Traces of the Past & Beyond the Future

(26 July 2022, Hong Kong) The year of 2022 marks an important milestone for our city, welcoming the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). To celebrate the city’s exceptional achievements in urbanisation and sustainable development during the past quarter-century, The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA), under the funding support of Create Hong Kong of the HKSAR Government and Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York, proudly presents “Beyond Territories – Made . Make . Making” a multidiscipline architecture exhibition which will be held in Hangzhou, Beijing, New York, and Hong Kong from August 2022 to January 2023.

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Architecture serves as a reflection not only of culture and society, but also of the humanity of the city. With a significant focus on displaying the profession and contributions of Hong Kong architects in orchestrating a matrix of “PAST meeting FUTURE, and EAST meeting WEST”,the said exhibitions aim to showcase the musings of the city’s past, the eclectic creative communities of its present, and the city’s plans for a sustainable future. It demonstrates the boundless possibilities of cultivating Hong Kong’s position at the forefront of architecture in the region and beyond.

The curatorial team of the exhibitions represent a dynamic mix of various architectural backgrounds. Reputable names in the team include Professor Bernard V. Lim BBS, JP, the Principal and Founder of Architecture Design and Research Group Ltd., Mr Roger Wu, who has profound experience in architectural regeneration projects across Hong Kong, the Mainland and the UK, and Mr Stanley Siu, an eminent award-winning architect in Hong Kong.

This acclaimed curatorial team has invited more than 40 local and overseas exhibitors to showcase the development of Hong Kong’s growth into a major international city using innovative installations, immersive experiences, multimedia displays, and research analysis in three core zones themed on “Made”, “Make”, and “Making”. This unprecedented show will invite the visitors to explore the spirit of unparalleled perseverance and the unique aesthetic of the high-density and diversity of Hong Kong with a series of inspirational architectural and design works. The aim is to create a cross-generational dialogue among the city, the traditions, the culture, and the future from an architectural perspective.

Along with the manifestation of the architectural work through the exhibits, the visitors can also have a sneak peek of the multidisciplinary talents from architectural members that simultaneously contribute their knowledge of different aspects such as Arts, Heritage, Sustainability, Cultural Reservation, or Trend Setting that created the Hong Kong of today. 

Made: Revitalising the beauty of Hong Kong

The “Made” zone connects the past with the present while documenting the fascinating history and essence of Hong Kong through the aesthetics and powers of modern design. It pays tribute to the well-known architectural masters by tracing their perspectives and appreciating their impact on the city.

Make: Re-imagining the community and cross-professional placemaking

The “Make” zone unveils the vivid and creative environment of Hong Kong and the hidden stories of districts, showcasing the local culture and the collective projects resulting from cross-professional placemaking. Densely populated, Hong Kong is widely known for its landscape of skyscrapers which encourage exploring the diversified communities and examining the constantly evolving relationship between human beings and space while reflecting on humanity through the city’s architecture.

Making: Developing technology-based sustainable future beyond architecture

The “Making” zone gathers innovative ideas and voices to transcend the boundaries of architectural frameworks. It concentrates on exploring the possibilities of increasing the city’s resilience to tomorrow’s unpredictable challenges for a better future.

A phase of Hong Kong as the centre piece

In addition, a large-scale installation video wall inspired by the signature coastline of Victoria Harbour will also be showcased at the exhibitions. This invites the visitors to weave in and out through the shoreline of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula.

The exhibitions connect local, Mainland and international design institutes, breaking down geographical barriers, and facilitates interaction with “City” as the common ground for various parties to discuss the blueprints for our bright future.

Professor Bernard V. Lim BBS, JP, one of the curators, said:“We are delighted to see these wonderfully dynamic works from our talented architects, designers, and artists, who have successfully showcased the unique beauty of Hong Kong’s past, present and future. We hope to ignite the imagination for a new ecology of creative communities for our environment both locally and globally, and further reveal the contributions of architecture to our daily lives.”

“Beyond Territories – Made . Make . Making” will open in Hangzhou at OoEli from 29^th August to 10^th September, and tour to Beijing for a display at Choi Centre (20^th September to 5^th October), New York at Ideal Glass Studios, Greenwich (10^th to 25^th October), and Hong Kong at Chantal Miller Gallery, Asia Society Center and The Annex, Nan Fung Place (9^th December 2022 to 4^th January 2023) respectively. More information on the exhibitions will be available on the official website and social media in due course.

The Beijing, Hangzhou and Hong Kong stops of “Beyond Territories – Made . Make . Making” are sponsored by Create Hong Kong of the HKSAR Government and the New York stop is sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York. The Beijing stop is supported by the Office of the HKSAR Government in Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People‘s Government of Beijing Municipality, The Architectural Society of China and co-organised with Choi Centre. The Hangzhou stop is supported by Zhejiang Liaison Unit of the HKSAR Government, Department of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, Hangzhou Municipal Commission of Urban-Rural Development, in cooperation with Hangzhou Exploration & Design Industry Association.