(12 December 2017, Hong Kong) Organized by The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Biennale Foundation, in conjunction with The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA), Hong Kong Institute of Planners and Hong Kong Designers Association, and with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the lead sponsor, the 2017 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong) (UABB(HK) 2017) is officially opened from today until 11 February 2018. Under the theme of “City Smarts: Density 2.0”, the two-month long exhibition will take place at a total of 9 venues in Hong Kong and Shenzhen for public viewing.
The Opening Ceremony was officially held today at Grand Millennium Plaza Garden in Sheung Wan with the Honourable Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government, Mr. Matthew CHEUNG Kin-chung, GBM, GBS, JP, and Honourable Standing Committee Member of CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Director of Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture Organizing Committee, Mr. Yang HONG as the Guests of Honour. They were joined by Mr. Marvin CHEN, President of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, Mr. Ivan HO, Chairman of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Biennale Foundation, Ms. Fiona LUNG, President of Hong Kong Institute of Planners, Mr. Ron LEUNG, Chairman of The Hong Kong Designers Association, Mr. Victor TSANG, Head of CreateHK , Professor Bernard LIM, JP and Ms. Alice YEUNG, Co-Chairpersons of the UABB(HK) 2017 Steering Committee, and Dr. CHAN Lai-kiu, the Chief Curator of UABB(HK) 2017 to officiate at a ceremony that marked the official opening of the exhibition.
To build up the excitement and engage with the public, the curatorial team of UABB(HK) 2017 also made use of the LED panel of the nearby Golden Centre to display a video for the making of the exhibition, and a series of footages about Hong Kong in foreigners’ view before the Opening Ceremony.
Following the Ceremony, a short video was displayed for the attending guests to know more about the 9 venues of this year’s exhibition and the different exhibiting works created by the participating Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas architects, planners, designers and artists under the theme of “City Smarts”.
Mr. Marvin CHEN, President of HKIA, said at the Opening Ceremony, “In the hope of lifting public awareness about architecture and city planning to new heights, UABB(HK) acts as a platform for discussion and contemplation. We welcome the public and tourists alike to visit and participate in the conversation.”
The Chief Curator Dr. CHAN Lai-Kiu, a veteran Hong Kong architect, has formed a curatorial task force recruited from cross-disciplinary practices. The members are city planner Jeffrey Wong, Architect Tony Ip, Professor & Architect Fai Au, Architect Allen Poon and Architect Fanny Ang and also young architect Sunnie Lau. Dr. CHAN said, “We are pleased to announce that UABB(HK) 2017 is officially launched to generate interest in the community about the way we live and the place that we inhabit, so it will help to encourage the creative entrepreneurship within our city. The wisdom and culture of Hong Kong’s “City Smarts” will certainly help overcome the challenges and create a better future together!”
A Cross-District And Cross-Disciplinary Exhibition To Showcase Hong Kong’s City Smarts
As part of the theme to “improvise”, and to demonstrate the potential of vacant or shared spaces and frontages in the city, UABB(HK) 2017 is popped up in 9 highly accessible local urban vacant or shared locations and cultural hubs in Hong Kong and the main venue of 2017 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Shenzhen) (UABB(SZ)) in Shenzhen, with MTR as the connecting spine for the 8 local venues. The multiple venues provide a territory-wide platform for exchange and discussion about the sustainability of Hong Kong’s architectural and city planning. (Please refer to the appendix for more details of the exhibition venues)
With more than 80 exhibitors, UABB(HK) 2017 is a curated showcase of inspirational creative works. In this edition, contributions from both academia and industry sectors are featured in the exhibition. The exhibitors are architects, planners, ecologists, fashion and product designers, filmmakers, photographers and students, etc. The wide scope of exhibits covers artworks and installations, spotlight designs and architectures, and interactive exhibits that use augmented technology to connect with the public. The public can also shade interesting fun facts about our city through the exhibits, which aim to arouse the public’s widest interests about the smart Hong Kong architectural and city planning.
Exchanging Views with Public On Hong Kong Land Issues
During the 2 months of exhibition of UABB(HK) from December 2017 to February 2018, a series of community events will also take place at different venues for public engagement. These community events, including Talks and Forum, Guided Tours and other public events and activities, are interactive and serve as a bridge between local public and industry professionals to exchange and to explore solutions to Hong Kong’s current problem of land shortage in a more appreciative and inclusive way.
Public Talks and Forum
Dr. Joseph TING Sun-pao and Dr. NG Cho-nam will conduct free community talks for public. Three more forums are also scheduled for January 2018.
City Treasure Hunt Game
The curatorial team has designed a city treasure hunt game to attract the public to visit different sites of UABB(HK) 2017. Participants could redeem a Hong Kong building pop icy mold or ice cube mold of Hong Kong famous mountains by visiting different venues of the exhibition and scanning sufficient number of QR codes on the spot via a tailor-made app. All molds are available while stock lasts.
Guided Tours for the Public
Free guided tours are offered for participants to understand more about the concepts and technologies behind the iconic architectural works in Hong Kong so as to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the significance and the complexities of urbanism and architecture.
The 2017 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong) is open to the public from 12 December 2017 to 11 February 2018. More event details will be announced on the UABB(HK) 2017 event website at http://uabbhk.org or official Facebook page. Stay tuned for more details.