As the chimes of the New Year ring in, Hong Kong’s art scene is also beginning to embrace a series of exciting exhibitions and events, infusing our lives with fresh inspiration and vitality.
The New Year Art Feast in January showcases a variety of works that not only display the unique perspectives of the creators but also guide the audience to explore a whole new realm of perception. Let us embark on this artistic journey together in this hopeful month, exploring the visual feast that inspires creativity and contemplation, and welcoming a new year filled with creativity and beauty!
1. No Idea Gallery
Aleksov Ana “Metamorphic Forms”
Serbian artist Aleksov Ana is holding a solo exhibition titled “Metamorphic Forms” in Central, an artistic journey exploring portraiture. Based on her signature style, Ana showcases a series of transformative works that seamlessly shift between various painting styles while retaining the uniqueness of her past creations.
The “Metamorphic Forms” series is filled with sparks of creativity while maintaining a consistent thread that ensures each piece is immediately recognizable as Ana’s style. This is not only a reinterpretation of artistic forms but also a profound reflection on the nature of creativity. It is a feast for the eyes and the soul, inviting you to experience Ana’s creative journey and feel how she uses the power of art to showcase the changes and possibilities in life.
Date: December 14, 2024 – January 18, 2025
Time: Tuesday to Saturday (11:30am – 7pm)
Location: NO IDEA GALLERY｜Room 1703, Hollywood Centre, 1 – 13 Hollywood Road, Central (near Tai Kwun)
2. Hong Kong Palace Museum
“When the Forbidden City Meets the Palace of Versailles – Sino-French Cultural Exchange in the 17th and 18th Centuries”
When Louis XIV meets Kangxi! Travel through the Palace of Versailles and the Forbidden City to explore the friendship story of the two monarchs!
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the court cultures of China and France flourished magnificently, with the Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles serving as the administrative, royal, and artistic centers of both nations. These two palaces, though separated by great distance, were filled with curiosity about one another, and through the exchanges facilitated by French missionaries, a bridge of communication and a long-lasting friendship were established.
The exhibition is co-organized by the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Palace Museum in Beijing, and the Palace of Versailles in France, showcasing treasures from two major World Heritage sites. The variety of exhibits includes porcelain, textiles, books, scientific instruments, and more, featuring eight first-class cultural relics from China and precious collections from the Palace of Versailles, along with recent acquisitions. Most of the exhibits are making their debut in Hong Kong; among them, multimedia technology is used to recreate the rare handwritten letter from Louis XIV to Emperor Kangxi from the year 1688.
The mutual appreciation, inspiration, and exchange between the fields of culture, art, and technology have evolved into a long-standing friendship between the two countries. It allows us to feel the intertwining of history and the collision of art, creating a visual feast that should not be missed!
Date: December 18, 2024 – May 4, 2025
Location: Hong Kong Palace Museum, Exhibition Hall 9, 8 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District
Online Ticket Purchase: www.hkpm.org.hk
3. AIRSIDE
“Step into Hong Kong, Step into Hong Kong Cinema” — “Kowloon Walled City: The Siege” Upgraded Film Exhibition
As the excitement surrounding “The Siege of Kowloon Walled City” continues, the first phase of the “Walk into Hong Kong, Walk into Hong Kong Cinema” exhibition of the Kowloon Walled City film was held in October at Hong Kong International Airport, receiving rave reviews from citizens and travelers alike. However, the exhibition quickly transitioned into its second phase, moving to the heart of the film’s story – Kowloon City.
This exhibition, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Nanfung Group AIRSIDE, the Creative Industries Development Office, and the film producers, has been upgraded into an immersive movie experience, allowing attendees to feel as if they are in a movie scene. The exhibition adds several brand new photo spots, allowing visitors to wander through the recreated alleys and indoor scenes, experiencing the social landscape of the 1980s, as well as including surprise Easter eggs not featured in the film. Additionally, there will be stalls selling movie-themed merchandise outside the exhibition, offering everything from classic food and nostalgic toys to film collectibles, enabling the public to explore Hong Kong in tandem with the film and discover new travel delights.
Date: December 16, 2024 – April 13, 2025
Location: Shop 108, 1st Floor, AIRSIDE, 2 Kai Tak Coordinating Road, Kowloon City
4. Ben Brown Fine Arts
Awol Erizku “Quaquaversal”
The new exhibition “Multidimensional Space: Quaquaversal” by Los Angeles conceptual artist Awol Erizku will be held in Hong Kong. This exhibition continues the theme of Erizku’s 2018 show “Slow Burn,” showcasing a series of stunning works, including exquisite paintings, neon installations, and new bronze sculptures, further deepening his cultural interaction with Hong Kong.
Awol Erizku’s creations are not just a visual feast but also a profound cultural reflection. He reimagines the visual language of music, pop culture, and sports symbols, exploring nuanced narratives from an African-centered perspective. In this exhibition, his five bronze sculptures are cleverly placed within a beautifully designed “cultural vault,” combining the image of Queen Nefertiti with other icons like spiders, skulls, and the Sphinx, symbolizing his 13-year journey in search of Nefertiti’s bust.
Furthermore, Awol Erizku’s work challenges the boundaries of traditional art history and cultural ownership, prompting viewers to reflect on the cultural significance within contemporary urban landscapes. He invites each visitor to reassess their relationship with culture in his artistic realm.
Date: November 20, 2024 – January 25, 2025
Location: Ben Brown Fine Arts | 1 Heung Ju Kang Industrial Street, The Factory Room 201, Hong Kong
5. 大館
「Alicja Kwade: Utopia」
The prominent contemporary artist Alicja Kwade presents her first solo exhibition at a museum in Hong Kong, featuring nine works from different periods that blend various media including sculpture, sound, light, and performance installations. Drawing on abstract scientific and philosophical concepts, the exhibit delves into inquiries about reality and social structures, as well as a new commissioned installation created in response to the historical significance and architecture of Tai Kwun’s Block F. The centerpiece installation, “Fear – Merge,” is designed around a meticulously arranged prison bar layout, creating a scene where reality and reflection intertwine within the bars, prompting visitors to reflect on their own experiences of confinement and freedom in life.
Alyssia Quad: The Pitotub
Date: January 10, 2025 – April 6, 2025
Time: Tuesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 7 PM | Closed on Mondays (open on public holidays, closed the following day)
Location: Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre
Special commission by Alice Yeung for the public art project “Waiting Pavilion” at the Tai Kwun Contemporary Art Museum
Date: December 20, 2024 – End of 2026
Location: Tai Kwun Prison Yard
6. 13A New Street Art Gallery
Angel Hui X Fapopo X Leonlollipop「和諧與幸福」
Angel Hui, Fapopo, and Leonlollipop have joined forces for a surprise collaboration. The exhibition will showcase over 20 pieces full of a festive New Year atmosphere, centered around the theme of happiness.
Date: January 18, 2024 – February 16, 2024 (Open Wednesday to Sunday, closed on the first and second day of the New Year)
Time: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: 13a New Street Art Gallery | G/F, 13A New Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
7. JPS Gallery
AFA ANNFA x GLORIA CHUNG: A&G Boulangerie
Visual artist Afa Annfa collaborates for the first time with food stylist Gloria Chung, using a famous quote from performance artist Marina Abramovic as a starting point to bring bread into the gallery. Through the juxtaposition of real and fake food, they explore the essence of art and food, as well as their symbolic meanings. Within the food context, the focus is primarily on the most commonplace items: bread and butter. The exhibition space is divided into two main areas: the central kitchen and the altar, each adding a sacred dimension to the ordinary bread, opening a dialogue between the secular and the divine.
Date: January 22, 2025 – March 1, 2025
Location: JPS Gallery | 88 – 90 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong
8. Perrotin Hong Kong
Yayoi Deki: Minority Flags
Japanese artist Yayoi Deki presents her first solo exhibition at Perrotin Hong Kong – “Flags of the Minority.” Deki is known for her intricate and captivating fingerprint paintings, conveying a pure and timeless essence of youth. In this exhibition, she continues to explore her “Flags” series. This exhibition is based on the diverse LGBTQ+ pride flags, creating a transcendent presence on the canvas through countless mini facial expressions. Within the works, a joyful atmosphere coexists with profound and complex themes, radiating a unique tension.
Date: January 10 – March 8, 2025
Location: Perrotin Hong Kong | 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, K11 ATELIER Victoria Dockside, 8th Floor, Hong Kong
