Hong Kongs best outdoor art spaces: from Tai Kwun to Tamar Park, Victoria Harbour and the West Ko
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Transforming Tai Kwun into a place for artists to reach audiences has perhaps paved the way for the growing number of outdoor and public exhibitions that now take place across the city. Both the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade and the expansive stretch of lawn space in Tamar Park outside the Central Government Complex have frequently played host to interactive installations.
The government has taken note of the success of outdoor art installations such as the giant Rubber Duck sculptures by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman floating in Victoria Harbour, embracing the concept to promote various initiatives. In February, for instance, part of the West Kowloon waterfront was covered in a sea of anthropomorphic purple grapes – mascots of an anti-deception campaign, which thereby doubled as an installation delivering a community service announcement, warning the public of the dangers of online and other scams.Such projects demonstrate the power art has to engage the public and spark conversation. Many Hong Kong public spaces can be used in a myriad of creative ways to embrace the city’s growing appetite for accessible art.
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The success of bringing together simple messages with a lighthearted approach is an important reminder that art can be fun for all ages, and need not always be behind velvet ropes in formal spaces.
At the waterfronts of Tamar Park and the Central and Western District Promenade, TeamLab: Continuous is a colourful display that forms part of the Art@Harbour 2024 programme, now in its third year.
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The installation, which will light up the Central waterfront until June 2, features egg-shaped inflatables that glow in different hues and are accompanied by changing sounds. The eggs dot Tamar Park lawn and spill into Victoria Harbour itself, paving a colourful path from the city into the water.
“Instagrammable”, large-scale installations have become increasingly popular in recent years, providing an approachable means for the public to engage with art.Ultimately, though, the public’s growing interest in art has shone a brighter spotlight on venues such as Tai Kwun and M+, where various exhibitions and artist-driven events have been given a home.
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While traditional paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are the mainstays of exhibitions in museums and galleries, spaces like M+ and Tai Kwun have given rise to a broader definition of the art experience. Creators – from DJs and dance troupes, to niche topics such as the cross-pollination of design, culture and sports – now potentially have unconventional stages from which to reach a wider audience.Held in association with Art Basel Hong Kong for the first time, Tai Kwun Contemporary on March 28 hosted Artists’ Night, enabling selected creators to access spaces for making and showing their craft.
Perhaps the most crucial takeaway from the city’s efforts to engage the public in conversations about art is that more events are happening.
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M+ has a venue for hosting a diverse range of events that touch on different spectrums in the art scene. The various spaces within the museum, including M+ Cinema, show films and works that explore the very nature of art, with many events taking place after hours.
Events centre on more than just displaying art – they often take the form of intimate talks, interactive events, and visual and music performances to encourage interaction and dialogue between artists and the public.
While cartoon purple grapes taking over the West Kowloon waterfront might not seem a deeply artistic concept, there’s no denying the positive impact that accessible art in public spaces can have on democratising art and inspiring interest in the average Hongkonger.
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