RENEWED CREATIVITY
Design is an important driver of the transformation that society must now achieve, requiring innovation and new technical solutions as consumer patterns and lifestyles change. From the outset, design should be the cohesive link between research and innovation, technology and content, people and community.
COVID-19 pandemic has changed our way of life, but reaffirmed design as a key factor in reshaping today’s society. Every city has its own character, energy, challenges, risks, and resilience, and while we reflect on how design and design thinking have been adapting to the shifts imposed by the pandemic, we anticipate a future whose expressions must all be reformulated.
In this exhibition, the topics deal with very relevant issues. They prioritise and acknowledge the importance of design and sustainability and social engagement, increase connectivity to the natural environment and our community, and use our roots to explain where we come from, and to help us predict what the future holds so we can respond more rapidly and efficiently.
(Wuhan and Shenzhen Exhibition are 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Celebration Event)
GUIDED TOUR
CURATORIAL STATEMENT
We shall undoubtedly feel the effects of this global health challenge for years to come, but negative emotions are a call to action, and they inspire change. The challenge has given us an opportunity to rethink the relationship between urban design and public health, and at this time consumers and businesses are more environmentally conscious than ever. Optimism and positivity are necessary in order to explore unbounded territories, anticipate demands and trends, and translate words such as openness, humility, happiness, ethics, sustainability, engagement, equality, inclusivity, adaptability, and interactivity into concrete ideas. In fact, we want to redesign our lives, which have suddenly become so much more complex.
After such a long stretch of isolation, with personal relationships limited to the virtual world of screens and video calls, the value of visceral experiences and in-person interaction has never been greater, and a shared desire for reconnection is driving our economic and cultural recovery. We want to bring together people who favour positive human experiences, foster collaboration and inspire creativity.
RENEWED CREATIVITY has multiple layers: it keeps us striving and discovering as it reshapes the social, economic and cultural landscapes while the world revives. We not only feature objects, but also the ideas, services and facilities our communities need.
AMY CHOW
Amy Chow, who trained in creative hubs San Francisco, Los Angeles and Rome, is an interdisciplinary design expert, academic, writer and connoisseur. As curator, she has spearheaded numerous critically acclaimed design exhibitions both locally and internationally, notably Creative Hong Kong (2007), presented in Vancouver, Milan, London, New York and Seoul, and six-month-long Creative Ecologies of Hong Kong (2010)* at the Shanghai World Expo. Confluence 20+ (2017)*, a series of monumental exhibitions, was a blueprint of Hong Kong’s artistic environment, which travelled to Milan, Hong Kong, Seoul and Chicago. Re-edit (2020)* was a new and exciting showcase for local design talents, acknowledging and nurturing their creativity and ingenuity. Project HK-UK: Design, Artistry and Craftsmanship (2019/2022)* is a one-of-a-kind mentorship and creative collaboration programme, exploring design partnerships and multiculturalism through discussions and debates, and also the design and evolution of live projects. All these expositions confirm Chow’s curatorial and artistic direction, which focuses on the visual culture and language of Hong Kong and Asian design through material innovation, creative processes and collaboration, and craftsmanship.
* Sponsored by Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
PMQ
PMQ has been revived into a creative hub since 2014, housing over 100 Hong Kong create-preneurs, showcasing workshops and studios featuring lifestyle, fashion and accessories, architecture, gifts & premium, homeware and a wide range of other designer goods. PMQ has become a creative platform in supporting up and coming creative talent as well as fostering a community of patrons and lovers of creativity, design and heritage. It is also one of the hottest venues in town for international arts, cultural and creative events from Hong Kong and all around the world.
CREATE HONG KONG
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community.
