This summer, bask in the warm glow of Hong Kong’s dazzling arts and culture scene – wherever you are in the world. Riding on the staging of international art and cultural events, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is launching an ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ campaign to showcase to a global audience the city’s extraordinary and enduring appeal as an arts and cultural hub. The campaign aims to raise Hong Kong’s international profile further, offering in-depth community arts and cultural tours and interactive art tech experiences to encourage the local public and visitors alike to rediscover the city from a cultural perspective.
HKTB Executive Director Mr. Dane Cheng said: “In-depth travel experiences have become a major global trend, and arts and culture are a key driver of this trend. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has organized an ‘Art Month’ promotion for the past nine years when international events were held in town to generate city-wide art vibes. As well as the staging of large-scale events, new world-class art landmarks such as M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum are also opening their doors, boosting Hong Kong’s allure as an arts and cultural travel destination. As the city’s arts scene becomes richer than ever, the HKTB will make ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ a year-round promotional platform to raise awareness of the city’s always-on, diverse experience of arts and culture, and establish Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.”
Supporting International Events and Promoting Hong Kong Culture to the World
‘Arts in Hong Kong’ is being rolled out in May with international events, including Art Basel Hong Kong and French May, along with a series of unique neighbourhood projects headlining a series of promotions to demonstrate that large-scale art and cultural events have returned to Hong Kong. The campaign will also form part of the HKTB’s existing ‘Hong Kong Summer Treats’ promotion that encourages residents to explore Hong Kong from new perspectives.
The HKTB is working closely with the organizers of international arts events staged in Hong Kong to increase their reach and impact. It has teamed up with Art Basel Hong Kong to host online tours, for instance, and has invited Hong Kong artists to bring an explosion of colour to the streets by displaying their inspirational works on the city’s iconic trams.
The integration of arts and technology is a rapidly-growing trend, and the HKTB is stepping up its use of technology to promote art events and cultural landmarks. It has produced a video to promote the interactive virtual reality experience of French May’s highlighted programme Intraverse, and is supporting the promotion of the moving image work The Shape of Light – a joint presentation by Art Basel and M+ – as well as the Hong Kong Museum of Art’s outdoor artwork installation, Resonance-In-Sight.
Three Surprises from ‘Arts in Neighbourhoods’
As well as its programme of major cultural events, the HKTB is launching a range of promotions to inspire residents to rediscover hidden gems of culture in neighbourhoods across Hong Kong, and experience the city’s thrilling ambience as an arts and cultural hub.
Surprise 1: Street exploration of five cultural themes
- Wander through Old Town Central, Sham Shui Po and West Kowloon and explore more than 20 cultural discovery hot spots under five major themes.
- The HKTB has created an interactive map with arts and cultural guides for each hot spot. The map includes fascinating anecdotes, like the mystery behind the embroidery of Chinese wedding gown tailor Koon Nam Wah Bridal.
Surprise 2: Discover arts with an avatar
- A browser-based app has been created that allows visitors to create a customized avatar with their own cultural interests to enrich their neighbourhood experiences in a hybrid environment.
- Three ways to roam with your avatar:
- Visit three designated hot spots in person for a unique AR interactive experience.
- Check out Hong Kong Neighbourhoods’ hot spots and take snapshots.
- Take creative selfies with your avatar, anywhere, anytime
Surprise 3: Community art exhibition offers a journey through West Kowloon
- The HKTB and the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Cultural and Creative Arts are hosting a community art exhibition titled ‘Journey to West Kowloon’ in June at the Art Pavilion in the West Kowloon Cultural District. More than 650 primary and secondary school students and university student artists have been invited to create 250 West Kowloon-themed art pieces, including 12 highlighted works by the department’s students.
Promoting Hong Kong to a global audience
In Canada and other overseas source markets, the HKTB is organizing Hong Kong-themed arts events in new formats, inviting Hong Kong Super Fans active in the arts and cultural scene to showcase arts events and raise the city’s profile in the international arts scene.
- Virtual tours with 1,000+ participants worldwide:
- The HKTB is organizing a range of arts-themed online tours for about 1,000 overseas media representatives, Hong Kong Super Fans, trade members and other stakeholders to promote arts and cultural attractions, including M+, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Tung Nam Lou Art Hotel, Biu Kee Mahjong, and embroidered footwear shop Sindart.
- The HKTB is teaming up with Art Basel Hong Kong to organize online viewing tours showcasing Hong Kong’s rich arts and cultural scene, targeting Mainland, and overseas media in the Greater Bay Area markets, Hong Kong Super Fans, and the travel trade.
- Hong Kong-themed artwork recreated overseas:
- The HKTB is working with Hong Kong Super Fan and German artist Alexandra Unrein to host a two-day outdoor graffiti workshop at the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art in Munich.
- In partnership with a France-based Hong Kong Super Fan, the HKTB is organizing a transcontinental Instagram contest. Winners will receive a West Kowloon painting by a French street mural artist Elsa Jean de Dieu living in Hong Kong
- Street murals are being created with Hong Kong themes in Australia, with QR codes redirecting visitors to DiscoverHongKong.com
