HKJC Point to Point Site Specific Art Project brings arts to local young people

14 May 2009

To encourage young people to participate actively in the arts and deepen their knowledge of their neighbourhood and local culture, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has donated HK$7.13 million through its Charities Trust to The Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation (YAF) to launch and organise "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Point to Point Site Specific Art Project" for three years.

Young people participating in the project will be guided to create art pieces portraying features of local districts, which will then be displayed at various shopping centres. This will also give shoppers the chance to enjoy bold and exciting art in their everyday environment.

The project was officially launched today (14 May) at Sau Mau Ping Shopping Centre at Kwun Tong, coinciding with the opening of its first art exhibition at the same venue.

"The Hong Kong Jockey Club Point to Point Site Specific Art Project" adopts a site-specific installation art approach. Over the past six months, more than 1,000 students and teachers from some 40 participating schools have visited the forthcoming exhibition venues and surrounding areas with 20 lead artists, drawing inspiration from the cultural characteristics and unique features of each place. They have then used different media such as photography, pottery, paper sculpture, weaving, Post-it notes, plastic tape, yarn and steel wire to create 30 sets of site-specific art pieces.

Exhibitions displaying these pieces will be held over the next three weeks at Sau Mau Ping Shopping Centre in Kwun Tong, Chung Fu Shopping Centre in Tin Shui Wai, Sheung Tak Shopping Centre in Tseung Kwan O, Fu Tung Shopping Centre in Tung Chung, Leung King Shopping Centre in Tuen Mun, the Lung Cheung Mall in Wong Tai Sin, Choi Yuen Shopping Centre in Sheung Shui and Stanley Plaza on Hong Kong Island.

In addition to visual art, the project will feature site-specific performing arts. Some 70 young dancers will perform dance pieces at the exhibitions in Sau Mau Ping, Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O, highlighting the architectural features and historical backgrounds of their neighbourhoods as well as reflecting the art pieces displayed there. Visitors can also gain insight into how the artworks were created through live art creation sessions at Sau Mau Ping, Stanley and Tseung Kwan O. (Please refer to attachment for details of the project.)

Speaking at today's ceremony, the Club's Executive Director, Charities, William Y Yiu, emphasised the Club's strong commitment to supporting Hong Kong's arts and cultural development and to nurturing young people's interest in the performing arts. The Club's Charities Trust had been supporting various projects of YAF since 1995, he noted. "We hope this new project will offer the younger generation opportunities to participate in art creation outside the classroom environment, as well as instil in them a sense of pride and belonging to their neighbourhood through exploration of the diverse histories and characteristics of each district," Mr Yiu said. "The exhibitions at shopping centres will also help bring arts to the community and stimulate the public's interest in arts and culture."

Exhibitions and performance schedule: