always

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Design Spectrum, the public-facing platform of Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), sponsored by Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), is proud to present a design exhibition titled ‘always’ from 22 November 2022 to 29 January 2023. As well as being one of the accredited events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Establishment of the HKSAR, it is also among the series of thrilling events commemorating HKDC’s 20th Anniversary under the theme ‘Design for Sustainable Community’. The exhibition explores the sustainable development of Hong Kong over the decades, how good designs have sprouted like seeds and driven significant impact on communities, and what they mean to a city.

From a spark of awareness to a series of actions, our behaviour is gradually formed over time until it becomes part of a routine – and becomes our ‘always’. Likewise, it starts with a thought or an idea to make a positive impact on the environment. Curated by local designers Benny Au and Teresa Chan of miniminigallery, the ‘always’ exhibition explores sustainability beyond the material level from a new perspective, that can also be escalated to the spiritual, cultural and heritage levels of discussion. Visitors will get to appreciate our local creative power and learn how design can promote and inspire a continuous innovation process, ensuring the sustainable and prosperous development of the city.

From concept to practice, an integration of function and aesthetics, the power of ‘keep going!’ through dual-venue Exhibition

The exhibition’s spaces also well-present the fluidity and interchangeability of the concept ‘always’. Its first phase commences in Central Market from 22 November to 12 December 2022, followed by the second phase in PMQ from 15 December 2022 to 29 January 2023. These two distinct venues have brought a big challenge to the curatorial team regarding structural design: the durability of re-used materials, their transportability, the different sizes of the two venues and more. Kwok Yat Long and Law Chi Hin, who support the structural design of the exhibition, and the curator Benny said that ‘apart from the material selection, manpower as well as the exhibition setup process should be considered carefully. As both planners and exhibitors of the exhibition, we all share the same perspective towards sustainability.’

The exhibition uses flexible wooden panels that are easy to transport, allowing various three-dimensional geometric combinations that adapt to different spaces, to showcase a total of more than 50 exhibits. The structures are also easy to dismantle and transport – not only are they functional and aesthetically pleasing, but they epitomise the theme of the exhibition perfectly.

50+ Design Projects that Span Across Different Generations, Forms and Spaces

In today’s world, environmental protection is nothing new. Since the 1970s, the iconic rubbish monster ‘Lap Sap Chung’ has deeply rooted itself in the hearts of the people of Hong Kong, to express the local design community’s concern on the issue. ‘always’ will exhibit over 50 design projects, most of which originated from Hong Kong and were selected to characterise different generations, spaces, and serve different rungs of society. The projects are all made ‘tangible’ to preserve the important ‘intangible’ values behind, whether based on the designers’ ideas, creativity or messages they want to convey to individuals or communities. ‘always’ implies thoughts can influence behaviours and shape our daily practices. With the spirit of ‘breaking the old and creating the new’, exhibitors encourage collective thoughts and actions through design, connecting humanity and nature, and eventually creating a better community and future.

GREEN@COMMUNITY provides a striking example among all the exhibits. It changed the general perception of recycling facilities which were perceived as dirty and chaotic. By creating a compact and user-friendly process of recycling, it successfully encourages the mass public to get into the habit of recycling the right way.

Another project The Mills explores the preservation of cultural heritage. Once a high-yielding spinning factory in Hong Kong from 1960s to 1980s, it was transformed into a place integrating a business incubator, an experiential retail centre, and a non-profit cultural institution after revitalisation and conservation. Through a series of ‘tangible’ campaigns such as a garment recycling system and making Christmas decorations with recycled materials, the woven stories of the textile industry have been well preserved and will continue to be passed on.

Tree Bark Bookend is a project that turns bark – the offcuts from the creation of wood-based products into a bookend, highlighting the beauty of recycling and reusing.

Posters: Effective Designs for Spreading the Seeds of Communication
The poster is one of the most direct and powerful tools for communication in graphic design. The curators have selected a total of 21 posters spanning from 1970s to 2010s from 12 renowned Hong Kong designers across generations to showcase at the exhibition. The designers made use of these posters to illustrate their unique insights on social issues, such as pollution and resource scarcity. Visitors can appreciate the evolving process of the design – from the seeding of ideas to sprouting growth, as it continues to raise awareness of sustainability issues in recent decades.

For the second phase of the exhibition at PMQ, young designers will be joining the show with their own posters, through which visitors can feel how the ideas of the past are passed down from generation to generation. These ideas will continue to spread and grow, and may bear different kinds of fruits in the future.

Let’s Sow the Seeds of Design – Join Workshops and Support Local Designers
From the end of November till January 2023, a series of concurrent events such as public guided tours, workshops and designer sharing sessions will be organised around the exhibition for public. We have invited Hulu Culture to host several sessions of cultural guided tours where participants will be led by experts to explore the old and the new architects in the city after visiting the exhibition to experience the historic development of Hong Kong. There will also be a joint event with PMQ Taste Library and Classics Anew providing multi-sensory experiences of taste and touch to the public. In addition, a parents-and-kids illustration workshop will provide more inspirations about environmental protection; and Hong Kong kintsugi master Mr Kenneth Lee will share his insights into the relationship between design and cultural heritage.

Visitors can also check out the DS Pop-up at Spectrum (Shop 116) in Central Market before or after the exhibition! The shop features a variety of local design goodies, and is definitely a go-to spot for picking the best gifts for Christmas and the New Year!

Date: 22 November to 12 December 2022
Venue: Event Space, 1/F, Central Market, Central

Date：15 December 2022 to 29 January 2023
Venue：HG10-HG12 & HG19, PMQ, Central