Piano in the Woods: Three Dialogues of the Four Seasons

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Hong Kong Design Centre, in collaboration with local new media artist Henry Chu, proudly presents Piano in the Woods: Three Dialogues of the Four Seasons, a new immersive interactive exhibition. Supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) as lead sponsor and Art-Partners as creative partner, the exhibition blends art-tech and music, inviting viewers to ‘converse with the forest’. Through real-time visual imagery and soundscapes —where the piano notes bridge technology and nature across the changing seasons, visitors are indulged in a deeply immersive experience. The exhibition runs from 25 February to 30 April 2026, at The Box, DX design hub.

The exhibition features piano compositions by Lewis Chung, paired with seasonal visuals and immersive soundscapes. Each keystroke prompts a unique response from the virtual forest—spring’s blossoming energy and shifting weather, summer’s transformation of urban sounds into nature’s echoes, autumn’s rebirth of plant forms and expressive calligraphy. Visitors may enter and exit freely, experiencing one or more dialogues, or pausing during rapid replay intervals. This interactive format ensures each visit is unique, while deepening emotional connections between humans and nature through technology.

The exhibition is designed to resonate with a wide audience – from design enthusiasts seeking inspiration, to members of the public curious about art-tech, and city dwellers longing for respite. All are expected to find their own moments of tranquillity within this realm co-created by melodies and the forest.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Henry Chu is a Hong Kong–based designer, programmer, and digital artist. He is a graduate from the Electrical and Computer Engineering programme at the University of Auckland and founded pill & pillow in 2004. The independent studio has won more than 200 local and international awards including recognition at the Cannes Lions, Webby, and One Show. Harnessing data, music, his art has been exhibited in museums, including Museum of Modern Art, New York (2011), M+ Museum, Hong Kong (2020) and at Hong Kong Museum of Art, titled Portrait Play (2022 to 2023). In 2021 he presented Blockchain Piano in the inaugural edition of Digital Art Fair Asia, converting crypto prices into music in real-time, allowing visitors to buy crypto through playing a song. In 2022, his installation work SURIV in group show Medicine and Healthcare Through the Lens of Digital Art at the Hong Kong University employed real-time Covid data in a colourful, gamified concept which drew attention to the ongoing contemporary struggle against infections. Major 2023 projects include commissions from Audemars Piguet, Bank of China and The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine to create a series of digital artworks and installations. In 2023, he partnered with Ora-Ora, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and composer Elliot Leung Ho-yat on the visuals for the groundbreaking live performance of Metaverse Symphony. He has shown with Ora-Ora at Art Basel Hong Kong and in exhibitions including Buds that May (2023), A Digital Rhythm (2025).