Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce the opening of Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy — the first historical martial arts mixed-media exhibition on this century-old heritage site. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Institute of Chinese Martial Studies, and will be on view from 25 February 2021 to 4 April 2021.

Curated by Hing Chao and Roberto Gotti, Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy is a multi-dimensional presentation of China and Italy’s warrior and sword traditions from the Classical era through to the Early Modern age. The exhibition showcases more than 50 historic swords and polearms which are shown publicly in Hong Kong for the first time, over 20 sixteenth-century martial arts manuscripts and books, as well as a range of historic objects related to martial cultures in China and Italy.

Hing Chao, curator of Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy, said, “China and Italy are ancient civilisations that have developed in parallel for over two thousand years. It is an extraordinary privilege to present their respective historic martial arts culture to the Hong Kong public, which I hope will shed light on how martial culture — swords and swordsmen in particular — has shaped human history.”

At the same time, drawing on City University of Hong Kong professor and new media curator Jeffrey Shaw’s world-leading expertise in new media, Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy offers a wide range of immersive and interactive experiences in order to bring viewers through a historic journey of the sword, ultimately arriving at the twenty-first century when historic martial arts in Italy and China converge upon a common path of rediscovery and exchange.

Professor Jeffrey Shaw, new media curator of Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy, said, “Digital techniques and media art have become very powerful tools of interpretation when applied to cultural heritage. Building on our success innovating and exploring these techniques in previous martial arts projects, the digital media in this exhibition makes the public experience even more engaging and rich.”

Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts, said, “The first ‘embassy’ linking China with Italy was established during the reign of emperors Marcus Aurelius of the Roman Empire and Huandi of Eastern Han Dynasty (漢桓帝). Nearly 2000 years later, the intricate swords showcased in this thrilling exhibition remind us of the significance of martial arts in the history of these two great civilisations. Tai Kwun is delighted to be working with partners like the Institute of Chinese Marital Studies, who share our commitment to bring heritage to life in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences.”  

The exhibition also features photography by Almond Chu, Chinese ink art paintings by Lin Haizhong, Zheng Li, and Lee Chi Ching, as well as a selection of animations and documentary films in historic martial arts specially commissioned for this exhibition. 

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

From historic swords to martial arts books, Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy presents exquisite exhibits from private collections, of which 40 pieces are on view for the first time.

Qijiadao

This is a rare example of early Qing sabre which has been extensively polished by renowned sword-restorer Philip Tom and was remounted on its current hilt. From the rise of the Mongols in the 12th century until the Qing dynasty, the yanlingdao – the cavalry sabre par excellence – was the dominant sword type in China. Then during the Ming dynasty, particularly in the Wanli and Jiajing periods, Chinese blade design and swordsmanship came under heavy Japanese influence as a result of extensive disturbances caused by the Wokou pirates along the Chinese coast. This sword exhibits features of both the earlier yanlingdao and the Japanese sword. The Ming general Qi Jiguang adopted the design of the superior nihonto (Japanese sword) for his troops, hence the name for this type of sword – appropriately named “qijiadao” (Qi family sabre) – which fundamentally combines features of yanlingdao and tachi.  

Migration Period Sword with Gold–gilt Twin Bird–head Hilt

One of the oldest swords in this exhibition, this is a rare specimen from the Migration Period (c. 300–568). The twin-grooved blade–a continuation of the late Roman spatha–falls into the general type of the period. The gold–gilt grip is in the “Byzantine” style and shows its owner was a high-status warrior. The most unusual part is the guard which forms a bird-head at each end. This is the only migration period sword to have such a double bird–head hilt design.

Double-eagles have a long history in heraldry, starting with the Ancient Near East and Mycenae, and later adopted by the Byzantine Empire in the 13th century. The appearance of the double eagles on this early sword therefore suggests an association with the east. This was a period of immense population movement, and judging from the characteristics of the sword, it could have been Byzantine, Gothic, or Longobard, bearing in mind that sword exchanges were frequent and cross-cultural influence was pervasive. Both the Ostrogoths and Longobards formed political alliances and had warriors serving with the Huns, and it is tempting to see in the twin eagle–head hilt a Hunnic connection.

An alternative interpretation is that the bird-heads are not of eagles but ravens, as suggested by the shape of the beaks. Twin ravens are an ancient motif in old Germanic mythology, associated in particular with Woden, the supreme god and the god of war.

Ceremonial Armour for a Manchu Officer of the Blue Banner Cavalry Brigade

During the Qing dynasty, the colours, symbolism and insignia of these ceremonial costume were strictly regulated. The dragon designs and blue satin silk of this costume indicate that it was made for a Manchu officer of the blue banner cavalry brigade, who was assigned to protect the imperial capital of Peking.

Opera Nova system of Renaissance Italian martial arts – Linear Navigator

Achille Marozzo’s Opera Nova (1528) is one of the most important documents for Italian Renaissance martial arts, presenting a comprehensive system that includes the two-handed sword, side sword, two swords, sword and dagger, sword and shield, sword and buckler, sword and cape, halberd, roncone, etc., as well as unarmed martial arts. This system has been revived through Maestro Roberto Gotti’s meticulous research over the past twenty-five years.

Presented through the Linear Navigator, an interactive media machine designed by Prof. Jeffrey Shaw and Prof. Sarah Kenderdine, the audience may discover Opera Nova through their own navigation. For contextualisation, 16th century weapons used in the Opera Nova system are displayed next to the Linear Navigator.

Encountering the Masters at D Hall

For the first time, the 6 prison cells of D Hall are transformed into a part of thematic exhibition venue, featuring performances of 12 different types of weapons, which offer viewers an intense experience of encountering contemporary Chinese and Italian martial arts masters up-close. An original video artwork by Almond Chu — an artistic interpretation of “Sword Shadows” which offers a more meditative, though no less powerful, expression — is also on view.

VISITOR INFORMATION

Way of the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy opens to the public from 25 February through 4 April 2021, Every day from 11am to 8pm at Duplex Studio, Block 01 and G/F, D Hall in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Please visit the Tai Kwun website for the latest update.

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, whilst the Visitor Centre runs from 10am to 8pm. Please refer to the Tai Kwun’s Lifestyle Enjoyment online for a full listing of  restaurants, gift shops, designer stores and other lifestyle offerings.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun website for updates.  Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation. Temperature scanning and facemasks are mandatory for all admitted visitors. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_information.

Tai Kwun Contemporary’s BOOKED: 2021 Art Book Pop-Ups returns for its third and special “boutique” edition from 25 to 28 February 2021 (Thursday to Sunday) across various locations at Tai Kwun.

Featuring more than 80 artists, publishers, organisations and booksellers, BOOKED: 2021 is Tai Kwun Contemporary's annual celebration of art and publishing. Artist-made and artist-centred books—including zines, photo books, monographs, and critical or experimental writing—will be available for sale alongside associated publications and ephemera.

This year, BOOKED: 2021 will once again feature Hong Kong-based participants who will share their materials on site, along with those hosting non-local participants who will contribute from a distance through a special “twin” partner programme.

Due to the pandemic, BOOKED: 2021 is presented within various “pop-ups” throughout the heritage buildings at Blocks 1, 3, and 9, around the Parade Ground of Tai Kwun, and will adhere to the latest health and safety regulations and enforce social distancing measures.

As a special “boutique” edition, this temporary measure will spread out the event across more spaces and will enliven the heritage buildings around the Parade Ground. Tickets will be free, but pre-registration is strongly advised.

BOOKED: 2021 aims to highlight the intrinsic nature of books and the efforts of those who continue to make, publish and circulate them, while offering the chance for disparate people and communities to connect over great distances.

Given the seismic shifts influencing the flows of information and people worldwide, the impulse for art in print to circulate remains strong. It reverberates in BOOKED: 2021 through its participants’ publishing practices, as well as through this year’s commissioned editions, displays, projects and programmes that demonstrate how networks among artists and publishers both reference the history of mail art while continuing to explore possibilities within the digital domain. “Reverberations” of the past also present themselves in both image and sound, through artists working to find ways to bridge distances both near and far, be they real or imagined.

Pre-registration on the Tai Kwun website is open now; limited numbers of tickets will be available on site.

Highlighted participants this year include:

Twin Partners

Art Metropole (Toronto) x Para Site (Hong Kong)

• Art Metropole, a decades-old Canadian non-profit organisation, shares books and more focusing on their efforts to promote the production, dissemination and contextualisation of artist-initiated publishing
• Para Site, the local independent art institution presents printed matter and text-based works by Hong Kong-based artists in their Paid Online Studio Visits and their NoExit Grants programmes, along with Para Site’s own publications

ACO Books (Hong Kong) x nos:books (Taipei)

• Stalwart of Hong Kong’s Foo Tak building brings in the well-regarded nos:books from Taipei

Chan Wai Kwong (Hong Kong) x Zen Foto (Tokyo)

• Hong Kong photographer works with Zen Foto to present some of the best artist books in photography

ODD ONE OUT (Hong Kong) x commune Press (Tokyo)

• Graphic and illustration outfit in Wanchai hosts the renowned photography-based Commune Press

hato store (London)

• Playful riso publications paired with new zines based on local content and collaborations

Hong Kong Open Printshop (Hong Kong) x Typesetting SG (Singapore)

• The institutional printshop of JCCAC brings in publications featuring type experimentation from Singapore

MOSSES (Hong Kong) x motto (Berlin)

• Local publisher and bookstore featuring a range of niche publications including from regional and international contributors

TASCHEN (Hong Kong) x onestar press / Three Star Books (Paris)

• Leading art book publisher (stationed in Tai Kwun) hosts books and editions by artist-focused publications from Paris-based onestar press / Three Star Books

ZINECOOP (Hong Kong) x Independent Publishing Resource Center (Portland, Oregon)

• Indie publishing artist collective collaborates with Portland's resource center for zine creation, letterpress printing, book binding and printing

Select Individual Participants

mini press @ Tiana CloudLand (Hong Kong)

• Mini books from mini press, including a selection of other small-scale books throughout Asia

Old Textbooks (Hong Kong)

• Local artist Lau Chi Chung returns with his print-based ephemera with a nostalgic take on Hong Kong’s visual heritage

Raven Chacon (New Mexico)

• Field Recordings, a project incorporating the sights and hidden sounds of the lands around the New Mexico-based artist’s home

Dorothy Wong Ka Chung, Benjamin Ryser (o!sland) (Hong Kong / Zurich)

• Project by artist collective from Tai Kwun’s Open Call for Artists’ Studios presents a new book with video and sound

Popo-Post Art Group (Hong Kong)

• Young art collective delves into history of food and art publishing to create an interactive project with visitors

Short Hair Studio (Hong Kong)

• Presentation to launch book project from Tai Kwun’s Open Call 2019

Yim Sui Fong (Hong Kong)

• The Man Who Attends to the Times,  a site-conscious project by the multi-disciplinary artist who presents and will share stories (2-6pm daily) from the latest in her annual published series of books connected to her father

David Horvitz (Los Angeles)

• The series of nine postcards and site-specific project for BOOKED: 2021, revisits when Los Angeles-based artist David Horvitz travelled to the Maldives so he could invite his mother back home to watch “the sun in [their] eyes at the same time”. It continues Horvitz’s conceptual practice that explores the possibilities for interconnected experiences by integrating art in print with digital media.

For more information, please visit https://www.taikwun.hk/booked/. Hashtag #BOOKEDHK

Visitor information

Tai Kwun will adopt social distancing measures in compliance to the latest safety regulations. Through the architecture, design, and layout of BOOKED:, adequate spacing between tables is maintained. Temperature scanning and facemasks are mandatory for all admitted visitors. Eating and drinking in public areas is temporarily not allowed. The frequency of cleansing is being stepped up for high contact surfaces throughout the day, and hand sanitiser stations are available throughout Tai Kwun. Visit the Tai Kwun website for more details: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/visiting_tai_kwun.

Programme details are subject to change, please refer to the Tai Kwun websites for news and updates. 

Visitors are encouraged to pre-register for their free tickets online via https://www.taikwun.hk/booked/ prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity and safety conditions.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games, a solo exhibition by Francis Alÿs, one of the most influential conceptual artists of our time. Structured around the artist’s interest in migration, borders, and his fascination with children’s games from around the world, this exhibition brings together for the first time in Hong Kong three important and interconnected projects by Alÿs, including newly commissioned videos by Tai Kwun Contemporary. The exhibition runs from 28 October 2020 to February 2021.

Critically acclaimed and internationally admired, Francis Alÿs (b. 1959, Belgium; based in Mexico since 1986) has a complex and at times elusive artistic practice that poetically fuses an imaginative, conceptual sensibility with the socio-political momentousness of issues related to urban spaces, transnational borders, and geopolitical concerns. While his works are charged with political concerns, what is significant is how he opens up an artistic space for doubt and invention—often through ephemeral actions initiated and documented by the artist which leave no trace and yet conjure up fables.

Curated by Xue Tan and Sunjung Kim and co-presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary and Art Sonje Center, Seoul, the exhibition’s title is based on the “spark” to Alÿs’s works on view—the “Wet Feet, Dry Feet” policy on Cuban refugees in 1995. Under this policy, Cuban migrants headed for the United States faced vastly different treatment depending on whether they were intercepted at sea or on land, on US soil. If intercepted at sea (“wet feet”), they would be repatriated back to Cuba; if intercepted on land (“dry feet”), they would be allowed to stay in the United States. For a Hong Kong audience, this might sound uncannily familiar: the “Touch Base” policy in 1970s Hong Kong meant that Mainland Chinese migrants would be sent back to the Mainland if intercepted at sea or in the New Territories; only if they reached south of Boundary Street—the formal boundary between Kowloon and the New Territories—were migrants allowed to stay legally in the territory (in the quirky British sports reference, “touch base”).

Borders and games

The connection between borders and games in Francis Alÿs’s artistic practice lies at the heart of the exhibition. After his quixotic attempt to connect Havana and Key West, Florida by means of a bridge of boats from fishing communities and private individuals in Bridge/Puente (2006), the artist shifted his attention to the narrower Strait of Gibraltar, a waterway 13 km wide, with the imaginative impulse of connecting Northern Africa and Southern Europe with a line of fishing boats—which was later enacted metaphorically by groups of children departing from the shores with “shoe boats”, tiny boats made with babouches and flip-flop sandals. In a process that took two years of preparation, the artist evaded interference and interest from various parties, and filmed the final performance as a “Children’s Game”.

Presented alongside the video installation Don’t Cross the Bridge Before You Get to the River (2008) are over 100 paintings, drawings and notes drafted during the preparation of the project. While working with children for this project, Alÿs was reminded of his long-time observation of children at play, particularly their appropriation of public spaces for play and their strong sense of moving freely within “rules”.

Children’s Games

His latest on-going project, Children’s Games (1999–ongoing), consists of more than 20 documentary videos of children at play in various locations; some were filmed in countries that have suffered from ongoing war and conflicts, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, while other places were shot in Nepal, Jordan, Mexico, France, and Hong Kong—the last featuring newly commissioned videos by Tai Kwun Contemporary. Without ever becoming directly involved, the artist documents children moving about in their own ways and playing their games—games which also echo the rituals, symbols, insights, superstitions and events of the specific society, culture, and locality. Children’s Games is in the vein of his artistic practice—touching poetically on conceptual displacement and alluding lightly, whimsically on politics and social engagement. Viewers can observe a poignant sense of innocence and the redemptive power of play—universal and transcending conventions, languages, and borders.

Tobias Berger, Head of Art, Tai Kwun, said, “We chose to work with Francis Alÿs because he has been very influential in Hong Kong for a group of artists with a certain type of artistic practice. We are delighted to show this exhibition—having worked on this project for nearly three years now—and elated that the artist has managed to come to Hong Kong in person during this difficult time.”

Xue Tan, Curator of Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games from Tai Kwun, said, “I am thrilled to have been able to work with Francis Alÿs, an artist whom I have admired for years. This exhibition is conceived for Hong Kong, and so the fact we have been able to film additional children’s games in Hong Kong—despite the pandemic and travel restrictions—is significant. It speaks to how art can rise above difficulties, and how a great artist creates under all circumstances.”

Public Programmes

Tai Kwun Contemporary Weekend Guided Tour

Come spend your weekends at Tai Kwun Contemporary. Learn about the art exhibitions by joining a tour with one of our professional, friendly docents.

Date: Every Saturdays and Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates) Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm (Cantonese), 4:00pm-5:00pm (English)

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Fun Guided Tour (for ages 5+)

Join Tai Kwun Contemporary for a fun Family Tour, which welcomes 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child. Participants will be fully engaged in the selected artworks through visual references in the form of a tour guide booklet.
 

Date: Designated Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates)

Time: 11:00am-12:00pm, 3:00pm-4:00pm

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Day at Tai Kwun Contemporary: Family Tour and Workshop ““The Ping-Pong Friends”

The Family Tour consists of guiding participants through artworks based on the exhibitions with interactive discussions and visual references in the form of an in-depth tour guide booklet. In the workshop, participants will cut out two countries on the world map and use them as patterns to make wooden ping-pong bats. After completion, children can play a two-player game and become players of that country. Pass the ball and praise each other at the same time. Children can understand each other and become friends through the activity. All activities are designed to welcome 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child (5+ years).

Date: 1, 15 & 29 November,13 & 27 December 2020, 10 January 2021 (Every other Sundays)

Time: 3pm-5pm (Bilingual)

Tickets: HK $80 per timeslot for one family pair (one adult with one child). Get tickets on Tai Kwun website

Visitor information

Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games is on view from 28 October through February 2021, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at JC Contemporary in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games, visitors can visit SNEEZE, a solo exhibition by Mika Rottenberg featuring four video installations that create surreal alternative worlds of global everyday life.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun Contemporary presents a solo exhibition by Mika Rottenberg entitled SNEEZE, which runs from 24 October 2020 to February 2021. Featuring four video installations that create surreal alternative worlds of global everyday life, this is the first solo exhibition in Hong Kong by the artist.

Argentina-born, New York-based artist Mika Rottenberg (b. 1976) is known for her engaging yet rigorous artistic practice that combines film, architectural installation and sculpture. She is fascinated by processes of labour and of technology as well as the effects of distance and the production of value in our contemporary world. Her works bring to the fore some of the absurdities in our global world.

Curated by Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, SNEEZE presents four works by Mika Rottenberg—Sneeze (2012), NoNoseKnows (2015), Cosmic Generator (2017), and Spaghetti Blockchain (2019). Her practice focuses on material surfaces and transformations that are simultaneously stimulating and disturbing, bizarre and banal, beautiful and lethal, productive and also exploitative. More specifically, the artist seeks out locales and locations across the globe to cast a spotlight on specific systems of production, such as a pearl factory in the Mainland, or a Calexico border town—yet she does so in humorous and surreal ways.

Referencing the traditions of both cinema and sculpture, Rottenberg documents aspects of reality but also invents footage from studio-built sets in order to create elaborate and subversive visual narratives. By weaving fact and fiction together, she highlights the inherent beauty and absurdity of our contemporary existence, shedding light on connections, disconnections, and the complexity of exchange.

Exploring production processes that betray a wilful disconnection between labourers, suppliers, products, merchants, and consumers, Rottenberg’s works inspire audiences to rethink theories of production, exchange, and consumption, in the vein where New Materialism advocates a critical materialist attention to distributed global influences of late capitalism and of climate change.

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, says, “Hong Kong has for decades served as an intermediary between what we once called ‘East’ and ‘West’; it is a place of contrasts, contradictions, but also coming together. In many ways, I think Mika Rottenberg’s video works exemplify such contradictions and connections—fascinating and sometimes volatile contradictions that allow viewers to gain insight or awareness into the paradoxes of contemporary existence. Her works are not about Hong Kong as such, but are connected to the overabundance of goods and flows of global trade that Hong Kong is very much part of. Finally, she has this humorous and imaginative approach to these very serious issues.”

Sneeze (2012)

Men with exaggeratingly large red noses sneeze, one after another, ejecting an odd assortment of objects on a tabletop—rabbits, raw meat, lightbulbs, among others. This absurdist, whimsical video work constructs surreal scenarios by means of minimal content and formal repetition. Inspired by the classic work Fred Ott’s Sneeze (1894), Rottenberg explores the connections between “labour” (giving birth and work), “excretions” (masculine and feminine), and gender from a contemporary perspective. The theme of sneezing would also be further elaborated in her later work NoNoseKnows.

NoNoseKnows (2015)

A burly, well-built woman sits in front of a small windmill contraption. She keeps breathing in pollen—until she sneezes and ejects platefuls of pasta. At the other end of the contraption, a female worker below rotates a pulley; like the adjacent female workers producing farmed pearls, the worker is engaged in an endless cycle of repetitive motion, a mere link in the production chain of commodities.

With its outlandish and colourful scenes, NoNoseKnows transforms stereotypical factory buildings and production lines into occasions of delightful surprise while commenting cleverly on contemporary conditions of labour and exchange. Arising from Rottenberg’s experiences during her first research visit in China, NoNoseKnows demonstrates her unique imagination and daring juxtapositions that convincingly fuse fantasy and realism.

Cosmic Generator (2017)

The video presents a fantastical scene in a border town: Chinese restaurants and street vendors in Calexico are juxtaposed alongside storefronts inside Chinese wholesale markets, swallowed up by suffocating quantities of goods. These all seem to exist in parallel universes with no apparent connections. Yet at the same time, the work reveals another level of commodities, of people dressed up as quesadillas—and of a mysterious power invisible to the human eye passing through tunnels and corridors, opening up and bridging the world in a peculiar way. With Rottenberg’s impactful visual language, Cosmic Generator playfully thinks through today’s overabundance of goods and its exhausting flow of global trade. The work forges unexpected connections of time and space, as well as melding fact and fiction, misinformation and earnestness.

Spaghetti Blockchain (2019)

The film starts off with a Tuvan singer throat-singing on the grasslands. As the low echoing and continuous sound transitions to various scenes in the film studio, the latter offers up a series of actions that oddly stimulates the audience through colours, shapes, and acoustics—including cutting and melting a bouncy jelly, crushing stacks of spaghetti, and noisily playing with colourful beads. The artist begins with specific, miniscule objects, and then extends to advanced equipment such as Large Hadron Colliders and potato harvesters, linking the material world together in a way that goes apparently against logic, creating rich and sensorial experiences. Aside from foregrounding the peculiar material characteristics of each object, the soundtrack also incites pleasing and elusive ASMR (Automated Sensory Meridien Responses) effects in the viewer. 

Public Programmes

Tai Kwun Contemporary Weekend Guided Tour

Come spend your afternoons at Tai Kwun Contemporary. Learn about the art exhibitions by joining a tour with one of our friendly, professional docents.

Date: Every Saturdays and Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates)

Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm (Cantonese), 4:00pm-5:00pm (English)

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Fun Guided Tour (for ages 5+)

Join Tai Kwun Contemporary for a fun Family Tour, which welcomes 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child. Participants will be fully engaged in the selected artworks through visual references in the form of a tour guide booklet.

Date: Designated Sundays (starting from November; please check the Tai Kwun website for the latest updates on event dates)

Time: 11:00am-12:00pm, 3:00pm-4:00pm

Free admission; register on the Tai Kwun website

Family Day at Tai Kwun Contemporary: Family Tour and Workshop “Bubble Blowing Nose”

The Family Tour consists of guiding participants through artworks based on the exhibition with interactive discussions and visual references in the form of an in-depth tour guide booklet. In the workshop, participants will make a bubble blowing pipe in the shape of a nose with copper wire. This surreal nose can be worn on the children's face, and then the children can use a long nose to dip soapy water and blow bubbles, challenging their illustrative skills and imagination. All activities are designed to welcome 1 parent/guardian participating together with 1 child (5+ years).

Date: 1, 15 & 29 November,13 & 27 December 2020, 10 January 2021 (Every other Sundays)

Time: 11am-1pm

Tickets: HK $80 per timeslot for one family pair (one adult with one child). Get tickets on Tai Kwun website

Visitor information

SNEEZE is on view from 24 October through February 2021, every Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm at JC Contemporary in Tai Kwun. Free admission, with guided tours and related public programmes available. Along with SNEEZE, visitors can visit Wet feet __ dry feet: borders and games, a solo exhibition by Francis Alÿs featuring conceptual works about migration, borders, and children’s games from around the world.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while Tai Kwun Contemporary at JC Contemporary is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun—Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce that a brand-new series of performing arts programmes, “On Stage Online”, will launch in September, with over 10 programmes to be presented in phases. The first six programmes will kick off this month. This full line-up of performing arts events in a variety of formats will delight viewers and connect audiences on a variety of platforms.

The arts and society are inextricably bound; they respond and react to one another. In a year when the situation with the pandemic remains painful and unpredictable, the performing arts—and indeed society at large—faces incredible challenges, not least with planning programmes that can resonate and entertain audiences. Nonetheless, many artists and performers are drawing on their reservoirs of strength and are rising to this challenge, responding to a difficult transformation of society and everyday life by making breakthroughs in conventional modes of art-making. Tai Kwun is mindful of this, as its mission is to provide the public with arts and entertainment on the one hand and to support and nurture local artists on the other. When performances were unfortunately interrupted or cancelled, Tai Kwun wants to show its support. Therefore, dance, drama, music, online interactive theatrical performances, and many other forms of performing arts events in “On Stage Online” will be presented—free of charge—on the internet from 13 September 2020. Registration is open now. Please visit the Tai Kwun website for programme details. 

【Dance】We Are (digitally becoming) Spectacle(s) │13.09.2020

Co-presented by: Jockey Club New Arts Power

Subsequent to the presentation of The World Was Once Flat in Tai Kwun Dance Season 2018, choreographer Joseph Lee continues his inquiry into corporeal language in Unfolding Images: We are Spectacle(s), a piece to be staged next year. Lee and the performers decode bodily postures to experiment with possible relationships of seeing and being seen. Before Unfolding is performed on stage, We Are (digitally becoming) Spectacle(s) will be hosted by the creative cast in the form of an open rehearsal. When the performers move around and place themselves at different corners of Tai Kwun, they and their cameras embark on a virtual sightseeing tour of the disjointed space. Audience members will interact with the performers by means of the cameras and instant messaging, and will get a glimpse of the prototype of the piece before it is staged. There will be a talk after the presentation, in which the choreographer will share his creative processes with the audience.

Live programme: 13.09.2020, 4pm – 5:30pm

Online registration: now until 11.09.2020*

【Dance】A Lover's Concerto│13.09 & 18.10.2020

Presented by: City Contemporary Dance Company

Established 41 years ago, CCDC has created numerous dance pieces and nurtured its fair share of romantic stories over that time. In A Lover's Concerto, couples from different generations who all met at CCDC will perform a choreographed piece recreating their lasting memories, leading the audience in an exploration of relationships through interactions and by feeling each other’s heart beats. A “meet-the-artists” segment will be held after each duo. A Lover's Concerto is a programme that is part of the CCDC Digital Dance Season.

Live programme: 13.09 & 18.10.2020, 8pm – 9pm

Online registration: from now until full *

【Music】This Victoria Has No Secrets...When It Goes Online │17.09.2020

This Victoria Has No Secrets first premiered in May 2018 for Tai Kwun’s opening, with re-run performances last year earning exciting feedback from audiences as well. It sang along with Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong’s celebrated natural landmark with its world-famous night vista, with the harbour having witnessed the city’s various metamorphoses. Once, a city called “Victoria” faced Victoria Harbour on Hong Kong island. Victoria City no longer exists; so what will Victoria Harbour be like?

Through the video clips taken inside and outside of Tai Kwun in Central with three melodic songs selected from the production, Yat Po Singers is thrilled to show the audience a sneak peek of This Victoria Has No Secrets, the a cappella theatre programme that brings a musical journey of nostalgia in Hong Kong’s heritage and cultural icon – before it will be staged at Tai Kwun’s outdoor space next year.

Online Programme: 17-30.09.2020

【Dance】The Creation of Under∞Line│20.09.2020

The recent works of choreographer Rebecca Wong are concerned with the relationship between carnal desire and society, and between culture and power. Her first presentation at Tai Kwun was Bird-watching in 2018, and the next one will be Under∞Line scheduled for next year. Little is publicly known about what the art-maker has undergone before the art-piece greets its audience in the theatre. The “making-of” documentary The Creation of Under∞Line brings the audience into Wong’s world of creation, allowing a glimpse of the process from conception, researching and interactions among creative collaborators before the work is born; an excerpt of the upcoming work will also be shown.

Online Programme: 20.09 – 3.102020

【Theatre】A Poem in Jail  (in progress) – Happy Together Till the Next Century Comes│24.09.2020

Since Tai Kwun’s opening in 2018, playwright and director Yan Pat To has been an active collaborator. His new work A Poem in Jail, an immersive theatre inspired by a bed-board with a love poem found in a women’s cell at Victoria Prison, will be staged next year. The ground-breaking immersive production features artists across disciplines—Kingsley Ng (media installation), Adrian Yeung (video artist), Jass Leung (dramaturg) and Chow Yiu Fai (lyric artist)—together they reimagine a theatrical experience with lyrics, sounds, images and drama, bringing the audience to tread a path that explores Central then and now. A Poem in Jail (in progress) – Happy Together Till the Next Century Comes - carries a fragment of the time and space of A Poem in Jail, revealing short episodes that will not be unveiled in the future work. In this prelude to the main story, Yan offers his intimate insight to the creation of the new work to the public. Looking forward to next year’s performance, audience may receive a surprise access to the exclusive preview of the new work.

 Online Programme: 24.09-7.10.2020

【Online Interactive Theatre】See You Zoom Again │29.09.2020

See You Zoom Again is a creative work conceived during the ups and downs of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, as a response to society and as a way of coping with the new trend of online theatres. Inspired by the practice of ethnotheatre, a theatre-making method based on ethnographic research, the See team creates this work via Zoom and will share different Hong Kong stories and invites the audience to join in on real-time interactions. Together they give shape to the ongoing adaptations and struggles of people’s lives in Hong Kong. The audience becomes both spectator and participant, experiencing the dissolving boundaries of the stage in online performance. 

The premiere of See You Zoom at the beginning of this year was so well-received that the registration was full to the brim. Its return to Tai Kwun’s “On Stage Online” series will allow a larger audience and feature a stronger creative team, with new additions such as Frankie Ho (Composer) and Tsang Man-tung (Scenographer). Audience can take part in post-performance workshop of selected shows and convert their reflections into personalized artworks.

Online Performance:

29.09 – 04.10.2020, 8pm;

01-04.10.2020, 3pm

Online Registration: now until 2 days before performance*

See You Zoom Again Post-Performance Workshop

30.09, 02 & 04.10.2020, 10pm;

02 & 04.10.2020, 5pm

Online Registration: now until 2 days before performance*

*In first-come-first-serve basis with limited quota

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces the second annual Open Call for Artists’ Studios, an initiative aimed at artists, practitioners, and researchers working in the fields of contemporary art, performing arts, and heritage, the three main programming spheres at Tai Kwun. Applications are open to all, with a strong preference for candidates who can demonstrate a strong connection to Hong Kong. Up to four successful applicants will be eligible to work at the artists’ studios free of charge, in the historic former residential quarters (Block 06 and 07) within Tai Kwun, with a target duration of 3-6 months between April 2021 and March 2022. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to take part in Tai Kwun’s public programming events such as talks and sharing sessions.

The successful candidate should ideally be an artist, performer, art practitioner, curator, architect, researcher, writer, educator, or academic, working in the field of contemporary art, performing arts, or heritage. The successful candidate should preferably demonstrate a strong connection to Hong Kong and ideally Tai Kwun (in terms of connection to the site as well as Tai Kwun’s programming). Applications will be evaluated based on the artistic, creative, and academic merit of the candidates, particularly with regard to the degree to which the successful candidates can gain a rewarding, enriching experience at Tai Kwun, as well as how the successful candidates can contribute to contemporary art, performing arts, and heritage in Hong Kong.

The deadline for applications is Friday, 18 September 2020.

Proposals will be evaluated by a committee that includes representatives of Tai Kwun Contemporary as well as field experts.

Interested parties can submit applications to opencall@taikwun.hk by 23:59pm, Friday, 18 September 2020. Visit Tai Kwun website for full details: https://bit.ly/31c4Ujd.

Tai Kwun’s Artists’ Studios

In parallel with Tai Kwun’s diverse public programming, Tai Kwun’s Artists’ Studios offer a residency programme with a goal to expand the depth of programming and foster a wide-ranging network connecting artists, professionals, and the public,  spurring interdisciplinary collaboration and contributing to a flourishing art and cultural scene in Hong Kong. The aim is to enable artists and professionals in the creative spheres to develop their artistic and creative practices and to benefit from Tai Kwun and its partners’ networks; moreover, hosted guests also actively contribute to Tai Kwun’s engagement with the public.

Tai Kwun’s Artists’ Studios will primarily be focused on candidates with a strong connection to Hong Kong, who are selected in an annual Open Call, with the aim of providing much needed space for artists as well as an important platform and network.

In response to the latest regulations under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance and taking into consideration the public health  of both visitors and staff alike, Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts (“Tai Kwun”) will temporarily close for one week with effect from Wednesday 29 July to Tuesday 4 August 2020 inclusive.

The Loading Bay on Old Bailey Street will remain open for deliveries, mail and pick-ups. Please visit our website for the latest arrangements of individual restaurants and shops: https://www.taikwun.hk 

Tai Kwun wishes to thank all visitors for their understanding the need for this precaution.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce a new group exhibition They Do Not Understand Each Other, which runs from 25 May to 13 September 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries in JC Contemporary. Co-presented by the National Museum of Art, Osaka (NMAO) and Singapore Art Museum (SAM), They Do Not Understand Each Other considers what it means to engage with one another, and looks at the potential of art in facilitating understanding.

They Do Not Understand Each Other is curated by Yuka Uematsu, Curator at the National Museum of Art, Osaka; and Dr. June Yap, Director, Curatorial, Collections and Programmes at Singapore Art Museum.

The exhibition title is inspired by an artwork by Tsubasa Kato, They Do Not Understand Each Other. On a small island that lies between Korea and Japan, two figures are seen performing a simple task together while not comprehending a word uttered by the other. The success of the artist and his Korean collaborator in this act of cooperation appears to have been achieved, if not by virtue of their good humour and patience with each other, then by an understanding that exceeds the plane of language.

Yet this English title was not the first. Originally captioned 言葉が通じない (kotoba ga tsūjinai) in Japanese, the artist’s intent was to mark a lack of communication, which was then translated into the English title “They Do Not Understand Each Other” — for a broader reflection upon an absence of dialogue, in the context of the geographical location that is the subject of the artwork. Its subsequent Chinese translation — 言語不通 (Cantonese: yìhnyúh bāt tūng; Putonghua: yányǔ bùtōng) — is meant to build upon and extend its reference of exchange to the subject of culture (within which language is central), with this succession of translations also speaking to the commutability of culture and the possibility of its obverse — understanding.

If the premise of culture is representation, then the promise of cultural exchange — as one might reasonably suppose — is understanding. But what underlies this promise of understanding?

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, said, “This is a unique chance to see some of the most contemporary works of these two major Asian museums. Taking the idea of understanding and collaboration as a foundation, the exhibition also shows how much intangible artworks like photography, video and performance entered important institutions and are now seen as an essential part of our cultural heritage.”

Yuka Uematsu, Curator for NMAO, said, “On behalf of the National Museum of Art, Osaka, we are delighted to bring the exhibition to Hong Kong at Tai Kwun. Cultural exchange is not about perfect understanding, but rather opening up a dialogue via unique perspectives. Together with SAM and Tai Kwun, we welcome everyone in Hong Kong to come and experience this unparalleled showcase of artworks that represent the power of their respective mediums.”

Dr. June Yap, Director, Curatorial, Collections and Programmes for SAM, said, “The subject of understanding and exchange goes beyond the individual artworks, to a dialogue between artworks, and a convergence at a curatorial level on the subject of interrelation that resonated with both Yuka and myself. This is a connection that we also felt with Tai Kwun via Tobias Berger and his team, whom we appreciate for enabling this collaboration. The promise is thus fulfilled, not merely by what is said or expressed, but also in simply the relation that exists. A relation that exists between us, between things, even between ideas. On behalf of our curatorial partners NMAO, Tai Kwun and SAM, we hope this will be the experience and understanding that visitors will take with them from the exhibition.”

They Do Not Understand Each Other presents 2 new commissions and 23 artworks from the collections of NMAO and SAM. These two institutions have built national collections of art with their regional foci — Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, respectively — and have been collecting contemporary art widely. Through encounters between the two collections and the newly commissioned works, this exhibition considers the negotiations and expectations of culture.

The diverse range of artworks include videos, mixed-media works, paintings, sculptures, textile, stories, performances, kinetic installations, and photography, with artists hailing from Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and beyond, each bringing a unique perspective on representation and cultural exchange. Here, the artists appear as mediators, even as they perform for and from within the frame of cultural presentation and exchange. In observing culture and the nature of culture, these artworks reinforce the agency of art and its power to represent.

Artists on show:

• Saori AKUTAGAWA (MADOKORO) (Japan)
• Jennifer ALLORA & Guillermo CALZADILLA (Puerto Rico)
• Agnes ARELLANO (Philippines)
• chi too (Malaysia)
• Heman CHONG (Singapore)
• CHUA Chye Teck (Singapore)
• HO Tzu Nyen (Singapore)
• Sojung JUN (South Korea)
• Tsubasa KATO (Japan)
• Charles LIM (Singapore)
• Kumi MACHIDA (Japan)
• Jun NGUYEN-HATSUSHIBA (Japan/Vietnam)
• Wit PIMKANCHANAPONG (Thailand)
• Kohei SEKIGAWA (Japan)
• Kazuo SHIRAGA (Japan)
• Akira TAKAYAMA (Japan)
• THAN Sok (Cambodia)
• Ming WONG (Singapore)

Visitor information

They Do Not Understand Each Other runs from 25 May to 13 September 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries, at JC Contemporary. Admission is free. A 360° virtual gallery will soon be on view on Tai Kwun’s website for local and international audiences to experience the exhibition online.

Along with They Do Not Understand Each Other, visitors are welcome to My Body Holds Its Shape, an intriguing contemporary art exhibition that walks through limits and restraints, and is curated by Xue Tan.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions. Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun Contemporary is pleased to announce the new exhibition My Body Holds Its Shape, with newly commissioned works from five artists: Tap Chan, Thea Djordjadze, Jason Dodge, Eisa Jocson and Pratchaya Phinthong. The exhibition looks at how existing limits and constraints can emerge as artistic materials and clues for associations, with processes that embrace poetics and improvisations. Curated by Xue Tan, the exhibition is on view from 25 May through September 2020.

Set in the historic F Hall — a former printing facility and women’s prison — the exhibition takes the metaphorical shape of a body as it becomes live from the first hour with Eisa Jocson’s work-in-progress performance Zoo. Sculptures, photographs and narratives cohabit the space with songs, moving bodies and an escape route. The exhibition is carefully conceived as an experience akin to a walk through lines of limits, divisions and connections — unveiling ways to tie our worlds together.

Xue Tan, curator of the exhibition, says, “This exhibition experiments with concepts of ‘sculpture’; the artworks are ways of exploring our multifaceted facts and ecologies, spanning lived-through stories and realised imaginations. At this very unusual time, we are struck by this sudden shift in our lives, and the global experience of self-isolation and loneliness. I hope this exhibition on limitation and distance would bring some reflection on sustainability, our connection to nature, and empathy for those who are distant and confined.”

Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, says, “From the beginning, we at Tai Kwun Contemporary have produced conceptually oriented exhibitions with some of the most formidable contemporary artists of today. This exhibition, curated by Xue Tan, also takes as its starting point the site and history of Tai Kwun, using the notion of confinement and limits to reflect on the relation between the former space of imprisonment and the contemporary ‘white cube’ as a catalyst for imagination. Producing 9 new works especially for this exhibition, this is another example of how the very best of contemporary art can intelligently and inventively reflect on the rich history of Victoria Prison.”

Artists on show include:

• Hong Kong artist Tap Chan (陳沁昕), whose work explores the idea of liminality embedded in daily life, where the boundaries between fiction and reality are often blurred. Chan creates a site-specific kinetic installation that presents the duality of dreams and reality.
• Berlin-based Georgian artist Thea Djordjadze, known for her sculptures and installations developed in situ as responses to the space or context of an institution. Thea’s new works .pullherawaypull., and Needle modify the “white cube” of the exhibition space and opens it up to a new view.
• Berlin-based American conceptual artist Jason Dodge, whose works embrace narratives with twists. His works in the exhibition Above the weather measures the distance from Earth to the weather through weavers’ palms, and When darkness falls… literally disables a family villa in a forest in Hong Kong from being visible at night.
• Eisa Jocson, a choreographer, dancer and visual artist from the Philippines, whose body of work investigates the labour conditions of migrant workers. The new work Zoo is a durational and work-in-progress performance, exploring the emotional influx that comes with the displacement of the living, and furthermore on the quarantine life today.
• Thai artist Pratchaya Phinthong, whose works often rise from the confrontation between different social, economic and geographical systems— an alchemist, as some describe. Phinthong brings new sculptures, transformed from war-time bombshell materials in polluted farmlands in Laos, to enter in dialogue with some of his past works.

Visitor information

My Body Holds Its Shape on view from 25 May through September 2020, every day from 11am to 8pm (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm), at the art galleries in Tai Kwun (F Hall; entry through JC Contemporary). Free Admission; guided tours are available. Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Along with My Body Holds Its Shape, visitors can visit They Do Not Understand Each Other, a group exhibition of contemporary art focusing on the issue of cultural exchange and (mis)communication, co-presented by the National Museum of Art, Osaka and Singapore Art Museum.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces that the programme are gradually resuming from 25 May. With enhanced sanitary measures in place across indoor facilities and outdoor areas, Tai Kwun welcomes the public to enjoy a summer of the arts, heritage and lifestyle experiences following the recent period of social distancing.

The Summer Season at Tai Kwun (June through August) will bring in two new exhibitions by Tai Kwun Contemporary: They Do Not Understand Each Other, co-presented by The National Museum of Art, Osaka and Singapore Art Museum, and My Body Holds Its Shape. Meanwhile, performance aficionados mustn’t miss ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK with dance, theatre, music and more, all themed around mental health of youngsters and grown-ups. What’s more, from Tai Kwun Heritage, Look Left Look Right: Historical Signage presents a unique look at the history of the Central Police Station compound via preserved signage.

Tai Kwun is also home to myriad outdoor spaces for the public to relax and enjoy themselves this summer, as well as delectable F&B choices, chic bars and shops, and many more lifestyle offerings. Visit now to find out more! In addition, Tai Kwun is offering virtual tours and other online experiences, bringing arts and culture to the Hong Kong public, wherever they are.                                                

Tai Kwun Contemporary: Understanding and Limits

This summer, Tai Kwun Contemporary is showcasing two exhibitions that explore themes connected to understanding and limits, respectively.

They Do Not Understand Each Other, co-presented by The National Museum of Art, Osaka and Singapore Art Museum, features works from the two museums as well as new commissions. The exhibition explores understanding, miscommunication, tolerance and representation—seeking to find common ground in the unfamiliar. 19 artists will be on show, hailing from Japan, Singapore, Korea, Puerto Rico, Thailand and beyond. (25 May–13 September)

Taking shape inside the historic F Hall — a former printing facility and women’s prison — My Body Holds Its Shape comprises commissioned works from five artists: Tap Chan, Thea Djordjadze, Jason Dodge, Eisa Jocson and Pratchaya Phinthong. Curated by Xue Tan, the exhibition looks at how existing limits and constraints can emerge as artistic materials and clues for associations, with processes that embrace poetics and live improvisations. (25 May–September)

Play Problems with Arts

In collaboration with UK theatre legend David Glass, local artist Olivia Yan and Dream of Tomorrow, the community arts project ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK will be presented online and around Tai Kwun this summer. Dedicated to empowering young people and exploring childlike spirit of grown-ups through theatre and arts, the Project embraces the motif of “We do not solve problems, we play problems”. A series of learning and creative programmes are available online and on-site, including training workshops, dance, theatre and music performances, as well as open forum and discussions. (28 June–14 July)

Local Heritage in 170 Years of Signage

Shining the spotlight on local heritage, Look Left Look Right: Historical Signage presents signage that previously adorned the walls of the historic Central Police Station compound until its decommissioning in 2006. Oral history from former staff and experts provides first-hand knowledge on the 170 years of signage, retracing the compound’s unique history and evolution. This new programme from Tai Kwun Heritage reflects not only the ever-changing functions of the compound’s buildings but also the aesthetics, craftsmanship and lifestyles of different eras. (24 June–13 September)

Outdoor Enjoyment

Soak up the season of sunshine at Tai Kwun, where visitors will discover a myriad of outdoor spaces to relax, take a break and watch free live performances. Events include the Afternoon Series on Mondays that invites emerging local performers, musicians and artists to curate mini-concerts and more; Saturday Music at the Laundry Steps with an exciting line-up of Hong Kong musicians; Sunday Movie Steps that presents a series of free thematic movie screenings, while Now Showing highlights a nostalgic local moviegoing experience by featuring a series of Hong Kong cinema classics.. Please visit www.taikwun.hk for the latest line-up of outdoor happenings.

Dialogue on Conservation and Heritage

“Tai Kwun Conversations” is a series of inspiring talks from Tai Kwun Heritage, bringing together the leading minds of our time to discuss the challenges and rewards of actively managing heritage resources to shape a sustainable future. Visitors are invited to join this monthly event to explore innovative developments in heritage conservation and share insights with the diverse line-up of renowned speakers. Places are limited; please register at art-mate.net. (6 July & 3 August)

Tai Kwun Brings Virtual Learning to the Public

Tai Kwun is taking its heritage, performance and learning experiences online, giving the public even more ways to interact with arts and culture in Hong Kong. Every Friday in May, Discover Tai Kwun offers five episodes online video tours of Tai Kwun, with a sneak peek of relics, stories and signature locations. Check out the last episode on 29 May at www.taikwun.hk.

For more virtual experiences — including 360-degree videos of Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibitions and online elements of the ÉLAN Lost Child Project HK — stay tuned to Tai Kwun’s website and social media channels.

Visitor information

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, whilst the Visitor Centre from 10am to 8pm. Please refer to the Tai Kwun shops index online for a full listing of “eat & do” destinations, including restaurants, gift shops, designer stores and other lifestyle offerings: https://www.taikwun.hk/en/eat_buy/all.

Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions. Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS), a not-for-profit operator set up by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust under the trading name of Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts (Tai Kwun), announced today that experienced arts professional Chin Chin Teoh has been appointed as Director of JCCPS, with effect from April 17, 2020. The current Director of CPS, Timothy Calnin, will take on the new role of Director of Tai Kwun Arts. 

Ms Teoh will oversee and lead the management and operations of Tai Kwun upon her arrival, while Mr Calnin will be responsible for artistic direction and for the organisation of contemporary art and performing arts programmes at Tai Kwun. He will also be responsible for programme related fundraising.

Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club said, “I am pleased to welcome Ms Chin Chin Teoh as the new Director of JCCPS. Chin Chin has had successful experience launching and managing a heritage and arts venue. I look forward to her leading Tai Kwun as it enters its second year as a much loved heritage and arts centre in Hong Kong.”

“I also would like to congratulate Tim on his new role. Tim has been instrumental to the success of Tai Kwun, from its pre-opening phase, through its launch, to its operations phase. Under his direction, Tai Kwun attracted 3.4 million visits in its first year, offering diverse and creative programming which has brought this historic venue to life. Going forward, Tim will focus on providing the best contemporary art and performing arts programmes, with the aim of making Tai Kwun an even more vibrant cultural destination that all can enjoy,” Mr Leong Cheung said.

Ms Teoh said, “I am most honoured to take up this exciting challenge of leading Tai Kwun. Our team will continue to work closely with our stakeholders with the aim of making Tai Kwun one of the most inspirational and engaging heritage and arts sites in Hong Kong.”

Mr Calnin said, “I am delighted to take up this new role. I look forward to working with Chin Chin and everyone at Tai Kwun to bring the very best contemporary art and performing arts programmes to our visitors.”

BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair by Tai Kwun Contemporary returns for its second edition from 16 to 19 January 2020 (including a preview on Thursday, 16 January) at JC Contemporary and F Hall.

With over 80 local, regional, and international exhibitors taking part, BOOKED: will serve as a platform for the diverse range of artistic and publishing practices at the intersection of ”art” and “books”. What is presented includes (but is not limited to) artists’ books, photography books, art albums, zines, art catalogues, art history and theoretical texts, artists’ editions and gallery editions (e.g. prints), texts by artists, book arts and book sculptures, as well as art-related ephemera such as tote bags, pins, and badges.

BOOKED: Hong Kong Art Book Fair will also host a programme of talks, live events, displays, workshops, among others, to further the mission of presenting contemporary art programmes in Hong Kong. This year, BOOKED: will also be accompanied by a special project, OVERBOOKED:,  which extends beyond the art book fair until 28 January 2020, featuring features the work of nine international artists: Fiona Banner aka the Vanity Press (London, UK), Karl Holmqvist (Berlin, Germany), Toshio Matsumoto (Japanese, 1932-2017), Aleksandra Mir (London, UK), Mai-Thu Perret (Geneva, Switzerland), Kay Rosen (Gary, Indiana & New York, US), Aïda Ruilova (New York, US), Tsang Kin Wah (Hong Kong SAR), and Wan Lai Kuen Annie (Hong Kong SAR).

Highlighted booksellers this year include:

• Printed Matter: Seminal New York City artists’ book store and distributor, which also runs the renowned Printed Matter Art Book Fair in New York and Los Angeles.
• ruangrupa: Jakarta-based artist collective ruangrupa — curators of the 2022 documenta, the foremost exhibition in the art world that takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany — will present their own publication practice as well as others from Indonesia and take part in BOOKED: public programming
• Chimurenga: Pan-African platform that engages in research on history, representation and culture, with a periodical Chronic, an online radio station (Pan African Space Station), and the roaming Chimurenga Library (as well as being winner of Vera List Centre’s 2018–2020 Jane Lombard Prize for Art and Social Justice)
• ZINECOOP: A stalwart of the independent art publishing scene in Hong Kong, ZINECOOP will be bringing together zines from around the world, exploring such expressions of alternate ideologies and discourses.
• Charlene Man - Lazy Press: Exploring theories of laziness through humour.
• Diverse Regional Representation: Enlightenment presents zines and artist-led publications from Japan (Enlightenment is the presenter of “Here is Zine Tokyo” 2010–2019); PAPER MATTER represents the vibrant art book scene in Taiwan; Singapore Art Book Fair showcases a range of zines and artists’ books from Singapore; Fully Booked brings a range of artist publications from across the Middle East and North Africa.
• Three Star Books: International publisher of high-end artists’ editions.
• ACO Books, Kubrick, and MOSSES: Three Hong Kong bookstores with a focus on contemporary art publishing.
• Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU): Books and special display highlighting the future of local art publishing with works by students among others.
• mini press: Tiny format books, including books in an egg.

• TASCHEN: A leading art book publisher, which can also be found at Tai Kwun year-round.
• Tables for Artists and Artist Collectives: a strong contingent of local Hong Kong artists and artist collectives being represented

Publishers/Artists/Exhibitors (in alphabetical order)

From Hong Kong

Academy of Visual Arts (Hong Kong Baptist University)

ACO Books

ArtAsiaPacific

Asia Art Archive

Beautiful Land

brownie publishing

Camille Chan

Chan Wai Kwong

Chan Wai Lap

CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile)

Chow San

Display Distribute

dotdotdot

Edouard Malingue Gallery

flip & roll press

Floating Projects

Silas Fong | Hye Kyoung Kwon

Foto Feminas' Library

Hex Editions

icclab (Ink’chacha)

kubrick

Pearl Law

Leaking Rooftop + Siumou

Charlene Man - Lazy Press

mini press

MOSSES

no reason studio

ODD ONE OUT

ONION PETERMAN | Dry Run Press

Para Site

Ping Pong

Soft d press

soundpocket

Spicy Fish/Fleurs des lettres

Tai Yip Art Bookshop

Hang Tam

TASCHEN

Thames & Hudson Asia Ltd. / Asia Publishers Services Ltd.

The Weird Things

thisbakery

WMA

Wong Kan Tai

Zen Foto Gallery

ZINECOOP

From the Rest of Asia

abC Art Book Fair (Beijing)

Art Sonje Center (Seoul)

BonJour! (Nanjing)

Case Publishing / shashasha (Tokyo)

crevasse (Ibaraki)

da大 in print (Beijing)

Dialect (Macau)

Enlightenment (Tokyo)

G/P + abp (Tokyo)

Keita Kasuka (Osaka)

Little Mountain Press (Shenzhen/New York City)

Lushan (Changsha)

Monster Workshop (Beijing)

Nico (Guangzhou)

NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (Singapore)

PAPER MATTER (Taipei)

Prypress (Singapore)

Rondade (Tokyo)

ruangrupa (Jakarta)

Singapore Art Book Fair (Singapore)

STUDIO INSIDE (Tianjin)

The Book Society / mediabus (Seoul)

the shop (Guangzhou)

Three Shadows (Beijing)

White Fungus (Taipei)

From the Rest of the World

blåblå (Oslo, Norway/China)

BOM DIA BOA TARDE BOA NOITE (Berlin)

Chimurenga (Cape Town, South Africa)

Doooogs (Berlin/Beijing)

Fully Booked (New York City/Dubai)

Inpatient Press (New York City)

Kerry Ann Lee & Red Letter (Wellington, New Zealand)

Lubok Verlag (Leipzig, Germany)

motto (Berlin)

OOMK Zine (London, UK/Malaysia)

Primary Information (New York city)

Printed Matter (New York City)

Russian Independent SelfPublished (Moscow)

Three Star Books (Paris)

…and more to be confirmed

Programme Highlight: OVERBOOKED

OVERBOOKED: is a special project of BOOKED: and will extend past the fair from 16 to 28 January 2020.

OVERBOOKED: features the work of nine international artists: Fiona Banner aka the Vanity Press (London, UK), Karl Holmqvist (Berlin, Germany), Toshio Matsumoto (Japan, 1932-2017), Aleksandra Mir (London, UK), Mai-Thu Perret (Geneva, Switzerland), Kay Rosen (Gary, Indiana & New York, US), Aïda Ruilova (New York, US), Tsang Kin Wah (Hong Kong), and Wan Lai Kuen Annie (Hong Kong); OVERBOOKED: is co-curated by Louiza Ho and Ingrid Pui Yee Chu.

Rooted in concrete poetry and related 20th-century movements including Dada, Surrealism, and other modes of non-rational thought that move away from a purely verbal concept of language, these works incorporate and experiment with various formal, conceptual, textual, performative, time-based, sensory and site conscious approaches. The artworks also explore modes of self-expression and the potential to reconstruct reality within society using aspects of publishing to create new spaces of intimacy, both one-to-one as well as through experiences that disseminate through a multitude, albeit to different ends, at once.

The project will also feature a book display including Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Artists’ Book Library, an ongoing collection dedicated to Asian artists’ books and an integral part of the Art Programme that is accessible to the public, free of charge, as a source for learning and research.

Visitor information

Dates & Hours:

• [PREVIEW] Thursday, 16 January 2020, 4-8pm
• Friday, 17 January 2020, 2-8 pm
• Saturday, 18 January 2019, 12-8 pm
• Sunday, 19 January 2019, 12-8 pm

Admission:

• Preview Ticket (Thursday 16 January 2020): HK$100
• Regular Ticket: HK$30
• Concession Ticket (applicable to Children / Students / Seniors): HK$15

Tickets available for reservation here:

https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/booked-hong-kong-art-book-fair-at-tai-kwun-contemporary/454

Tai Kwun is open to the public from 10am to 11pm daily. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass, prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts launches Let’s Do Lunch today, a new heritage exhibition that narrates the trend-setting lunchtime scene in Central and takes an in-depth look at how the district’s one-of-a-kind lunch culture forges unique social connections. Curated by Tai Kwun Heritage, with support from design partner ADO Design, editorial partner Alex Lai, illustrator Sandy Wang, and a group of veteran food journalists as research writers, Let’s Do Lunch runs from 20 December 2019 to 8 February 2020.

Let’s Do Lunch sheds light on the life of workers in Central outside their workplace, exploring the lunchtime habits as a window to understanding the socio-economic development of the Central community over the decades. Observing the district’s diverse network of culinary conventions and institutions, the exhibition presents a kaleidoscopic view of lives in Central.

At the exhibition, visitors will learn more about the evolution of lunchtime among different communities in Central, and how this reflects broader trends in Hong Kong — the earliest takeaway lunchboxes which cost just HK$1.8; the emergence of popular East-meets-West lunchbox cuisine like baked pork chop rice; the rise of the “power lunch” alongside Central’s own development into a major business district; the cultural and linguistic uniqueness reflected from within a fraternity association among many; and the human touches behind company lunch for employees as a kind of welfare at work.  

Through  interviews, videos and interactive installations, visitors can relive a journey that goes beyond the food on table. Heritage and food lovers alike mustn’t miss this unique look at the lesser-seen side of lunch, including the professionalism behind a delicate executive lunch set, the story of the first Chinese lunchbox, the efforts and mission behind a company lunch, and the unique bonding
and nostalgia in fraternity associations.

Let’s Do Lunch will also bring special events and collaborate with Tai Kwun’s tenants during the exhibition period. In collaboration with community partner CACHe, a festive Christmas Party will be held on 20 December at F Hall Studio, and a Spring Banquet will take place on 31 January at Parade Ground. Other lunchtime-themed food experiences are coming soon in 2020, providing our visitors an up-close-and-personal experience to the various dining cultures featured in Let’s Do Lunch. Tai Kwun tenants will also provide the exhibition-inspired experiences, including take-away lunchboxes at Bar at Armoury, “townsmen” lunch sets at Old Bailey, executive lunch sets at Madame Fu and The Chinese Library, and vegetarian lunch set at LockCha Tea House.

Let’s Do Lunch is the second chapter of the exhibition series “Lives in Central” from Tai Kwun Heritage, following on from Trolleys Central earlier this year. With two more exhibitions planned ahead, “Lives in Central” explores Hong Kong’s heritage via four essential aspects of life in Central — travelling (Trolleys Central) and eating (Let’s Do Lunch), as well as clothing and living.

Visitor information

Let’s Do Lunch opens from 20 December 2019 to 8 February 2020, 11am to 8pm, at Duplex Studio (Block 01) in Tai Kwun. Admission is free; guided tours are available.

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces the upcoming programmes for its 2019 winter season. The season’s festivities come alongside a new honour, as Tai Kwun has received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation with commendation by the international jury for creating a world-class centre for heritage and the arts.

Visit Tai Kwun in December to see the Parade Ground transform into a festive wonderland! Tai Kwun Circus Plays is back with more awe-inspiring contemporary circus performances, while Tai Kwun will celebrate a traditional Christmas with warmth and cheer. Under luminous decorations and a sparkling tree is live performance where visitors share memories with families and friends. The winter season will also bring Let’s Do Lunch, a new heritage exhibition looking at how the Central district’s one-of-a-kind lunch culture forges unique social connections; and don’t miss the second edition of “Booked: Hong Kong Art Book Fair” at Tai Kwun Contemporary in January.

A Christmas of wonder and astonishment

This winter will see the return of Tai Kwun Circus Plays, from 24 December to 5 January, with a captivating variety of contemporary circus events all across the Tai Kwun site. Fun and fascinating, these immersive, interactive experiences will dazzle onlookers with sensational performances and the use of innovative modern circus features — just the thing for family and friends to connect and engage with each other at Christmas and New Year.

TKK Mad Skills Gala, Battle and Workshops (Hong Kong × Taiwan)

A thrilling one-on-one contest for performers and a vibrant party for everyone to enjoy, the “TKK Mad Skills Gala and Battle” pits various circus acts and juggling performances against one another in a series of battles to see who will come out on top. From mad juggling to amazing acrobatics, the creative energy and liveliness of Asia’s contemporary circus culture will be on full display. Public workshops are also available for all ages. (24–28 December 2019; workshops to be registered via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

Lumens by Video Phase (Canada)

Hear the music with your very own eyes! The award-winning show Lumens is an interactive musical videogame universe that will take audiences on a journey between virtual and reality. Surrounded by 3D multi-screens, the two performers merge music and visuals into a coherent yet mysterious entity through percussion, electronic music, a virtual choir, invented instruments, laser frames, motion capture and more. This multisensory experience is the creation of music-artist duo Video Phase from Montreal, Canada. (26–28 December 2019; register via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

Discover how this fascinating musical videogame universe is created in a performance-workshop from Lumens creators Julien-Robert and Julien Compagne. (Play with) Lumens will reveal the musical and technological elements of the work, and invite audiences to the stage to improvise electroacoustic music that evokes visual stimulations — a fun and inspiring event for teenagers or anyone who wants to explore the possibilities of creativity. (28–29 December 2019; register via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

LOOP by Compagnie Stoptoï (France)

The LOOP juggling concert will be a can’t-miss event at Tai Kwun, featuring two jugglers and a drummer who transform objects and bodies in time with an ever-changing playlist of tunes from smooth jazz and garage rock — while twisted plastic rings are being pushed to the limit! This free indoor performance welcomes the whole family to watch and sing along. (3–5 January 2020; register via Tai Kwun website or mobile app)

Circus Playground

Expanding the fun and laughter of last year, “Circus Playground” will bring Tai Kwun another round of exciting, interactive, outdoor circus-themed performances. Four circus groups will show off their amazing skills with the help of audience engagement, using trunks, colourful sticks, unicycles and more to create live performances that awe and amaze visitors of every age. Don’t miss these fantastic shows from Spanish physical theatre artist Joan Catala, Spanish improv comedy performer Emiliono, Italian group Stalker Theatre and juggler Michael Bonnici from Canada — whose amazing act includes juggling on a 10-foot-high unicycle. (24 December 2019–1 January 2020)

Narrating the fascinating lunchtime scene in Central

Following on its thematic exhibition Trolleys Central earlier this year, Tai Kwun Heritage now unveils the second chapter of the “Lives in Central” exhibition series — Let’s Do Lunch. The new exhibition and events will shed light on the life of workers in Central outside their workplace, exploring how the district’s fascinating lunch scene nurtures social cohesion. Observing the district’s diverse network of gastronomical icons, Let’s Do Lunch documents how a variety of culinary conventions and institutions came into existence, and presents an authentic lunch experience with tastings of culture, language and habits. (20 December 2019–8 February 2020)

Showcasing books as a medium for art

This January, the second edition of “Booked: Hong Kong Art Book Fair” at Tai Kwun Contemporary will welcome over 70 local, regional, and international publishers and host a programme of talks, live events, displays, editions, workshops and special projects. Last year’s inaugural fair was a great success, supporting the expanding art ecology in Hong Kong and showcasing books as a medium for artistic expression. (16–19 January)

Ongoing programmes

Catch these programmes before they conclude!

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future

Curated by Lauren Cornell, Dawn Chan, Xue Tan, and Tobias Berger, the Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibition Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future, examines how cyberpunk aesthetics and futurism have seeped into contemporary art and visual culture, while exploring how the initial allure of the cyber-metropolis has morphed into an inescapable feedback loop. The exhibition will feature urban panoramas and snapshots of their underworlds, observing the dystopian future envisioned by science fiction. (5 October 2019–4 January 2020)

Join a weekend guided tour on a Saturday or Sunday (3–4pm for Cantonese; 4–5pm for English), or take an artistic break over lunch on a Friday (1–1.30pm, Cantonese and English).

There are also a number of public programmes, including a number of screenings and music performances in December. Stay tuned on the Tai Kwun website.

Very Natural Actions

Presented by Arts Collective at Tai Kwun Contemporary, the exhibition Very Natural Actions looks at how contemporary art breaks the constraints of tradition, compelling viewers to move beyond the surface of an art piece and delve deeper into the traces of artistic practice. Representing both a process and a medium, the artworks constitute a bridge from artists to the audience, engendering myriad ideas and questioning what artistic possibilities are unlocked through revealing the hidden dimensions of the artistic creation process. (22 September–31 December)

Guided tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays (2–3pm for Cantonese; 3–4pm for English); Art for Lunch Tours on Tuesdays (1–1.30pm, Cantonese and English).

On 28 November the public are welcomed to join a talk with the curators and the artists of Very Natural Actions; more details on the Tai Kwun website.

TK16: The Headquarters

An absorbing heritage programme and the second in the TK16 series, TK16: The Headquarters immerses audience in the century-old environment of the Police Headquarters Block in order to discover its fascinating architectural features, inspiring functional transformation and meticulous conservation works. The programme reveals the building’s stories throughout the years – from the period prior to its construction in 1919, to its role in catering to the diverse needs of multi-ethnic officers, to its revitalisation as a venue for cultural experiences and exhibitions. Visitors are invited to collect the seven Conservation Notes from different floors of the building to redeem a special TK16 souvenir, as well as join our Guided Exploration every Sat and Sun at 3:30pm. (30 October 2019–2 January 2020)

Visitor information

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts today has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The award bestows an international recognition of the outstanding achievement in the conservation and revitalisation efforts for the Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project, undertaken by The Hong Kong Jockey Club. 

Nestled on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Hong Kong, Tai Kwun has breathed new life into the CPS compound as a landmark for arts, culture and heritage in Hong Kong.  Standing witness to more than 170 years of Hong Kong history, Tai Kwun is one of the most significant revitalisation projects in Hong Kong. The heritage site comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoor spaces. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In the Award of Excellence citation, an international jury of conservation experts commended Tai Kwun: “The transformation of the former Central Police Station into a world-class centre for heritage and arts has created a vibrant new civic space in the heart of the city’s central business district. The project tackled a complex site with multiple layers of history dating back to the mid-19th century, enhancing its legibility and opening it up to the public. The technical quality of the restoration work is standard-setting on an international level, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the historic fabric.”

“Innovative architectural and engineering solutions are underpinned by meticulous investigation and rigorous conservation principles. The centre’s diverse and creative programming enlivens the historic space with engaging heritage interpretation programmes and contemporary arts and culture. Against tremendous commercial real estate pressures, the successful realisation of Tai Kwun stands as a testimony to the Hong Kong SAR’s commitment to heritage.”

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow said, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club is honoured to receive the prestigious Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The accolade not only recognises the Club’s meticulous efforts over the past ten years to conserve the Central Police Station compound and revitalise it into Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, but it also affirms the principles adopted for its conservation and our commitment to world-class quality in this unprecedented revitalisation project.”

This revitalisation project was carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR. Drawing on the advice of experts from Hong Kong and overseas, and taking into consideration input from the community, the Club has gone to great lengths to be authentic in the conservation and restoration works on the site, where many of the buildings had experienced multiple rounds of reconstruction and reconfiguration and were in poor condition.

Throughout the revitalisation process, three important principles were observed: public safety, authenticity with respect to the original appearance, and the integration of old and new architecture.  The heritage and architectural features of the site have been meticulously conserved with minimal intervention to the original identity and aesthetics of the clusters.

In harmonious coexistence with the historical site are two new buildings, an international-standard art gallery and a performance space, where the contemporary metallic façades echo the original brick works of the historic architecture.

Community participation is one of the key success factors for Tai Kwun. During its ten years of restoration, the Club reached out and listened to stakeholders, neighbours and former users of the site to obtain their views.

Adopting an engaging approach, Tai Kwun works with programme partners, schools and institutions, stakeholders in heritage and arts, as well as its neighbours and tenants to preserve and showcase the local culture and customs. In addition to organising free daily heritage tours, Tai Kwun offers year‐round public programmes to engage visitors from all walks of life.

The Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said, “We are pleased to have played an instrumental role in this project as it defines our purpose as being to act continuously for the betterment of our society. As the most significant ‘arts, culture and heritage’ charities project of the Club and the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project ever yet in Hong Kong, Tai Kwun strengthens the city’s art and cultural life. It has been the Club’s vision that Tai Kwun, which is situated in a prime location in the heart of Central, should be conserved as an open space for the benefit of all. We are proud of the lasting legacy that Tai Kwun will provide to Hong Kong for generations to come.”

The vision has been realised in its first year of operation since opening its gates in May 2018 – Tai Kwun attracted some 3.4 million local and international visitors through its active programmes totalling over 750 public programmes and events, making it the most visited heritage site in Hong Kong. It has collaborated with major arts groups and festivals and provided a platform to home-grown emerging artists and performers. It has also reached out to the local community, recording and sharing the stories of Central district where Tai Kwun is located, and has welcomed citizens from all walks of life, including students, the elderly and the differently abled. 

Support for the project was made possible through the Club’s unique integrated business model comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. It is through this model that the Club contributes to the betterment of Hong Kong society.

Key to the success of the project are the architect, designer and consultant firm engaged in the project. They are Purcell, Rocco Design Architects, Herzog & de Meuron, and Arup; as well as the general contractor, Gammon Construction.

This year marks the 20th year since the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation were conceived. The awards recognise excellent achievement in conservation and restoration of structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region. The awards recipients demonstrate excellence in the articulation of the heritage structure’s values to convey the spirit of the place, technical achievement, appropriate use of adaptation, and the project’s contribution to the surrounding environment and the local community’s cultural and historical continuity.

The four levels of achievement include:
a. Award of Excellence,
b. Award of Distinction,
c. Award of Merit,
d. Honourable Mention.

The Award of Excellence is the highest recognition presented to projects that display exceptional achievement in all criteria and has major catalytic impact at the national or regional level. Tai Kwun was selected among 57 submissions from 14 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

Tai Kwun’s Local and International Awards and Recognition:

Photo caption:

Photographs	Captions
	Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
	The Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung (centre), Director of UNESCO Bangkok Shigeru Aoyagi (right), and Commissioner for Heritage, HKSAR Government's Development Bureau, José Yam Ho-san (left) at the presentation ceremony for the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.        

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoor spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.      

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.          

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2018/19, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$23.3 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.3 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity and community donations were HK$4.3 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.

Tai Kwun Contemporary today announces a new exhibition: Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future. Inspired by 2019 — the year of the future in iconic cyberpunk films like Blade Runner and Akira — the exhibition will examine how the aesthetics of cyberpunk have bled into contemporary art and visual culture, and explore how cyberpunk fictions have become our reality. Co-presented with the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, New York, and curated by Lauren Cornell, Dawn Chan, Xue Tan, Tobias Berger, with Jeppe Ugelvig, assistant curator, the exhibition runs from 5 October 2019 to 4 January 2020.

In cyberpunk, a science fiction genre, futures dominated by advanced technologies often appear hand in hand with sprawling urban backdrops, a radically transformed social order, and a cast of characters pursuing their own stories at the margins of society. First gaining momentum in the 1980s, the genre has continued to evoke meaning and interest in audiences through a broad range of artistic mediums, whether in films like Blade Runner and The Matrix, manga and anime such as Ghost in the Shell, or the novels of Philip K. Dick.

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future centres around what the influential science fiction author William Gibson called the “meta-city” — a sprawling urban space just as virtual as it is real. Whether through spectacular panoramas of virtual mega cities, or fleeting snapshots of their alluring underworlds and dissonant denizens, the exhibition looks at life in the meta-city and how the cyber metropolis has transformed from a fantastic metaphor for life in the future into an inescapable, looping present.

The works of art are widely varied, comprising digital videos, mixed-media pieces, three-dimensional paintings, sculptural works, video, holographic installation, photography, prints and more. Artists hail from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Korea, Australia, Canada, the United States, Indonesia, Japan and beyond, each bringing a unique perspective on the idea of cyberpunk. Some artists look at the urban skyline from afar, others get up-close to its people, machines and practices, while yet others question the appearance of the Asian metropolis in science fiction narratives.

In their curatorial statement on the exhibition, the curators commented, “Inspired by 2019 — the year that many iconic cyberpunk futures were set or scheduled to arrive — this exhibition considers the hold that cyberpunk retains on our collective imagination. Whether through spectacular panoramas of virtual mega cities, buildings or urban surfaces, or through more affective or psychological depictions of life within, the exhibition questions the ways in which the metropolis of cyberpunk has transformed from a fantastic metaphor for life in the future into an inescapable, looping present.”

Artists on show:

• Nadim Abbas
• Bettina von Arnim
• Chan Wai Kwong
• Chen Wei
• Cui Jie
• Aria Dean
• Ho Rui An
• Tishan Hsu
• Tetsuya Ishida
• JODI
• Lee Bul
• Seiko Mikami
• Takehiko Nakafuji
• Shinro Ohtake
• Yuri Pattison
• Sondra Perry
• Seth Price
• Jon Rafman
• Hiroki Tsukuda
• Nurrachmat Widyasena
• Zheng Mahler

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a range of public programming and educational events. These include “Art After Hours: Blade Runner screening with Ackbar Abbas Lecture” (21 November), as well as regular guided tours. Stay tuned to the website.

Visitor information

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future runs from 5 October 2019 to 4 January 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries, at JC Contemporary. Admission is free.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions. 

Works by young and emerging artists from Hong Kong, the Mainland and Taiwan will be the highlight at the Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibition entitled Very Natural Actions. Presented by Arts Collective and curated by André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong, this group exhibition will run from 22 September to 31 December 2019 and explore oft-ignored dimensions in the process of artistic creation.

The English title of the exhibition Very Natural Actions refers to the words of French theorist and cultural critic Roland Barthes, who believed that great meaning can come from “an unimpressive foundation of ordinary acts.” Contemporary art can embody this idea of spontaneous natural reflection towards the world, and can shift the focus towards life itself, away from “art for art’s sake”, where art is viewed in isolation as objects of pure aesthetic inquiry.

Very Natural Actions encourages viewers not to linger on the surfaces of works but to seek out that gem of a tree within the forest of forms and meanings — one that resonates with one’s experiences, allowing artworks to serve as bridges between artists and viewers. Beneath the artworks lie worlds and dimensions ordinarily hidden; such reflexive questioning holds out greater possibilities in the viewing of artworks.

Very Natural Actions at Tai Kwun Contemporary is an extension of the artistic discussions from last year, in the Shanghai exhibition A Tree Fell in the Forest, and No One’s There, presented in parallel to the Shanghai Biennale at the Power Station of Art. While the previous exhibition focused on the works that formed after the artists peered out at the world, Very Natural Actions explores the relation between an art object and the practice that results in the art object — offering a cross-section of themes and creative impulses.

Curators André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong commented, “Through the creative process, artists create distinctive worlds which can be shared with audiences, letting them see a dimension of art which is normally hidden. Very Natural Actions is an opportunity to let observers get a peek into the deeper practice of contemporary artists and unfold greater possibilities in viewing their works.”

Artworks on display in Very Natural Actions include installations, mixed-material prints, created and found objects, videos, photos and more. A variety of themes are explored through these works, showcasing art as a process of creation and a conduit to express the artists’ interests and interpret the world – from mesmerising neon lights in a new context, to manipulated materials giving shape to invisible air, to superimposed images creating a new context for historical narrative and personal memories.

To bring Very Natural Actions to fruition, the Tai Kwun Contemporary team has engaged in intensive collaboration to support the curators André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong in creating artistic exchange and dialogue locally, regionally and internationally. This is, of course, part of Tai Kwun Contemporary's mission of supporting emerging artists and curators who are making innovative contributions to cultural discourse in the field of contemporary art.

Curators André Chan and Jing Chin-yin Chong, based in Hong Kong, have demonstrated their curatorial vision in recent years. In 2018, André Chan’s curatorial proposal for the exhibition Kotodama was selected as part of Para Site’s Emerging Curators programme; and in that same year Chan and Chong were selected in the Emerging Curators Project at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai.

Artists on show:

• Chan Ka Kiu  
• Oscar Chan Yik Long  
• Cheng Tingting
• Chi Po-Hao
• Mark Chung
• He Yida
• Lau Wai 
• Sudhee Liao Yuemin
• Lin Aojie
• Andrew Luk
• Remy Siu
• Nicole Wong

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a range of public programming and educational events. These include “Art After Hours: ‘Foxconn Frequency (no. 3)’ by Remy Siu and Hong Kong Exile”, a work of "algorithmic theatre" that incorporates real-time game mechanics, piano pedagogy, 3D-printing, and poetry (11 October), “Curators and Artists Talk” for the exhibition (28 November), as well as regular guided tours. Stay tuned to the website.

Visitor information

Very Natural Actions is ongoing from 22 September to 31 December 2019 at the art galleries in Tai Kwun (F Hall; entry through JC Contemporary). Admission is free.

The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts, fulfilling its mission to bring the world of arts and heritage to Hong Kong, will present a new arts festival this autumn: Projekt Berlin, in partnership with the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hong Kong, Goethe-Institut Hongkong and visitBerlin. The festival runs from 4 to 17 November, with a diverse variety of ticketed and free public arts programmes; tickets will be available on Ticketflap from 12 September 2019.

Projekt Berlin brings together the breadth and depth of Berlin’s historical and significant influence as a powerhouse of creativity, culture and the arts. All programmes will be set against the distinctive backdrop of Tai Kwun’s old and new architecture, offering uniquely immersive, site-specific experiences tailored to the different tastes and interests of Tai Kwun visitors from all walks of life.

Historically engaged in a perpetual state of transformation, Berlin represents one of the most versatile arts scenes in Europe. Projekt Berlin marks a special moment for Tai Kwun to celebrate Berlin’s cultural collision between the old-world charm and modern-day verve through the multi-faceted lens of both classical and contemporary arts.

Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn

For three nights in November, the Prison Yard becomes Hong Kong’s newest and most unusual concert venue for a series of performances by the renowned Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn— one of Germany’s most established and admired ensembles. Three programmes explore vastly contrasting moments of Berlin’s history, but all find their starting point in a fascinating historical moment in 1747, when the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach took on a musical challenge from the King of Prussia. (8-10 November; tickets at HK$580 - $300*)

Ute Lemper’s Berlin Nights

Today’s greatest exponent of the Berlin cabaret style, Ute Lemper brings her unique artistry and compelling dramatic presence to Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard to explore the radical and seedy underground of Berlin in the 1920s and 30s. She performs the songs of composers such as Weill, Hollander, Spoliansky and Eisler, whose edgy sounds capture the decadent decades between World War I and II in which boundaries were crossed and taboos challenged. (16 November; tickets at HK$680, $480*)

Berlin Cinema

A feast of handpicked masterpieces from German cinema from the 1930s to today! In collaboration with Goethe-Institut Hongkong, the first week of Projekt Berlin will feature some of the most iconic movies by influential German filmmakers including Wolfgang Staudte, Tom Tykwer and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Seven evenings in a row, this is a cinematic representation of the pre-war to modern day Germany for audiences to delve into its culture and history. (4-10 November; tickets at HK$120*)

Films with music

A cinematic journey connecting Berlin’s past and its present, director Walter Ruttmann’s 1927 Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (11-12 November) and director Johannes Schaff’s 2018 Symphony of Now (13-14 November) will race the audience through the transformation of this great city. Through the silent classic accompanied by piano and oboe, the audience can experience an entire daily cycle in Berlin with the constant flow of urban objects appearing as in musical notes to compose a symphony called “City”. The present-day show turns the original narrative on its head with the addition of a live music mix by legend of the Berlin club scene Frank Wiedemann and Alex.Do, celebrating the vibrancy, danger and exhilaration of today’s Berlin. Following their live scoring of Symphony of Now, Frank Wiedemann and Alex.Do will also DJ a one-night-only Berlin Club Night at Cassio on 14 November.

One of the most notable classic in the history of sound film, director Josef von Sternberg’s 1930 The Blue Angel draws the audience into a life-changing love story with cabaret diva Marlene Dietrich. Bringing the two generations together, celebrated cabaret singer Ute Lemper will share her precious memories of Marlene Dietrich before the screening. (Tickets at HK$380*)

Berlin Binge

Known as the most expensive television drama series in Germany, Babylon Berlin, directed by award-winning German film-maker Tom Tykwer, depicts the thrilling story of Gereon Rath, a police inspector on a secret mission in the Weimar Republic – a post-WWI period when the metropolis was trying to rebuild and recover from the war destructions.

Over the last weekend of Projekt Berlin, F Hall will transform into a cosy living room with sofas and bean bags for an all-day binge-watching of the 8 episodes of Babylon Berlin Season I. Immerse yourself into 1930s Germany to discover the extraordinary history and story of a city that rose from the ashes. (16-17 November; tickets at $280*)

Prison Break by LiCHTPiRATEN

From 6pm every evening during Projekt Berlin, all of the facades around Tai Kwun’s Prison Yard will be transformed into a dazzling re-imagining of the thrilling metropolis that is Berlin. Through an immersive and engrossing installation of light, projections and sound, the Berlin-based performance and installation artist collective LiCHTPiRATEN will create a fanciful world in which past eras collide and bounce off each other, highlighting the sweep and drama of this modern day capital, accompanied by a specially composed soundscape. Open to the public with free entry. (4-17 November)

The Flying Steps

From their grungy beginnings on the streets of Berlin, The Flying Steps have taken on breakdance championships, toured the world and established an urban dance academy. For Projekt Berlin, The Flying Steps join forces with Hong Kong street performers to spring a series of spontaneous performances on an unsuspecting public in the Parade Ground during the final weekend of Projekt Berlin. Open to the public with free entry. (16-17 November)

Berlin Street Art with WENU

Seen from the East, the Berlin Wall was a massively fortified and austere barrier, but seen from the West it evolved over 40 years into a gigantic canvas for street artists, graffiti and shameless commercialism, layered up with billboard posters and fanciful paintings. Berlin’s WENU artistic collective will create a huge piece of street art in Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground, inviting Hong Kong artists to join in this major street art project which will take shape in full public view during the exhibition period. Open to the public with free entry. (From 4 November)

Bauhaus meets Hong Kong

A film exploring one of the most influential cultural movements of the 20th century, “Bauhaus meets Hong Kong” shows how Bauhaus reached far beyond architecture to affect all pillars of design, all over the world — including graphics, typography, products, furniture and even today’s digital gadgets. Commencing with the profound and always insightful Bauhaus founder, Walter Gropius, the movie then takes a global perspective and looks at how the Bauhaus spirit has been shaping the skyline of Hong Kong, as well as new technologies that are now continuing the Bauhaus movement with digital transformation for the next generation. Open to the public with free entry. (6–12, 15-17 November)

Support and sponsorship

Tai Kwun thanks its sponsors for their support of Projekt Berlin, including The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Co-presenters: Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hong Kong, Goethe-Institut Hongkong and visitBerlin; Programme Partners: Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Limited and RIB Software SE.; Enlightenment Sponsors: BASF East Asia Regional Headquarters Ltd. , BMW Concessionaires (HK) Limited, Hong Kong Wine Vault, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. , Siemens , and Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI); Official Airline Sponsor: Lufthansa Group Airlines and Supporters: Commerzbank AG Hong Kong Branch, DZ BANK AG Hong Kong Branch, PUMA Bodywear and thyssenkrupp Elevator Asia Pacific.

Visitor information

* Concession tickets are available.

Tickets will be available at Ticketflap on 12 September: https://www.ticketflap.com/projektberlin. More information is on https://www.taikwun.hk/projektberlin.

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces the upcoming programming for its autumn season 2019.                                                      

Taking centre stage this autumn is Tai Kwun Dance Season 2019, with performing arts programmes that push the boundaries of the genre. Bringing history to life through art and performance, Projekt Berlin brings the best of Germany’s renowned arts and performance to Hong Kong. Autumn at Tai Kwun will also bring about two new contemporary art exhibitions, as well as the interactive heritage programme TK16: The Headquarters which reveals the fascinating stories of Police Headquarters Block throughout the past century.

Tai Kwun Dance Season 2019

Breaking forms, pushing boundaries and exploring identity through contemporary dance, Tai Kwun Dance Season 2019 will present a series of shows from renowned and independent performing artists. These talented figures hail from Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, America and beyond, bringing a fresh look at the power and the possibility of dance to audiences in Hong Kong.

16 Strings and One body

Award-winning Israeli actress, choreographer and dancer Renana Raz joins the Toscanini String Quartet for a dance performance that passionately integrates the energy of chamber music into her choreography. This inspiring juxtaposition of dance and music takes the performing arts experience to the next level, with imagination and drama building between melody and dance, as tension reverberates between the movement and rhythm. A concert by the Toscanini String Quartet will take place on 29 September. (27–29 September)

MMM:RE

Independent contemporary Hong Kong dance duo Mcmuimui Dansemble (Abby Chan and Yeung Wai Mei) celebrate their 20^th anniversary, reuniting for a reprise of their iconic humour and style. The limited series of performances at Tai Kwun centre around themes of identity, Hong Kong, age, gender and the lives of the dancers themselves from Asia to America. The work unveils weird and wonderful facets of Hong Kong urban life, integrating funny anecdotes and unexpected participants from the Hong Kong community into the performance. (4–6 October)

Morphing

Inspired by his own grandfather’s story of immigrating to South Africa by ship, cross-media artist Enoch Cheng transforms the stage into a vessel traversing from past to future in this immersive dance event that encourages audience participation. Themes revolve around the search of identity and the collective experience of venturing into unknown lands, dancers’ bodies become containers of memory and enact the ritual of metamorphosis through choreography. (18–20 October)

Dream Team

Experience a dance revolution waiting to spark from an ordinary “underground” ballroom! Israeli choreographer Dana Ruttenburg has put together a “Dream Team” of seemingly ordinary figures who together comprise a deviant gang — a 60-year-old performer, a has-been dancer turned physiotherapist, a single mother who seeks her return to the stage and a choreographer. Audiences are encouraged to participate in this immersive experience of madness, joy and sadness, as the performers reveal their dreams, fantasies and nightmares. (24–27 October)

Mind Flowing – Hip Hop Battle, Workshop and Showcase

Learn to control your mind and apply that power to dance! Everyone is invited to come and witness two days of dance performance, competition and community workshops at the Tai Kwun Parade Ground. The first day of dance will introduce contact improvisation, capoeira, house and hip-hop; while the second day will bring in dance crews from the Mainland, Japan and Taiwan to showcase their signature street dance moves. Truly a feast of dance all in one place! (12–13 October)

Partnering with Hong Kong Ballet and CCDC

This autumn Tai Kwun is partnering with two of the city’s flagship dance companies in Hong Kong – Hong Kong Ballet and City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) – to bring rich programme of films, interactive experiences and live performances to visitors of Tai Kwun. There will be a variety of free public programmes to see stunning Hong Kong Ballet dancers as they take on beautiful, vibrant, technically challenging works of performance both classical and modern (5–6 October). Meanwhile, CCDC’s Jumping Frames will capture and share the interplay of inspiration between dance and film, influencing one another’s choreography in creative, unexpected ways. (7–15 September)

Projekt Berlin

Tai Kwun joins hands with the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hong Kong, Goethe-Institut Hongkong and visitBerlin to present Projekt Berlin 2019, sharing a wide variety of music, dance, film and arts experiences with the community. Bringing all of Tai Kwan’s distinctive venues together, the programme will delve into the history of a city torn in two and reborn, its intrinsic resilience finding relevance in every era. (4–17 November)

Contemporary art and culture

Very Natural Actions

Presented by Arts Collective at Tai Kwun Contemporary, the exhibition Very Natural Actions looks at how contemporary art breaks the constraints of tradition, compelling viewers to move beyond the surface of an art piece and delve deeper into the traces of artistic practice. Representing both a process and a medium, the artworks constitute a bridge from artists to the audience, engendering myriad ideas and questioning what artistic possibilities are unlocked through revealing the hidden dimensions of the artistic creation process. (22 September – 31 December)

Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future

Curated by Lauren Cornell, Dawn Chan, Xue Tan, and Tobias Berger, the Tai Kwun Contemporary exhibition Phantom Plane, Cyberpunk in the Year of the Future,  examines how cyberpunk aesthetics and futurism have seeped into contemporary art and visual culture, while exploring how the initial allure of the cyber-metropolis has morphed into an inescapable feedback loop. The exhibition will feature urban panoramas and snapshots of their underworlds, observing the dystopian future envisioned by science fiction. (4 October 2019 – 4 January 2020)

Diverse stories of heritage

TK16: The Headquarters

An absorbing heritage programme and the second in the TK16 series, TK16: The Headquarters immerses audiences in the century-old environment of the Police Headquarters Block in order to discover its fascinating architectural features, inspiring functional transformation and meticulous conservation works. The programme reveals the building’s stories throughout the years – from the period prior to its construction in 1919, to its role in catering to the diverse needs of multi-ethnic officers, to its revitalisation as a venue for cultural experiences and exhibitions. (30 October 2019 - 2 January 2020)

Tai Kwun 101 Environmental Theatre

Don’t miss your last chance to take an interactive journey through the Tai Kwun 101 showcase of 101 historical objects. Transcending the traditional boundaries of theatre, Tai Kwun 101 Environmental Theatre is a unique exploration of objects in which performers leave the boundaries of the traditional stage to guide visitors through the Duplex Studio to relive stories of the compound and learn more about its history. (Exhibition: until 22 September; Environmental Theatre: 11, 18 & 25 August, and 8, 15 and 22 September).

Visitor information

Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts is excited to announce an extension of opening hours for MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI at Tai Kwun Contemporary on Saturdays until 9 pm, starting from 3 August.

In response to the tremendous success of MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, Tai Kwun Contemporary is extending its opening hours on Saturdays to 9 pm. This accommodates even more visitors and gives the public a better chance to discover this important exhibition by Takashi Murakami, with a wide range of the artist’s paintings and sculptures. 

Starting from 3 August, the exhibition is open from 10:30 am to 7 pm on Sundays to Thursdays, and from 10:30 am to 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Last entry is 30 minutes before the closing time.

Since its opening on 1 June, the exhibition has welcomed a record number of 60,000 visitors. Due to popular demand and extraordinary public enthusiasm, Takashi Murakami has planned a return to Tai Kwun, where he will be taking part in another public talk on 27 July together with a signing session.

Murakami and animation

Accompanying the MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI exhibition, Tai Kwun Contemporary is hosting a series of animation screenings, which will include Jellyfish Eyes, Murakami’s first feature, as well as Anime Impact!—a selection of seven representative Japanese animated films produced between the 1970s and the 2000s.

The selected movies in Anime Impact! include Galaxy Express 999, an important milestone work by Leiji Matsumoto about adventures throughout the universe; Patlabor The Movie and Neon Genesis Evangelion, an interesting revamp of Japanese anime by the unconventional directors Mamoru Oshii and Hideaki Anno; Memories, Mind Game, and Paprika, extraordinary masterpieces by the creative geniuses Katsuhiro Otomo, Masaaki Yuasa, and Satoshi Kon.

The screening series gives viewers the unique chance to gain a fresh understanding of Japanese anime and grasp its connection with Japanese and international contemporary art.

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI will run until 1 Sep; Anime Impact! will run from 27 Jul to 18 Aug 2019.

Advance tickets to the exhibition are now available on Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com/murakami):
HK$60 (general) and HK$45 (concession)*

Tickets are also available at the Tai Kwun Contemporary reception:
HK$75 (general) and HK$55 (concession)*

* Concession tickets are applicable to students (aged under 18 or with full-time student ID), seniors aged over 65, and persons with disability.

For more details about the exhibition, various activities, and ticketing information, visit:

www.taikwun.hk/murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI

Curated by Tobias Berger and Gunnar B. Kvaran
Presented by Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo

Exhibition from 1 June to 1 September 2019

Tai Kwun Contemporary

JC Contemporary and F Hall Studio
Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily from 10:30 am–7 pm (until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays)

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (b. 1962, Tokyo, Japan), which runs from 1 June to 1 September 2019. The exhibition will explore the multifaceted universe of the cultural phenomenon of this Japanese super-star artist.

Curated by Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, and Gunnar B. Kvaran, Director of Astrup Fearnley Museet (Oslo, Norway), MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI features divergent extremes of the artist’s oeuvre — from his large-scale post-apocalyptic works to his optimistic flower pieces, and then to his contemplative Enso paintings, offering Buddhist visions of enlightenment.

Also on view for the first time is a showcase of some of the artist’s iconic and outlandish costume designs, which visitors will experience alongside other important video works, samples of his private art collection, as well as the artist’s spectacular wall and floor art — which serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact.

Utilising all spaces in the art galleries at Tai Kwun, this comprehensive survey will feature over 60 paintings and sculptures in a stunning, immersive setting that showcases the intriguing paradoxes embodied in the diverse work and life of Takashi Murakami.

THIRD FLOOR

The Birth Cry of a Universe

The main hall of 3/F encapsulates Takashi Murakami’s mélange of high and low, elite art and pop culture. Under the cute surfaces, however, lurk darker visions of trauma and pain, forging strange and singular scenes of a dark wonder. This in part reflects the artist’s anxiety about nuclear power, especially in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown—but also echoes the broader postwar trauma in Japan that resulted from the detonation of two atomic bombs and the subsequent flood of American culture.

The figures of Tan Tan Bo, based on a manga character by Mizuki Shigeru that was Murakami’s favourite when young, appear as phantoms writhing while spewing out bodily fluids in glorious psychedelic colour. Such combinations of a cute “kawaii” aesthetic with something gloomier can be unsettling. Not only do they reflect the artist’s personal sense of cracking under pressure but also envisions possible apocalyptic futures for humanity.

The highlight of the room is the large gold-leaf clad 4.5-metre-tall sculpture The Birth Cry of a Universe, shown here for the first time in its final version after 14 years of preparation, presents a majesty flustered and disturbed, collapsing under its own weight in formal deterioration. The floor art of skulls, too, forces visitors to traverse a scene of devastation— as visceral memento mori, a reminder of the vanity of earthly goods and pursuits.

The Collection

While Takashi Murakami is certainly a pop icon the world over, he in fact has a deep understanding of art history, with a PhD in traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga). Over the years, the artist has also built a remarkable collection that reflects his historical rigor and eclectic tastes. Also on view is a selection of his art collection—in total numbering thousands of works and items—with works by postwar artists who influenced him, from Japan to the West. The pieces chosen were driven by nostalgia, reaching back to the roots of his own career, as well as a respect for great artistic geniuses.

SECOND FLOOR

Costumes

Takashi Murakami is known for dressing up, partaking in zany “cosplay” which one sees in Japanese subculture. The artist sees himself as somewhat of an “otaku” and claims modestly that with a weakness in speaking English, he communicates and achieves attention with his costumes—which perhaps also serve as an armour against the rarefied world of contemporary art. Eight colourful costumes of his are now shown for the first time in an exhibition setting.

FIRST FLOOR

Francis Bacon

Takashi Murakami has long been fascinated with the British artist Francis Bacon, seeing a kindred creative spirit in Bacon’s disturbed, unbalanced inner world. Drawn to the way Bacon expressively distorts bodies and faces, Murakami transforms the images with his characteristic surrealism—faces protruding from faces, appendages sprouting forth from mouths—in the motifs of his artistic iconography. Since the early 2000s, Murakami has pursued this multifaceted series as part of his broader homage to artists both Western and Japanese. In many ways, the multiple layers in his Bacon works, with inner psychological turmoil resulting in a dark yet beautiful final expression, encapsulates the complex trajectories present in the exhibition.

Tan Tan Bo Studies

Tan Tan Bo—which is also a reincarnation of Mr. DOB, which in turn is an alter-ego of Takashi Murakami—is based on a manga character by Mizuki Shigeru. Here we see the meticulous preliminary sketches in preparation for a final painting with its perfectionist aesthetic. Viewers can scrutinize the exhaustive research, the attention to detail, and endless rounds of editing that goes into the production of every “Superflat” work.

Superflat Flowers

One steps in a room of overwhelming affective power—generated in no small part by Takashi Murakami’s signature flower icons, obsessively and repetitively combined and presented. Takashi Murakami himself has elaborated the concept of “Superflat”, which refers not only to the perspectival flatness on the picture plane in Japanese art, but also ushers in the rejection of hierarchical divisions between high and low art, and of society itself. With his abiding interest in art history, these works also allude to Abstract Expressionism’s explorations of allover compositions.

Enso

Covered wall to ceiling in gold, this room serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact. On one level, this gestures towards Andy Warhol’s silver Factory, a studio decorated in tin foil and silver paint. In many ways, Murakami’s creative approach resembles that of Warhol’s: repetition in variation, commingling of high and low, erasure of boundaries between the canonical and the popular, as well as the scaled-up production of the studios and an eye for commercial and promotional impact. On another level, however, his usage of gold equally recalls the sacred aura of religious icons, figures, and spaces throughout history. With the Enso paintings, Murakami moreover harks back to Japanese tradition. As a motif, the Enso (literally “circle”) symbolises emptiness, unity, and infinity in Zen Buddhism; here, some are spray-painted over gold and silver, while some are painted over embossed patterns of skulls. The artist thus offers a meditative space to reflect on nothingness and finitude—a contemplative finale to the exhibition MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI.

PRISON YARD

Kaikai and Kiki

At once playful, lively and devoid of obvious meaning, Kaikai and Kiki features two mischievous characters that reoccur in Takashi Murakami’s artistic practice. “Kaikai” is the child figure with the rabbit ears while “Kiki” is the figure with three eyes and fangs for teeth. “Kaikai Kiki”, which are inscribed on their ears respectively, can be translated as “supernatural” or “weird” and was the phrase used to praise the blend of weirdness and refinement in the works of the sixteenth-century Japanese painter Kanō Eitoku. “Kaikai Kiki” also happens to be the name of Takashi Murakami’s art management and production company. In a characteristic “Superflat” style that flattens meanings and depth, these two sculptures at the same time stand in for the artist’s company as mascots of the brand while also reflecting the consumerist visual economy that Takashi Murakami has always explored and intervened in. Kaikai and Kiki are the first outdoor sculptural works by Takashi Murakami since his exhibition at the Château de Versailles.

F HALL STUDIO (GROUND FLOOR ENTRANCE)

Pop-Up Store

A special pop-up store will be open during the exhibition period, where visitors are able to enjoy neon and wallpaper works by Takashi Murakami. In many ways an extension of the artist’s intervention in a broader visual culture, the pop-up store will offer Takashi Murakami products for sale, including Tai Kwun–exclusive items made for the occasion of the exhibition.

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a wide range of public programming and educational events. These include videos by Takashi Murakami to be screened regularly on the Laundry Steps, as well as a public discussion with Takashi Murakami, Gunnar B Kvaran, and Tobias Berger. Other events slated to be present include frequent guided tours, educational workshops, public talks, anime and film screenings, among others. Stay tuned to the website.

Advance tickets to the exhibition are now available on Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com/murakami) :

HK$60 (general) and HK$45 (concession)*

Tickets will also be available at the Tai Kwun Contemporary reception:

HK$75 (general) and HK$55 (concession)*

* Concession tickets are applicable to students (aged under 18 or with full-time student ID), seniors aged over 65 and persons with disability.

For more details about the exhibition, various activities, and ticketing information, visit:

www.taikwun.hk/murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI

Curated by Tobias Berger and Gunnar B. Kvaran
Presented by Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo

Exhibition from 1 June to 1 September 2019

Tai Kwun Contemporary

JC Contemporary and F Hall Studio
Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily from 10:30 am–7 pm (10:30 am–9 pm on Fridays)

For more information, please contact:

social/capital                                                                                                                        

Cat Wong                                                            Blair Ng
E-mail: cw@social-capital.com                          E-mail: bn@social-capital.com
Tel: +852 2552 8775                                          Tel: +852 2552 8775          

Takashi Murakami at JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun
Photography by 13thWitness

About Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami (b.1962), who has a PhD in Nihonga painting, combines the most cutting-edge techniques with the precision and virtuosity of traditional Japanese art. Inspired by manga and kawaii culture, his irresistible world is peopled by monstrous and charming characters alike, as facetious descendants of past myths. His theory of the Superflat aesthetic, which he introduced in 2001 with the trilogy exhibition he curated (the third part was entitled “Little Boy”, which refers to the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945), attempts to blur the boundaries between popular art and high art; it has explored the evolution of Japan’s understanding of its post-Hiroshima condition and the interrelationships between vanguard art, manga, anime and their forerunner, Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The absence of perspective, the two-dimensionality of ancient Japanese art, filters in to every medium. Over the years, Murakami has become recognised as one of the most prominent contemporary artists of his time, and his work has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions at museums and art institutions throughout the world.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.        

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts.      

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.           

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts celebrated its first anniversary today (25 May) with the launch of Tai Kwun 101 heritage exhibition as guests and visitors watched the spectacular performance by the Hong Kong Police Force at the ceremony.

Since opening its doors to the public a year ago, the heritage site has come alive with heritage and arts exhibitions, musical performances, film shows, docent tours and more. Some 3.4 million visitors were recorded in its first year of operations, making it the most visited heritage site in town.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam, Dr Anthony W K Chow, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung officiated at the anniversary celebrations. More than 200 guests including Government officials, community leaders, heritage, arts and culture representatives, as well as programme partners attended the ceremony.

Dr Chow said Tai Kwun had more than lived up to its purpose as a vibrant and vital part of Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic life. “Since its opening, Tai Kwun has mounted an active programme of exhibitions, events and performances. It has collaborated with major arts groups and festivals and given a platform to up-and-coming artists and performers. It has also reached out to the local community, recording and sharing the stories of Central district, and has welcomed citizens from all walks of life, including students, the elderly and the differently abled.”

Coinciding with the first anniversary celebrations is the opening of Tai Kwun 101, a thematic exhibition that showcases 101 objects related to the Central Police Station compound and chronicles a variety of stories about work and life in these historic buildings over time.

In addition, an inspiring array of exhibitions and programmes featuring home grown and international artists and troupes has been lined up. For example, a contemporary arts exhibition by world famous artist Takashi Murakami will open from 1 June.

Dr Chow said the restoration of the Central Police Station compound and its revitalisation as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, has enabled the Club not only to set a new standard for heritage conservation in Hong Kong, but to transform the site into a living, breathing cultural space that all can enjoy.

Support for the project, as for all of its community initiatives, was made possible through the Club’s unique integrated business model. It is through this model that the Club contributes to the betterment of our society, delivering economic and social value for the benefit of all. As the most significant “Arts, Culture and Heritage” charities project of the Club and the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project in Hong Kong, Tai Kwun contributes to the city’s heritage and cultural life and strengthens Hong Kong’s position as an international arts and cultural hub.

Dr Chow expressed special thanks to Chief Executive Carrie Lam who was a driving force behind the project from the very beginning. He also thanked the Government departments involved, the Antiquities Advisory Board, members of the Jockey Club Central Police Station Advisory Committee, members of the Heritage Working Group and the Art Working Group, as well as the Central and Western District Council and the neighbouring community for their support over the past year.

Led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR, the project was recognised on its structural excellence with its project engineering consultant, Arup, presented the Structural Excellence Award 2019 by The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. Tai Kwun also received the HKICON Conservation Award 2018 – Interpretation Category by The Hong Kong Institute of Architectural Conservationists. The revitalisation project was named by The Telegraph as one of the largest and most intricate conservation projects in the city.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts.

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charity and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com.

Photo captions:

Photo 1:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow addresses the audience at Tai Kwun’s first anniversary celebrations.

Photo 2:

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam says she is pleased to return to Tai Kwun to celebrate its first anniversary.

Photo 3:

Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung says that following its revitalisation and official opening last year, Tai Kwun, with its rich history, has become a cultural centre.

Photo 4:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow (right), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (centre) and Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung (left) officiate at Tai Kwun’s first anniversary celebrations.

Photo 5:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow (front row, 3rd right); Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (front row, centre); Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung (front row, 3rd left); the Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council and Chairman of the JCCPS Advisory Committee Bernard Chan (front row, 2nd right); Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) 1, Joey Lam (front row, 2nd left); Club Deputy Chairman, Lester C H Kwok (front row, 1st left); Club Stewards Michael T H Lee (back row, 6th right); Philip N L Chen (back row, 6th left); Stephen Ip Shu Kwan (back row, 5th right); Dr Eric Li Ka Cheung (back row, 5th left); The Hon Sir C K Chow (back row, 4th right); The Hon Martin Liao (back row, 4th left); Margaret Leung (back row, 3rd right); Silas S S Yang (back row, 3rd left); Richard Tang Yat Sun (back row, 2nd right); Dr Rosanna Wong Yick Ming (back row, 2nd left); Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 1st right); Club Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung (back row, 1st right) and Director of Tai Kwun Timothy Calnin (back row, 1st left) celebrate Tai Kwun’s first anniversary.

Photo 6:

The Hong Kong Police Force put on a spectacular drill display and band performance at Tai Kwun’s first anniversary ceremony.

Photo 7:

Club Chairman Dr Anthony W K Chow (centre), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (right), and Head of Heritage of Tai Kwun Winnie Yeung (left) at the Tai Kwun 101 heritage exhibition, which showcases 101 objects related to the rich history of the Central Police Station compound. 

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today opened a new flagship exhibition: Tai Kwun 101 at Duplex Studio at Block 01 and site-wide at Tai Kwun. Showcasing 101 objects – each symbolising work and life at the historic Central Police Station compound throughout the years – Tai Kwun 101 invites visitors across generations to connect with rarely seen insider stories of the police, judiciary, prison and immigration systems in Hong Kong.

Tai Kwun 101 is curated by the Tai Kwun Heritage Department and launches on 25 May 2019; forming an important part of Tai Kwun’s first anniversary celebrations this summer. The exhibition, designed by One Bite Design Studio, also coincides with the 175th anniversary of the Hong Kong Police Force in 2019, with Tai Kwun having been the very first official headquarters for the Force.

Winnie Yeung, Head of Heritage, Tai Kwun said, “This exhibition is a ‘101’ course in the history and heritage of Tai Kwun, overviewing the vibrant and multifaceted stories of the former police station, magistracy and prison. Tai Kwun 101 represents a step forward from the very first show exhibited at Tai Kwun. It symbolises all our success in the first year of Tai Kwun and heralds a bright future for arts, culture, performance and heritage on these grounds.”

An evolution in object-based storytelling

Tai Kwun 101 is an evolution from Tai Kwun’s very first show 100 Faces of Tai Kwun. Showcasing “100+1” objects, Tai Kwun 101 introduces the next level of historical exploration into the lives, moments and artefacts which are inextricably woven into the rich tapestry of Tai Kwun. These include both typical and atypical items – defining the compound across the years and at times subverting visitors’ expectations to tell unexpected tales of time, people and place.

Objects on display for Tai Kwun 101 will take a number of distinct forms, including newspaper clippings, photos and signage; personal items such as tools and ID cards; artefacts; and lots more – making Tai Kwun 101 a unique, unprecedented opportunity to see all of these pieces in one exhibition.

Experiencing and interacting with heritage

An exhibition of artefacts as well as interactions, Tai Kwun 101 welcomes visitors to take an experiential journey through the heritage of the compound. Various objects and demonstrations of Tai Kwun 101 will span across the indoor and outdoor areas of Tai Kwun, introducing ambient sounds and stylised, interactive scenes to contribute to the all-encompassing voyage into Tai Kwun’s history.

Oral histories form a major part of the Tai Kwun 101 experience. Some of these stories are recorded and shown in videos on-site, while others have been integrated into content across multiple parts of the exhibition. Visitors can also step into a personal experience of heritage by picking up a character handbook on LG1. There are five available, each one showing a different side of Tai Kwun 101 through the eyes of a police constable, Justice of the Peace, prisoner, prison warder and member of the public.

A few highlighted objects coming to Tai Kwun 101 include:

• A sculpted reinterpretation of a tiger’s head, based on the real animal which was killed by police in the New Territories in 1915. (Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A police detective’s badge which dates back to the 1920s/30s, when the detective squad was reorganised to become the Criminal Investigation Division (CID). (Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A water cart used by early firefighting forces in Hong Kong. (Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A painted sign calling for “Silence” on the wall of Central Magistracy Courtroom No 1, which once served as a reminder to members of the public who came to observe hearings. (Block 09; replica at Duplex Studio, Block 01)
• A Servis Recorder used by officers to record the time and frequency of their night-time patrols around former Victoria Prison. (Duplex Studio, Block 01)

Public engagement & activities   

Various public events, installations and activities will be held during the exhibition period, inviting Hong Kong locals and visitors to engage with Tai Kwun 101 through a variety of formats. These include Chinese Orchestra, a recital from the Police Children’s Choir, art club performances and more. The Police Force will also put on Tai Kwun 101 - Down Memory Lane with the Police – a historical talk and sharing series with police officers who were involved in tracking down infamous Hong Kong gangster Yip Kai-foon.

Meanwhile, Tai Kwun will partner with local paper artist Because Yeung to deliver a series of bookbinding workshops, inspired by this historical form of industrial light labour in the early days of former Victoria Prison. Today, the practice remains a vocational training option offered by the Correctional Services to people under its custody.

Visitor information

Tai Kwun 101

Date: 25 May-22 September 2019

Time: 11am-8pm

Location: Duplex Studio at Block 01 & site-wide, Tai Kwun

Tai Kwun 101 is curated by the Tai Kwun Heritage Department, with additional support from Design Partner One Bite Design Studio and Programme Partner the Hong Kong Police Force. 

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (b. 1962, Tokyo, Japan), which opens from 1 June to 1 September 2019. The exhibition will explore the multifaceted universe of the cultural phenomenon of this Japanese super-star artist. Utilising all spaces in the art galleries at Tai Kwun, this comprehensive survey will feature over 60 paintings and sculptures in a stunning, immersive setting that showcases the intriguing paradoxes embodied in the diverse work and life of Takashi Murakami.

One of the most influential artists in the world, Takashi Murakami has the ability to amaze as well as to confound, with a particular but subtle critique of contemporary culture. He also has an uncanny knack for reaching out far beyond the realm of contemporary art to a broader mainstream audience, from fashion to cosplay to graffiti.

Curated by Gunnar B. Kvaran, director of Astrup Fearnley Museet (Oslo, Norway) and Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI features divergent extremes of the artist’s oeuvre — from his large-scale post-apocalyptic works to his optimistic flower pieces, and then to his contemplative Enso paintings, offering Buddhist visions of enlightenment. Also on view for the first time is a showcase of some of the artist’s iconic and outlandish costume designs, which visitors will experience alongside other  important video works, samples of his private art collection, as well as the artist’s spectacular wall and floor art — which serves up a forceful yet complex visual impact.

“We are immensely proud to bring the first survey of Takashi Murakami’s work to Hong Kong—including the premiere showing of ‘The Birth Cry of a Universe’, a 4.5-metre-tall sculpture in the making for over 14 years, as well as presenting important parts of his private collection. The entire exhibition is a huge immersive experience that demonstrates what an incredibly intelligent and thought-provoking artist Takashi Murakami is,” says Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun.

Over the course of three months, Tai Kwun Contemporary will host a wide range of public programming  and educational events. These include videos by Takashi Murakami to be screened regularly on the  Laundry Steps, as well as a public discussion with Takashi Murakami, Gunnar B Kvaran, and Tobias Berger. Other events slated to be present include frequent guided tours, educational workshops, public talks, anime and film screenings, among others.

A special pop-up store will also open in F Hall Studio during the exhibition period, where visitors are able to enjoy neon and wallpaper works by Takashi Murakami. In many ways an extension of the artist’s intervention in a broader visual culture, the pop-up store will offer Takashi Murakami products for sale, including Tai Kwun–exclusive items made for the occasion of the exhibition.

Advance tickets to the exhibition will be available from 8 May 2019 at 10:00 am on Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com/murakami) :
HK$60 for general tickets and HK$45 for concession tickets (Full-time students with ID and seniors)

Tickets will also be available at the Tai Kwun Contemporary reception:
HK$75 (general) and HK$55 (concession)

For more details about the exhibition, various activities, and ticketing information, visit: www.taikwun.hk/murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI

Curated by Gunnar B. Kvaran and Tobias Berger
Presented by Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo

Exhibition opens from 1 June to 1 September 2019

Tai Kwun Contemporary

JC Contemporary and F Hall Studio
Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Open daily from 10:30 am–7 pm (10:30 am–9 pm on Fridays)

For more information, please contact: social/capital

About Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami (b.1962), who has a PhD in Nihonga painting, combines the most cutting-edge techniques with the precision and virtuosity of traditional Japanese art. Inspired by manga and kawaii culture, his irresistible world is peopled by monstrous and charming characters alike, as facetious descendants of past myths. His theory of the Superflat aesthetic, which he introduced in 2001 with the trilogy exhibition he curated (the third part was entitled “Little Boy”, which refers to the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945), attempts to blur the boundaries between popular art and high art; it has explored the evolution of Japan’s understanding of its post-Hiroshima condition and the interrelationships between vanguard art, manga, anime and their forerunner, Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The absence of perspective, the two-dimensionality of ancient Japanese art, filters in to every medium. Over the years, Murakami has become recognised as one of the most prominent contemporary artists of his time, and his work has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions at museums and art institutions throughout  the world.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today revealed its upcoming programme for the summer season. Following a successful spring, the new season marks the arrival of yet another vibrant and enriching programme — as well as the celebration of Tai Kwun’s first anniversary.

The upcoming summer season will see novel points of view on historical artefacts, complex artistic explorations through Contemporary Art exhibitions and theatre, and limited-edition offers to mark one year of cultural inspiration and stimulation at Tai Kwun.

A fresh look at Tai Kwun’s history and heritage

Tai Kwun 101

Curated by the Heritage Department of Tai Kwun, Tai Kwun 101 offers a fresh look into the history of the Central Police Station compound through a range of everyday objects and interactive installations. The show brings back to Tai Kwun 101 objects related to the police, judiciary, prison and immigration system, giving visitors a new opportunity to explore the myriad stories of Tai Kwun and its heritage.

Tai Kwun 101 runs from 25 May to 22 September; more information available soon.

The world of Takashi Murakami

MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI Exhibition

Tai Kwun Contemporary will showcase MURAKAMI vs MURAKAMI, a major survey exhibition of the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, which runs from 1 June to 1 September. The exhibition will explore the multifaceted universe of the cultural phenomenon of this Japanese super-star artist. Utilising all gallery spaces at Tai Kwun, this comprehensive survey will feature over 60 paintings and sculptures in a stunning, immersive setting that showcases the intriguing paradoxes embodied in the diverse work and life of Takashi Murakami.

More information will be released on 6 May.

A new touch of theatre

A platform to champion worldwide creators and artists of all stripes, Tai Kwun will present a novel performing arts programme this summer. The Theatre Season aims to showcase the best of theatrical artists together with both local and multinational creations in the art and culture space, and ultimately develop even more appreciation of the arts in Hong Kong. Each of the four productions will make creative use of Tai Kwun’s unique venues, to provide Hong Kong with a rarely seen performing arts experience. Tickets will be available at Urbtix from 27 May 2019.

Tri Ka Tsai

Multi-talented musical artists Anna Lo and Rick Lau have collaborated with choreographer Yuri Ng to create the original multilingual show Tri Ka Tsai. The production examines Hong Kong's love-hate triangle of Cantonese, English and Mandarin, in a jubilant and thought-provoking Hong Kong-style cabaret exploring the role of language for different generations in Hong Kong. Audiences are brought along on a whimsical musical journey that tugs the heartstrings and tickles the funny bone. (4-7 July)

Happily Ever After Nuclear Explosion

Happily Ever After Nuclear Explosion is a provocative work by Yan Pat To, the first ethnic Chinese playwright awarded by the Berlin Theatertreffen Stückemarkt. Commissioned by Munich’s Residenztheater and re-staged in Cantonese, the narrative centres around two people whose lives have been affected by nuclear catastrophe, taking them back to their hometown and immersing the audience in the characters’ world through everyday objects, video and installation. Following on from Yan’s acclaimed production A Concise History of Future China, this theatrical experience represents yet another unique take from the playwright on a dangerous yet relevant issue. (12-14 July)

The Day I Fell Into A Book

An immersive storytelling adventure for kids and adults alike, The Day I Fell Into a Book from the UK explores the magic of reading to ignite the imagination of all. Conducted in English, the narration blends in with binaural sound recordings, intricate lighting technology and projection to take the audience into a lost world of classic myths and legends. Bit by bit, the fiction becomes reality as the stories seep into the room and come alive across a three-dimensional sound and theatre experience. Young readers will be particularly delighted by the show. (18-21 July)

Please, Continue (Hamlet)

Please, Continue (Hamlet) is an unprecedented opportunity for the general public in Hong Kong to witness top legal minds in action. Deeply related to Tai Kwun’s magisterial historical background, the legal drama explores the eternally elusive question of truth, recruiting real-life legal professionals including a judge, prosecutor and barrister to get on stage together with three actors. As the actors improvise the roles of Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude, seven individuals from the audience will be appointed to form a jury and decide whether Hamlet is guilty. This fascinating conceit is a rare opportunity to get an up-close insight into how justice is administered, through the medium of performance. (26-27 July & 2-3 August)

First anniversary limited editions

All-in Tai Kwun collaboration

In collaboration with brands under the same roof of the historical compound, Tai Kwun is working with various designers on limited-edition souvenirs and creating special dining offers across its F&B outlets. Special anniversary gifts and discounts will also be coming soon to the Tai Kwun Store; stay tuned for more information.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce the arrival of a new exhibition entitled Trolleys Central. Presented by the Heritage Department in partnership with community design group Making on Loft, the exhibition will take place from 30 March to 28 April.

Nowadays, the traffic network in Hong Kong is well-developed, but there are still many steep and narrow roads in the Central and Western District. The flow of traffic in this area is further affected by restricted parking and loading areas; hence, many merchants and delivery workers in this area prefer to work with a trolley for the benefit of more convenience and flexibility.

Trolleys Central showcases relationships between the shops in the district, to explore how trolley manufacturers have advanced their designs with the times to satisfy evolving user demands and improve the local working styles and quality of living.

The history and transformation of trolleys

The exhibition starts with an exploration of urban planning and road development in Central. The steep slopes of Central District forced early urban design to create steep, narrow streets and many stairs. This led workers to use trolleys instead of trucks to deliver goods, for easy parking and loading.

A variety of trolley designs will be shown in the exhibition, including the traditional two-wheeled handcart, the hawker trolley, the worktainer, the two-wheeled stacked goods trolley (also known as the soda trolley), and the angle iron trolley with brakes. Some of the designs are over 30 years old.

The Making on Loft team conducted six months of research into the history and modern usage of trolleys to prepare for the exhibition, including trips to the Central and Western Districts to observe how people use trolleys today. Time-honoured brand who still use trolleys to deliver goods were also interviewed, including Po Yuen Store, Po Wah Furniture Company, Companion Import & Export Company, Ping Kee Waste-Paper Factory and more, to understand how trolleys help their work over the years. The team also spoke with Chiu Kee, whose trolley business has over 60 years of history in Sheung Wan and only closed in 2017, to understand how to design and build a good trolley for the merchants and residents.

Originally designed trolleys

After this research in the Central and Western District, the Making on Loft team created four original trolley designs which are on display at the exhibition. These adapted designs, based around the needs of people in the area, include a retractable angle iron trolley and a multi-layer, eco-friendly shopping cart.  

Trolleys Central opens every day from 11am to 6pm at Parade Ground with free entry. Guided tours and workshops are available on Saturdays and Sundays. Workshop costs are HK$200 per parent-child pair.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts today announces its upcoming spring season, with a gamut of programming in performing arts, heritage and contemporary art. Spring will also mark the arrival of two new heritage storytelling spaces at Central Magistracy, with a focus on judicial heritage and social development. The season’s wide range of events, performances, lectures, demonstrations, workshops and exhibitions, among others, is set to entice enthusiasts and aficionados of art and culture in Hong Kong and beyond to come to Tai Kwun in order to experience, learn, and enjoy.

Transforming knowledge into art — "SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer"

"SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer" is a new performing arts programme at Tai Kwun which invites professionals and celebrities from different fields to share their experience of transforming knowledge into artistic creation. Through a series of interactive workshops, lectures and showcases from 30 March to 28 April, "SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer" will enrich the imagination and prompt visitors to question the relationship between everyday life—from culinary art, to architecture, music, dance and machinery—and artistic inspiration.

About Khon and You

Unveiling the mystery of the traditional Thai dance practice “Khon”, About Khon and You bridges the gap between traditional customs and contemporary performing arts. Through a lively combination of demonstration and discussion with local Cantonese Opera artist Paris Wong, Khon master and audacious Thai artist Pichet Klunchun will explore and reinterpret the meaning of tradition, training and learning. In addition to his workshops and showcase, Klunchun will host a free open Khon class on 6 April at the Prison Yard, giving Hong Kong audiences the chance to experience this centuries-old Thai court dance practice in person.

Workshops*: Daily, 1-7 April

Open Khon Class: 6 April

Showcase*: 7 April

Starting from Research: Automated Landscapes

Starting from Research: Automated Landscapes is based on the research project "Automated Landscapes" which is done by Het Nieuwe Instituut (the Netherlands) on the incursion of automation and artificial intelligence in the built environment. Through interactive workshops and an experimental performance-lecture, project researchers Merve Bedir and Marten Kuijpers will reveal their insights on how automated labour is transforming architecture and urbanism, and share how this research flows into design and art.

Creative Research Workshops*: 4 & 22 April

Performance-Lecture8: 28 April

Music Making of Tomorrow

The creative delights of music-making come under the spotlight with Dr. Leung Chi-hin, who has long transformed how music is learned and created. Visitors can learn more about his innovative music creation and performance project, including the chance to test out colourful electronic building blocks and tablets—an extraordinary demonstration that you can invent instruments and make music without years of musical training and experience. Dr. Leung’s performances, lecture-demonstrations and interactive events will appeal particularly to families, musical artists, and arts and music educators.

STEAM in Music Exhibition & Workshop*: 13-14 April

e-Orch Lecture-Demonstrations*: 21-22 April

An Edible Performance

The chef, entrepreneur and restaurateur Peggy Chan will join a group of local performing artists to present an artistic tasting menu, cooking up dishes within the context of art, identity, food and culture. The interactive food experience event at Grassroots Pantry will be accompanied by a talk at Tai Kwun and interactive sessions, including a local farm visit. Throughout all these events, Chan will elaborate on her advocacy for responsible sourcing and sustainability and explain more about her signature plant-based cooking—drawing not only on her deep knowledge of gastronomy but also the stories and memories behind her dishes.

Creative Research Workshop*: 30-31 March

Talk*: 2 April

Interactive Food Experience*: 20 April

*Advanced registration is required

For full details on "SHIFTING by Knowledge Transfer" programme at Tai Kwun will be announced on the Tai Kwun website in mid-March

Heritage of the humble trolley  

Presented by Heritage Department in partnership with community design group Making on Loft, Trolleys Central calls attention to the stories and histories surrounding the trolley in the Central and Western District, exploring its transformation over the years. Running from 30 March to 28 April, this exhibition at Parade Ground showcases examines the area's business connections and how they have been forged through the use of trolleys. Various adapted trolley designs will also be on display, speaking directly to the needs of users and reflecting how innovation can progressively improve people’s livelihoods.

Welcoming new heritage storytelling spaces

Block 09: Two new storytelling spaces at Central Magistracy

In this spring season, Tai Kwun brings two new Heritage Storytelling Spaces to the Central Magistracy.  The current structure was built in 1914 and its function as the Central Magistracy was decommissioned in 1979.  It was later used by the Supreme Court as an annex and was also used for other purposes such as offices for Police, Immigration and International Arbitration Centre. The design of the building is imbued with the judicial power and authority of the court.

Within the Central Magistracy, two existing courtrooms had docks connected by staircases to holding cells on the basement level. One of the original holding cells is conserved and open to the public as a Heritage Storytelling Space, Evolution of Central Magistracy. Next to it is a timeline introducing the background and evolution of the building, as well as certain relevant cases. The former Courtroom No.1 is also transformed into a Heritage Storytelling Space, The Court Rises, with stylised furniture in order to re-enact the setting and layout of the courtroom. Digital books and multimedia presentations are available for visitors to explore some of the high-profile cases preliminarily heard in this courtroom; visitors can thus witness how the nature of legal proceedings in Hong Kong has evolved alongside its social and urban development.

Meanwhile, the Heritage Education Courtroom Theatre, an education programme to be held periodically in The Court Rises, immerses students in the heritage of Tai Kwun. By inviting students to participate in drama-based courtroom roleplays based on well-known cases of the past, the activity helps them to learn more about Hong Kong's judicial system and policy development, enhancing their sense of civic responsibility. Tai Kwun is partnering with the Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong (SRACP) for the programme.

Ongoing exhibitions

Following their debuts during the winter season at Tai Kwun, Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close and Performing Society: The Violence of Gender will continue on into spring.

Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close

Co-produced by the art and heritage teams of Tai Kwun, Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close tackles the subject of contagion in Hong Kong. The art exhibition curated by Ying Kwok presents artists who explore the links between contagion, superstition, memory and history.  Alongside the art exhibition is also an exhibition curated by Heritage Department, which showcases new angles about the Plague in 1894 in Hong Kong, and how it affected later public health and urban development policies. The exhibition continues on until 21 April.

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender probes the nature of violence over the contested terrain of gender, unpacking the notion of “structural violence” and offering counter-narratives and alternative imagination. The exhibition features 11 international, regional and local artists—Dong Jinling, Jana Euler, Anne Imhof, Oliver Laric, Liu Yefu, Ma Qiusha, Julia Phillips, Pamela Rosenkranz, Marianna Simnett, Raphaela Vogel, and Wong Ping—presenting videos, paintings, sculpture, among others. Open to the public at Tai Kwun until 28 April, the exhibition is presented by MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and curated by Susanne Pfeffer.

Specific parts of the exhibition are age restricted due to the explicit content of some artworks.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts is proud to announce that the film Prison Architect, directed by the Chinese artist Cao Fei, was selected for Berlinale 2019 (the 69th Berlin International Film Festival) in the programme category of " Forum Expanded". The film was commissioned by Tai Kwun and exhibited as a significant part of Cao Fei's first institutional solo exhibition in Asia — A hollow in a world too full, recently housed at Tai Kwun Contemporary.

As one of the three most important international film festivals in the world, the Berlinale attracts 500,000 visitors each year, providing a platform for filmmakers across all disciplines to showcase projects in a prestigious international forum. Prison Architect was selected for "Forum Expanded", which stands for reflections on the medium of film, socio-artistic discourse and a particular sense for the aesthetic. This programme category aims to expand the understanding of what film is, to test the boundaries of convention and to open up fresh perspectives to help audiences grasp cinema and how it relates to the world in new ways. 

Prison Architect takes inspiration from the sombre histories of the Former Victoria Prison built in Hong Kong under British colonial rule. The two protagonists — an architect and a prisoner living in parallel realities of the present and the past — conjure up imagination and experiences of imprisonment. In their dialogue across space and time they debate the relations between humans, the world, and freedom.

The work was filmed on the site of the Central Police Station compound before it opened to the public as Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts. Prison Architect premiered last year at Tai Kwun Contemporary, in Cao Fei's solo exhibition A hollow in a world too full.

Amongst the most internationally renowned artists of her generation, Cao Fei has shown in prominent events and museums across Europe, Asia and North America. Always with an eye for the surreal and the fun, her explorations propose characters and scenarios that question larger realities by deviating from them, creating spaces for suspended reflection in a full and fast-moving world.

Tobias Berger, Head of Arts at Tai Kwun, said, "We are incredibly proud that the first major film commissioned and exhibited at Tai Kwun Contemporary has received such wonderful recognition, especially seeing as it is a work inspired by the heritage and histories of the Central Police Station compound. Prison Architect brings these histories into a contemporary context.”

Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce a new exhibition Performing Society: The Violence of Gender, to be held from 16 February to 28 April 2019, presented by MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and curated by the Director Prof. Susanne Pfeffer. This group exhibition will investigate the underlying structural violence in issues related to the body, gender, sexuality, identity and behaviour.  

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender probes the nature of violence over the contested terrain of gender, unpacking the notion of “structural violence” and offering counter-narratives and alternative imagination. The exhibition will feature 11 international, regional and local artists — Dong Jinling, Jana Euler, Anne Imhof, Oliver Laric, Liu Yefu, Ma Qiusha, Julia Phillips, Pamela Rosenkranz, Marianna Simnett, Raphaela Vogel, and Wong Ping — presenting videos, paintings, sculpture, among others.

Violence of a structural nature is no less brutal than its physical counterpart. The everyday presence of structural violence causes a mute paralysis. The definitions of gender based on symbolic, cultural, and physical boundaries are as hard and clear as they are painful to experience. Upbringing, cultural attribution, existing power structures, social codes, religious traditions, and biological manifestations unite to form a violent normative framework that governs body, sexuality, identity, and behaviour.

Susanne Pfeffer, Director of MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and curator of Performing Society: The Violence of Gender, said, “In view of the national-conservative and rightist discourses currently on the rise all over the world, gender is a domain all the more fiercely contested, a terrain on which freedom, plurality, and self-determination are at stake.”

The artists featured in the exhibition Performing Society: The Violence of Gender contest the symbolic castration of women and reclaim the abilities fundamentally denied them. Pfeffer added, “They dissolve the framing of adolescents and overturn the rules controlling gesture, voice, deportment, and desire. In the process, they develop a counter-narrative to the institution of the family as the foundation of the heteronormative society. They show how mother’s milk serves to delineate a territory in a realm between sexuality and reproduction, and they reveal the extent to which reproduction, technology, and exploitability are intertwined.” The artworks uncover the violence that lies concealed in normative constructions of gender. With self-assurance, confidence, fantasy, humour, and pain, the artists transcend boundaries with their works and allow different images to emerge.

A renowned curator, Susanne Pfeffer put up a series of well-regarded exhibitions on new materialism and on the notion of the human and of Nature under the impact of technological transformation at the Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany; at the 2017 Venice Biennale, she also curated the German Pavilion, featuring the artist Anne Imhof, which won the Golden Lion award for best national pavilion. With her recent Cady Noland exhibition, among others, Susanne Pfeffer has recently taken on a greater curatorial interest in structural violence.

Artist List:

• Dong Jinling
• Jana Euler
• Anne Imhof
• Oliver Laric
• Liu Yefu
• Ma Qiusha
• Julia Phillips
• Pamela Rosenkranz
• Marianna Simnett
• Rafaela Vogel
• Wong Ping

Visitor information

Performing Society: The Violence of Gender is ongoing from 16 February to 28 April 2019 at Tai Kwun Contemporary — a not-for-profit art centre dedicated to presenting contemporary art exhibitions and programmes as a platform for a flourishing cultural discourse in Hong Kong. Opening hours: 11am to 7pm every day, except Friday, from 11am to 9pm.

Specific parts of the exhibition are age restricted due to the explicit content of some artworks.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts will welcome the first edition of a new international art book fair in Hong Kong this January.

The inaugural “Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” will take place from 11 to 13 January 2019 at JC Contemporary in Tai Kwun. The three-day event will provide a platform for art book publishers and artists to display and sell a diverse range of art books, such as photography books, art albums, art historical and theoretical texts, zines as well as artists’ books, among others. “Booked” aspires to enable local, regional and international publishers and artists to showcase and share their works; additionally, the art book fair will feature talks, workshops and performances over the three days.

Examples of art books include (but are not limited to) artists’ books, photography books, art albums, zines, art catalogues, art historical and theoretical texts, artists’ editions and gallery editions (e.g. prints), texts by artists, book arts and book sculptures, as well as art-related ephemera (such as tote bags, pins, and badges)—in sum, the results of artistic practice at the intersection of “art” and “books”.

Art books of various types undertake a crucial role in art appreciation and education. In particular, artists’ books challenge the idea, content and form of the traditional books. Such publications have been conceived as artworks in their own right, in which the artist uses the book as a medium of artistic expression. Such artists’ books are sometimes published in limited editions and occasionally even as one-of-a-kind objects.

“Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” will present a wide range of art books for the public to enjoy and to use as resources for learning and research. This will be the first time in Hong Kong for approximately 60 art publishers and artists from Asia, Europe, North America, as well as Hong Kong to attend such a book fair.

Some of the books displayed at the “Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” are also collected in the Artists’ Book Library at Tai Kwun Contemporary—an ongoing collection of Asian artists’ books and an integral part of the programming at Tai Kwun Contemporary.

Tobias Berger, Head of Arts at Tai Kwun said, “As a new international art book fair, ‘Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair’ underscores Tai Kwun Contemporary’s dedication to presenting contemporary art programmes in support of Hong Kong’s expanding art ecosystem. We are delighted to help ignite the public’s interest and appreciation for artists’ books while providing a strong platform for local, regional and international artists and designers who use books as a medium of artistic expression. With this first edition of the fair, we invite everyone in Hong Kong to come and engage with these distinctive works of art as a source of learning and enjoyment.”

From 11 to 13 January 2019, “Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” will be hosted within Tai Kwun’s international-grade-galleries, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, situated within the restored Central Police Station compound in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central district.

Publishers/Artists/Exhibitors (in alphabetical order):

From Hong Kong
ACO Books
Asia Art Archive
Asia One Books
brownie publishing
Chan Wai Kwong
Blythe Cheung
Chou San
Display Distribute
Dolphins
Empty Gallery
Silas Fong
Foto Féminas
Hanart TZ Gallery
Kubrick
MAP Office
MCCM Creations
mini press
MOSSES
Para Site
PERROTIN
Onion Peterman
Ping Pong
Queer Reads Library
Soft D Press
soundpocket
The Salt Yard
TASCHEN
Zine Coop

From the rest of Asia
artbooks.ph (Mandaluyong City)
BANANAFISH BOOKS (Shanghai)
BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY (Bangkok)
Book Society (Seoul)
Case Publishing (Tokyo)
Dialect (Macau)
dmp editions (Taipei)
DREAMER FTY + abC (art book in China) Art Book Fair (Beijing)
Fully Booked (Dubai)
Hardworking Goodlooking (Amsterdam/Manila)
Jiazazhi (Ningbo)
RONDADE (Tokyo)
shashasha (Tokyo)
the shop (Guangzhou)
Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (Beijing)
Zen Foto (Tokyo)

From North America and Europe
Art Metropole (Toronto)
BOM DIA BOA TARDE BOA NOITE / Elgarafi (Berlin)
David Zwirner Books (New York)
ECU Press / READ Books (Vancouver)
Fillip (Vancouver)
HATO Press (London)
Lubok Verlag (Leipzig)
Motto (Berlin)
New Documents (Los Angeles)
Nieves (Zurich)
onestar / Three Star (Paris)
Primary Information (New York)
Printed Matter (New York)
ROMA Publications (Amsterdam)
Russian Independent SelfPublished (Moscow)
Sternberg Press (Berlin)
Triple Canopy (New York)

Displays + Special Projects
Display: Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University (Hong Kong)
Display: Art Booked Bags
Project: C&G Artpartment (Hong Kong)
Project: Dolphins (Hong Kong)
Display: Ranee Ng Sio-ieng (Hong Kong)
Project: soundpocket (Hong Kong)

Music Performances
Absurd TRAX (Hong Kong)
The Great △ (Makoto Oshiro / Takahiro Kawaguchi / Satoshi Yashiro) (Tokyo)

Visitor information
“Booked: Tai Kwun Contemporary’s Hong Kong Art Book Fair” is open on Friday 11 January 2019 (1-9 pm), Saturday 12 January 2019 (11-9 pm), and Sunday 13 January 2019 (11-7 pm).
General Ticket: HKD20; Concession Ticket (applicable to Children/ Students/ Seniors): HKD10
Tickets available here: www.ticketflap.com/booked2019/. More information will be on booked.taikwun.hk.

Tai Kwun is open to the public from 10am to 11pm daily. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass, prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-in are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage and Arts has today revealed its programmes for the approaching winter season. Following a bountiful autumn season of exhibitions and events, the winter months herald even greater opportunities for people in Hong Kong to explore a fine array of interactive experiences in culture, heritage and the arts.

Winter is a special time for joy, when we can all spend quality time with our loved ones. To share this festive spirit and to create more time to bond with friends and family, Tai Kwun is delighted to offer an enchanting winter programme. From the brand new Circus Plays to a diverse range of upcoming exhibitions both insightful and impactful, Tai Kwun is inviting everyone to step into an enchanting world of heritage, arts and culture in the very heart of Hong Kong.

The astonishing art of movement

Circus Plays
As one of the most distinctive performing arts programmes in recent years in Hong Kong, Circus Plays introduces a series of contemporary circus events at Tai Kwun this winter. Contemporary circus is distinct from traditional circus, presenting a breakthrough in convention by combining conventional circus elements such as acrobatics with conceptual and artistic performances in how the story, theme or meaning is conveyed. Circus Plays at Tai Kwun will feature a mixed programme of indoor and outdoor performances, both free and ticketed, with special interaction among family and friends, performers, and the heritage of Tai Kwun.

Circus Plays will bring a captivating look at the art of movement and acrobatics, providing a dynamic bridge between performing arts and visitors at Tai Kwun. With limited-run performances from renowned international troupes as well as roving shows popping up on the Tai Kwun grounds, families and anyone with a penchant for the acrobatic arts are welcomed to come and discover the astonishing wonder of dance, performance and the contemporary circus.

From 22 to 26 December, Tai Kwun unveils SIGMA by the renowned UK juggling act Gandini Juggling. An artistically driven experience designed to capture the imagination of audiences with an acquired taste for performing arts, this beautiful new show from Gandini Juggling explores the creative interface between juggling, projection and geometry, and classical Indian dance. With its exquisite choreography, seductive percussive score and backdrop of multimedia projections, SIGMA is designed to engage in a dialogue with viewers, transcending cultural barriers and stimulating imaginations. Debuting in Hong Kong at Tai Kwun, the act won an Asian Arts Award and Total Theatre Award at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Come and witness A Simple Space from 28 to 30 December, put on by one of Australia’s most original circus ensembles — Gravity & Other Myths who will push their physical limits with gravity-defying tricks. The unbelievable feats are revealed at a non-stop pace, filling every moment and every square inch, as talent and creativity shine through in a celebration of strength, playfulness, friendship and boisterous fun. This internationally acclaimed, award-winning acrobatic show has been performed over 500 times in 24 countries and won accolades including the People’s Choice Award (Theaterspektakel, Zurich, 2016), Best Circus Adelaide Fringe Award (2013), Australian Dance Award (2015) and Greenroom Award — Outstanding Circus (2015).

Bringing the enthralling delights of Circus Plays to all, Tai Kwun will host Tai Kwun Playground — a trio of street circus masters from 22 to 30 December, performing for the public with free admission. Watch on in wonder as Otto Bassotto transforms rubber into art with an interactive madcap show full of crazy magic, improvisation and classic clown acts, including balloon tricks galore. Reuben DotDotDot will defy gravity 17 feet up in the air with his acrobatic stunts and balance tricks which must be seen to be believed. Katay Santos, who has received intensive training in the circus schools of Cuba and Wuqiao, will present an amazing act filled with breathtaking acrobatics and interactive comedy.

Urban art & heritage

Contagious Cities
From 26 January to 21 April 2019 Tai Kwun’s art and heritage teams will together unveil the Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close exhibition, which is part of an exhibition series being staged across three global cities — Geneva, Hong Kong and New York, presented by the UK’s Wellcome Trust. The exhibition series is a dialogue between heritage and art, and probes the surprising interactions between people and pathogens in urban settings.

Contagious Cities: Far Away, Too Close at Tai Kwun will explore contagion in Hong Kong, including an art exhibition curated by Ying Kwok looking at government control measures after the SARS epidemic and Angela Su’s work on the conflicts between science and superstition during the Bubonic Plague of the 19th century. The heritage component will address the historical context of the Bubonic Plague, revealing how this relates to Tai Kwun and perpetual changes in our daily lives and city development. Alongside these inspiring narratives, audiences will be invited to start their own dialogue on the subject matter through interactive, site-wide installations and complementary programmes.

Questions of contemporary life

Performing Society
Tai Kwun Contemporary will showcase the international exhibition Performing Society questions the changing foundations of the public in contemporary life. With works that span sculpture, installation and video, the exhibition probes the structural foundations of social topics and challenges the neutrality of forms and materials, which are often taken for granted.

On view at art galleries from 16 February to 28 April, Performing Society will feature a grouping of Hong Kong, Asian and international artists. It is presented by Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt and curated by the museum’s director, Susanne Pfeffer.

Acquired taste of heritage

Apart from the permanent Heritage Storytelling Spaces and site-wide Tai Kwun Tales launched in May 2018, two seasonal programmes have been designed to guide visitors in a thorough exploration of Tai Kwun’s heritage: TK16 and Hidden Stories. TK16 is a series of programmes showcasing the 16 heritage buildings of Tai Kwun. Its first instalment, TK16: The Barrack Block, runs until 10 December and invites visitors to collect 14 stamps that represent the former usage of the building as they explore Barrack Block (Block 03), which can be redeemed for a gift. Hidden Stories reveals lesser-known tales of Tai Kwun heritage through self-guided tools which are available at the mini-station in Main Heritage Gallery. The upcoming theme of Hidden Stories, “The Missing Rules”, will kick off in January 2019.

Partnership and ongoing programmes

A diverse range of exhibitions and performances, including partner programmes, will be on display throughout the winter season, welcoming all visitors to Tai Kwun to enjoy and participate in culture and the arts.

Partnering for the arts
In collaboration with local and international arts organisations, Tai Kwun will also bring performances through its partners this winter, including:

• First Initiative Foundation: The Art of Music (1 December 2018)

• Premiere Performances: Beare’s Premiere Music Festival 2019 (18 January 2019)

• Hong Kong Arts Development Council: Hong Kong Episodes (Re-run) (25 to 28 January 2019)

• JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power — Art Walk × Heritage (25 to 28 January 2019)

• The MET: Live In HD 2018 Season (31 January 2019)

• Jockey Club Keys to Music Education Programme (18 February to 24 June 2019)

Ongoing cultural encounters
The recently opened exhibition Salute to Kwan Kung continues on at Tai Kwun until 27 January 2019, in partnership with Chiu Kwong Chiu’s Design and Cultural Studies Workshop. Also current is A hollow in a world too full at JC Contemporary until 4 January 2019; it is the first large-scale exhibition in Asia by Cao Fei, one of the most renowned contemporary Chinese artists of her generation. Also, don’t miss the two open call exhibitions, ending 4 January 2019. Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry by Short Hair Studio attempts to solicit narratives around the profound value of keepsakes; while Our Everyday — Our Borders, presented by Rooftop Institute, brings together works by Tang Kwok Hin (Hong Kong) and Motoyuki Shitamichi (Japan).

There is also a regular roster of performing arts programming. The Lunch Time series on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:45pm and 3pm will bring comedy battles, concerts and interactive experiences to Tai Kwun’s Laundry Steps and Prison Yard. On the weekends, pop by for a Saturday Music Platform and Sunday Movie.

Sharpening artistic awareness
Tai Kwun Contemporary will showcase two regular art programmes: Art After Hours and Art Film Hour. Art After Hours is an event series that aims to sharpen artistic awareness through talks, performances and screenings by artists, writers, intellectuals and curators alike. Occurring most Friday at 7pm, the event strives to offer something new every time. Meanwhile, Art Film Hour presents a selection of moving image works under a different theme each season; in support of Tai Kwun’s commitment to building long-term, sustainable dialogues with visitors, local cultural critics and intellectuals. A sub-programme of Art After Hours, Art Film Hour takes place Tuesdays / designated Friday or Saturday at 7pm.

Celebrating Christmas at Tai Kwun

Tai Kwun’s stunning historical and artistic ambience is getting a resplendent facelift this season as Tai Kwun welcomes a towering Christmas tree for the very first time. From 15 December 2018 to 1 January 2019, street circus will spice up Tai Kwun on specific dates and visitors will also have the chance to be presented with festive gifts. Equally welcoming are the Christmas workshops and special in-shop activities which invite the public to celebrate creative and festive moments of joy with Tai Kwun.

Please find below a statement from Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun:

Although we have been working with the Hong Kong International Literary Festival to secure a suitable alternative venue for Mr Ma’s talks, it is now clear that no alternative venue is available. At the same time, Mr Ma has made public statements which clarify that his appearances in Hong Kong are as a novelist and that he has no intention to use Tai Kwun as a platform to promote his personal political interests. With this in mind, as Director of Tai Kwun, I have decided to offer our venue for the two talks so that the events may continue to take place as planned. I would like to thank Tai Kwun supporters for their valuable opinions over the past few days and I would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Tai Kwun endeavours to present diverse and quality arts and cultural programmes to serve plural needs and aspirations of the community.  Since its opening in May 2018, Tai Kwun has quickly established itself as a place of cultural enjoyment dedicated to the community. Our programmes in contemporary art, heritage and performing arts, the great majority of which are offered free of charge, have been enthusiastically well received by the public. Tai Kwun is thankful for the warm and enthusiastic response to Tai Kwun and its diverse range of public programmes.

“Tai Kwun is designed to be a cultural hub for the entire community to enjoy and Tai Kwun’s management holds itself responsible for offering diverse and quality programmes that take into account the plural needs of the community. Tai Kwun will continue to be a vibrant cultural hub to offer the best heritage and arts experiences to Hong Kong, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in our community.

“We do not want Tai Kwun to become a platform to promote the political interests of any individual. We have therefore worked closely with the Hong Kong International Literary Festival to find a more suitable alternative venue. We are very grateful to the Festival for their co-operation in reaching this solution,” said Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun.

(18 October 2018, Hong Kong) Tai Kwun is pleased to present Salute to Kwan Kung, the upcoming heritage exhibition that will open from 19 October 2018 to 27 January 2019 at Duplex Studio in the Police Headquarters (Block 01).

Created in partnership with Design and Cultural Studies Workshop, led by Chiu Kwong Chiu, the exhibition charts the changing influence of Kwan Kung from the Three Kingdoms period to contemporary Hong Kong through a diverse range of installations. The exhibition also explores how the symbolism of Kwan Kung has inspired different artistic creations, ranging from literature to video games. Since Kwan Kung is one of the most important characters in Chinese opera, Tai Kwun has invited The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong to be the co-presenter and they have provided invaluable information for the exhibition and will co-host a number of activities to enrich the programme.

Kwan Kung in history  | Kwan Kung in fiction
The impression of Kwan Kung that the Chinese communities is most familiar with is rooted from historical documentations like The Records of Three Kingdoms. A revered general at the Three Kingdoms period (circa 220–280 AD), his image has then been further immortalised in the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The first part of the exhibition explores Kwan Kung’s life according to historians’ commentaries. Kwan Kung was then posthumously elevated to the religious title of “emperor” and named a deity, which highlights his symbolic importance in past dynasties. And in Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the conflation of history and fiction has presented the image of Kwan Kung even more prominently. Stories such as “The Oath of the Peach Garden”, “Undertaking a Journey of a Thousand Li”, “Reading The Commentary of Zuo at Night” and “Scraping Bones to Remove Poison” have depicted Kwan Kung’s extraordinary life, rendered abstract moral values concrete and made them relevant to the masses.

Kwan Kung in Chinese opera | Kwan Kung in films
In Chinese opera, Kwan Kung’s crimson face, green military robe and halberd have created the iconic appearance of the deity. The exhibition shows a video in which well-known Cantonese opera star Law Ka Ying talks about his experience in portraying Kwan Kung, and demonstrates the preparation of playing this character. It also features an excerpt from a classic Kwan Kung piece, “Lord Kwan Yu Attends a Banquet Alone”, performed by Mr Law and performers from The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong. For younger generations, their understanding of Kwan Kung comes mainly from films. “Kwan Kung VS Aliens” from Kwan Ti, God of War (Taiwan, 1976) and Jiang Hu: The Triad Zone (Hong Kong, 2000) are the two films that have been chosen for this exhibition. The award-winning actor Anthony Wong Chau Sang played Kwan Kung in The Triad Zone, and has greatly entertained many Hong Kong people. 

Kwan Kung in Hong Kong and around the world | Kwan Kung in Tai Kwun
Kwan Kung is a guardian deity to most. Whether in Hong Kong’s various communities or around the world, a number of Kwan Kung temples can be found, responding to crowds of different faiths. Apart from temples, the spirit of “loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and bravery” is adopted by a number of organisations and groups in their attempt to foster the good and the righteousness for people. Since the values of Hong Kong’s disciplinary forces and the values that Kwan Kung represents are very much alike, Hong Kong has overall been very much influenced by the culture of worshipping Kwan Kung. Many former police and correctional services officers who used to work in the Central Police Station compound also fondly remember the many ceremonies that they have participated to pay their respect to the deity due to the virtues he embodies.

The curatorial team has spent almost two years preparing for ‘Salute to Kwan Kung’ so as to find various perspectives and methods to present the legacy of the revered general. Winnie Yeung, Head of Heritage at Tai Kwun, states that “Kwan Kung is a symbol of loyalty and righteousness. Loyalty represents a dedicated, sincere and serious work attitude, while righteousness represents integrity amongst people. These traditional virtues are incarnated perfectly by Kwan Kung. After all these years, Kwan Kung continues to influence modern people's explorations and learning, playing a pivotal role in the community. The exhibition examines Kwan Kung from many angles, painting a multi-faceted picture of the deity to different demographics."

A number of talks, workshops and school activities will be organised during the run of the exhibition, presenting Kwan Kung’s influence on our culture to a wide audience. Experts from various fields will cover topics such as Kwan Kung in Chinese opera, Kwan Kung in Chinese culture, Kwan Kung temples overseas and more.

Salute to Kwan Kung exhibition
Date | 19 October 2018 – 27 January 2019
Location | Duplex Studio at Block 01, Tai Kwun
Time | 11am-8pm
Price | Free of charge
Programme Partner | Design and Cultural Studies Workshop
Co-presenter | The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong

Today, Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts, the revitalised Central Police Station, recorded over one million visitors since opening to the public on 29 May 2018. 

Celebrating with visitors at Tai Kwun to mark this milestone, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said, “Tai Kwun has been open to the public for just a few months, and it is inspiring that Hong Kong people have really taken Tai Kwun into their hearts. We would like to thank all of our visitors for their warm and enthusiastic response to Tai Kwun and its diverse range of public programmes. Tai Kwun has proven to be a shining example of heritage conservation in Hong Kong. I am delighted that the Club’s hard work and efforts have paid off.”

“We wanted to create an interesting public space in the center of Hong Kong, and it is good to see that this important heritage site has now been revitalised and transformed into a vibrant cultural hub to offer the best heritage and arts experiences to Hong Kong, and to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art, performing arts and history in our community. In so doing we aim to create a model of best practice in heritage conservation, a place of inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment for Hong Kong. This is in line with The Club’s strategy of promoting arts, culture and heritage to improve the quality of life of Hong Kong people,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

Since its opening, four large-scale, free heritage and arts exhibitions have been held. More than 270,000 visitors were attracted to the “100 Faces of Tai Kwun”, the heritage exhibition of the opening season.  The art galleries, where the inaugural arts exhibitions were shown, recorded some 150,000 visitors. In addition, approximately 350 free docent tours and 140 performances, workshops and seminars were held and most of these were free. Meanwhile, the 2018 Tai Kwun Autumn Season opened in September, with an emphasis on dance performances, on top of providing a broad range of heritage and visual art programmes.

Tai Kwun was named by TIME Magazine in August as one of 100 World’s Greatest Places 2018, which span six continents and 48 countries and territories. Tai Kwun was also named “New Culture Destinations of the Year – Asia Pacific” at the Leading Culture Destinations Awards 2018 held in London on 28 September.

Feedback collected by Tai Kwun from thousands of visitors between 29 May and August showed that most visitors strongly agreed that Tai Kwun had quickly established itself as a centre for heritage and arts for all to enjoy, and that visitors would recommend Tai Kwun to their friends. As a new destination, over one-fifth of these respondents were repeat visitors. Nearly 80% of the respondents indicated that they had stayed for two to three hours during their visits while 10% of them spent four to five hours. Heritage storytelling spaces, docent tours and exhibitions were the most popular attractions.

By early October, 15 shops and 10 food and beverage outlets had opened, providing a variety of services at a broad price range to visitors and generating income for Tai Kwun to support its site operations, and contributing significantly to the leisure component of Tai Kwun’s offerings.

With the “Tai Kwun Pass” system, Tai Kwun has been able to open the site to the public for free enjoyment, while diligently managing visitor numbers to provide a comfortable experience for all visitors and minimising the potential impact on the heritage site and neighbourhood. Since mid-June, walk-in visitors have been welcome while all visitors have been encouraged to reserve the free Tai Kwun pass online or use their mobile app for guaranteed access. Tai Kwun has been able to admit every visitor wishing to enter the site, with or without a pass, for the last three months.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.        

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.      

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.          

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 billion. The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong.

Photo caption:

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts today celebrates the arrival of one million visitors since its opening.   

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (16th from right, front row); The Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung (15th from right, front row), and Director of Tai Kwun Timothy Calnin (20th from right, front row).

Tai Kwun Contemporary is showcasing Hong Kong curators through two open call exhibitions this season. Running from 15 September 2018 to 4 January 2019, Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry, and Our Everyday — Our Borders are two art exhibitions presented by Hong Kong institutions and curated by local curators, in an initiative where Tai Kwun supports curatorial practice in Hong Kong.

The open call for proposals was initially put forward by Tai Kwun back in November 2015. The programme welcomed a wide variety of local and overseas artists, curators, arts groups and organisations to participate, and the successful proposals will visualise the theme of Hong Kong contemporary art at the galleries of Tai Kwun. The exhibitions include Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry, presented by Short Hair Studio, and Our Everyday — Our Borders, presented by Rooftop Institute.

Tobias Berger, Head of Arts, Tai Kwun, said, “Open call exhibitions are an important way for Tai Kwun to fulfil its role as a centre for heritage and arts for Hong Kong. We aim to inspire and encourage artists and curators, while at the same time providing more opportunities for members of the public to develop a curiosity and interest in art. I hope that everyone will stop by and see these two fantastic open-call exhibitions, which showcase diverse perspectives on Hong Kong through an intriguing variety of creative voices and artistic methods.”

Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry
Presenting a number of local artists, Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry began its journey in July 2017, when Short Hair Studio organised a series of workshops for senior citizens in Hong Kong. Attempting to solicit narratives around the profound value of keepsakes, the workshops invited these elders to reflect on their belongings and the memories within; stories which have seldom been told. The project and the resulting exhibition facilitate cross-generational conversation and present an exploration of the artistic practice of amassing keepsakes. It brings to the fore amateur or “unintentional” collections which would normally be neglected in a museum context, in turn uncovering the multi-faceted meanings of an object to an individual, a family and even a generation.

The resulting group exhibition is an artistic response to these topics, by seven local artists and artist groups. Yiu Mui Lai, Lee Kai Chung, and artist couple Chung Wai Ian and Ng Ka Chun present artworks inspired by the “unintentional collector” with whom they collaborated in the elderly workshop. Ma King Chu, chooses to intervene the historical and sentimental aspects of a few collectors’ assemblage of newspapers from the old days. Leung Mee Ping, Lau Chi Chung and Chiu Wai Yee will play a dual role of artist and collector, each making use of their own collectible items as the source of inspiration and the vehicle for making art.

Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry is presented by Short Hair Studio.

Our Everyday — Our Borders
Our Everyday — Our Borders brings together works by two Asian artists, Tang Kwok Hin (Hong Kong) and Motoyuki Shitamichi (Japan). They reflect on the themes of the everyday and of borders, through various forms of participatory practices and explorations. In addition to object-based works of art, both artists have created conditions of dialogue and interaction to produce the setting on display at Tai Kwun. By intervening in the lives of local volunteers, and by establishing dialogue during workshops with secondary school students, they have confronted the imaginary boundaries created by geographical conditions, human relations and cultural traditions. These explorations are frequent themes in the practice of both artists.
In his work, Tang Kwok Hin explores the hidden rules of life and existence by focusing on the concepts of occasion, space, time, memory and the ways symbols are encountered through commodities. His artworks, sometimes taking the forms of collages and assemblages of images, often use erasure to create new meaning out of objects, documents and situations. In these symbolic collages, Tang is particularly concerned with the combinations of daily things and how the questions raised by these new assemblages shed new light on human development. These acts of obliteration usually give to everyday objects an even richer set of meanings, interrogating the existence, rational and usage of such items and, as a result, the very importance of our lives.
Profoundly interested in narratives that have been largely forgotten and buried by our everyday lives and concerns, the works of Motoyuki Shitamichi neither document scenes nor archive historical facts but prefer to address the issues of the everyday through the exploration of personal and public histories. For example, Motoyuki has spent four years traveling around Japan, surveying and photographing the remains of gun emplacements, fighter hangars, and other military structures, publishing these works in the Bunkers series (2001-2005). He has also photographed the Torii, i.e. Japanese shrine gates, remaining in America, Taiwan, Russia, Korea, and other locations from the days of the Japanese colonial occupation of these countries, publishing his work in the well-known Torii series (2006–2012). Motoyuki Shitamichi will represent Japan at the next Venice Biennial in 2019.

Our Everyday – Our Borders is presented by Rooftop Institute.

Visitor information
Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry, and Our Everyday — Our Borders will run from 15 September 2018 to 4 January 2019 at the art galleries in Tai Kwun (F Hall; entry through JC Contemporary). The exhibitions are open to the public from 11am to 7pm daily, and until 9pm every Friday. Admission is free.

Tai Kwun is open to the public from 10am to 11pm daily. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass, prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-in are also welcomed, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun Contemporary will stage a solo exhibition that captures some of the most remarkable aspects of the Chinese visual artist Cao Fei, an exhibition entitle A hollow in a world too full. The exhibition, presented by UCCA, Beijing, will run from 8 September to 9 December 2018 at the art galleries in Tai Kwun.

Cao Fei is one of the most renowned contemporary Chinese artists of her generation. Born in 1978 in Guangdong, China, she is widely known for her multimedia installations and artworks which explore the realities of young Chinese in a fast-changing society. The artist mixes social commentary, pop aesthetics, references to surrealism and documentary conventions in her films and installations.

A hollow in a world too full at Tai Kwun Contemporary is Cao Fei’s first large-scale exhibition in Asia. It follows the unprecedented success and international exposure brought by the artist’s mid-career retrospective at MoMA PS1 in New York. With her recent shift in practice and focus on the moving image, Cao Fei is fascinated by the collision of histories at Tai Kwun, at the restored Central Police Station compound, and raises questions about the enforcement of constraints and the boundaries of freedom.

Tobias Berger, Head of Arts, Tai Kwun, said, “Bringing the innovative art of Cao Fei to Hong Kong furthers our mission to be a space in which people are inspired and transformed by contemporary art. We encourage everyone to come and explore the past, present and future of Tai Kwun, through the unique lens of Cao Fei and her creative collaborators.”

Prison Architect

The tone of the exhibition is set with the new film installation Prison Architect — an ambitious project made possible by Tai Kwun Contemporary for UCCA and representing the first collaboration between Cao Fei and the Hong Kong cinematographer Kwan Pun Leung. The film makes references to colonial history, the Chinese and global contemporary, as well as Hong Kong cinema which has profoundly influenced the artist since her childhood; the work asks viewers to consider their own trials in light of the inmates who previously inhabited the space.

Prison Architect engages directly with Tai Kwun’s layered history, unfolding as a poetic dialogue between the centre’s penal past and its present and future as a cultural space. Cao Fei challenges the presentation of moving images in museum spaces, assembling the narrative through kinetic sculptures, photographs, videos and performance that are carefully installed throughout three floors of the art galleries at Tai Kwun.

An artist book of the same title Prison Architect, including photographs from the film, parts of the film script, and literary references, will be launched together with the exhibition; it will be available for sale at Tai Kwun.

Revisiting Creative Highlights

Besides the newly produced Prison Architect, the exhibition will also revisit Cao Fei’s creative highlights across the last decade, providing a multi-layered view of the artist. This constellation of artworks, exploring fabricated realities, offers a continuum of visual experiences rather than simply a collection of objects on display. Themed around imprisonment and fiction, the exhibition encourages introspective questioning and opens up given ideas about the spaces of our existence.

An Innovative Chinese Artist

Philip Tinari, Director of UCCA and the curator of the exhibition, states that Cao Fei’s art is a study in exuberant ambiguity. Her early works were among the first to tackle the vibrant youth, factory, online, and regional cultures of millennial China, capturing and reflecting upon the new kinds of human subjects and social relations that its economic transformation was making possible. Neither celebratory nor critical, and always with an eye for the surreal and the fun, her explorations propose characters and scenarios that question larger realities by deviating from them, creating hollows — spaces for suspended reflection — in a fast-moving world full of people, objects, and ideologies.

Cao Fei has previously shown in biennials and triennials in Venice, Istanbul, Sydney, Yokohama, Moscow, Taipei, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and at museums including the Guggenheim, MoMA, Serpentine Gallery, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Long Museum, and UCCA. Cao Fei has been named the “Best Young Artist” (2006) and the “Best Artist” (2016) by the Chinese Contemporary Art Awards.

Interactive Programmes

Tai Kwun Contemporary is dedicated to offering an array of education and community programmes to the public in Hong Kong. In addition to viewing A hollow in a world too full, members of the public can attend interactive sessions with the artists. An artist talk will be held on the exhibition’s opening weekend (8 September), featuring Cao Fei in conversation with the exhibition curator, followed by a dialogue with her collaborator on Prison Architect, Director of Photography and Cinematographer Kwan Pun Leung. There will also be guided tours led by Tai Kwun Contemporary.

Visitor information

A hollow in a world too full will run from 8 September to 9 December 2018 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries, at JC Contemporary. The exhibition is open to the public from 11am to 7pm daily, and until 9pm every Friday; admission is free of charge.

Tai Kwun is open to the public from 10am to 11pm daily. Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun
Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass, prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk- ins are also welcomed, subject to site capacity conditions.

Tai Kwun — Centre for Heritage & Arts today announces the programme for its upcoming autumn season. Following the success of Tai Kwun’s opening season in summer 2018, the autumn months will bring even more opportunities to capture the interest and curiosity of Hong Kong — providing everyone with a unique place to enjoy and participate in culture and the arts.

“We strive to be a shining model of what successful heritage conservation looks like: a place of inspiration, stimulation, and enjoyment that makes Hong Kong people proud. Our upcoming autumn season introduces a line-up of intriguing heritage, arts, and cultural experiences to Hong Kong, as we continue to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of history and arts,” said Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun.

The autumn programme delves into the worlds of heritage, contemporary art, and performing arts with a new series of exhibitions, performances, and events; together, it will be a fresh experience even for past visitors.

Discovering new dimensions of choreography

Tai Kwun Dance Season
“This season we are delighted to put a special focus on the performing arts — in particular, dance,” says Timothy Calnin. “Joining hands with several partner organisations, the Tai Kwun Dance Season 2018 will underpin a spectacular autumn season of movement arts, along with contemporary and heritage exhibitions, workshops, and celebrations for the public.”

Dance is the cornerstone of Tai Kwun’s performing arts programme this autumn, capturing the multi-faceted connections between dancing and a community or city. This season presents six exceptional dance programmes revolving around the theme of “Dimensions of Choreography”. Audiences will see local acclaimed choreographer-dancer Mui Cheuk Yin and Canadian choreographer Bill Coleman overcome struggles in age and form to reach new heights in their dance works. They will also watch Er Gao from Guangzhou and Liu Kuan Hsiang from Taipei showcase their extraordinary sense and vision for the performing arts through work centred on the pursuit of meaning in city life. Three adventurous and enigmatic home-grown dancers, Rebecca Wong, Joseph Lee, and KT Yau, enrich their performances and sharpen their techniques at Tai Kwun’s unique site for performances. In partnership with Jumping Frames International Dance Video Festival and Pompidou Centre Paris, the Tai Kwun Dance Season will also present at the Laundry Steps, free of charge, a series of dance video screenings about people from all walks of life, filmed by renowned artists such as Pina Bausch and Jérôme Bel.

Creative minds think alike
Tai Kwun is proud to support a variety of arts and culture organisations in providing a vibrant space where works can be showcased. This autumn, Partners’ Programmes include:

• Hong Kong Sinfonietta — UpClose Encounters: Chamber Music & Dialogue with Sir James MacMillan (5 September)
• The MET: Live in HD 2018 Season (20 September, 18 October, 8 November)
• PREMIERE PERFORMANCES: Ulysses Quartet @ Tai Kwun (9 September)
• Light Festival (29 November–2 December)
• Hong Kong International Literary Festival (2–11 November)
• Time will Tell, We will Sing Every Life Is A Song Concert (11 November)
• All About Mozart, with Acclaimed Fortepianist Professor Geoffrey Lancaster (AM) (13 November)
• Ballet in the City: Hong Kong Ballet @ Tai Kwun (17–18 November)

For full details on the Tai Kwun autumn season, please see the programme guide.

Local taste of art redefined

This autumn, Tai Kwun Contemporary presents a stimulating programme of contemporary video and site-specific art exhibitions that continue to underscore the local context of Tai Kwun’s mission, presenting more established artists alongside local artists and curators.

“With the support of UCCA from Beijing, we are thrilled to bring to Hong Kong the first institutional solo exhibition in Asia of acclaimed Chinese artist Cao Fei,” says Tobias Berger, Head of Arts at Tai Kwun. “As part of our unwavering support for the local art community we are also presenting two exhibitions which were only made possible by talents who are just as dedicated to promoting Hong Kong culture through their curatorial and creative aspirations.”

Cao Fei: A hollow in a world too full (8 September 2018–9 December 2018)
The brilliant Chinese visual artist Cao Fei will be featured in a major new exhibition at Tai Kwun’s JC Contemporary. One of the most renowned contemporary Chinese artists of her generation, Cao Fei will tackle the theme “Prison Architect” in this major solo exhibition, with works presented in the form of video narrative, installation, and sculpture across three floors of JC Contemporary. The exhibition will also revisit creative highlights from Cao Fei over the past decade.

Open Call Exhibitions (15 September 2018–4 January 2019)
Tai Kwun is supporting the Hong Kong art scene through two open-call exhibitions. Our Everyday — Our Border, features artists Tang Kwok Hin (Hong Kong) and Motoyuki Shitamichi (Japan), reflecting on the notions of the everyday and of borders with a series of objects, installations, and dialogical practices. Collections of Tom, Debbie and Harry presents an examination of collected items by seven local artists and non-artists as they explore the artistic practice of amassing keepsakes.

Tai Kwun is also home to interactive arts and cultural experiences for all ages. This autumn, join Art After Hours on selected Fridays from 7pm at JC Contemporary. This evening event series aims to sharpen art awareness through talks, performances, and screenings by artists, writers, intellectuals, and curators alike. Additionally, on the first Sunday of October and November from 11am to 7pm, Tai Kwun Contemporary presents a fun-filled Family Day with family tours, kids’ workshops, and more.

More information will be released in early September.

Blessed with justice and courage

“Thanks to the unprecedented support from visitors for our opening exhibition 100 Faces of Tai Kwun, this season we continue to celebrate our local legacy with a multi-faceted exhibition about famed historical figure General Kwan Yu (better known as Kwan Kung),” said Winnie Yeung, Head of Heritage at Tai Kwun. “From the exhibition we invite visitors to go beyond and explore Kwan Kung’s historical significance and long-lasting symbolism in our daily life and in our communities.”

Salute to Kwan Kung (19 October 2018–27 January 2019)
In partnership with Chiu Kwong Chiu’s Design and Cultural Studies Workshop, a fascinating thematic exhibition Salute to Kwan Kung will be presented at Tai Kwun’s Duplex Studio at Block 01. From the ancient Three Kingdoms period of China to Hong Kong today, Kwan Kung remains as an immensely important and illustrious figure, who also used to be worshipped at the Central Police Station compound (Tai Kwun today) as a revered guardian. The exhibition charts the deity’s evolving influence upon all sorts of creative endeavours — from literature, classical art, to video games — over the last 1,800 years.

More information will be released in October.

Celebrating Art and Light: Tai Kwun’s Mid-Autumn Programme

Sharing a celebration of light and togetherness with the community, Tai Kwun invites the public to come, and enjoy a magical and creative stroll through the unique luminous festivities surrounded by the historic buildings, from 21 to 24 September.

Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts has enjoyed a smooth operation for the first two weeks since its public opening on 29 May. In response to the high level of public interest and public requests, Tai Kwun has now advanced its planned arrangement to welcome walk-in visitors on weekdays, subject to a current site capacity of 3,500 visitors at any one time.  It provides an alternative for the public to visit the site, in particular those who do not have access to or prefer not to use online facilities to book a Tai Kwun Pass.  Under the new arrangement, Tai Kwun staff will stop admitting walk-ins on weekdays once the number of visitors on site reaches 3,500. This is to ensure the site does not become over-crowded so that it can provide a comfortable experience for all visitors. However, a Tai Kwun Pass will still be required for entry on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. 

To ensure entry, visitors are strongly encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online or via the Tai Kwun mobile app, prior to their visits, even on weekdays.  The Tai Kwun Pass will guarantee admission, help the operators plan resources, even out arrivals, maintain a comfortable experience for all visitors, protect the heritage buildings on the site and minimize disruption to the neigbhourhood.

In making Tai Kwun a place of inspiration and enjoyment for the people of Hong Kong, visitors’ access is carefully managed in the first phase of opening.  As more on-site facilities become available, Tai Kwun will review its visitor access arrangements and the site capacity with a view to continuously improving visitors’ experience.

About Tai Kwun: Centre for Heritage and Arts
“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.       

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.

More than 150 guests including senior officials, community leaders and neighbours, former users, arts and culture representatives witnessed a spectacular opening ceremony at Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts today.

Guest of honour, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR the Hon Carrie Lam officiated at the momentous occasion, which was hosted by Dr Simon S O Ip, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Heralding a wide range of heritage, contemporary art and performing arts programmes which will be available to the public starting 29 May, today’s opening ceremony features “The History of our Future”, a spectacular light show projected on the historic Barrack Block, and “Dreamlike Horses”, a magical dance of horses created from inflatable materials.

Comprising 16 historic buildings and outdoor spaces on a 13,600-square-metre site in the heart of Central, Tai Kwun is home to three declared monuments, the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison, which have borne witness to more than 170 years of Hong Kong history. Led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR, the revitalisation project involved the conservation of the heritage buildings in the compound and the addition of two new buildings to serve the needs of the community. The two new buildings are JC Contemporary, a gallery building with a contemporary art space, and JC Cube, an auditorium building for the performing arts, film screenings, educational events and more.

Retracing the Club’s involvement in the project, Dr Ip said the Club took up the challenge of revitalising the Central Police Station compound because of its vision of a Hong Kong that is not only a great commercial city, but also one that is renowned for its cultural vibrancy, where people enjoy, value and participate in a diverse range of cultural activities. 

This vision has inspired the conservation of the compound and its transformation into Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, an accessible place to engage with the lessons of the past and the possibilities for the future. Visitors will be able to learn about Tai Kwun’s judicial and law enforcement history and its many connections with the local community. They will also be able to develop their appreciation for the arts through exhibitions and performances, education and outreach activities.  In addition, Tai Kwun will play a vital role in stimulating the arts, providing a platform for Hong Kong artists to showcase their talent and develop their creativity.

At the heart of this project has been the Club’s determination to set a new standard for heritage conservation in Hong Kong.  Drawing on the advice of experts from Hong Kong and overseas, and with input from the community, the Club has pursued a heritage-led plan to conserve the site.  Building-by-building, room-by-room, it has been returned to its former glory with the closest attention to detail.

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR the Hon Carrie Lam said that Tai Kwun will be a shining example of Hong Kong’s heritage conservation work and a landmark of Conserving Central, a major initiative that the government announced in 2009 aiming at taking Central, Hong Kong’s century-old Central Business District, to even grander and newer heights.       

“The conservation of the Central Police Station compound was conceived and presented as a gift from the Hong Kong Jockey Club to the people of Hong Kong in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. After more than a decade of dedication, patience and perseverance on the part of the Club and the many experts and workers involved, the people can now rejoice at the grandeur of the gift they have received,” Mrs Lam said.

A project of such scale and duration has involved a considerable commitment of resources by the Club, but this is entirely worthwhile because of the value it brings to society, Dr Ip said.  The Club has agreed with Government that it will continue to manage and support Tai Kwun’s operation for the next ten years, with any surplus being invested back into Tai Kwun.

Dr Ip expressed special thanks to Chief Executive Carrie Lam who was a prime mover in promoting the conservation of Tai Kwun as a heritage and cultural asset back in 2006 and in engaging the Club to carry out the task.  He also thanked the various regulatory bodies, the Central and Western District Council, the Antiquities Advisory Board, the Club’s own advisory bodies, two of which are chaired by the Hon Mr Bernard Chan, the neighbouring community and the former users for their insight, input and advice.

“Tai Kwun is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the Club. Nonetheless it reflects the Club at its very best – committed to the highest standards, undeterred by the complexity of the tasks it undertakes, and above all motivated by the desire to act, as in everything it does, for the betterment of our society,” Dr Ip said.

Ten years in the making, Tai Kwun is ready to open its doors.  Once a closed compound to the public, Hong Kong citizens will soon be able to visit and appreciate what is one of the heritage glories of the city. “The Club is truly proud of what we and our partners have accomplished together. Most of all we are proud of the lasting contribution that it will make to the cultural life of Hong Kong – open to all, to be enjoyed by all,” Dr Ip said. 

“Located in the heart of Central, Tai Kwun is a place where the old meets the new and where heritage meets the arts. For over a century and a half, Tai Kwun was closed to most people. Today, it has been transformed into a cultural destination for all to enjoy which will encourage creativity and provide the community and visitors with a vibrant mix of heritage, arts and lifestyle experiences,” the Hon Mr Bernard Chan, JCCPS Advisory Committee Chairman, said.

Tai Kwun spans a construction floor area of 27,900 square meters and features two large outdoor areas – the Parade Ground and the Prison Yard – and a newly created semi-covered area under the auditorium. The revitalised site also provides for multiple pedestrian access points linking various parts of Central and includes the creation of a new footbridge connecting to the Mid-levels Escalator System.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site. 

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site. 

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2016/17, the Club’s total direct return to the community was HK$30.5 billion. It is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer, one of the city’s major employers and one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com.

Photo Captions:

Photos 1/2:

Club Chairman Dr Simon S O Ip (Photo 1, 4th right) and Deputy Chairman Anthony W K Chow (Photo 1, 5th left); Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (Photo 1, 5th right); Club Steward Michael T H Lee (Photo 1, 3rd left) and Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (Photo 1, 2nd right); Acting Secretary for Development Liu Chun-san (Photo 1, 4th left); JCCPS Advisory Committee Chairman Bernard Chan (Photo 1, 3rd right); current Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo (Photo 1, 2nd left); former Commissioner of Police Dick Lee (Photo 1, 1st left) who served at Tai Kwun in the past; and former Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang (Photo 1, 1st right) at Tai Kwun after a tour of the newly opened Police Services Centre on the site.

Photo 3:

Club representatives, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam and government officials with some of the neighbours featured in “100 Faces of Tai Kwun”, an opening exhibition that explores the history of the Central Police Station compound as well as its rich mix of relationships with the neighbourhood.

Photo 4:

Club Chairman Dr Simon S O Ip (front row, 6th right) and Deputy Chairman Anthony W K Chow (front row, 5th left); Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (front row, 6th left); Club Steward Michael T H Lee (front row, 3rd left), Philip N L Chen (front row, 2nd left), Stephen Ip Shu Kwan (front row, 3rd right), Sir C K Chow (back row, 2nd right), Martin Liao (back row, 2nd left), Margaret Leung (back row, 1st right) and Silas S S Yang (back row, 1st left), and Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 4th right); former Club Chairmen Ronald Arculli (front row, 2nd right), Dr John Chan (front row, 1st left) and Brian Stevenson (front row, 1st right); Acting Secretary for Development Liu Chun-san (front row, 4th left); and JCCPS Advisory Committee Chairman Bernard Chan (front row, 5th right).

Photo 5:

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam at “The Rebirth of the Central Police Station compound – A Journey of Community Service and Revitalisaiton”, an exhibition tracing the 10-year history of the Club’s involvement in the Tai Kwun project.  

Photo 6:

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of Tai Kwun.

Photo 7:

Club Chairman Dr Simon S O Ip addresses the audience at the opening ceremony of Tai Kwun.

Photo 8:

JCCPS Advisory Committee Chairman Bernard Chan makes a speech at the opening ceremony of Tai Kwun.

Photo 9:

Club Chairman Dr Simon S O Ip (2nd right); Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam (Centre); Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (2nd left); Acting Secretary for Development Liu Chun-san (1st left); and JCCPS Advisory Committee Chairman Bernard Chan (1st right) officiate at the opening ceremony of Tai Kwun.

Photo 10:

Club Board of Stewards, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Carrie Lam and the Club’s senior executives make a toast to celebrate the opening of Tai Kwun.

Photos 11/12/13:

The handsome Barrack Block dazzles at the heart of the revitalised Central Police Station compound during the Tai Kwun opening ceremony light show.

Photo 14

Guests at the Tai Kwun opening ceremony enjoy a spectacular light and horse show set against the iconic Barrack Block of the revitalised Central Police Station compound.

Photos can be downloaded from The Hong Kong Jockey Club website (http://corporate.hkjc.com/corporate/english/corporate-news/index.aspx).

Tai Kwun, Centre for Heritage & Arts, today announced the programme of Opening Season, summer 2018. With a unique mix of Heritage, Contemporary Art and Performing Arts offerings, complemented by education and engagement scheme, Tai Kwun aspires to be an extraordinary place of inspiration and enjoyment for the people of Hong Kong.

‘We aim to live up to the magnificence of Tai Kwun’s physical environment through creativity, partnerships and attractions to make sure Tai Kwun stays alive and vibrant, and visitors return frequently.’ said Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun.

Over 30 exhibitions, shows, performances, cultural events and education offerings of Heritage, Contemporary Art and Performing Arts will be presented during Tai Kwun’s Opening Season. ‘Tai Kwun’s offerings are tailored for different audiences at different times of the day and different days of the week.’ said Timothy Calnin. ‘We want the Hong Kong people to feel welcome at Tai Kwun, and to appreciate the quality of heritage conservation, as well as the new programmes.’

Opening on 29 May 2018, the meticulously conserved and revitalised Central Police Station compound (CPS compound) —  an entire city block of approximately 13,600 square-metre  —  comprises a walled cluster of 16 extraordinary heritage buildings and two brand new buildings. Operating as Tai Kwun, the revitalised compound will open progressively to public and provide Hong Kong with an unprecedented location for heritage interpretations and community connections, as well as forward-looking art spaces for exhibitions and performances. 


Site-wide Heritage storytelling spaces and experience
The CPS compound has an abundance of heritage and reminiscence. Over 170 years of history will be unfolded through an array of narratives — interactive tours, storytelling spaces, diverse education programmes and thematic exhibitions, providing insights into the rich heritage significance of the CPS compound.

Designed from three perspectives, namely, ‘Visit, Learn and Explore’, Heritage offerings provide insights into the rich heritage significance of the compound. ‘Tai Kwun’s historical significance symbolises the development of Hong Kong’, said Winnie Yeung, Head of Heritage, Tai Kwun. ‘Tai Kwun will become a part of the local community. In order to understand and to celebrate their stories and legacy, community engagement with our neighbours is very important.'

Eight designated Heritage storytelling spaces site-wide, with over 20 Tai Kwun Tales and building histories will be on display in different analogue and interactive formats. The opening heritage exhibition, 100 Faces of Tai Kwun, exhibits featured narratives, memoirs and anecdotes from all walks of life in the Central neighbourhood who are related to the CPS compound in different ways.


Contemporary Art programmes take art appreciation to the next level
Housed inside JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun Contemporary is the visual art programming arm of Tai Kwun, a not-for-profit, non-collecting art centre dedicated to presenting contemporary art exhibitions and programmes as a platform for a flourishing cultural discourse in Hong Kong. Tai Kwun Contemporary will host six to eight exhibitions annually alongside extensive public programmes, striving to offer an informed, curated Hong Kong point of view to the audience by collaborating with like-minded local and international institutions and art groups to present the highest standard of exhibition making, arts and education programmes.

‘Tai Kwun Contemporary is a Hong Kong institution, we therefore will emphasize Hong Kong artists, extending to the Pearl River Delta and East Asia,’ said Tobias Berger, Head of Arts, Tai Kwun. ‘As we work with a collaborative model, we invite external institutions and organisations from Hong Kong and overseas to present exhibitions with us - each exhibition tailor made for the Hong Kong context.’

Tai Kwun Contemporary opens with Dismantling the Scaffold, presented by Spring Workshop and curated by Christina Li. Emerging artist, Wing Po So’s first solo exhibition, Six-Part Practice, which explores the relationships amongst Chinese medicine, pharmacology, and science, will also be premiered. The show also features a textual collaboration with Hong Kong writer Dung Kai Cheung.


Acclaimed Performing Arts programmes at Tai Kwun
To make arts more accessible, Tai Kwun introduces site-specific performing art shows, encompassing a spectrum of internationally acclaimed cross-disciplinary exchanges and an impressive cast of local young talents and performers. Integrating artistic expression with the historic buildings as well as new architecture, Performing Arts offerings at Tai Kwun have been designed and tailored to suit the unique venues. The auditorium JC Cube, the spontaneous Laundry Steps, the secluded Prison Yard and the splendid Parade Ground will become performance spaces for theatre, music, dance and film.

‘We will introduce the types and forms of performing arts that Hong Kong has been missing,’ said Eddy Zee, Head of Performing Arts, Tai Kwun. ‘For the general public, there will be activities with performing elements to engage and inspire the people about performing arts. For the arts devotees, immersive art is the new trend. A third type of performance will be very similar to a circus show, a large-scale show that is rarely seen in Hong Kong on a regular basis.’

Partnering with Le French May, La Compagnie des Quidams from France will showcase for the first time in Hong Kong — a dynamic and poetic performance, Dreamlike Horses. Another featured performance by up-and-coming a cappella group, Yat Po Singers, will celebrate the opening of Tai Kwun by performing a compilation of Cantonese folk songs, This Victoria Has No Secrets.


Diversified lifestyle enjoyment in surroundings
In addition to the immersive experience in heritage and arts, tenants at Tai Kwun also beckon visitors to enjoy their array of lifestyle offerings. The wide-ranging culinary landscape allows visitors to choose between light refreshments or fine dining, while retail shops offer the finest selections of curated books, gifts and apparels. Engaging programmes and workshops will also be hosted to echo with the rich heritage and energetic contemporary programme offerings at Tai Kwun.


Unique historical site faithfully restored
Established after 1841 as Hong Kong’s police station, magistracy and prison, the revitalised Central Police Station compound is one of the largest heritage projects in Hong Kong. The unparalleled significance of this unique historical site was officially recognised in 1995, when the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison were listed as Declared Monuments. The highest standard of restoration plans was developed for each of the 16 heritage buildings, where international experts were engaged, supported by Hong Kong professionals. The lead designer, Herzog & de Meuron, had previously worked on Tate Modern in London, while Purcell, the heritage architect, had worked on St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Restoration work was carried out with utmost care — building-by-building, room-by room. Where possible, the original materials were restored and reinstated; where not, replacements were fabricated that were as close to the originals as possible. Works at the site were designed and accomplished to align with the adaptive reuse requirements, ensuring the compound meets modern day requirements, along with bridge and pathways interlinking the rest of the neighbourhood.


Plan your visit
Tai Kwun is committed to be a place of inspiration and enjoyment for the people of Hong Kong. We are open to the public from 11am to 11pm on a daily basis. Visitors are strongly encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online, prior to their visits. Tai Kwun Pass is available on Tai Kwun Official Website. For details, please visit https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass.


About Tai Kwun: Centre for Heritage and Arts
“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.       

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments (Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), with a total of 16 heritage buildings and some outdoors spaces, on a 13,600 square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.  

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.    

Online booking available from 10 May for late-May visits

The last week of May will see a major milestone for heritage and arts in Hong Kong. The revitalised Central Police Station compound, the largest heritage project in Hong Kong, will open its doors to the public as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.

Involving the conservation and revitalisation of 16 heritage buildings, and the development of two new buildings to provide space for art exhibitions and performances, this large-scale heritage and arts project has been led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the Government of the Hong Kong SAR.

Reflecting on the achievement, the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “We have preserved one of Hong Kong’s largest and most important heritage sites, and created a valuable asset for our community. In doing so we have gained valuable experience which will benefit other heritage projects in Hong Kong.”

Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges noted that when the Central Police Station compound closed in 2006, the Government decided that this prime location in the heart of Central should be preserved as a public space for the benefit of all. The Club shared the government’s view and was keen to give its support: arts, culture and heritage being a key area of strategic focus for the Club’s charitable donations.

To achieve this objective, the Club was determined to adhere to the highest standards, even if this involved significant additional investment.

International experts were engaged, supported by Hong Kong professionals. The lead designer, Herzog & de Meuron, had previously worked on Tate Modern in London, while Purcell, the heritage architect, had worked on St Paul’s Cathedral in London. 

Restoration plans were developed for each of the 16 heritage buildings, all of which were found to be in a much poorer state of repair than originally anticipated. Work was carried out with the utmost care, building-by-building, room-by room. Where possible, the original materials were restored and reinstated. Where not, replacements were fabricated that were as close to the originals as possible.

Two new buildings - JC Contemporary and JC Cube – were conceived to house an art gallery and performance space respectively. They were carefully designed to reflect the existing fabric of the site while also being distinctive, setting up a dialogue between old and new.

 “To accomplish the vision, to adhere to the principles of best practice, and to ensure world-class quality, our Board of Stewards was willing to commit a significant investment. To date we have invested HK$3.8 billion. We believe it is a worthwhile investment considering the value this asset will bring to our community for decades to come.

 “Now, with the platform in place we are preparing for the next stage of the project – the opening of Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts. This will focus on the three pillars of heritage, contemporary art and performing arts. In support of its programming and operations, the Club has earmarked significant funds over the next two years,” said Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges.

Rich programme of tours, exhibitions and performances  

Looking forward to the opening of Tai Kwun, Leong Cheung Executive Director, Charities and Community at the Club explained there would be a wide choice of offerings, including heritage tours, art tours, performances and exhibitions.

“Tai Kwun will offer a wide range of heritage and arts activities and programmes aimed at enriching the cultural life of Hong Kong. Tai Kwun perfectly embodies the Club’s values of serving the community and continuous development as well as our commitment to upholding the highest standards,” said Leong Cheung.

Visitors can learn about the historic site and its relationship with its neighbourhood at the “100 Faces of Tai Kwun” multi-media exhibition, which features anecdotes shared via videos, radio drama and audio-visual interactive devices. There will also be guided tours and exhibitions throughout the compound,  telling the stories of the site and the people who have lived or worked there.

A strong cast of exciting local and international artists will headline the two opening contemporary art exhibitions. Both shows are inspired by the rich heritage that underpins the site and the surrounding Central district. Taking centre stage is a debut exhibition by emerging artist Wing Po So, who was raised in the area that is now known as SOHO. She delves into Chinese medicine, pharmacology and science in her artworks to engage in an archaeological exploration of materiality and history in Hong Kong. Featuring an international mix of artists, including ten from Hong Kong, the group show “Dismantling the Scaffold” is inspired by the history of the site and the sense of a new beginning.

There will also be a wide range of performances throughout Tai Kwun, including acapella singing, an air puppet show, circus acts, lunch-time concerts and film screenings.

“With the aim of nurturing local talent, Tai Kwun will create a platform for interactions between local, regional and international artists. Programming in the three fields of heritage, contemporary art and performing arts will be complemented by education and engagement programmes. All of this will contribute to a culturally vibrant Hong Kong and help enrich the quality of life of Hong Kong people,” said Timothy Calnin, Director of CPS, Tai Kwun.

Opening arrangements

An opening ceremony for Tai Kwun will take place on 25 May 2018, to be followed by community days and organised visits for a limited number of visitors over the following two days. This will give Tai Kwun an opportunity to fine-tune its operation, a process which will continue through the first weeks of opening.

“During the initial opening period, we will implement access management measures to keep the number of visitors at an optimal level to facilitate a smooth visitor experience for all,” said Calnin.

Beginning 10 May 2018, online booking will be accepted for the Tai Kwun Pass, which will provide access to the site from 29 May 2018 onwards.  Booking details will be available on the official website, http://taikwun.hk.  Pass-holders will be guaranteed entry to Tai Kwun.  Walk-in visitors will be welcome later in June. 

The first phase of opening includes 11 heritage buildings, the new art galleries and auditorium, and the Parade Ground and Prison Yard. The first 11 heritage buildings to open are: the Police Headquarters Block (Block 1), Barrack Block (Block 3), Ablutions Block (Block 8), Superintendent’s House (Block 10), Bauhinia House (Block 19), and Halls A to F (Blocks 11-15, 17). 

Details of the opening programmes and services for visitors can be found at http://taikwun.hk.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts   

“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strategic areas of charitable contribution. The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club and has been carried out in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR. 

The CPS compound comprises16 historic buildings, including three declared monuments (Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison), on a 13,600-square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the site.

In addition to undertaking the CPS Revitalisation Project, the Club’s Charities Trust has set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts.      

Tai Kwun is the colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the site.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2016/17, the Club’s total direct return to the community was HK$30.5 billion. It is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer, one of the city’s major employers and one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com.             

Largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project in Hong Kong to open as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts

The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is moving ahead with preparations for the opening of the CPS site, in three phases beginning in mid-2018. The site will be operated as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, named after the local colloquial name for the historic compound.

Statutory permits and certificates have been obtained for the project following the completion of inspections of 15 historic buildings, the new art gallery and auditorium buildings and associated structures in the CPS compound. Conservation, restoration and construction works have been certified by the authorities as having been carried out according to the approved building plans, and meeting the buildings, antiquities protection and public safety requirements.

The opening of the compound will take place in phases. Interior fitting out works are being carried out in 11 historic buildings, namely, the Police Headquarters Block (Block 1), Barrack Block (Block 3), Ablutions Block (Block 8), Superintendent’s House (Block 10), Bauhinia House (Block 19), and Halls A to F (Block 11-15, 17). These buildings, together with the new art galleries and new auditorium, and the outdoor spaces of the Parade Ground and the Prison Yard, will be opened in mid-2018. Interior works are ongoing in four other buildings, namely the Armoury (Block 2), Married Sergeants’ Quarters (Block 6), Single Inspectors’ Quarters (Block 7) and Central Magistracy (Block 9) and these buildings are targeted for opening later in 2018. A recovery plan is being formulated for the Married Inspectors’ Quarters (Block 4) which collapsed partially in 2016. Further details of the works to be carried out on Block 4 and its opening arrangement will be announced later.

The revitalisation project is led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR. Since the project involves restoring many old buildings in poor condition and building new ones at a technically challenging site, the Club has worked closely with the government authorities, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders. This has ensured the compound is fit for adaptive reuse after conservation and revitalisation.

Comprising a cluster of three declared monuments with a total of 16 historic buildings and outdoor spaces on the 13,600-square-metre site in the heart of Central, the project is by far the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project in Hong Kong and the largest such project undertaken by the Club.

“We are delighted to have completed the majority of works and received statutory permits and certificates for most of the facilities. Building on this important milestone, we shall continue to give our best to explore the next phases in the Tai Kwun journey,” Leong Cheung, the Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, said. “True to the Club’s spirit of pursuing world-class excellence, the revitalisation works have been carried out meticulously. We look forward to reinvigorating the heritage site by offering a vibrant heritage, arts and lifestyle experiences to promote cultural appreciation, exploration and learning, talent development, and most importantly, open up a once closed-off part of Hong Kong and transforming it into an alluring new space for the neighbourhood and indeed everyone to enjoy.”

“In the coming weeks, we shall continue to dedicate all our efforts to the final preparations for Tai Kwun’s opening. These include completion of interior fit-outs, the installation, testing and trial runs of a full range of facilities, systems and equipment, staff recruitment and training, as well as putting the final touches on the opening programmes and activities,” Timothy Calnin, Director of CPS, Tai Kwun said.

A series of tests of the facilities have begun, with more trial runs planned for the next few weeks. An opening ceremony is planned for 25 May 2018, which will be followed by community days and visits, initially for a limited number of visitors. This will give Tai Kwun an opportunity to fine-tune its operation before the site is fully open. Details of the opening and visit arrangements, programmes and services for visitors will be announced in due course.

About Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts   
“Arts, culture and heritage” is one of the strategic areas of charitable contributions of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club). The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project is the largest heritage conservation and revitalisation project undertaken by the Club, in partnership with the Government of the HKSAR.

The CPS compound comprises three declared monuments of the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison, with 16 historic buildings and outdoor spaces on a 13,600-square-metre site in the heart of Central. An international-grade art gallery and an auditorium have been added to contribute to the adaptive reuse of the whole site.

HKJC undertakes the CPS Revitalisation Project to conserve and revitalise the CPS compound and through its Charities Trust, set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts.

Tai Kwun is the local colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former police headquarters and the surrounding CPS compound. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited for the project as a reminder of the historical importance of the compound.

Indicative schedule of Tai Kwun phased opening:

[Photo Caption 1]

The Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation project has received the necessary statutory permits and certificates for the project. Interior fit-outs are now underway, with phased opening expected to commence mid-2018. HKJC undertakes the CPS Revitalisation Project to conserve and revitalise the CPS compound and through its Charities Trust, set up The Jockey Club CPS Limited to manage and operate the site as Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts.

[Photo Caption 2]

Comprising three declared monuments, the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison, the CPS compound has a total of 16 historic buildings and outdoor spaces, with a new art gallery building and an auditorium building added to it.

Tai Kwun announced today the appointment of three operators that will provide food and beverage services in the Central Police Station compound after completion of revitalisation works.

Lock Cha Tea House Limited will serve Chinese tea bought directly from tea farmers and vegetarian dim-sum. The 150 square-metre tea house, to be called LockCha Te’atelier, will be located on the ground floor of the Headquarters Block, facing the Parade Ground. The company currently operates teahouses at local heritage sites, Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong Park and Jao Tsung-I Academy.

Long Chim (Hong Kong) Limited will operate a casual dining restaurant serving Thai street fare under the direction of David Thompson, a leading authority on Thai cuisine. The restaurant, to be called Long Chim which means “to come and taste”, will occupy 450 square metres of space at the Armoury building facing the Parade Ground.

Cornhill Limited of the Aqua Restaurant Group will take up residence on the first floor of the heritage Headquarters Block, in the former home of the police officers’ mess. The 920 square-metre space will operate as two linked ‘sister’ restaurants showcasing the Western and Eastern faces of classic Hong Kong.

In tune with Tai Kwun’s requirement for operators to support leisure activities at the compound, Lock Cha Tea House Limited will hold tea appreciation classes, demonstration workshops, Chinese music tea concerts and other cultural activities at the premises. Long Chim (Hong Kong) Limited and Cornhill Limited are also developing plans for cultural programmes aimed at enriching visitors’ experience.

“We have to date appointed eight food and beverage operators, vindicating our aim to bring in operators to offer diverse cuisine types at a broad price range to service visitors and support the maintenance of the revitalised compound,” said Mr. Euan Upston, Director of CPS, Tai Kwun.

In the last few months, Tai Kwun has announced the appointment of operators, including a social enterprise café, a noodle shop, an integrated cultural and leisure operator at the magistracy building, a French café and a small bar restaurant. In addition, the police will also set up a police service centre at the Headquarters Block. More operators will be announced in 2016.

About Tai Kwun: Centre for Heritage and Art
Tai Kwun is the trading name of The Jockey Club CPS Limited, the not-for-profit operator set up by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to operate the centre for heritage and art at the revitalised Central Police Station compound. The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is a partnership between the Government of the Hong Kong SAR and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Tai Kwun (in Chinese: 大館 and meaning the Big Station) was the colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former Police Headquarters and the law enforcement complex. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the compound.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS), trading as Tai Kwun, today announced the formation of an Advisory Committee to advise the Board of Directors on the operation and management of the revitalised Central Police Station site.

The Advisory Committee has the mandate to advise the Board on the overall strategic direction relating to the operation and management of the site, the overall strategies relating to public relations and engagement of stakeholders, and objective and suitable performance indicators.

The Hon Bernard Charnwut Chan, non-official Member of the Executive Council, has been appointed by the Board of Directors as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee. The Hon Chan is currently Chairman of Tai Kwun’s Art Working Group and served as the chairman of a committee tasked with selecting an integrated heritage and art operator for the site in 2013-2014. 

Members of the Advisory Committee include individuals from the heritage, arts, community and education, and business sectors and members of the Central and Western District Council, and were appointed to represent views of the wider public.

The Commissioner for Heritage of the HKSAR Government, a senior management representative of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and a senior management representative of Tai Kwun will sit on the Advisory Committee as ex-officio members. 

The full list of the members and their background information is available as an appendix to this press release. 

Meanwhile, to prepare for site opening, two voluntary working groups of experts, the Heritage Working Group and the Art Working Group, will continue to assist the Tai Kwun management in formulating programming policies, provide comments and suggestions on the proposed programmes, and provide expert advice on the content of the heritage programmes and art programmes respectively.

About Tai Kwun: Centre for Heritage and Art

Tai Kwun is the trading name of The Jockey Club CPS Limited, the not-for-profit company set up by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to operate the centre for heritage and art at the revitalised Central Police Station compound. The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is a partnership between the Government of the Hong Kong SAR and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Tai Kwun (in Chinese: 大館 and meaning the Big Station) was the colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former Police Headquarters and the law enforcement complex. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the compound.

A police service centre will be established at the Headquarters Block of the former Central Police Station compound, becoming the first operation to serve the public at the revitalised heritage site.

With approximately 100 square metres of space, the police service centre will have 24-hour access for the public from Hollywood Road. The neo-Classical style Headquarters Block was one of the most imposing buildings in the Central Police Station compound. Built in 1919, it was used for a variety of purposes until the phased decommissioning of the compound between 2005 and 2006.

“For more than one and a half century, the Central Police Station compound had been a bulwark for law and order until it was decommissioned and revitalised for adaptive reuse. It is our pleasure to welcome back the police to the compound and see that law enforcement will continue to play a part in the new chapter of the site history,” said Euan Upston, Director of CPS, Tai Kwun, the not-for-profit company tasked with transforming the heritage site into a centre for heritage and art.

With due considerations given to operational efficiency, the interior of the police service centre is designed to have elements that will be reminiscent of the police reporting rooms of the old days. The police service centre is expected to become operational in the summer of 2016, several months ahead of the completion of fitting out works of other operators, scheduled for late 2016.

Following the announcement of the appointment of the first batch of operators in December 2015, Tai Kwun has appointed more operators to help enliven the site. French Creations Limited will operate a Parisian style café on the ground floor of the Headquarters Block, facing the Parade Ground. The café will have indoor and outdoor areas of approximately 150 square metres, and will be named Café Claudel, after Paul Claudel (1868-1955) the famous French poet, playwright and diplomat. Some of Paul Claudel’s works were influenced by Hong Kong, as can be seen in Le partage de midi (Break at Noon) in which a scene takes place in a cemetery in Happy Valley, and the foreword of the 1927 edition of the anthology Connaissance de l’Est (The East I Know) contains a poem entitled Hong Kong.

With a view to contributing to cultural activities at the compound, French Creations Limited has plans to host cultural events at the café and make regular donations, based on business sales, to local charities including those supporting underprivileged children and children education development.

New Era Worldwide Limited will operate a bar restaurant, tentatively called BRU Beer & Bite with approximately 180 square metres of indoor and outdoor spaces, on the ground floor of the Married Sergeants’ Quarters. The building is situated near the junction of Hollywood Road, Wyndham Street and Arbuthnot Road, an area well known for retail and commercial operations.

The operational concepts of these operations are subject to approvals of the authorities and licensing conditions.

Meanwhile, Tai Kwun is requesting for proposals from parties interested in operating retail outlets, and in operating a restaurant, a lounge as well as catering services. For details, visit this link: http://www.taikwun.hk/en/opportunities/tenants/.

Altogether the leisure operators will take up no more than 27% of the construction floor area of 27,900 square metres, and the other floor areas will be used for cultural activities, public circulation and buildings facilities.

About Tai Kwun: Centre for Heritage and Art

Tai Kwun is the trading name of The Jockey Club CPS Limited, the not-for-profit operator set up by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to operate the centre for heritage and art at the revitalised Central Police Station compound. The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is a partnership between the Government of the Hong Kong SAR and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Tai Kwun (in Chinese: 大館 and meaning the Big Station) was the colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former Police Headquarters and the law enforcement complex. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the compound.

Following the formation of programming teams to plan heritage interpretation and art activities, Tai Kwun, the operator of the revitalised Central Police Station compound, today announced the appointment of the first batch of leisure service operators. These operators will provide services to visitors and enrich visitors’ experience, as well as provide income to help sustain the operations and maintenance of the site.

“Tai Kwun aims to transform the once closed compound into a centre for heritage and art for all to enjoy, and a key aspect of openness is to bring in operators offering diverse services at a broad price range to cater for the different needs of the visitors,” said Euan Upston, Director of CPS.

“To support the integration of heritage, art and leisure elements, these outlets will be located at various parts of the site, providing service points for the visitors along heritage interpretation routes and between art and culture venues in the compound,” Mr. Upston said.

“Leisure service operators will be encouraged to design their offerings so as to be compatible with the character of the compound, and to hold cultural activities to support Tai Kwun’s programmes at the site,” he added.

Lifestyle Investments has been appointed to provide integrated cultural and leisure services at the Central Magistracy building under the name “The Magistracy”. It will showcase a combination of dedicated art functions, such as art galleries and art workshops with free entry, alongside food and beverage outlets, lifestyle components and retail shops in 2,100 square metres of space. Proceeds from the retail shops will go to support art development in Hong Kong via the Sovereign Art Foundation. (A court room and the connecting holding cell in the building, with a combined area of approximately 200 square metres, will be used by the Tai Kwun heritage programme team for heritage interpretation programmes.)

David Sarner, the CEO of Lifestyle Investments said, “We are honoured and excited to have the unique opportunity of participating in revitalising such an important symbol of Hong Kong history and contributing to the development of contemporary art and conservation of heritage in Hong Kong.”

“Not only is the iconic Neo-Classical building a symbol of Hong Kong judicial history, but it is also physically configured in such a way that allows an opportunity to activate the magnificent maze of court rooms, magistrates’ chambers and holding cells into a dynamic and vibrant integrated outlet, a destination within a destination,” Mr. Sarner said.

“We are fully committed to using our experience in managing commercial operations in heritage buildings in the United States, Australia, Thailand and Myanmar to conserve the Central Magistracy and bring it to life again,” he added.

Hong Chi Association, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing services to people with intellectual disabilities and their families, will operate a food and beverage social enterprise called FT2, which stands for “farm to table”. The outlet will serve fresh farm food and provide a platform to show the artistic talents of the people with intellectual disabilities.

The food and beverage outlet will occupy approximately 200 square metres of ground floor space in D Hall of the Victoria Prison, the oldest dateable building in the compound. The space will be adjacent to six prison cells which will be preserved for heritage interpretation and exhibitions, and will have open access to the adjoining Prison Yard.

“In line with our vision, FT2 will provide eight employment and training opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities,” Aldan Kwok, General Secretary of Hong Chi Association said.

“Hong Chi has had the privilege of providing food services to Hong Kong, some of which are operated in heritage buildings such as the Pinehill Village in the New Territories. We highly value the opportunity to help revitalise D Hall. On top of food and beverage services, we shall organise cultural workshops and art exhibitions at the premises,” Mr. Kwok said.

Menya Musashi has been appointed to operate an approximately 130 square-metre noodle shop on the ground floor of the Superintendent’s House and C Hall, two connected prison buildings bordering the police complex and the Central Magistracy.

“With minimalist decoration compatible with the environment, we shall offer affordable, value for money food and drinks for visitors looking for a short break during their exploration of various parts of the site,” Frederick Che, Marketing Director of Menya Musashi said.

The operational concepts of these operations are subject to approvals of the authorities and licensing conditions.

Selection of operators for another approximately 11 food and beverage outlets are close to completion and will be announced in batches in 2016. A request for proposals exercise for retail operators is also underway.

Altogether the commercial operations will take up no more than 27% of the construction floor area of 27,900 square metres, and the other floor areas will be used for cultural activities, public circulation and buildings facilities.

About Tai Kwun: Centre for Heritage and Art
Tai Kwun is the trading name of The Jockey Club CPS Limited, the not-for-profit operator set up by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to operate the centre for heritage and art at the revitalised Central Police Station compound. The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is a partnership between the Government of the Hong Kong SAR and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Tai Kwun (in Chinese: 大館 and meaning the Big Station) was the colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former Police Headquarters and the law enforcement complex. The name has been adopted by The Jockey Club CPS Limited as a reminder of the historical importance of the compound.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited will operate as Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Art
The Jockey Club CPS Limited, the not-for-profit operator of the Central Police Station revitalisation project, today announced that it is inviting proposals from arts groups and organisations for a Hong Kong contemporary art exhibition at its galleries in 2017.

The exhibition should occupy a floor area no less than 300 square metres and no more than 1,300 square metres and take place at the Old Bailey Galleries, an international standard art space formed by a new building designed by Herzog & de Meuron and the adjoining historic prison building, F Hall. The exhibition may include additional screenings, talks and performances that may be held at the 200-seat Arbuthnot Auditorium and open spaces in the compound.

“Inclusiveness is a principle that underpins our operations and the art programmes will be based on institutional collaborations,” said Euan Upston, Director of CPS. There will be six to eight curated art exhibitions and public programmes at the compound every year that will see the collaborative participation of the art communities.

“Participation in the Hong Kong contemporary art exhibition will be a unique opportunity to showcase Hong Kong art and breathe new life to the heritage site after revitalisation works are completed in 2016,” Mr. Upston said.

Local and overseas art groups and organisations are welcome to submit their proposals on or before 3 January 2016.

Meanwhile, in addition to a process to invite food and beverage operators, the Company is inviting interested parties to submit proposals for operating the retail outlets in the compound. Retail shops and food and beverage outlets are integral parts of the project to provide income to help sustain the operation of the heritage site and enrich visitor experience.

Detailed information about the open call for art exhibition proposals can be found on the new website of the revitalisation project:http://www.taikwun.hk/en/art/programme/. Information about the request for proposals for shop operators can be found on http://www.taikwun.hk/en/opportunities/tenants/.

JCCPS to operate as Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Art
“Tai Kwun (in Chinese: 大館and meaning the Big Station) was the colloquial name used by police officers and the public alike to refer to the former Police Headquarters and the law enforcement complex. As a reminder of the historical importance of the Central Police Station compound, we have adopted Tai Kwun as the trading name of The Jockey Club CPS Limited, a not-for-profit company set up by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to operate the centre for heritage and art at the revitalised compound. Our programmes, activities and even our website will be communicated under the name of Tai Kwun in future,” Mr. Upston said.

The trading name was chosen after consultations with the Company’s two voluntary working groups of experts, the Heritage Working Group and Art Working Group, as well as other stakeholders.

More information about Tai Kwun and its adaptation as the trading name of The Jockey Club CPS Limited can be found on the new website: http://www.taikwun.hk/en/tai-kwun/about/

Plans for other Tai Kwun art programmes, heritage programmes and education programmes are being developed and will be announced next year.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS) today announced an Expression of Interests (EOI) exercise for parties interested in operating two food and beverage (F&B) outlets and catering services at the Central Police Station (CPS) compound.

The operator is required to operate two outlets, tentatively named The Old Bailey Restaurant and the Arbuthnot Lounge, to provide F&B support for the Old Bailey galleries and the Arbuthnot Auditorium respectively, as well as catering services at CPS.

Scheduled to close on 7 August 2015, the EOI will allow JCCPS to understand the level of market interest before the launch of a formal Request for Proposals (RFP). Information about the EOI can be found on the project web site: http://www.centralpolicestation.org.hk/en/invitation/main.asp.

This is a second invitation for F&B operations at the compound. Selection of the first batch of F&B operators is in good progress. These operators are expected to provide a diverse range of services that cater for a broad segment of visitors and that are compatible with the unique character of the site.

Commercial operations at the compound, including F&B outlets and retail shops, will take up not more than 27% of the total construction floor areas at the site. They are an integral part of the project plan to provide services to the visitors and provide income to help sustain the operation of the heritage site.

The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is a partnership of the Government and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (The Trust). The JCCPS is a not-for-profit company formed by The Trust to lead the revitalisation of the CPS compound, transforming it into a culture and leisure destination where heritage, contemporary art and leisure elements will be creatively integrated for all to enjoy.

Following the announcement on the operating model for the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project in February 2015, The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS) today announced the appointments of senior staff to lead the development and implementation of site-wide heritage and art programmes.

Ms Winnie Yeung Wing-yin has been appointed Head of Heritage to lead a dedicated team to devise and implement heritage programmes and in-house activities, beginning in late April 2015. She was the heritage manager for Tai O Heritage Hotel and participated in other heritage projects in Hong Kong and Singapore. She specialises in heritage interpretation, education and community engagement. Ms Yeung is a trained architectural conservationist with a Masters’ Degree from the Architectural Conservation Programme at The University of Hong Kong.

Mr Tobias Berger has been appointed Head of Arts to lead a professional team to drive contemporary art operation with the participation of art groups under the collaborative model, effective in May 2015. Mr Berger has extensive curatorial experience in Hong Kong, having worked as the curator for Visual Arts at M+, Museum for Visual Culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District for more than four years and as executive director and curator of Para/Site Art Space for over three years. He has also curated or co-curated nearly 100 art events for art museums, art spaces and art biennials in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia, Oceania and Europe. Mr Berger holds a Master of Art degree in art history and economics from Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, Germany and completed the de Appel Curatorial Programme in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

To prepare for the opening of the CPS site, two voluntary working groups of experts, the Heritage Working Group and the Art Working Group have been set up. The working groups will assist JCCPS in the development of policy, provide comments and suggestions on proposed programmes, and provide expert advice on the content of the heritage programmes and art programmes respectively. The Heritage Working Group is chaired by Dr Lee Ho-yin and the Art Working Group is chaired by The Hon. Bernard Chan. A full list of the working group members can be found in the appendices.

Mr Euan Upston, Director of CPS, JCCPS, said, “The two heads will bring a wealth of international experience and local knowledge to the project, while the appointments of the heritage and art working groups ensure the programmes are guided by expert advice and community input. These appointments signify a major step forward for the project, injecting new energy to take the revitalisation vision to reality.”

While the heritage team will devise and implement quality and professional heritage interpretation programme and activities in-house, the art team will drive contemporary art operation under the collaborative model, working closely with the local and overseas art communities in rolling out the contemporary art programmes. The two teams will seek partners to develop programme and exhibitions, outreach and learning activities, while ensuring synergy and integration between the heritage and art programmes and the provision of quality programmes that will establish the CPS compound as an important part of the cultural life of Hong Kong.

An expression of interest (EOI) for retail operators at the Central Police Station (CPS) compound is open from 6 March to 5 June 2015. The EOI exercise will allow The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS) to gauge the level of market interest and design the trade mix for shops before the launch of a formal request for proposals (RFP) later this year.

The JCCPS is leading the revitalisation of the CPS compound, transforming it into a culture and leisure destination where heritage, contemporary art and leisure elements will be creatively integrated for all to enjoy. Invitation of retail operators is an integral part of the project plan to provide services to the visitors and provide income to help sustain the operation of the heritage site.

The retail operators at CPS will be expected to provide a diverse range of services that cater for a broad segment of visitors and that are compatible with the unique character of the site. Relevant information about the EOI can be found on the project web site: http://www.centralpolicestation.org.hk/en/invitation/main.asp

Other commercial elements are food and beverage operations and an integrated cultural and leisure facility at the Central Magistracy building. Selection of these operators has progressed smoothly and is at an advanced stage. Together with the retail shops, commercial operations will take up not more than 27% of the total construction floor areas at the site.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS) made an announcement on the operating model for the Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project today. The project aims to transform the CPS site into a culture and leisure destination where heritage, contemporary art and leisure elements will be creatively integrated for all to enjoy.

Under this model the JCCPS will undertake the heritage operations across the site. JCCPS is well-positioned to carry out the heritage interpretation programme, having accumulated considerable know-how over the past five years when carrying out the conservation works.

As for the contemporary art, the JCCPS will collaborate closely with the local and overseas art communities as partners in rolling out the contemporary art programme. This is a result of extensive consultation with the art community and stakeholders since September 2014 to collect their views and advice on the future provision of the contemporary art activities at the CPS site.

The JCCPS will set up two teams, reporting to the Director of CPS, to implement the arrangements. Led by a head of heritage, a dedicated team will devise and implement quality and professional heritage interpretation programme and activities in-house. Another professional team led by a head of art will be formed to drive contemporary art operation under the collaborative model. The two teams will seek programme partners to develop programme and exhibitions, outreach and learning activities, while ensuring synergy and integration between the heritage and art programmes and the provision of quality programmes that will establish the CPS compound as an important part of the cultural life of Hong Kong. Recruitment for key positions has commenced.

To prepare for the opening of the CPS site, the heritage and contemporary art operations will be guided by two groups of advisors, the Heritage Working Group and the Art Working Group with both groups being comprised of experts in the relevant fields. The working groups will assist the JCCPS in the development of policy, provide comments and suggestions on proposed programmes, and provide expert advice on the content of the heritage programmes and art programmes.

“This structure will ensure that there is provision of expert advice to the JCCPS and that community input will be open and transparent. The Heritage Working Group will be able to provide authentication on the interpretation and programmes whilst the Art Working Group will ensure that a wide variety of quality contemporary art programmes are made available to a broad audience,” said Mr. Euan Upston, Director of CPS, JCCPS.

“It will also enable us to put in place quality programmes in time for the scheduled opening of the revitalised site in the second half of 2016, at the same time allow flexibility for fine-tuning the operating model as we accumulate operating experience,” he said.

A JCCPS Advisory Committee, to be formed by relevant experts, government and community representatives, will be formed by mid-2016 to advise the Board on the operation and management of the CPS site.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (“JCCPS”) today provided an update on the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project, as follows:

The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is an important initiative to conserve and revitalise the heritage site comprising the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison for adaptive reuse. A partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Project aims to transform the historic site into a leading cultural destination where heritage, contemporary art and leisure elements are creatively integrated for all to enjoy.

Despite the very challenging site conditions, restoration works to the best international practice standards in heritage renovation is progressing on the 16 heritage buildings, with extensive works being undertaken on the roofs, facades and interiors. The target is to achieve substantial completion of the restoration works in phases in the last quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2016.

The foundation works for the two new low-rise buildings designed by the internationally acclaimed architects Herzog & de Meuron are completed and the superstructure work is progressing. These buildings will provide high quality cultural space as well as building systems that serve the whole site thereby reducing the amount of intervention in the heritage buildings.

Good progress is also being made on the selection of operators for 10 food and beverage outlets and an integrated cultural and leisure operator for the Central Magistracy. Selection for retail service providers will follow in 2015. These commercial operators will take up not more than 27% of floor space and will provide services to the visitors. JCCPS’s revenues from these activities will be used solely to support the sustainable operation of the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project. The operators are expected to undertake their fitting out and licensing procedures and commence operation in 2016.

JCCPS thanked the respondents of the Request for Proposals (“RFP”) exercise for operating the heritage and contemporary art element, for their efforts, ideas and suggestions. JCCPS and the selection committee would like to express their appreciation of the efforts and time spent by the eligible respondent in the selection process, its elaborate preparation and the commitment to the cultural development of Hong Kong. JCCPS also thanked members of an independent selection committee for contributing their expertise and time in the selection process for the heritage and contemporary art operator. The selection committee could not identify an integrated operator and recommended JCCPS to consider developing site operation by adopting an approach that includes the participation of various organisations in heritage and contemporary art programming. The objective is to build the capacity of the art and heritage communities in the next few years, with a view to enabling the project to have a sustainable heritage and contemporary art operation in the long term. Bernard Chan, Chairman of the independent selection committee, said: “The selection committee made its recommendation based on a fair and objective assessment of the strategies and plans for the heritage programming; strategies and plans for contemporary art programming; financial capacity, business viability and financial plans for the proposed programmes; and management capability and governance.”

In light of the selection committee’s recommendation and having considered resources and know-how accumulated over the past five years when carrying out the conservation works, JCCPS will take up the heritage interpretation programme of the project in consultation with advisors to be appointed. Heritage groups will also be involved in the heritage programme. “We endeavour to truly reflect the heritage value of the compound in this important revitalisation project,” said Euan Upston, Director of CPS, JCCPS.

Upston said JCCPS would engage and consult the contemporary art community, including the cultural groups that have responded to the RFP, in the coming months with a view to developing a suitable model for providing the contemporary art programme for the scheduled site opening in 2016. “We look forward to beginning a dialogue with the contemporary art community on collaborative opportunities on the revitalisation project,” he said.

“JCCPS is fully committed to the revitalisation project and will continue to guide and fund its development with inclusive participation of the heritage and contemporary art communities,” Upston added.

The Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS) provided an update on the selection of operators for the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project today, as follows:

Three responses to the three-month Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Heritage and Contemporary Art operator were received upon the deadline for submission at 2:15 pm, 30 April 2014 and one submission was received after the deadline.

The response received after the deadline was late and therefore ineligible. Two of the responses received before the deadline were also ineligible because the respondents did not meet the two eligibility requirements which were, first, to form a special purpose company upon the RFP deadline, and second, that such company should have either obtained the tax exemption approval as a charitable institution or have already applied to the Inland Revenue Department for such tax exemption upon the RFP deadline.

JCCPS confirmed the ineligibility of these responses based on the recommendation made by the Selection Committee comprising 19 individuals representing broad community interests. The recommendation was further supported by independent legal advice.

JCCPS thanked all respondents for their efforts, and expressed regrets that the ineligible responses could not be further considered in order to maintain the integrity and fairness of the selection process.

The remaining response to the RFP was eligible. Under the assessment process, the Selection Committee will proceed to invite the respondent to an interview with a view to assessing its submitted proposal in detail. Based on the suitability of the respondent, the Selection Committee will make a recommendation to the JCCPS in the third quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, approximately 100 proposals from 72 responses to the RFP for the 10 food and beverage outlets were received upon the deadline for submission at 2:15 pm, 30 April 2014, and are under assessment by a separate selection committee formed by independent members and experts from The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Nine responses to the RFP for the integrated cultural and leisure operation at the Central Magistracy building were received, of which five were shortlisted to enter the final proposal stage.

RFPs for non-government organisations and retail operators will be available at the next phase of the invitation process.

About the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project
A partnership between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is an important initiative to conserve and revitalise the heritage site comprising the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison for adaptive reuse. The Project includes the conservation of 16 buildings of historical or architectural significance and several open spaces on the 3.37-acre site. To support activities on the revitalised site, an international renowned firm of architects, Herzog & de Meuron, has been engaged to design two new buildings. These new buildings will provide additional floor space for contemporary art programmes and plant rooms, and will help to reduce interventions to the heritage buildings. The site is expected to be open to the public in 2016, following the scheduled completion of revitalisation works in 2015, and fitting out and licensing arrangements by the operators. Project website: www.centralpolicestation.org.hk

Experienced contemporary art venue administrator Euan Upston has been appointed to lead the operation of the Central Police Station compound, which is currently being transformed into a centre for heritage, contemporary art and leisure for the public to enjoy.

As Director of CPS, Upston will be responsible for guiding the operations on the site to become a leading cultural destination in Hong Kong. He will oversee the overall management and maintenance of the compound, develop and coordinate site-wide activities involving the Heritage and Contemporary Art Operator and the not-for-profit and commercial operators, and develop long term partnerships with key stakeholders.

Upston will be supported by a dedicated management team, and one of his duties is to transfer knowledge and train up local talents who will over time succeed him to lead the operations.

Formerly the chief operating officer of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) of Australia in Sydney, Upston has more than 30 years of experience in contemporary arts. These included administration of contemporary art venues, leading a major MCA extension and refurbishment of MCA venues in a heritage building, and organising large-scale contemporary visual art events. In these and other roles, Upston worked closely with federal, state and municipal governments in Australia, curatorial and programming teams and other key stakeholders.

Upston will assume office on 26 June 2014.

About the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project
A partnership between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is an important initiative to conserve and revitalise the heritage site comprising the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison for adaptive reuse. The Project includes the conservation of 16 buildings of historical or architectural significance and several open spaces on the 3.37-acre site. To support activities on the revitalised site, an international renowned firm of architects, Herzog & de Meuron, has been engaged to design two new buildings. These new buildings will provide additional floor space for contemporary art programmes and plant rooms, and will help to reduce interventions to the heritage buildings. The site is expected to be open to the public in 2016, following the scheduled completion of revitalisation works in 2015, and fitting out and licensing arrangements by the operators. Project website: www.centralpolicestation.org.hk.

Background information
Euan Upston
Director of CPS

Euan Upston is the Director of CPS, a position he took up in June 2014, and is responsible for guiding the development of the Central Police Station compound to become a leading cultural destination in Hong Kong. He oversees management and maintenance of the site, develops and coordinates site-wide activities involving various not-for-profit and commercial operators, and develops long term partnerships with key stakeholders of the project.

Prior to this role, Euan has more than 30 years of experience in art venue administration, including senior roles in the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) of Australia and the Sydney Biennale, managing a theatre company, an art administration and project consultancy and a production academy.

One of Euan’s achievements is the planning and execution of the refurbishment of the MCA building (an Art Deco-style heritage building formerly accommodating the Maritime Services Board on the western edge of Circular Quay, Sydney) and a 50,000 square-foot extension to house galleries, education centres, a cafe, a theatre and a new access.

In these and other roles, Euan worked closely with curatorial and programming teams and has good understanding and appreciation of artistic vision and curatorial programming. He also worked with multiple stakeholders including the federal, state and municipal governments in Australia, funders, service providers and contractors.

Euan was educated in New Zealand, obtaining a teaching degree majoring in Drama and English at Wellington Teachers College.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the “Trust”) today announced an invitation to interested parties to submit detailed proposals for operating the heritage and contemporary art element of the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project. Revitalisation works are scheduled for completion in 2015 after which the site will be open for all to enjoy.

The Request for Proposals (“RFP”) has made reference to valuable comments received from interested parties during an Expression of Interest (“EOI”) exercise conducted earlier.

Thanking the EOI respondents, Michael Lee, Trustee, called upon all interested parties, whether or not they had responded to the EOI, to come forward with detailed proposals. The invitation is extended to all Hong Kong based not-for-profit heritage, art and culture organisations. They may submit proposals on their own or in partnership with other local and overseas organisations.

“Opportunities to participate in such a unique and prestigious project do not come often,” Lee said, adding that participation in the CPS project will be a significant contribution to heritage conservation and contemporary art development in Hong Kong.

The project is one of the most important conservation projects undertaken by the Trust. The Trust is committed to leading the conservation and restoration works and managing the project, in which incomes from the future operation will be ploughed back to support the long-term sustainability of the project.

“Recognising that the start up and recurrent costs of planning and running the heritage and contemporary art programmes will be substantial, the Trust will play an important role in supporting the Heritage and Contemporary Art Operator (the Operator). An annual total funding commitment of up to HK$30 million, on a merit basis, will be provided to support the heritage and contemporary art programmes organised by the Operator,” Lee said.

“The Operator will be expected to build up its programming and financial capacity, and develop and finance its programmes through its own funding channels. From the fourth year onwards, this annual funding will remain unchanged at up to HK$30 million but will be not more than half of the Operator’s total annual costs for the heritage and contemporary arts programmes,” he added.

When the conservation and restoration works are completed and new cultural elements are integrated into the historic fabric, what was once a law-and-order institution closed to the public will be transformed into a community space filled with art and culture and open to all. The rich heritage and robust art programmes will set the CPS compound as an important part of the cultural life of Hong Kong.

The RFP will close on 30 April 2014 after which a selection committee representing the broad interests of the community will review the proposals and make a recommendation to the Trust. Details of the selection committee were announced in December 2013 and information is available on the project website for reference. The Operator is expected to be appointed in 2014.

Also announced today was the launch of the Request for Proposals for food and beverage (“F&B”) services. The F&B operations are part of the commercial elements of the CPS project which will provide services for visitors and rental income to sustain the long term operation of the site. The RFP for F&B will also close on 30 April 2014.

RFP documents and additional information are available on the project website. (http://www.centralpolicestation.org.hk/en/invitation/main.asp) The invitations are also being advertised in major Hong Kong newspapers.

About the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project
The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is an important initiative to conserve and revitalise the heritage site comprising the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison for adaptive reuse. The Project includes the conservation of 16 buildings of historical or architectural significance and several open spaces on the 3.37-acre site. To support activities on the revitalised site, an international renowned firm of architects, Herzog & de Meuron, has been engaged to design two new buildings. These new buildings will provide additional floor space for contemporary art and exhibition areas and plant rooms, and will help to reduce interventions to the heritage buildings. Project website: www.centralpolicestation.org.hk.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust) today announced the formation of a committee representing broad community interests to select the heritage and contemporary art operator for the Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project.

Upon finalisation of selection arrangements by the Selection Committee, the Trust will issue a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) early next year to invite interested parties to submit proposals to undertake heritage and contemporary art programming for the project. The selected operator has the important role of developing and implementing heritage and contemporary art programming for CPS upon completion of revitalisation works in late 2015.

Michael Lee, Trustee, said, “To ensure a fair and open selection process, we have formed a selection committee made up of knowledgeable, insightful and well-respected individuals from various sectors, including heritage conservation, art and culture, business and professional and the academia, as well as representatives of the government, the community and the Trust. The Committee is chaired by Mr Bernard Chan, who brings with him a wealth of experience in heritage site revitalisation and community services.”

“The Selection Committee will review and assess proposals with a balanced emphasis on the respondents’ vision and commitment, their capability in providing rich and diversified heritage and art programming, community involvement, good governance and operational sustainability,” he added.

Bernard Chan, Chairman of the Selection Committee said, “The CPS is a unique cluster of historically significant buildings in Hong Kong. I am honoured to be invited to contribute to the selection process and I look forward to working closely with fellow committee members to evaluate the proposals carefully, impartially and faithfully, and recommend the operator that could represent the best interest of the community.”

Also announced today was a committee tasked with selecting the commercial operator for a cultural and leisure facility at the Central Magistracy and food and beverage operators for the rest of the CPS site. These commercial operators will provide services to visitors and provide income to help sustain the site. Commercial operations are expected to take up 27% of the construction area at the site with the remaining devoted to heritage and arts as well as functional use such as public circulation, plant room, etc. In order to ensure these future operators meet the stringent buildings standards and operational and financial requirements, the committee draws upon The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s internal expertise in property management, finance and hospitality. It also has independent members with experience in heritage conservation and community representation to ensure that the heritage value and community interest are given full consideration in the selection process.

The two committees will review the proposals and identify the operators in phases during 2014.

Information on the two selection committees is attached (Appendixes 1 and 2) and is also available on the project website:
http://www.centralpolicestation.org.hk/en/news-resources/news/news.asp?date=23 December 2013

About the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project

The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is an important initiative to conserve and revitalise the heritage site comprising the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison for adaptive reuse. The Project includes the conservation of 16 buildings of historical or architectural significance and several open spaces on the 3.37-acre site. To support activities on the revitalised site, an international renowned firm of architects, Herzog & de Meuron, has been engaged to design two new buildings, tentatively named the Old Bailey Wing and Arbuthnot Wing. These new buildings will provide additional floor space for contemporary art and exhibition areas and plant rooms, and will help to reduce interventions to the heritage buildings. Project website: www.centralpolicestation.org.hk.

Appendix 1

The Selection Committee for the Heritage and Contemporary Art Operator

Chairman

Mr Bernard CHAN, GBS, JP 
Born and educated in Hong Kong before studying studio art at Pomona College in the United States, Mr CHAN is actively engaged in a broad range of social policy areas, including arts and culture, heritage and conservation, and health and medical issues. He was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star Medal in 2006. He chairs a number of public bodies, including the Council for Sustainable Development, the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. Mr CHAN is the President of Asia Financial Holdings Limited and Member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong SAR.

Members
(In alphabetical order of last names)

Mr John BATTEN 
Mr BATTEN lives in Hong Kong and is Convenor of the Central and Western Concern Group, an heritage and urban planning advocacy group; Organiser of the Hong Kong ArtWalk and President of the International Association of Art Critics Hong Kong (AICAHK). He is an independent art curator, cultural commentator and art critic and is a regular contributor to the South China Morning Post and Perspective architectural magazine.

Mr Stephen CHAN, Chit-kwai, BBS, JP 
Having served as a district councillor on the Central and Western District Council since 1992, Mr CHAN is an active supporter for heritage conservation in the local community. He was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 2000 and was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal in 2012 for his community services over the years. Mr CHAN is the Chairman of the Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage, Member of the Antiquities Advisory Board and the Intangible Culture Heritage Advisory Committee, Manager of the University of Hong Kong Medical Students residence and the President of the HKU Staff Association.

Ms CHENG Lai-king 
Ms CHENG, Member of the Central and Western District Council, has been following heritage conservation in the community for many years. She participates in a number of concern groups, including the District Council’s Working Group on Concern over the Development of the Central Police Station Compound and Former Police Married Quarters and the Central Oasis Community Advisory Committee for the Central Market. Ms CHENG is a social worker.

Ms Vivian KO, Wai-kwan
Ms KO is a representative of the Development Bureau, HKSAR Government.

Ir Albert LAI, Kwong-tak 
Engineer by profession, Ir LAI has been an advocate for sustainable development, environment protection and heritage conservation in Hong Kong for over three decades. He is the founding chairman of the Professional Commons, Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage and Hong Kong People’s Council for Sustainable Development, and has served as a member of government advisory bodies such as the Commission on Strategic Development.

Ms Vivian LAU, Sio-kuan 
Ms LAU has a strong interest in heritage and conservation, and arts and culture, and actively participates in various advisory bodies, namely, the Science Museum Advisory Panel and the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings. Ms LAU is an advocate for youth and women and represents Hong Kong on international youth and women events. She is now Chief Executive Officer of the Junior Achievement Hong Kong and Director of the Pacific Air Limited.

Mr Dick LEE, Ming-kwai, GBS
Mr LEE retired from the office of Commissioner of Police in 2007 after 34 years of distinguished service, including several years in the former Central Police Station. Mr LEE was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star Medal in 2007 for his outstanding public service. He is now the Executive Director for the Hong Kong Institute for Public Administration.

Mr Maurice LEE, Wai-man, BBS, JP 
Mr LEE serves as Member on a number of arts and culture committees and bodies, including the Advisory Committee on Arts Development, Hong Kong Film Development Council, Radio Television Hong Kong Board of Advisors, etc. Mr LEE was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal in 2011 for his distinguished public service on art and culture. He is a writer / radio host and solicitor, serving as legal advisor to several organisations related to creative and media industries on pro bono basis.

Mr Michael LEE, Tze-hau, JP 
Mr LEE, graduated from Boston University with a master’s degree in business administration, is actively involved in promoting corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong. He serves a number of charities and sports organisations, including Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children, Helping Hands and Hong Kong Sports Institute. Mr LEE is currently a director of Oxer Limited, a steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, as well as a non-executive director of Hysan Development Company Limited and several other publicly-listed companies in Hong Kong. Mr LEE represents the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Prof Samuel LEONG 
Prof LEONG has a multifarious academic and international background in interdisciplinary research spanning education and research, performance and wellness, cultural policy and creative industries. He is Associate Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Head of the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts of the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Prof LEONG is also the Director of UNESCO Arts in Education Observatory for Research in Local Cultures and Creativity in Education. He has given invited presentations in five continents including the World Alliance for Arts Education World Summit, World Learning Conference, and World Creativity Summit.

Prof Eva MAN, Kit-wah 
Prof MAN received her doctorate degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with research interests in comparative aesthetics, feminist aesthetics and philosophy. She is now the Head and Professor of Department of Humanities and Creative Writing of the Hong Kong Baptist University, and an active member of the Chinese Society for Aesthetics. Prof MAN is a Council Member of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Director of the City Contemporary Dance Company and 1a Space at Cattle Depot, and a Committee Member of the International Association of Aesthetics.

Mr Fredric MAO, Chun-fai, BBS
An internationally renowned veteran in performing arts scene, Mr MAO joined the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) as Head of Acting since its inception in 1985. He was the Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre from 2001 to 2008 and was bestowed the honour of “Director Laureate” upon his departure. In 2004, Mr MAO was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the local performing art scene. He is currently the Deputy Chairman for the HKAPA’s Council, the Convener of Hong Kong/Taiwan Cultural Cooperation Committee, and the Founder/Director of Performing Arts Asia.

Ms Kathy SIU, Ka-yi 
Ms SIU is a full-time District Councillor of the Central and Western District and has a strong interest in conservation and development in the community. She is Vice-chairman of the Culture, Leisure and Social Affairs Committee and Member of the Working Group on Concern over the Development of the Central Police Station Compound and Former Police Married Quarters under the Central and Western District Council.

Ms Eve TAM, Mei-yee
Ms TAM is a representative of the Home Affairs Bureau, HKSAR Government.

Ms Ada WONG, Ying-kay, JP 
Founder of a number of local cultural institutions, art groups and one of Hong Kong’s art high schools, Ms WONG is actively engaged in promoting arts and culture in Hong Kong. She was elected into the former Urban Council and the Wan Chai District Council. Ms WONG now serves as a Director for the Board of the Hong Kong Design Centre, Member of the Consultation Panel of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Member of the Art Museum Advisory Panel and Member of Viva Blue House Steering Committee. She is a solicitor.

Mr Stanley WONG, Ping-pui (Anothermountainman) 
Mr WONG worked as Creative Director for many renowned advertising companies. In 2007, he set up 84000 Communications Ltd., a brand consulting agency focusing on commercial, cultural branding and promotion work. He has won more than 500 awards in fine art, photography, graphic design and advertising in Hong Kong and abroad. His works “Redwhiteblue” have won critical acclaim both locally and internationally and had travelled to Venice at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005. Mr WONG was also awarded the Artist of the Year 2011 (Visual Arts) from Hong Kong Arts Development Awards and the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Awards 2012 from Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Dr Wilfred WONG, Ying-wai, SBS, JP 
Dr WONG has an extensive experience in serving advisory boards and committees related to arts and culture. He is now the Chairman of the Arts Development Council, Chairman of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited and Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council. For his distinguished public service, Dr WONG was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star Medal in 2007. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hsin Chong Construction Group Limited.

Mr David YIP, Wing-shing, BBS, MH, JP 
Mr YIP, Chairman of the Central and Western District Council, is actively engaged in youth service and development. In addition to his role in the District Council, he is the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Scout Association of Hong Kong, Member of the Commission on Youth, Convenor of the Youth Programme Co-ordinating Committee. Mr YIP received the Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal in 2011.
 

Appendix 2

The Selection Committee for the Integrated Cultural and Leisure Operator at the Central Magistracy and Food and Beverage Operators
 

Chairman

Mr Michael J MOIR, FRICS, MICE 
Mr Moir is the Director of Property of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, a position he has held since March 2010. He has a wide range of experience in the Hong Kong property industry and was formerly a Director of Swire Properties and PCCW Infrastructure.

Members
(In alphabetical order of last names)

Mr Jackie CHEUNG Yick-hung 
Mr Cheung has been serving the Central community as a Member of the Central and Western District Council. An advocate for conserving Central’s heritage, he is the Chairman of the District Council’s Working Group on Concern over the Development of the Central Police Station Compound and Former Police Married Quarters. Mr Cheung is a solicitor.

Mr Andrew LAM, Siu-lo, JP 
Town Planner by profession, Mr Lam is an active supporter for heritage conservation and cultural development. He serves on a number of government advisory committees, including as Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Member of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings, and Board Member of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.

Mr Kurt SCHWARTZ 
Mr Schwartz worked at the Hong Kong Jockey Club from 1992 to 2005 as Happy Valley Clubhouse Manager and Manager, Racecourse Catering respectively. He re-joined the Club in March 2008 as the Head of Hospitality Services (Operations). He is responsible for the catering facilities and recreation services at the four Clubhouses and the two Racecourses. His past experience included hotels in South Korea, Hong Kong and Australia and he was one of the opening team members at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Mr Wilson TAI, ACA 
Mr Tai joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club in 2008 and is the Financial Controller for the Membership, Charities, and Corporate Affairs Divisions. He has in-depth corporate financial experience across various business sectors in the United Kingdom, the United States, Hong Kong SAR, mainland China and the Asia-Pacific region.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust) today announced that it is inviting interested operators to join it to revitalise the Central Police Station compound (the CPS) into an integrated cultural destination with heritage, contemporary art and leisure facilities for all to enjoy from 2015 onwards.

The operators will be required to introduce to the CPS a rich variety of heritage and contemporary art programmes, as well as compatible cultural and leisure services that serve a broad range of community needs.

A partnership between the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Trust, the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project (the Project) will comprise a total construction floor area of around 300,000 square feet after revitalisation works. Approximately 37% of the construction floor area will be used for heritage appreciation and contemporary art, 36% for public circulation and electrical and mechanical plant space, and 27% for commercial activities to provide leisure and entertainment to the visitors. There will also be over 40,000 square feet of open spaces for public programmes.

The Trust, through a not-for-profit company, the Jockey Club CPS Limited (JCCPS), will manage the Project. JCCPS will be responsible for guiding the development of the CPS site into a cultural destination, managing and maintaining the site, developing and co-ordinating site-wide activities and programmes involving all site occupants, and developing partnerships with the key stakeholders of the Project.

The Trust has now extended invitations for:

• Expressions of interest (EOI) to operate the heritage and contemporary art elements at the site,
• EOI for food and beverage (F&B) operations, and
• A request for proposals (RFP) for operating an integrated cultural and leisure offering at the Central Magistracy building.

“The engagement of an independent heritage and contemporary art operator for the site is in line with the Trust’s intention to support the development of culture and nurture talent in curatorial management and administration of cultural venues in Hong Kong,” a spokesperson for the Trust said.

The Trust’s preference is for a Hong Kong-based, not-for-profit operator to manage the CPS heritage and contemporary art elements. Recognising that some operators may not possess the full range of required skills and experience, the Trust welcomes expressions of interest by joint ventures formed by local operators or by local operators partnering non-Hong Kong based operators.

The heritage and contemporary art operator will actively support the overall vision of the CPS and will work collaboratively with JCCPS and other site occupants to achieve the shared vision. It will be responsible for the daily operation of the heritage and contemporary art facilities under its control. This would entail operating the performance and exhibition venues; organising and co-ordinating the contemporary art programmes, heritage events and exhibitions; and developing and managing the educational and outreach programmes at the site.

The heritage and contemporary art operator will not be charged a rental for occupation of the facilities that it operates on behalf of JCCPS, and will have booking priority and rent-free use of other CPS space designated for heritage or contemporary art programmes. In line with the user-pays principle, a management fee will be levied for the occupation and use of these facilities.

The ongoing costs of running the heritage and contemporary art programmes will be substantial. The Trust recognises that it has a significant role to play in supporting the heritage and contemporary art activities. Apart from funding the revitalisation works, the Trust will use all incomes from the commercial operations on the CPS site for management of the site, with the surplus used for supporting the heritage and contemporary art programmes. In addition, the heritage and contemporary art operator can apply to the Trust for major programme-specific funding to support heritage and contemporary art activities on the site. It is expected that the operator will generate additional funding for its programmes from other sources such as ticket sales, merchandising, sponsorship and donations, in line with other not-for-profit cultural organisations.

The F&B operators and the Central Magistracy operator are parts of the mix of commercial tenants who will also include specialist stores, commercial art galleries and other appropriate establishments. They are expected to offer products, services and activities that complement the unique character of the heritage site.

Not only will the commercial operators provide services to the visitors, they will also help attract visitors to the site and the various heritage and contemporary art programmes. In addition, the commercial operators will contribute to heritage conservation and contemporary art development by providing rental income to JCCPS and hence enable the CPS site to become self sustaining.

“A guiding philosophy of the Trust for the CPS Project is that the commercial activities are to raise funds for the self-sustainability of the site with any surplus funds made available for the benefit of sustaining the overall operation of the CPS,” the spokesperson said.

Interested parties will be assessed based on the selection criteria for the respective operations, which may include the operators’ vision for the site, track record in their areas of expertise, compatibility of their offerings with the unique character of the site, financial capability and capacity, people development capability and governance. All selected operators will be required to protect their premises on the heritage site and support JCCPS’ site-wide activities such as open days and promotions of appreciation of heritage and contemporary art.

EOI and RFP documents and background information of the Project are available on the project web site: www.centralpolicestation.org.hk/infoforoperators. The invitations are also being advertised in major Hong Kong newspapers in March 2013.

Between 2013 and 2014, another major exercise will be launched to invite other site occupants, including not-for-profit organisations and retail operators. Revitalisation works are planned to be complete in 2015, after which the site will be open to the public.

About the Central Police Station Revitalisation Project

The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is an important initiative to conserve and revitalise the heritage site comprising the former Central Police Station, the Central Magistracy and the Victoria Prison for adaptive reuse. The Project includes the conservation of 16 buildings of historical or architectural significance and several open spaces on the approximately 3.37-acre site. To support activities on the revitalised site, an international renowned firm of architects, Herzog & de Meuron, has been engaged to design two new buildings, tentatively named the Old Bailey Wing and Arbuthnot Wing. These new buildings will provide additional floor space for contemporary art and exhibition areas and plant rooms, and will help to reduce interventions to the heritage buildings.

Project website: www.centralpolicestation.org.hk.

Pre-construction works have begun on site of the Central Police Station (CPS) compound, paving the way for much needed preservation works for the heritage buildings and construction of two new buildings as part of the CPS Revitalisation Project later this year.

These preparatory works started in November 2011. The Contractor has completed the removal of metal fences, barbed wire and asbestos in the existing buildings. The existing workshop / laundry and a modern-day office building of low heritage value have also been demolished to facilitate construction of new buildings to house exhibition spaces and the associated supporting facilities. This will help minimise the possible intervention to the existing historic buildings while meeting the current functional and regulatory requirements for adaptive reuse.

As recommended in the approved Archaeological Investigation (AI) Report of CPS, underground features of high heritage significance will be preserved in situ including Gaol C and remains of the radial plan prison by redesigning the layout of the new structures. Other underground remains of medium and low heritage significance will be preserved by record.

According to the AI Report, the underground remains in the modern-day office site designated for building the Old Bailey Wing (OBW), an exhibition space, were of medium heritage significance as they have been partly damaged with medium intactness due to modern intrusions such as the presence of underground utilities and the construction of later buildings. Remains of foundation stones of demolished buildings, some piecemeal remains of brick works and drains uncovered there verified the findings of the AI Report. Following the recommendations of the AI Report and the Archaeological Action Plan, our archaeological team commenced the works for preservation by record at the OBW site in April 2012 to preserve underground remains by record before the actual commencement of construction works.

“Preservation by Record (PBR) of underground remains of medium and low historic value PBR is an international practice adopted to mitigate and minimize archaeological impacts. It ensures we have documentary records of these remains while at the same time enables new structures or development necessary for the revitalisation work to be built,” said a spokesman of ERM-Hong Kong Ltd., environmental and archaeological consultant for the CPS Project which has worked on a number of heritage sites adopting PBR as a means of mitigation.

Some of the foundation remains uncovered will be kept in storage for possible future reuse pending technical feasibility check, such as for interpretation purposes and for repair of existing historic buildings in the CPS compound.

The Contractor also commenced foundation construction works on site. These works would be carried out under close supervision and monitoring to avoid any possible impact on the adjacent buildings.

The project is scheduled for completion late 2014.

In January 2012, the Town Planning Board has approved an enhanced design to the Arbuthnot Wing, one of two new buildings to be constructed on the Central Police Station compound to provide additional arts venues.

The enhanced design provides a 10% increase in covered public space for public programmes, a new technical ceiling in the multi-purpose hall to allow for a wider variety of performances, an increase in space efficiency and improved circulation to and from adjacent historical buildings, and better consistency with the design of Old Bailey Wing, the other new building.

The project is scheduled for completion late 2014.

The archaeological investigation report of the Central Police Station (CPS) site was released today.

Commissioned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the report was compiled by ERM Hong Kong Ltd. based on field data obtained from site investigations conducted between January and August 2011. The objective of the report was to determine if there were any remains of archaeological significance and to prepare a set of appropriate mitigation measures to be adopted before and during construction of the project. The report has been approved by the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) of the HKSAR Government.

The mitigation measures outlined in the report include:

• The underground plant room (supplying all the conserved historic buildings) at the lower courtyard will be redesigned and reduced in size, and its location will be adjusted to reduce the impact on the foundation remains of Gaol C (one of the earliest buildings on the site), the buried remains of a tunnel and a passageway with steps.
• The basement of the Old Bailey Wing at the upper courtyard will be reduced so that part of the foundation remains of a previously demolished prison structure will be preserved in situ.
• Drawings and photographic records of the remains will be prepared and carefully documented before commencement of ground excavation works. An archaeological watching brief will be conducted during the ground excavation works.
• Prior to ground excavation works, training will be provided to all site staff including administrative staff, foremen and workers to promote their awareness of the underground remains on the site and brief them the handling procedures to be taken if any further underground remains are revealed.

“In order to minimize the impact on the buried remains, the underground plant room will adopt an irregular layout. Such a layout will not only complicate the future operation and maintenance of the plant room, but also require deeper and irregular excavation, increasing the construction difficulty and cost. The spaces for art gallery storage at the Old Bailey Wing will also be reduced,” a HKJC spokesperson said.

The archaeological investigation report, together with the findings of the earlier studies, provides important data that trace the development of buildings on the CPS site since the mid-19th Century. HKJC has recently commissioned Purcell Miller Tritton, an architectural firm that specializes in conservation of historic buildings, to compile an architectural history of this important heritage site for future publication.

The archaeological investigation report, compiled in English with a summary in Chinese, is available for viewing and downloading on the CPS project website: 
http://www.centralpolicestation.org.hk/en/news-resources/environmental/other.asp

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) today briefed the Central and Western District Council on the latest progress of the Central Police Station Revitalisation (CPS) Project. The CPS project received an Environmental Permit (EP) under the Environmental Impact Assessment process on 18 April this year. Planning permission from the Town Planning Board (TPB) was also granted on 6 May. The EP included a requirement for the HKJC to conduct an archaeological investigation of the site. Similarly, the TPB planning permission also contained a condition that an archaeological investigation report is to be submitted to the satisfaction of the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) or of the TPB.

The HKJC has commissioned a consultancy to conduct a comprehensive archaeological investigation of the site, which have been supervised by archaeological experts and is carried out in close liaison and consultation with the AMO.

The archaeological investigations are nearing completion and the full report is expected to be released to the public within the next few months.

With all necessary statutory approvals obtained, works to revitalize the CPS site including urgently needed preservation of the 16 important heritage buildings will commence as planned in early 2012 for completion in late 2014. If important archaeological relics were subsequently discovered during construction, HKJC is required to notify and provide detailed reports to the AMO and mitigation measures must be proposed for AMO’s approval.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong’s best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city’s major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects. It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city’s growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.

An archaeological investigation into the former Central Police Station (CPS) site was recently concluded. A number of artifacts as well as the foundation of some demolished buildings and structures were found. A detailed analysis will be carried out on the archaeological finds and a report which is being finalized will be released to the public in due course.

The on-site investigation was completed in late March and a full report is currently being compiled by the consultant, ERM-Hong Kong, Ltd (ERM). In brief, there were no pre-1800 (i.e. dated before late Qing to early 20th Century) archaeological features identified but several archaeological remains and artifacts were found on site.

The CPS revitalisation project is supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and is intended to transform a collection of historically significant buildings into a centre of heritage, arts and leisure facilities for the local community and overseas visitors.

As part of the process to obtain statutory approval to proceed with the project, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out in 2009/2010 and an EIA Report was submitted to the authorities in November 2010. The on-site archaeological investigation was carried out subsequent to the EIA submission earlier this year as part of the detailed design work. The fieldwork could not be conducted earlier due to various site constraints such as committed schedule of public activities and protection to historical buildings.

The archaeological remains and artifacts found on site included:

• A tunnel-like structure damaged by previous development. Function of the tunnel could not be confirmed but it was probably a tunnel for water storage rather than an air raid shelter due to its relatively shallow location i.e. its ceiling was only approximately 65 cm below ground.
• Foundation remains of demolished buildings (see Appendix 1)
• A number of artifacts were found such as an opium container, a bowl shard, a copper coin with illegible inscription etc which were dated late Qing to early 20th Century and regarded as secondary deposits transported to the site from somewhere. A full list of the artifacts is on Appendix 2.

The artifacts will be handed over to the AMO and the full investigation report which will include an analysis of the archaeological value of the finds will be released publicly in due course.

Subject to various statutory approvals, work to preserve and maintain the heritage buildings will commence late this year. As work progresses on the site there will be on-going archaeological supervision to ensure that any relics are properly identified and reported and that follow up actions are approved by AMO.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong’s best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city’s major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects. It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city’s growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.

Appendix 1

Structure underneath the Parade Ground probably associated with the rest room of the Central Police Station

Appendix 2

Artifacts found on site (Parade Ground and Prison Yard):

• One opium container
• One broken pottery smoking pipe
• One copper coin, text on the coin illegible
• A few Blue-and-white porcelain bowl and plate shards
• A shard of white porcelain with decoration in green paint

All of the above artifacts are dated post-1800 (i.e. late Qing to early 20th Century) and they are regarded as secondary deposits transported to the site from somewhere. No pre-1800 in-situ relics identified on site.

The Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust today (11 October) jointly announced a heritage-led plan to conserve and revitalise the Central Police Station (“CPS”) and transform it into a centre of heritage, arts and leisure. The CPS is an important part of the Government’s Conserving Central initiative.

The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, said, “The revised design for the conservation and revitalisation of the Central Police Station Compound is an exemplary outcome of embracing public views and aspirations in heritage conservation projects and takes full account of the Government’s heritage conservation policy evolved over the last three years.”

“I wish to thank the Club for its foresight and vision in assisting the government to take forward what is by far the largest heritage conservation project in Hong Kong, under the auspices of a new heritage conservation policy announced by the Chief Executive in October 2007. The Government will continue to work closely with the Club to take forward this very meaningful conservation and revitalisation project for the enjoyment of the public,” Mrs Lam added.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has agreed to support the capital cost of the revitalisation of the CPS. As a not-for-profit organisation, the Trust does not expect an investment return. The Trust has long supported heritage, arts and culture in Hong Kong, with numerous notable projects over the years, including the UNESCO award-winning preservation of Hung Shing Temple, funding the arts education-pioneering establishment of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and providing grants to the Hong Kong Arts Festival for over 30 years.

Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr T Brian Stevenson said, “The Charities Trust is committed to working with the community to bring a better quality of life to the people of Hong Kong. Revitalising the CPS, which embodies our collective Hong Kong memories, offers an opportunity to create an important community asset for all to enjoy. It would also add a visitor destination of unique Hong Kong character, to help enhance the regional competitiveness of Hong Kong.”

To fully understand the views of the community on the CPS, the Club conducted an extensive six month public consultation from 2007 to 2008. In 2008, the HKSAR Executive Council confirmed the Club’s not-for-profit concept to revitalise the CPS. The Government and the Club then entered into a partnership to take forward the conservation and revitalisation of the Central Police Station project.

In keeping with the heritage-led approach, an award-winning conservation architectural firm, Purcell Miller Tritton (PMT), has been retained to conduct extensive research on the history of the CPS site and to prepare a Conservation Management Plan, which sets out conservation principles for the heritage buildings.

The CPS site dates back 169 years to the beginning of Hong Kong in 1841. The site’s earliest dateable remaining structure is a prison building (D Hall) built in 1858. Other historic buildings include the Central Magistracy, a symbol of the power of the court, built in 1913, and the Headquarters Block, completed in 1919 and widely considered the public façade of the CPS. Over the last century and a half, the site has witnessed the development of the Central district and Hong Kong, and its many alterations reflect social, political and operational changes over time.

Former Commissioner of Police Mr Dick Lee, who worked at the site, commented, “Many of my former colleagues and I are grateful that this project will help preserve these historic buildings. Today’s announcement is merely the beginning of our community efforts to share our heritage stories with future generations.”

In this collaboration of internationally renowned architects, Herzog & de Meuron (HdM), PMT and Rocco Design Architects Ltd (RDA) have worked closely together and examined many different alternative schemes in order to establish the best design for adaptive re-use. The design announced today is the result of their best efforts in considering many factors, including opinions collected from the local community and arts groups, physical conditions of the site and statutory guidelines. The design responds to key findings of the public consultation in 2008, including concerns about height expressed by some regarding the option of an iconic building on the upper platform area, and wide support for revitalisation of the site for arts and leisure. 84% of the respondents felt the CPS was a valuable heritage site that should be sensitively revitalised to become a lively and integral part of the community, and 60% supported turning the site into a multi-purpose venue, integrating arts, culture and other non-profit and commercial activities.

“From our experience, unused buildings tend to deteriorate and the best way to conserve historic buildings is to adaptively re-use them,” said Michael Morrison, Chairman of PMT. “To do nothing is not an option.”

The design announced today will preserve and revitalise all buildings of historical and architectural significance, 16 in total including F Hall, remembered for its use as a reception centre for prison visitors. In line with international best practices for heritage conservation and revitalisation, and given the physical constraints of the site, two new buildings will be added – the “Old Bailey Wing” and “Arbuthnot Wing” – to help minimise interventions in the heritage buildings by providing vertical circulation and other services essential for re-opening the heritage buildings for public enjoyment. The heights of Old Bailey and Arbuthnot Wings, at 25 metres above the prison yard, will fully comply with the height guideline of 80 mPD (metres above Principal Datum, 1.23 metres below Mean Sea Level) gazetted in the May 2010 Outline Zoning Plan.

“To conserve and revitalise a historic site is not about mimicking the old,” said Ascan Mergenthaler, Senior Partner in charge of the CPS project for Herzog & de Meuron. “The new structures have been inserted to accommodate new cultural programme and building services which could not find a suitable home in the historical buildings without substantial alterations. In that sense, the new buildings establish a symbiotic relationship with the heritage buildings and inject new life both programmatically and functionally. They become an integral part of this unique “collection of buildings” defining the CPS site and through their massing and architectural expression they also facilitate connectivity within the site and between adjacent areas such as Central, SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong.”

The new buildings, occupying 22% of the total floor area, will provide arts, culture and building services space which cannot be accommodated in the heritage buildings. Old Bailey Wing will provide exhibition galleries, and Arbuthnot Wing will provide a multi-purpose performance or lecture venue with approximately 200 seats. The spaces in the new buildings will be provisioned with floor loading capacity and ceiling height necessary for supporting arts exhibitions and cultural activities that are not possible in the fragile older buildings.

37% of the total floor area of 25,959 square metres will be allocated for arts and culture, including gallery, multi-purpose, library, archive and arts organisation office space. 36% of the total floor area will be for public use and plant space. F&B and retail outlets, contributing to financial sustainability, will occupy the remaining 27% of the total floor area. The tenant selection policy will ensure a range of affordability and compatibility with heritage buildings.

The prison yard and the police parade ground will also be preserved, respectively, as the upper and lower courtyards, to provide additional open space. Including these two courtyards, the total area of major open spaces at the site is over 4,000 square metres. All safe, healthy trees in these courtyards will be preserved, with more trees to be planted. A green wall will also be created in the upper courtyard. Key locations in major historic buildings will be preserved to tell the overall heritage story in a holistic manner. An open air terrace on the Old Bailey Wing will be reserved as a vantage point for the public.

In addition to the existing public entrance at Pottinger Gate, an Old Bailey Gate, an Arbuthnot Gate and a footbridge connection to the Mid-levels Escalator are planned to open up what was previously a secure compound, for easy access and enjoyment by the public. Stairs and lifts will be provided to facilitate pedestrian connectivity between the upper courtyard near Chancery Lane and lower courtyard near Hollywood Road, and between SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong.

Executive Director of RDA Rocco Yim said, “The design plan integrates the site with its local community and the public at large by giving these historic buildings new life and new meaning.”

In parallel to the design process, the arts programming direction is being developed in line with an earlier study by an internationally respected, Hong Kong-based arts research organisation, Asia Art Archive. Based on wide-ranging consultations with the local arts community, the study identifies general support for a cultural complex with museum and exhibition gallery space for contemporary art. Leading Arts Advisor David Elliott has been appointed to continue to work with the local arts community and will make further recommendations in 2011. The new buildings, combined with the idiosyncratic spaces of the site’s heritage buildings, would provide many varied opportunities to show the very best in art and performance, and could accommodate smaller shows and talented up-and-coming artists who may not otherwise have the appropriate opportunities. The facilities could also become an important centre for training curators and arts management professionals and provide new homes for some of Hong Kong’s arts organisations, enabling synergy, collaboration and showcases leveraging the unique time and space of the CPS.

The design announced is capable of creating an arts and culture hub of local and international importance. Overall, the heritage of the CPS would be brought to life through an attractive, informative and educational journey through the heritage buildings and a high quality visitor centre. A wide range of visual and performing arts and cultural activities can be accommodated in the historic buildings, new extensions and courtyard spaces. These community activities, combined with attractive gathering spaces, restaurants and retail facilities, would provide an integrated recreational retreat for both the local community and overseas visitors.

The CPS design will be subject to statutory guidelines and procedures from the Town Planning Board (Section 16), Environmental Protection Department (EIA) and Planning Department (OZP). Restoration and construction are being planned to commence in 2011.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is delighted to announce that Rocco Design Architects Ltd. (“RDA”) has been appointed Executive Architect to the Conservation and Revitalisation of the Central Police Station Compound (“CPS”) Project.

Representing Rocco Design Architects Ltd. is Mr Rocco Yim, a renowned and award-winning local architect born and educated in Hong Kong with more than 30 years of experience in architectural design. He will join the design architect, conservation architect, consultants on sustainability, culture and other leading professionals in forming the design team to work on this important project for Hong Kong.

Based on the parameters laid down by the Chief Executive-in-Council announced in July 2008, the Club and the design team has just begun to develop a new scheme for the CPS Compound. In this design process, the Club and the design team will fully respect the heritage values of the CPS Compound and take into consideration the views expressed during the public consultation period.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr William Y Yiu, Executive Director, Charities, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, says, “We are delighted to have Rocco on board. Rocco will bring to the design team his world-class expertise and in-depth local knowledge, which will prove invaluable to the project.”

“The Club has been looking forward to bringing in local talents wherever possible to contribute to this ground-breaking project for Hong Kong. With RDA’s appointment, we are now well positioned to move the project forward. With the other local consultants’ expertise and local knowledge, as well as the strengths of our international experts, we are confident that the design team will develop a new scheme for the CPS Compound project that will be acceptable to the community at large,” Mr Yiu adds.

Mr Yim also says, “It is my privilege to have the opportunity of working with world-class architects together with other local and overseas professionals on this important project for Hong Kong. As we develop the new scheme, we will fully respect the heritage values of the CPS Compound and will take into consideration the views expressed during the public consultation period. We are committed to delivering a project that will take heritage conservation and architecture in Hong Kong to the next level.”

As a long-standing not-for-profit institution in Hong Kong committed to improving the quality of life of the people of Hong Kong, the Club is committed to developing a new design that will be acceptable to the community at large, with the ultimate aim of delivering a project that will make Hong Kong proud.

(Distributed via HKSAR Information Services Department)
The Government will enter into a partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) to take forward the conservation and revitalization of the Central Police Station (CPS) Compound.

The partnership project was endorsed by the Executive Council today (July 15) taking account of the results of a 6-month public engagement conducted by the HKJC between October 2007 and April 2008 and a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) on the CPS Compound commissioned by the HKJC.

The Government and the HKJC have agreed that the CPS project would proceed on the following basis –

• The objective is to achieve both conservation and revitalisation of this highly important heritage site and to take the opportunity to showcase in Hong Kong how new and sustainable uses can be integrated creatively into a historic site whilst preserving its overall historic and architectural significance.
• To provide within the CPS Compound a law and order museum to reflect the historical significance of the site and establish sustainable new arts and cultural uses, including a modest size auditorium, a black-box theatre, a gallery/lecture hall, gallery/exhibition space and ancillary facilities. No observation deck will be provided.
• Given the physical constraints of the existing buildings, the recommendations of the CMP and the objective to establish new and sustainable uses, a new structure will be built within the site to accommodate the above facilities.
• The height and bulk of the new structure should be suitably reduced from that previously proposed to address concerns and views collected during the public engagement exercise but the opportunity should be taken to create a reputable piece of contemporary architecture.
• The restoration, conservation and development of the historic site and buildings in the CPS Compound will have to follow the requirements set by the Antiquities Authority and the project will be subject to the relevant statutory processes.

The site and buildings will be made available, but not granted, to HKJC which will undertake all renovation, conversion and new built works as well as manage, operate and maintain the CPS Compound as a turnkey project at its own expenses to be presented as a gift to the people of Hong Kong.

“We are confident that adherence to these six guiding principles will produce a shining example of heritage conservation work in Hong Kong under the new policy announced by the Chief Executive in his 2007 Policy Address,” said Mrs Carrie Lam, the Secretary for Development.

“Joint efforts with the HKJC will ensure early delivery of this major heritage project for the community. This spirit of co-operation is also in line with another important initiative of Development Bureau in revitalizing other government-owned historic buildings.

“We are much encouraged by the broad public support expressed for HKJC’s proposal during the 6-month public engagement. For an important heritage site like the CPS, people are clearly in favour of a non-profit-making operation with a strong government commitment.

“People have a legitimate aspiration to visit and enjoy this important cluster of monuments as early as possible. This is a time to act,” Mrs Lam added.

The CPS project however would still be subject to public scrutiny, including statutory requirements to be set by the Antiquities Authority and statutory processes including those under the Town Planning Ordinance and the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance. A detailed traffic impact assessment would also have to be conducted.

The Secretary for Development paid tribute to the HKJC for its commitment to the CPS project. Under the partnership with Government, the HKJC will meet all the capital and recurrent cost of the project; does not require ownership of the land or buildings; is not seeking any naming right; and will designate future surpluses from the project for other heritage work in Hong Kong.

“This is indeed a very laudable act of the HKJC and a long-lasting gift to the people of Hong Kong,” said Mrs Lam.

The Chairman of the HKJC, Mr John Chan, said, “We welcome the Government’s acceptance of the Club’s proposal and would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their support and their valuable views on the project. We are very glad that the Government will partner with the Club in this project. This is particularly important as the project has to undergo various statutory processes. It also showcases the importance of partnership between the government and not-for-profit organisations in realising the revitalisation plan of Hong Kong heritage.

“We have commissioned one of UK’s most respected firms of conservation architects to prepare a CMP. The recommendations in the CMP are in line with our belief that it is inappropriate simply to conserve the site in its entirety as a monument/museum. The CMP has also recognised that there would need to be some new construction on the site and recommended that any redevelopment or new construction on the site should respect the historic significance of the site.

“I am pleased to announce that we have advised the project’s design architects, Herzog & de Meuron, of the views collected from the public during the public consultation period and will advise them on details of the Government’s requirements. We are confident that the modifications to be made will be very much in line with what the public expects, as they will be based on, and will respond to, the views expressed by the public.”

The design architect of CPS Compound, Mr Pierre de Meuron, said that he had taken note of the views expressed by the general public in Hong Kong. “While we appreciate the public’s support for the project, we have also noted the different views expressed on our design and, accordingly, we will take these views into account in preparing a revised design for the new structure.

“The new design will still incorporate the necessary cultural elements, albeit that its height and bulk will be modified and the observation deck will be removed. “As with all our international projects, we will be involving local architects as part of our project team. We want and need their local input and knowledge to bring this project to fruition, so that the final product would truly reflect the aspirations of the people of Hong Kong,” Mr Meuron said.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club today (20 May) announced the release of the Public Consultation Report on its proposal to conserve and revitalise the historic Central Police Station (CPS) compound. The report, which has been submitted to the Government, can be downloaded from the project’s dedicated website www.centralpolicestation.org.hk. Annexes to the Report are available for public viewing at the Club’s headquarters at One Sports Road, Happy Valley*.

The six-month public consultation and engagement exercise was launched by the Club in mid-October last year following the Government’s announcement that it had accepted in principle the proposal submitted by the Club.

Despite a diversity of opinions on some aspects of the proposal, there was general support from the public for the Club to proceed with the project. “There was clear public sentiment that this important heritage site should not be left to deteriorate and there was also support for featuring arts and cultural elements in the plan so that it would not be over-commercialised,” said a spokesman for the Club.

The proposed new building designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron to house the various performance and arts venues attracted considerable discussion and there were views directed at the height and bulk of the proposed new structure.

The spokesman explained that the Club has all along kept an open mind on the proposed design. “The Club will take into account all these views in finalising the detailed design of the project,” the spokesman added.

There were concerns about the “software” part of the project and that more efforts should be devoted to researching the history, heritage and architectural significance of the Compound and how these should be preserved.

The Club commissioned a British firm of conservation architects in January 2008 to undertake a thorough study on the Compound. A Conservation Management Plan will be prepared and published in due course.

During the six-month consultation period, the Club made over 50 presentations and briefings to a wide cross-section of the community including legislators, district councillors, statutory bodies, professional institutes, conservation groups, arts and cultural groups, academia and representatives from the business community and the tourism sector. The Club also organised four public forums and took part in two public meetings with residents and concern groups from the Central and Mid-Levels areas. In addition, a total of 567 written submissions were received via letters or e-mails.

“The Jockey Club would like to thank the many members of the public who have contributed their valuable views to this project,” said the spokesman. “We have now reached an important stage where the Club has passed the Public Consultation Report to the Government for their consideration on the way forward.”

* The arrangement has ceased with effect from 15 July 2008 when the project was endorsed by the Executive Council.

Fulfilling its promise to stage a comprehensive, six-month public consultation exercise on its HK$1.8 billion plan to conserve and revitalise the historic Central Police Station Compound, The Hong Kong Jockey Club tomorrow (11 December) will launch the first of a series of initiatives to explain the proposal in more detail: an exhibition at the Hong Kong Racing Museum entitled Conservation & Revitalisation – the Central Police Station Compound.

Through a series of photographs, videos, architectural plans, and site and process models, the exhibition takes visitors through the fascinating history of the compound – parts of which are more than 160 years old – before showing the present status of the buildings and how the Club plans to restore and inject new life into them for the public’s enjoyment. The exhibition is aimed at bringing the proposal to life and giving local residents a feeling of the ambience and atmosphere that will be created by the revitalisation.

Speaking at today’s opening ceremony, the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges observed that although the Club’s proposal had attracted a huge amount of media interest, the public had only had a limited opportunity so far to see the plans in detail and to understand the rationale behind them. “Furthermore, we are keen to hear the public’s views on this important project so that we can ensure it best meets the needs and expectations of the people of Hong Kong,” he said. “We hope that as many local residents as possible will visit this exhibition and then let us have their comments.”

The Club believes that Hong Kong, as an international city blessed with a unique history and rich ‘East meets West’ cultural influences, has the opportunity to make its own mark in global heritage conservation. “We hope that our proposal will not only bring a positive outcome for conserving and revitalising the Central Police Station Compound, but also spark wider community discussions on how Hong Kong could make best use of its heritage assets,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges commented.

The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, said at the ceremony that the Club’s revitalisation proposal for the Central Police Station Compound came most timely as the Government was committed to pressing ahead with sustainable and innovative heritage conservation work in Hong Kong. “The cluster of historic buildings in the Central Police Station Compound contains rich heritage value and has great potential to become a cultural landmark for the enjoyment of local people and overseas visitors,” she said.

Mrs Lam thanked The Hong Kong Jockey Club for its commitment to conserve and revitalise this historic compound and welcomed the exhibition as an effective way to gauge public opinion on the details of the proposal. She hoped the public could render their support to the project and offered constructive comments to the Club for further refining the proposal.

Also joining today’s ceremony were architects Pierre de Meuron and Ascan Mergenthaler, whose firm Herzog & de Meuron have conceptualised the Central Police Station revitalisation plan. Herzog & de Meuron has also been responsible for several other acclaimed heritage projects overseas including the Tate Modern in London, formerly a power station.

The Club also launched today a new website,
www.centralpolicestation.org.hk, which will allow the public to understand the project in further detail. Members of the public can leave their comments on a feedback form provided on this website, or submit their views by completing a questionnaire at the exhibition and dropping it into a suggestions box. A roving exhibition featuring the proposal will also be launched in early 2008.

Conservation & Revitalisation – the Central Police Station Compound will be open to the public from now until early May 2008, shortly after the consultation period ends on 10 April 2008. Admission is free. The Hong Kong Racing Museum is located on the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wong Nai Chung Road (opposite the end of Queen’s Road East), and is open on Tuesdays to Sundays and most Public Holidays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. During day race meetings at Happy Valley, it opens from 10:00 am until 12:30 pm only. For enquiries, please contact the Racing Museum on (852) 2966 8065.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club today (11 October) announced more details of its innovative revitalisation proposal to conserve and refurbish the historic Central Police Station compound, as outlined by Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang in his Policy Address yesterday.

Through The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Club will fund the HK$1.8 billion capital cost of renovating the disused 19th-century compound and transforming it into a heritage, arts, cultural, and tourism hub that will become a new iconic destination for Hong Kong.

Club Chairman John C C Chan said the Club was proud to present this “as a gift to the people of Hong Kong in celebration of the HKSAR’s 10th Anniversary”.

In order to create a landmark attraction for local residents and overseas visitors alike, the conservation plan will consist of a balanced mix of cultural, heritage and commercial elements. The buildings will be restored for adaptive re-use, commercially as well as for cultural and heritage purposes to display and interpret the site’s unique history. A connection between Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo will be created to enhance pedestrian circulation, with open public spaces and landscaping forming an important part of the restoration work.

A new iconic structure will be erected on the upper platform area to create a cultural complex that will include a 500-seat auditorium, a 500-seat theatre, two art cinemas, a gallery, a multipurpose exhibition space and supporting facilities.

Conversion work is expected to begin in January 2009 and it is envisaged that the entire site will be opened to the public in mid 2012.

Welcoming the proposal to revitalise the Central Police Station compound for adaptive re-use, the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, expressed gratitude to The Hong Kong Jockey Club for donating $1.8 billion for the renovation and development cost.

“The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s proposal fully realises the spirit of the adaptive re-use scheme for historic buildings, so as to transform these buildings into local cultural icons. The proposal is also in line with the vision of the Chief Executive on heritage conservation,” Mrs Lam said.

The Government will make the site available to the Club under a lease and an agreement setting out specific terms and conditions. All restoration, conservation and development work of the historic buildings will be in line with guidelines laid down by the Antiquities & Monuments Office.

“As stated in the Vienna Memorandum on World Heritage and Contemporary Architecture, the central challenge of contemporary architecture in the historic urban landscape is to respond to development dynamics on the one hand, so as to facilitate socio-economic changes and growth, while simultaneously respecting the inherited townscape and its landscape setting on the other,” Mr Chan said.

“Our planned mixture of commercial and cultural usage will ensure the vibrancy of the entire area, transforming a heritage site into a family destination for locals and visitors,” Mr Chan added. “We believe such a redevelopment will successfully integrate the community’s valuable heritage with contemporary architecture, creating a new cultural landmark for Hong Kong.”

The Club has commissioned internationally renowned architects from Switzerland, Herzog & de Meuron, as design architects for the project.

Executive Director, Charities, William Y Yiu, said the Club would work closely with the design architects, relevant consultants and Government departments to conduct a detailed assessment, in order to ensure that the project complied with all statutory planning, traffic and environmental requirements.

“Our plan is to retain the site’s historic value and extend its physical life, at the same time taking into account its cultural significance and protecting its heritage value through preservation, restoration, rehabilitation and integration. We intend to share detailed plans with the public in December through an exhibition at the Hong Kong Racing Museum, together with a series of symposiums, to gather more views from the community before the work starts,” he said.

The Club has already conducted a survey in mid-2006 to gauge the public’s views on how they would like to see the Central Police Station conserved and developed. It found that the majority of respondents expected the compound could offer them enough variety and potential to spend an entire day with families. The survey also found that over 90% of respondents would like to see retail and food and beverage outlets on the site, 90% were receptive to turning the compound into a cultural complex and 79% felt that the complex should become an icon of Hong Kong.
Besides bearing the HK$1.8 billion capital cost for renovation and development of the compound, the Club will fund recurrent deficits for its initial years of operation until it becomes financially self-sustaining. The Club intends to reinvest surplus cash flow from the project into other heritage conservation projects in Hong Kong.

This planned mode of operation follows the successful example of other major Club-supported community projects such as Ocean Park and the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, for which the Club has provided funding to cover the capital expenditure and initial operating costs, prior to the project becoming self-sustainable. Ocean Park is now a highly successful operation that continuously reinvests its surpluses in the further expansion and development of new attractions. Surpluses from the first two golf courses at Kau Sai Chau, meanwhile, have contributed almost half the cost of a third public course now under construction. In turn, the eventual surpluses from the third course will be put towards establishing Hong Kong’s first Golf Academy.

The Club has proposed to Government that the Central Police Station Compound project be managed by a limited company operating under the direction of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and supported by a Heritage Advisory Committee.