The Night of Ideas

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau and the Asia Society Hong Kong Center (ASHK) are pleased to announce the 5th edition of The Night of Ideas (in French, La Nuit des Idées), which will reflect on the contours of the notion of heritage. Under the title [Re]build: Beyond the Skyline, this event will take place on 21st June 2022 from 5:30pm to 10:00 p.m. at ASHK on-site and online. Through its hybrid and innovative design, it will bring to you an insightful and lively content, whether you come to the calm oasis of ASHK in the heart of Admiralty or are livestreaming at home.

As the year 2022 marks 10 years of ASHK at the Former Explosives Magazine heritage site as well as the 5th anniversary of the Night of Ideas organized by the Consulate General of France, both institutions come together to reflect on the past in order to shape the world ahead. Heritage is a critical discussion point in the debate about shaping the identity of future generations. In light of this observation, the Night of Ideas aims to answer a simple, yet essential question: What is heritage?

Leading French and Hong Kong heritage specialists, renowned scholars, institutional figures and art professionals will debate this poignant theme in engaging roundtables moderated by the Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, M. Douglas So. The discussions held in ASHK’s prestigious Hong Kong Jockey Club Hall and broadcast live will explore the emotional connections between people and heritage. Some more potential answers will emerge in various forms, as the night will bring to life an exclusive neon sign exhibition from StreetsignHK, more than 80 images by photographers Hedda Morrison, Lee Fook Chee and Brian Brake taken of Hong Kong from the 1940s to 1970s in ASHK’s latest exhibition, Recovery, Resilience, Resurgence, as well as a unique VR experience of French built heritage.

French Consul General, Mr. Alexandre Giorgini, underlines the importance of the event: “Heritage is about your own history: who you are and who you want to be. Knowing the past helps you understand the present, and better shape the future.” ASHK Executive Director Ms. S. Alice Mong adds, “ASHK is excited to host an event on its site with the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau on heritage, a poignant theme for our organization as the present occupants of the Former Explosives Magazine, a site filled with history. Our heritage site allows us to not only reflect on our local past, but also use that understanding to help steer the course of our future.

With two roundtables, The Night of Ideas will invite audiences to revisit its perception of heritage, and to engage in a personal reflection of what they personally consider heritage.

Panel Discussion 1: [Re]build the Notion: What Makes Heritage?
When asked about heritage, one will instinctively think about a rather old building. Nonetheless, not all old buildings are recognized as heritage, while some rather new ones are. This paradox questions the role that time plays in turning architecture into heritage, but also the importance of acceptance and bonding with civil society. In a broader perspective, this also ignites the debate on how to rebuild damaged structures and how new architecture can be integrated into heritage, becoming a part of it.

Speakers
• Cecilia L. Chu, Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture, University of Hong Kong
Cecilia L. Chu is an Associate Professor in the Division of Landscape Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. Trained as an urban historian with a PhD in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, her work focuses on the social and cultural processes that shape the forms and meanings of built environments and their impacts on local communities. She is co-founder and current president the Hong Kong chapter of Docomomo (International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites, and Neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement) and an editorial member of Journal of Urban History and Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong.

• Richard Klein, Professor, National Superior School of Architecture and Landscape
Richard Klein has been an architect since 1985, and is a Doctor of Art History, Professor at the National Superior School of Architecture and Landscape, University of Lille and member of the research unit, the Lacth (Ensapl). Richard Klein is President of the National Council of Teacher-researchers of schools of architecture, President of docomomo France, member of the advisory board of docomomo International, and member of the French National Commission for Heritage and Architecture. The French Academy of Architecture awarded him the medal for training, teaching and research in 2014.

• Chloe Lai, Chairwoman, Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage
Chloe Lai is a journalist-turned-urbanist. She has a PhD in Comparative Literature. History of the present is her favorite way to see the world and conduct research. A practitioner of sustainability, she believes knowledge transfer and heritage conservation are part of partial of social progress. She helped found a library with a strong focus on arts and humanities and chairs the Conservancy Association for Centre of Heritage.

Moderator
• Douglas So, Chairman, Antiquities Advisory Board
Douglas So, BBS, JP is Chairman of Antiquities Advisory Board, a statutory body which advises the Hong Kong S.A.R. Government on heritage-related matters, including the grading of historic buildings. He is also a senior member of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation, which makes recommendations to the Government on the revitalization of heritage buildings as well as related public education and research projects. Founder of F11 Foto Museum, a private museum dedicated to photography, Mr. So was formerly Executive Director, Charities & General Counsel of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Vice President of The University of Hong Kong in charge of institutional advancement.

Panel Discussion 2: [Re]vive the Notion: Can Heritage Take Hold of the Streets?
In Hong Kong or France, streets are more than a place people are just passing through. They are places where life is everywhere, and each path reflects the identity of its inhabitants. People share a feeling of belonging in their own neighborhood and an emotional bond with all signs of life growing between buildings: neon signs, outdoor markets, posters, and more. As the city evolves and grows, the look of streets can undergo deep changes. This raises the question of whether they keep being mirrors of identity of their local communities and how their preservation is part of intangible heritage conservation.

Speakers
• Ken Fung and Kevin Mak, Co-Founders, Streetsignhk
Named after signboard-streetscape, the unique vibrant cityscape created by layers of signboards in the streets of Hong Kong, Streetsignhk was founded in October 2017 by architects Kevin Mak and Ken Fung. Streetsignhk promotes signboard-streetscape as urban cultural heritage by exploring in-depth signboard stories of Hong Kong and building regulations, conserving existing signboards that face demolition and promoting a sustainable signboard culture through design practice. We use our professional background and knowledge to provide advice on signs to shop owners, advocate change in conservation policy, and investigate aesthetic and cultural values of signboard. They believe the unique signboard streetscape in Hong Kong deserves a sustainable environment that balances safety concerns.

• Stanley Wong (anothermountainman), Designer and Contemporary Artist
A visual communicator, anothermountainman gained international awareness with his “redwhiteblue” series, representing the positive spirit of Hong Kong. which he presented for Hong Kong at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005. He established 84,000 Communications in 2007, branching out his creative career. Mr. Wong is the recipient of more than 600 awards for his art, design, photography and advertising works. Many of his art works have been exhibited in local and overseas galleries and museums, while collectors include Hong Kong M+ and London V&A Museum. He was awarded the Artist of the Year 2011 in Visual Arts at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards, and Hong Kong Contemporary Art Awards 2012 from Hong Kong Museum of Art. In 2020, he was named DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer.

• Marisa Yiu, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Design Trust
Marisa Yiu is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Design Trust, an initiative of registered charity Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design. She initiated and conceptualized the Design Trust Futures Studio flagship program as a design community think tank on new designs for public micro-parks in Hong Kong, to programs on heritage and innovation for cultural programs. She is also an architect and Founding Partner of ESKYIU, a multi-disciplinary and award-winning architecture studio based in Hong Kong. She was the Chief Curator of the 2009 Hong Kong and Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture, curated POP-UP Studio-X Shenzhen at the Value Factory,and has been co-awarded the prestigious 2010 Architectural League Prize for the installations featured at the Venice Biennale.

Moderator
• Douglas So, Chairman of Antiquities Advisory Board
Douglas So, BBS, JP is Chairman of Antiquities Advisory Board, a statutory body which advises the Hong Kong S.A.R. Government on heritage-related matters, including the grading of historic buildings. He is also a senior member of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation, which makes recommendations to the Government on the revitalization of heritage buildings as well as related public education and research projects. Founder of F11 Foto Museum, a private museum dedicated to photography, Mr. So was formerly Executive Director, Charities & General Counsel of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Vice President of The University of Hong Kong in charge of institutional advancement.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Launched in Paris for the first time in 2016, the Night of Ideas in Hong Kong is part of a worldwide operation that aims at sharing the French culture of debate, every 3rd Thursday of January, with the support of the Institut Français of Paris. From Seoul to Los Angeles, from Tokyo to Paris, passing through Singapore, Hong Kong and New York... 220 Nights of ideas is organized throughout 90 countries.

The event has been featured every year in Hong Kong since 2018 with major local partners: Asia Society (2018, Artificial Intelligence), Hong Kong Design Institute (2019, Night of Architecture, Saint James’ Settlement (2020, The Revolution of Sharing) and the Hong Kong Museum of Arts (2021, St[art] again).

Philosophers, writers, researchers, intellectuals, students, whistleblowers, artists and political figures propose their vision of the present and their solutions to the challenges of tomorrow on issues of equality, ecology, education, urban planning, science, policy and technology.