Hong Kong in March: a mecca for art and local culture enthusiasts

Explore the city�s diverse art happenings in Hong Kong Arts Month

 

HONG
KONG, CHINA – Media
OutReach
– 25 February 2019 – March is a perfect time to explore Hong Kong’s
cultural life, particularly the art scene. For the entire March, those visiting
the city are more than welcome to participate in the plethora of arts and
cultural events around town, including the internationally renowned Art Basel
Hong Kong and Art Central, which provide rare occasions for enjoying famous art
pieces and rubbing shoulders with the glitterati at the same time. And with the
latest cultural venues and street artworks that have emerged in recent months,
art and culture enthusiasts will surely find Hong Kong the perfect subject
matter to immerse in artsy ambience.

 

Muse about international art at Art Basel Hong
Kong and Art Central

 

Be
prepared for a lavish visual feast at Art Basel Hong Kong (29-31 March 2019) and
Art Central (27-31 March 2019), the mainstay of Hong Kong Arts Month. Now in
its seventh year, Art Basel Hong Kong will return to the Hong Kong Convention
and Exhibition Centre with 242 galleries from 36 countries. Also boasting a strong
line-up is Art Central, where over 100 galleries will showcase art from around
the globe. The fifth edition will also feature carefully curated performances, large-scale
installations, new media art and talks. Appreciating art aside, patrons will be
served a riveting view of Victoria Harbour and the city’s signature skyline at
the Central Harbourfront venue.

 

Check in at new cultural hotspots to capture a
slice of history

 

Various
important cultural venues have sprung up in the city over the past 10 months. One
of them is Xiqu Centre, which opened
in January this year. Dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Cantonese opera,
the Xiqu Centre is noteworthy not simply for being the first venue in the much-anticipated
West Kowloon Cultural District to open its doors, but also for its striking
architectural design that juxtaposes traditional and modern elements. With a
futuristic form and a steel structure, the eight-storey edifice is in fact a
reinterpretation of the traditional Chinese lantern, whereas its façade is
shaped to resemble the parted curtains on a performing stage. Visitors
are encouraged to enjoy an intimate Cantonese opera viewing experience over
traditional tea and dim sum at the Tea House Theatre.

 

Another
recent talk of the town is The Mills,
an innovation and cultural hub transformed from a textile factory. Situated in Tsuen
Wan, once an industrial area and now a major residential district, The Mills
celebrates the golden days of Hong Kong’s textile industry and carries on the
legacy by nurturing the city’s creative talents. Inside the Centre for
Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) that is set to open in March, visitors can
learn about the history of Hong Kong’s textile industry and
the current local and global textile arts landscape. Visitors are invited to experience
the manual cotton-spinning process using traditional spinning instruments at CHAT’s
Welcome to the Spinning Factory! Exhibition.Starting
from 16 March 2019, visitors can appreciate the
array of contemporary textile arts displayed at the Unfolding: Fabric of Our
Life Exhibition.

 

Another
key heritage site worth visiting is Tai
Kwun, one of the city’s largest heritage revitalisation project which took
a decade and HK$3.8 billion to complete. Three iconic declared monuments are
now part of this cultural destination that houses a world-standard contemporary
art museum, some of the city’s chicest restaurants and boutiques. Apart from
snapping and admiring the beauty of the complex, visitors coming during Hong
Kong Arts Month can enjoy free site-specific performances, urban dance battles
and screenings in the HKArtsFestival@TaiKwun programme over two weekends (2-10
March 2019).

 

Snap away in characterful neighbourhoods for
local street art

 

The
art experience in Hong Kong is not limited to standalone events and places. Out
in the open, art has penetrated the corners of different neighbourhoods. Take a
stroll at Central, Sheung Wan and the latest “ARTLANE” in the hipster Sai Ying Pun area, where murals by local
and overseas artists can be found on walls of old buildings and staircases, you
will be able to shot in front of many instagram-famous street art and make your
followers jealous; hunt for shutter art around Hong Kong painted by young local
artists under an initiative aptly called “HK Urban Canvas”, depicting the
unique personalities and stories behind local shops; and keep an eye out for
buzzing street scenes, intriguing contrasts and all the oddities that make Hong
Kong an exciting place.

 

More than meets the eye (and the lens)

 

Those
who seek more sensory stimulation will find a plethora of performing arts events,
the most notable of which is the Hong Kong Arts Festival. With a history of
over four decades, the annual bonanza featuring opera, theatre, music, dance
and more has been an artery of the city’s cultural life. Visitors will have the
opportunities to enjoy 166 performances and over 300 exciting array of outreach
activities by over 1,700 artists from around the world during the 31-day-long
programme this year (21 February – 23 March 2019).

 

A
visit to Hong Kong in March will leave you with more than just amazing
photographs and feeds, book a trip to Hong Kong now and dive into a sea of arts
and cultural treasures!

 

For
more
information:

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/events-festivals/highlight-events/hong-kong-arts-month.jsp

Highlight Video

 

Photos & video:

https://hktb.filecamp.com/public/files/2ktk-3t1f34se