Hong Kong Design Centre Presents “Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process”

2nd Exhibition of DESIGN SPECTRUM

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• Nearly 100 Titles from Asia Featured in Touchable Book Design Exhibition
• Workshops and Forums to Unleash Imagination on Reading

HONG KONG, CHINA –
Media OutReach
- 16 October 2019 - Design Spectrum, the new design initiative organised by Hong Kong Design
Centre (HKDC) with the sponsorship from Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the
Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government), is
showcasing Asian design philosophy in four thematic exhibitions at 7 Mallory
Street, a Grade II Historic Building in Wan Chai. Approaching halfway through the
quadripartite programme, the second exhibition entitled
Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process
is slated to welcome
visitors in a cosy respite from the hustle and bustle, where an extraordinary
reading experience unfurls in a new touchable book exhibition.

“Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process” exhibition will display over 80 titles from across Asia and more than 500 design magazines from different countries and regions, Visitors can touch and leaf through the exhibits to soak up their beauty in a multisensory experience conjured by designers through use of colours, fonts, typography, formats and more.

Experience Regional Design
Cultures in 100+ Titles & Projects from Asia

From now till
November 17 2019, “Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process” exhibition,
curated
by cross-disciplinary design practitioner and seasoned international exhibition
curator Amy Chow, will display over 80 titles from across Asia, each one a
creative feat in its own right.  ‘Book
design is not just about the cover. It involves the designer as a conduit for the
author’s message, all the while in close collaboration with the publisher to
elevate the reading experience and entice readers,’ Amy comments. As opposed to
the usual book exhibitions, visitors can touch and leaf through the exhibits to
soak up their beauty in a multisensory experience conjured by designers through
use of colours, fonts, typography, formats and more. The exhibition puts into
perspective the art of the creative process in book design and offers a new
dimension to the pleasure of reading.

Exquisite examples on display include
Hong Kong
Old Shop II
with an unconventional structure that binds together two books
and a cover in different sizes.
A Study on Hong Kong Beiwei Calligraphy
& Type Design
, on the other hand, is a 6-year research on the type
design of Hong Kong. The book comes with a mini metal plate with the Chinese
character ‘?’ (eternal) etched on it to demonstrate the intense
and powerful brushstroke of the Hong Kong Beiwei
font.

In addition,
visitors can also explore Asia’s design scene through more than 500 design magazines
from different countries and regions, alongside examples of space, product or
font design for reading. Rare exhibits such as Indian and Malaysian works offer
a full-spectrum examination on Asian creative cultures, which transcends
geographical, disciplinary and age boundaries.

Over
10 Young HK Designers Redefine Reading Culture

With a progressive vision of heritage, Design
Spectrum taps young local book designers to showcase their magnum opuses. Among
them are 10 creative minds including: the award-winning young designer Hei
Shing Chan; MV director Orange Chan, who collaborated in the production of the
films
Ten Years and
Mad World
; Frank Lo who specialises in
creating three dimensional illusions through interactive printing
technology; Mak Kai Hang, who studies the role of font in urbanisation and
design, with a view to preserving local cultural heritage; Jacky Tong, the
author of the award-winning title
What We Deserve
on environmental
protection and animal rights; Vincent Yiu who works on book design and cultural
projects; Renatus Wu, whose passion for books culminated in his intrepid move
to forsake a stable job for an independent publishing business; Leumas To, the
curator of
Ping Pong
collective
comics magazine who is also a frequent featured artist in international art
exhibitions; Benny Au, a graphic designer and curator who incorporates green
message into his design codes; and ‘Anothermountainman’ (Stanley Wong), the
award-winning art, design, photography and advertising maestro whose
Red
White Blue
series helps promoting positive messages in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Design Centre
invites the public to take a closer look at the efforts of these young creative
minds to give books a new and unconventional dimension.

A Walk
through Nanjing’s Blooming Publishing Industry

Curator Amy Chow visited Nanjing, the publishing
capital of China, for “Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process” exhibition,
meeting leading figures in the industry, including Professor Cao Fang from School
of Design at Nanjing University of the Arts, and four leading book designers in
mainland China, namely Zhao Qing, Pan Yan-Rong, Zhou Chen, and Qu Wen-Min. Their
insights shed light on the publishing capital and how its cultural milieu fosters
the city’s bibliophilic lifestyle. This original documentary will premiere in the
exhibition, offering a precious chance for all interested parties to delve into
the publishing industry of mainland China.

Exciting Events to Enrich Collective Cultural
Imagination

In addition to celebrating the creativity and
contribution of Asian book designers, Design Spectrum will also organise a
series of free activities, including screenings, workshops and sharing, to
promote the culture of creative reading. Five young local designers, namely Hei
Shing Chan; Orange Chan; Roger Ng; Renatus Wu; and Sunny Yuen,
will co-host the “Designer Sharing on Open Page: The Art of the Creative
Process” to exchange ideas on book design concepts and thereby encouraging a fruitful
cultural dialogue. In parallel to the exhibition, Design Spectrum will host a
special screening of
Hanzi
, a documentary about Chinese font design and
its role on reading and everyday life. What’s more, free guided tours will walk
visitors through the exhibits and their design concepts along the exhibition
path at the Gallery on the ground floor and the Exhibition Hall on the 3
^rd
floor. Details of the exhibition and activities are listed on the appendix. For
tour registration and details, please visit
www.designspectrum.hk.

Attachment 1: 

Event Happenings of
“Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process” Exhibition presented by DESIGN
SPECTRUM

Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process

Date ?	From now till 17 November 2019
Time ?	(Weekdays) 10am to 7pm (Weekend and Public Holidays) 10am to 8pm
Location ?	3/F, 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai
	Free Admission

Designer Sharing on Open Page: The Art of the Creative
Process

Date ?	17 October 2019
Time ?	7:00pm to 8:30pm
Location ?	3/F Exhibition Space, 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai
	Free Admission

Screening: “Hanzi’

Date ?	25 October 2019
Time ?	7:30pm to 9:30pm
Location ?	Public Open Space, G/F, 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai
	Free Admission

 

 

 

Design
Workshop for Public: Create Your Unique Zine!

Date ?	2 November 2019
Time ?	2:30pm to 4:30pm
Location ?	3/F, 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai
	Free Admission

Book Reading Journey for Parents & Kids

Date ?	9 November 2019
Time ?	10:30am to 12:30pm
Location ?	7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai (TBC)
	Free Admission

IDK Design Thinking Workshop: The Art of Communication

Date ?	16 November 2019
Time ?	2:30pm to 5:30pm
Location ?	2/F, 7 Mallory Street, Wan Chai
	Free Admission

For more information, please visit
https://www.designspectrum.hk/.

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does
not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or
recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the
project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the
views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the
Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development
Bureau, CreateHK, the CreateSmartInitiative Secretariat or the
CreateSmartInitiative Vetting Committee.