Description

The completion of the public art and community art project "The Corner: Urban Living" hosted by the Hong Kong Arts Centre and sponsored by the Urban Renewal Fund and the official launch of the "Corner x Art x Community Renewal" series of activities marked a new milestone in the community renewal of Tai Kok Tsui.

The Innovation and Heritage: "Corner": City Living Place - A Cultural and Creative Landmark in Tai Kok Tsui

"Corner:" Urban Life was designed by Su Chang Design Studio, a team of four young local architects. The pavilion is located in the outdoor area north of Olympian City Phase II in Tai Kok Tsui. It will become a cultural landmark in Tai Kok Tsui. The entire building is made of innovative eco-friendly building materials such as tinplate and composite bamboo. The pavilion is 5 meters high and occupies an area of 1,000 square meters. The building is located on an area of 90 square meters. It combines innovative environmental design technology with the traditional shipbuilding techniques of Tai Kok Tsui. The rotating building shape draws on the shape of a ship, which echoes the theme of "turning corners" and symbolizes the ups and downs of the waves, thus recreating the sea and land of Tai Kok Tsui. The changing spatial features activate the community’s collective memory and encourage the public to jointly envision the community’s future. After its official opening, the pavilion will become a community innovation laboratory in the district, as well as a playground open to the public. It will also be open to the local creative community, including artists, designers, architects and other related institutions, to host various Exhibitions and events.

Future Ecological Visions debuts to imagine a sustainable future for Hong Kong

The highlight of the show was the new work "Future Ecological Phantom" by the famous Australian artist Mikala Dwyer, which was officially unveiled at the "Urban Life Institute". "Future Ecological Phantom" is Mikala's first community holographic projection art installation created for Hong Kong. It takes the familiar local creature "Barn Swallow" as the theme, symbolizing the delicate relationship between ecology and the city, and through the work, it inspires the audience to re-examine the relationship between the city and Connect with nature, think about how to balance ecological conservation while promoting urban development, explore the balance between biodiversity and urban renewal, and imagine a more sustainable future together. In addition, a workshop led by Mikala and Tammy Wong Hulbert will be held on January 11, leading participants to track different birds in Hong Kong and jointly create artworks with the theme of "Barn Swallow". RMIT University and the Future Eco Visions programme are supported by the Australian Government’s Australian Cultural Diplomacy funding programme.

Content and registration of the "Future Ecological Phantom" work interview:
Workshop 1- City Crow Tour
In the fast-paced city of Hong Kong, there are more than 580 species of birds. Among them, sparrows and red-eared bulbuls have adapted to the urban environment, using various public spaces for foraging and roosting; while swallows and swifts build nests on the overhanging structures of the tenement buildings. Over the decades, residents and these “neighborhood birds” have worked together to create a vibrant community that blends Tai Kok Tsui’s unique social landscape with urban biodiversity.

This guided tour is organised by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society with the aim of encouraging the public to visit the Tai Kok Tsui community to explore and learn about the birds in the area. It also hopes to further promote community bird watching activities and highlight the uniqueness of Tai Kok Tsui.
The
Date:11 January, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Meeting place: Corner: Co-creation space
Target: The public (children under 12 years old must be accompanied by their parents)
The
Workshop 2 - Artist-in-Residence Play Workshop
"Turning Corner:" invited the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology School of Art and the famous Australian artist Mikala Dwyer to come to Hong Kong, walk into the Tai Kok Tsui community, and work with upper primary school students through play workshops to create art works with the theme of "Barn Swallow" to explore and Think about the importance of community change, ecological protection and environmental issues.

Date: 11 January, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Tai Kok Tsui District (Detailed location to be confirmed)
Target: The public (young people aged 12-18 are preferred)

Registration details: https://bit.ly/3BXMvgs

The Art intervention and innovation: "Turning Corner": Taking "Urban Life Center" as a starting point to lead a new chapter in community culture

Since its launch in April 2023, the "Corner:" public and community art project has been committed to promoting the establishment and connection of relationships among local communities through artistic intervention. This renewal project integrates the practices of many different art fields, including: murals, large-scale art installations, dance, music, drama, cross-media art, exhibitions, workshops, etc. The art forms involved in the process of community renewal not only retain The community’s historical memory, while also pioneering new forms of cultural expression, provides residents with an environment that is both intimate and novel, and promotes dialogue and understanding between generations. The project team actively established connections with local organizations and residents. To date, there are more than 120 partners and supporting organizations and more than 90 events have been successfully held, with more than 10,000 participants. The "Corner:" project also won the NEXX Sustainability and ESG Awards 2024 Community Education and Engagement Award, which recognized the project's practice of sustainable development and ESG (environmental, social and governance) and set a new benchmark in the industry.