Every single culture owns its uniqueness and specialty. In recent years, culture inheritance has been of greater importance in terms of preserving and passing culture on to future generations. Kulture11 is an influential platform connecting industry insiders and cultural lovers, and inspires creativity for all people. Stepping into the third year, endless artistic possibilities can be explored in Kulture11.
A Kulture Incubation Exhibition was held in K11 Art Space from 12 September to 27 October 2019, endorsing the third anniversary of Kulture11. The theme of this year is “Kulture Incubation: A World of Creative Culture and Beyond”. Over 80 renowned and rising creative influencers in various fields united for this exhibition, coagulated to generate creativity, pouring more energy into local culture.
Chilai Howard, a crossing border artist, was specially appointed as the exhibition designer. Artworks from hundreds of artists, designers and professionals in these years are packaged and demonstrated to the audience in an interactive format. Thus, the audience can appreciate the previous artworks and meanwhile look forward to the upcoming new pieces.
The five “Kulture-Bricks” are separated by five “bricks” inventively. The three core programmes, musik11, SALON11 and MOVIE11 are also on display, transforming K11 Art Space into a multisensory world. The exhibition delivers a narrative from the past to the future, which encourages the audience to explore culture from a diverse perspective with a playful twist.
Now let us look into the five bricks of the exhibition!
Brick #1 SALON11
Seventy-seven cultural industry insiders who have collaborated with Kulture11 reinterpret their relationships with culture though everyday objects, like a calendar, a pin, or the air we breathe, in the form of video art installation. On a Neon Wall the names of artists and their accomplishments, including the famous designer Lo Wing Keung, experienced choreographer Maverick Mak Chau Shing and calligraphy artist Packy, are written – similar to the Avenue of Stars. People can also show their appreciation to these artists on this wall.
In the video, artists talk about their definition and views towards “culture”. Their words are posted on the Neon Wall, so that the audience can listen back to it. A pile of vintage televisions are stacked like a pyramid in the corner, playing the extracts of “SALON11” interviews from the previous three years, aiming to stimulate the awareness of culture and enhance local cultural development.
Brick #2 MOVIE11
Frames with quotes from classic movies are in this brick, forming a geometric movie tunnel. The audience can walk through the frames, observe the quotes and artworks from different angles. One will find the quotes meaningful and encouraging indeed. Movie lovers will enjoy the sense of familiarity, while others will be motivated to find answers to life with more power in mind.
Here are the movie quotes from one frame.
“You need to spare no efforts on it even if you think it is not important.” –The Devil Wear Prada
“We don’t lack opportunities, we lack determination and courage.” –Good Will Hunting
“Three things to make your life more wonderful: let go of the past, look forward to the future, and grasp the moment.” –Midnight in Paris
“Matureness doesn’t mean speaking of hollow theories, it means learning to appreciate the little details around us in our lives. ” –The Help
Brick #3 musiK11
Walking through the “Soundless Concert Hall”, you may feel the soothing of mind. Independent music from musiK11 plays through the headphones, and visitors are welcome to choose their favourite track to better enjoy the space.
FUTURE Brick #4
The theme of the sculptures is “The Beginning of Curiosity”. Photo: Fergus Tam Yu Kit
There are brand-new artworks in this brick, such as sculptures of 3D origami art. The theme of these sculptures is “The Beginning of Curiosity”, referring to the classic Alice in Wonderland story. Each of them is matched with a quote: “Only if u believe it is”, “We’re all mad”, “The Presence Of Time is Infinite”, etc.
Aside from the sculptures, some mixed fragrances are also exhibited as artworks. Scent notes are labelled under the bottles so that visitors can learn more about them. Edmond, an architectural designer, combined the text design with architecture design. He chose the Chinese character “eternity” to indicate the everlasting spirit of Hong Kong local culture, which is also one of the central messages of this exhibition.
WELLNESS Brick #5
This brick is the setting-up green plants with a circular watering system, which represents the cycle of life, as well as the idea of healthy lifestyle, a rising popularity around the world.
The multicultural artworks enable visitors a chance to enjoy the high-quality cultural exhibition. More opportunities like this should be offered to local artists to bring us a more inspiring art world.