and future. We hope to bring a fresh perspective to the visitors and ignite the imagination for a new ecology of creative communities and demonstrate the constant effort and contribution of architects.”

The Hong Kong stop of the exhibition series is open for free admission. During the exhibition period, a series of public events and activities will also be held under the banner “ArchiDec” for FREE. Public are invited to take part in the activities to understand more about the growth of Hong Kong into a major international city with the contribution of architects, among other professionals and the larger community. For more details about the public events of the exhibition series, please refer to Appendix 2.

Information on “Beyond Territories - Made . Make . Making” is available on the project website at: www.m3beyond.hk.