DESIGN SPECTRUM: A New Design Initiative

• Debut Thematic Exhibition Features Nearly 100 Design Objects Made of Bamboo, Paper and Wood
• Internationally Renowned Local Architect William Lim Designs Unique Flower Plaque Installation to Honour Hong Kong's Cultural Heritage

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach^[1] - July 24, 2019 - Since its establishment in 2001, the Hong Kong Design Centre has been the key driving force in establishing Hong Kong as a centre of design excellence in Asia, promoting the use of design and innovation to drive value creation and improve the well-being of society while connecting Hong Kong innovative designs with the rest of the world. To further its mission, the Hong Kong Design Centre partners with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), with the sponsorship from Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government), to inaugurate the large-scale design campaign Design Spectrum at 7 Mallory Street, URA's first preservation-revitalisation project comprising a cluster of 10 pre-war Grade II historic buildings built in the 1910s.

Revolving around the theme of Asian design philosophy, Design Spectrum features a series of year-round exhibitions, workshops and seminars to showcase Asian arts and crafts, design and aesthetics while exploring how these elements are integrated into people's daily lives, and how design culture contributes to the community and cultural tourism.

Four thematic exhibitions connecting design, culture and lifestyle to showcase Asian design and aesthetics

Curated by Amy Chow, a world-renowned interdisciplinary design expert, Design Spectrum will roll out a series of exhibitions with four unique themes, namely materials, reading, lifestyles and creative industries. The debut exhibition entitled Material Modernity: Incredible Bamboo, Paper & Wood looks at the visual culture and language of Asian design through material innovation. This will be followed by the second exhibition that guides design enthusiasts through the rich and fine details of design by reinventing reading space and reading culture. The third exhibition of the series explores the role of design in connecting humans with life community. The exhibition series will be concluded with a showcase of the implementation of design that leads to the development of cultural and creative industries and promotion of Asian design.

Material Modernity: More than 90 exhibits that demonstrate the happy marriage between traditional materials and innovative designs

The debut exhibition Material Modernity: Incredible Bamboo, Paper & Wood, which runs from July 19 to September 8, 2019, looks into the visual culture and language of Asian design through material innovation. Bamboo might not be the finest raw material but its abundant use across Asian countries have been giving inspirations to generations of designers and architects as well as artists and craftsmen. Wood adds warmth and vitality and paper brings friendliness and charm. The exhibition explains how Asian designers have been making great use of these materials to appeal to and innovate traditional sensibilities.

The debut exhibition Material Modernity: Incredible Bamboo, Paper & Wood looks into the visual culture and language of Asian design through material innovation.

The exhibition features more than 90 award-winning designs by designers from across Asia, including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, The Mainland, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Design enthusiasts will enjoy a design extravaganza that travels through the similarities and differences among different cultures while experiencing the individuality and cultural identities embodied in designers' creations.

A unique art installation by renowned architect William Lim to be unveiled alongside authentic Hong Kong designs by young designers

Design Spectrum is honoured to feature a unique art installation by the internationally renowned architect, spatial designer and artist William Lim. An award-winning local architect and the recipient of 2017 Chinese Design of the Year, Lim utilises bamboo to build an artistic flower plaque installation, created especially for this campaign. Lim stated that bamboo is a versatile and environmental-friendly material, which is widely used in Hong Kong's construction industry and bamboo is arguably the most symbolic material that can represent Hong Kong.   Flower plaque, on the other hand, is another important cultural symbol of the city. Hence, the commission work "The Flower Plaque" is a key fixture of the local traditional celebratory and festive events. Commissioned by Design Spectrum, Lim skillfully unites bamboo and flower plaque together by creating an inviting flower plaque installation with bamboo, paying tribute to the art of bamboo scaffolding and Hong Kong cultural heritage.

Internationally Renowned Local Architect William Lim Designs Unique Flower Plaque Installation to Honour Hong Kong's Cultural Heritage

Innovative designs from homegrown young designers will be also displayed in the Design Showcase of Design Spectrum. Featured in the showcase are Aries Sin, founder of fashion brand MODEMENT, the recipient of the bronze award of "Design for Asia Award 2013"; candle and fragrance studio BeCandle founder Xavier Tsang, winner of the DFA Young Design Talent Special Mention Award 2013; and jewellery brand AOGP founder Maggie Tse, who was named one of the "Next Generation of Design Talent--40 under 40" by Perspective Magazine in 2014.

Workshops by top designers to invigorate Hong Kong design

Design Spectrum will also offer a series of workshops and seminars to design enthusiasts and industry practitioners. Homegrown design talents Aries Sin, Xavier Tsang and Maggie Tse will be taking participants on a creative trip to create the Wan Chai flavour in Design Lifestyle Workshop, which is truly interactive and dynamic. Creating a platform for exchange among industry practitioners and those who aspire to join the design industry is another mission of Design Spectrum. "Designer Sharing: Material Modernity" will be co-hosted by Zhang Lei, founder of the Hangzhou-based studio Pinwu, and renowned Hong Kong designer Freeman Lau. The two design heavyweights will respond to the exhibition Material Modernity while sharing their design stories about raw materials bamboo, wood and paper, dissecting the secrets behind developing design objects into a sustainable industry. Moreover, "IDK Design Thinking Workshop: Materials Inspired by Nature" will be offering design solutions in the style of collaborative creation, allowing participants to discover the possibilities of various raw materials.

Design Spectrum will offer free guided tours to visitors. The tour will take visitors through the exhibitions on the ground floor exhibition gallery and 3/F gallery while explaining the ideas and stories behind the designs. Details of the exhibition and activities can be found in the Attachment, while registration details of the workshops, seminars and guided tours are available on project website at www.designspectrum.hk^[2].

Attachment 1: Details of DESIGN SPECTRUM Exhibition & Activities

Material Modernity: Incredible Bamboo, Paper & Wood Exhibition

The Flower Plaque x William Lim

Design Showcase by Local Design Power!

IDK Design Thinking Workshop: Materials Inspired by Nature

Design Lifestyle Workshop

For more information, please visit https://www.designspectrum.hk/^[3].

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, CreateHK, the CreateSmartInitiative Secretariat or the CreateSmartInitiative Vetting Committee.

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} www.designspectrum.hk (www.designspectrum.hk)
3. ^{^} https://www.designspectrum.hk/ (www.designspectrum.hk)