The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) unveils its new thematic exhibition “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Dwelling in Tranquillity—Reinventing Traditional Gardens” today. Staged in Gallery 7, through seven new artworks created by eight Hong Kong interdisciplinary artists and artists’ group, the exhibition aims to interpret and reinvent the art of Chinese garden, a time-honoured tradition. This innovative blend of kinetic, multimedia, and sound installations offers visitors a multisensory experience and helps them see Palace Museum culture in a new light. The exhibition will open to the public from tomorrow (25 October 2023).
Solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust), this is the first Hong Kong Jockey Club Series exhibition presented under the Trust’s donation to the HKPM to support its talent development initiative, exhibitions, and educational programmes in 2023–2031. It testifies to The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s vision to support the HKPM in promoting Chinese culture to future generations and nurturing Hong Kong artists.
The opening ceremony for “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Dwelling in Tranquillity—Reinventing Traditional Gardens” was held at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium at the HKPM today, officiated by Joe Wong Chi-cho, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR); Winnie Tam, Chairman of the HKPM Board; Winnie Yip, Executive Manager, Charities (Sports, Culture & Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Betty Fung, Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA); Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM; and Grace Cheng, guest curator of the exhibition. The ceremony was also attended by the eight participating Hong Kong artists and artists’ group: Fung Wing-lam, Li Chi-tak, Hanison Lau, STICKYLINE, Wong Chung Yu, Keith Lam, Tim Chan, and Kenny Wong.
Experimental exhibition facilitating dialogue between contemporary art and traditional Chinese garden culture
The exhibition presents seven newly commissioned interdisciplinary artworks created by eight early and mid-career Hong Kong artists and artists’ group of different practices. The multimedia artworks aim to capture the essence of traditional Chinese garden. During a field trip, these artists studied traditional gardens in Beijing—including the imperial gardens inside the Forbidden City, the Garden of Perfect Brightness (Yuanmingyuan), the Garden of Nourishing Harmony (Yiheyuan), and the North Sea Park (Beihai gongyuan)—and the treasures of the Palace Museum. Blending elements such as pavilions, bridges, Taihu rocks, sound of nature, and the pulse of the audience, these multimedia installations create a picturesque, tranquil garden in dialogue with Palace Museum objects and immerse visitors in compelling visuals and soundscapes.
The exhibition design incorporates traditional Hong Kong elements such as iron gates and tiles. The gallery space offers plenty of seating, encouraging visitors to wander around, sit back, relax, and enjoy the nuances of the reinvented gardens and the pleasure of discovery within the gallery.
Joe Wong Chi-cho, Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said, “The West Kowloon Cultural District is an important component of the HKSAR Government's plan to develop and solidify Hong Kong’s position as an East-meets-West Centre for international cultural exchange, as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan. The Hong Kong Palace Museum is dedicated to promoting the appreciation and study of Chinese arts and culture, and has received widespread acclaim since its opening. This creative exhibition provides a space for interaction and dialogue between the past and the present. I believe it will leave an excellent impression on local, mainland, and overseas audiences.”
Winnie Tam, Chairman of the HKPM Board, said, “This exhibition is the fruition of the joint effort of the Hong Kong artists with exceptional talent and immense creativity. With a fresh curatorial approach, they worked closely together to create these extraordinary artworks that facilitate new dialogues between contemporary multimedia art and time-honoured Chinese garden culture. Through creative programmes and innovative technology, the HKPM aspires to become an innovative leader in museum curation and education with the mission of promoting the inheritance of Chinese culture to the public—future generations in particular. We are hugely grateful for the Trust’s tremendous support and its recognition of our effort, which allows us to continue to work towards such a vision.”
Winnie Yip, Executive Manager, Charities (Sports, Culture & Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “This is the first Hong Kong Jockey Club Series exhibition to be held at the HKPM. To allow visitors to appreciate the beauty of traditional Chinese gardens, the exhibition artworks blend together kinetic and sound installations, providing a fresh multisensory experience. The Club looks forward to supporting more of the HKPM’s exhibitions, educational and outreach activities, through which we aim to promote Chinese arts and culture globally and to further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international cultural hub.”
To complement the exhibition, the HKPM will offer a range of educational programmes aimed at enhancing visitors’ understanding and appreciation of the artworks and their cultural significance. These programmes include public talks on the artworks, guided tours, and curator-led workshops about the techniques and skills employed by the artists. The museum will also prioritise community engagement, inclusivity, and school outreach, offering tailored activities such as accessible tours and workshops for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. Additionally, the HKPM will collaborate with universities to host webinars and artist dialogues targeted at students, particularly those studying the arts, who can benefit from the industry insights and be greatly inspired by traditional Chinese garden art.
“The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Dwelling in Tranquillity—Reinventing Traditional Gardens” will open in Gallery 7 of the HKPM on 25 October 2023. Visitors can access this exhibition with a General Admission or Special Exhibition ticket. Tickets are now available for sale or reservation through the West Kowloon Cultural District’s online ticketing platforms and ticketing partners.
Remarks
About the Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to become a leading institution in the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture while advancing dialogue among world civilisations. The Hong Kong Palace Museum is a collaborative project between the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Palace Museum and is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of HK$3.5 billion for its establishment, as well as some of the annual exhibitions and educational programmes in 2023–2031.
Embracing new curatorial approaches, the Museum combines a Hong Kong perspective with a global vision to present precious artefacts from the Palace Museum and other important cultural institutions around the world. Through research, exhibitions, and educational and professional exchange programmes, the Museum aims to build international partnerships and position Hong Kong as a global hub for art and culture. At heart a resource that belongs to the local community, the Museum strives to inspire community engagement, foster dialogue, and promote creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on 40 hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, providing 23 hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
https://www.westkowloon.hk/
