Latest news with #TaiKwun
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Enter the serial world of Japan-born conceptual artist On Kawara at Hong Kong exhibition
On Kawara was part of a cohort of 20th century conceptual artists, including his friends Sol LeWitt and Carl Andre, who adopted a minimalist visual language that left a great deal of room for interpretation. Advertisement Born in Japan, Kawara produced abstract, radically obscure art, including: a 47-year series of paintings of random dates; a 12-year typed ledger, filed in office binders, of people he met called 'I Met'; a similar series called 'I Went' in which he traced his daily itineraries on photocopied maps and filed them; thousands of postcards sent from all over the world stating the time he woke up the day he sent each one, and; bare-bone telegrams with a single message: 'I am still alive.' Kawara was remarkably prescient in recording his life in a way so reminiscent of how people today constantly check in on social media and share moments that will become an archive of their lives, says Ying Kwok, co-curator of an exhibition of his work at Tai Kwun heritage and arts centre in Hong Kong's Central district. It is the first major exhibition of the artist's work sanctioned by his One Million Years Foundation since his death in 2014, and focuses on his best-known mature works. The backs of postcards from Japan-born conceptual artist On Kawara's series 'I Got Up' (1968-1979), He posted them to friends with a simple message noting the time he got up that day. They form part of the exhibition 'On Kawara: Rules of Freedom, Freedom of Rules' at Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong. Photo: Kitmin Lee Among the items that will be of most interest to Hong Kong visitors to the exhibition are two faded photos of the artist shot from behind as he worked in his room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel during a four-day stay over Christmas in 1978.
Time Out
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Le Bal
As part of the French May Arts Festival, Tai Kwun is bringing a touch of European splendour to the heart of Hong Kong. Over the course of several evenings, head to the main Parade Ground inside the heritage compound of Tai Kwun to see dreamy performances and sumptuous costumes inspired by the Impressionist artworks of Renoir and Degas. Featuring lampshade-like costumes that light up, horse-drawn carriages, stilt-walkers, mysterious dancers, and circus performers, Le Bal transports visitors back to the late 1800s' elegance of La Belle Époque. This era in French and European history was characterised by enlightenment, romanticism, and cultural innovation when the arts, literature, music, and theatre all flourished – and this special performance is a surreal and sublime tribute to French beauty. Entrance to Le Bal is free, so make your way to Tai Kwun from now to 18, where the street performance will take over the main courtyard between 6pm to 6.30pm, followed by 7.30pm to 8pm.
Time Out
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
French Impressionism inspired this surreal, dream-like parade in Tai Kwun
As part of the French May Arts Festival, Tai Kwun is bringing a touch of European splendour to the heart of Hong Kong. Over the course of several evenings, head to the main Parade Ground inside the heritage compound of Tai Kwun to see dreamy performances and sumptuous costumes inspired by the Impressionist artworks of Renoir and Degas. The street parade-like Le Bal is produced by Remue Ménage, a company specialising in visual arts, circus, dance, and puppetry, under the command of founder and artistic director Loic Delacroix, who has worked as a professional circus artist himself – so if there's a group that knows about putting on a transportative performance, it is this one. Featuring lampshade-like costumes that light up, horse-drawn carriages, stilt-walkers, mysterious dancers, and circus performers, Le Bal transports visitors back to the late 1800s' elegance of La Belle Époque. This era in French and European history was characterised by enlightenment, romanticism, and cultural innovation when the arts, literature, music, and theatre all flourished – and this special performance is a surreal and sublime tribute to French beauty. Entrance to Le Bal is free, so make your way to Tai Kwun from now to 18, where the street performance will take over the main courtyard between 6pm to 6.30pm, followed by 7.30pm to 8pm.
CNA
08-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
How these 2 New Yorkers turned their interior business in Hong Kong into a flourishing e-commerce and retail store
Permanent Resident is the brainchild of Lucia Tait Tolani and Cinda McClelland Reynolds. It started as an e-commerce platform for artisan-made furniture, artful objects and eclectic home decorations, before the duo opened their store in 2024, a feat they managed in six weeks. Located on the second floor of Tai Kwun, the store is beautifully styled with artisanal rugs, rattan bar carts, colourful homewares, and mother-of-pearl serving bowls as well as vintage ceramics from Hong Kong and antique tableware sourced from across Europe. At the heart of the store is a beautiful handmade rattan mahjong table along with matching foldable chairs with cushions in vibrant ikat prints. The cosy space also gathers the community – my first visit to Permanent Resident was a mahjong workshop. 'The name Permanent Resident is a play on our right of abode in Hong Kong, but we hope that pieces from our catalogue become forever fixtures in our clients' homes. We are a small company with a high-touch approach that sets us apart,' Tolani explained. FROM FASHION TO INTERIOR STYLING Gifted with immaculate taste and good eyes for details, both Tolani and Reynolds worked in the fashion industry and Tolani made a foray into interiors first, setting up a home decoration business a couple of years prior. Both their homes, each filled with storied artful objects and furniture (second-hand and new) have been featured in Vogue Hong Kong magazine. With a mission to design exceptional quality furniture that enriches lives while minimising their ecological footprint, they also upcycle pieces for second-hand retail. Friends for 15 years, from New York to Hong Kong, it was Reynolds who referred Tolani to her first client. 'Working with interiors feels like it has more permanence and longevity. It is less ephemeral and fickle than event dressing and fashion trends. The decisions clients make for their home affect more people – their spouse, children, pets, and how they entertain extended family and friends at home. Being a part of that home styling process is very rewarding,' said Tolani. There was a need to be filled in the market – a shopping experience they personally sought and had to have. The founders capitalised on their unique skillsets – Reynolds' expertise in luxury fashion retail in different parts of the global business and Tolani's experience with personal styling and interior decoration; they created a unique shopping experience they always wanted, combining equal parts beauty, form, community and connection. ENTREPRENEURS AND CREATIVES AT HEART It's not the creative duo's first rodeo with starting a business. They had previously worked for startups and were involved in entrepreneurial endeavours, either as founders or investors, therefore launching the business was not daunting. They credit having a business partner to share the load, and how that takes the immense pressure off. They delayed the launch because of the pandemic and Hong Kong was entirely closed; this additional time allowed them to strengthen their brand positioning and curate a smaller assortment for a quicker launch to market. As very private people who are not online much, their pain point is the social media aspect of the business. Running the channels themselves, they are however, adamant about figuring this out, and possibly outsourcing it at some point, so that their thoughtfully curated stock and creations translate beyond word of mouth, as they grow their business footprint in Hong Kong and beyond, accelerating the business's e-commerce momentum. 'We aspire to set new standards of excellence in design, craftsmanship, and sustainability. Our vision is to design impeccable furniture and home decor, whether pre-owned or new, that transcends mere functionality, becoming cherished pieces that evoke emotion and foster connections. We want clients to think of their experience shopping with us fondly whilst setting the dinner table or showing their friends around their home,' said Reynolds. UPCYCLING AND VINTAGE FINDS There are not many places that upcycle second-hand furniture and Permanent Resident is one of the few in Hong Kong that does this. Globally, the second-hand and upcycling movement is visibly at the forefront of climate change. Tolani and Renolds share that many people are seeing the benefits of good design are not limited to new, and often new items are inferior in materials. 'Rather than offering all newly manufactured items, what we do that is a bit different. We mix upcycled (upholstering a piece with new fabrics etc), pre-owned, and vintage pieces, as well as offer new items, all in the same context because we believe this is how consumers like us shop,' they said. MADE IN ASIA AND BEYOND They launched with new items made in Asia, celebrating artisanal craftmanship: The cotton dhurrie rugs are handmade in India while their rattan line is handmade in the Philippines – both countries are known for their artisans and abundance of natural, organic materials. Other items are made in Portugal and China, with an emphasis on items made in Hong Kong and the Canton region, mainly difficult-to-source vintage ceramics. While retail is a competitive landscape, the creative talent in Hong Kong is collaborative and thriving. Permanent Resident is big on partnerships with a focus on selling locally designed products in the store. View this post on Instagram A post shared by PERMANENT RESIDENT (@permanent_resident) 'We want to be known as a destination for people to come and collect locally made items either personally or as a special gift. Gifting is a big part of our business, and we try to stock and source options that will surprise and delight our client bases, such as colourful caviar dishes and whimsical cutlery rests,' said Reynolds. Their favourite part of the business is concept and design, along with the sourcing. They see it as a form of retail therapy where they only make and buy things they are personally drawn to. They trademarked in 2021 to protect their creative licence yet also find that 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!'
South China Morning Post
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Your perfect week: what to do in Hong Kong, March 23-29
Watch this Hong Kong Sevens Kai Tak Sports Park main stadium is the new home of the iconic Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament. Photo: Eugene Lee Running from March 28 to 30, Hong Kong's favourite seven-a-side rugby tournament is moving after 41 years at Hong Kong Stadium, and will now be held at the brand-new Kai Tak Sports Park. With the likes of New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Japan, the United States and France taking part in the men's and women's tournaments, and shows from RubberBand and the Kaiser Chiefs, it's set to be a real drop-kick of a weekend. See this Artists' Night Maeve Brennan's Records exhibition is on display at Tai Kwun Contemporary. Photo: South Ho/courtesy Tai Kwun Join the art week madness at Tai Kwun's annual evening of live performances, installations and music. Free to the public, Tai Kwun Contemporary's art exhibitions, including 'Records', by Maeve Brennan, will be open until late alongside a roster of special programmes by Malaysian-Chinese artist Lawrence Lek, Shanghai experimental electronic artist 33EMYBW and Hong Kong-based artist Sissi Kaplan, among others. Advertisement March 28, 7-11pm, 10 Hollywood Road, Central Drink this DarkSide The Bruce Lee cocktail at DarkSide in Rosewood, Hong Kong. Photo: Rosewood Hong Kong The sights and sounds of Kowloon are behind the new tipples at Rosewood Hong Kong's cocktail bar. Taking inspiration from touchpoints such as Bruce Lee, the Kowloon Walled City and the Tsim Sha Tsui clock tower, the drinks menu is a love letter to the bustling peninsula from newly appointed director of bars, Bob Louison, and comes replete with a variety of flavours, all served in custom-made glassware. 2/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Eat this Arbor Arbor's French pigeon breast roasted with garlic butter. Photo: Arbor
