DESIGN SPECTRUM: A New Design Initiative

• Debut Thematic Exhibition Features Nearly 100 Design ObjectsMade of Bamboo, Paper and Wood
• Internationally Renowned Local Architect William LimDesigns Unique Flower Plaque Installation to Honour Hong Kong's CulturalHeritage

HONGKONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - July24, 2019 - Sinceits establishment in 2001, the Hong Kong Design Centre has been the keydriving force in establishing Hong Kong as a centre of design excellence inAsia, promoting the use of design and innovation to drive value creation andimprove the well-being of society while connecting Hong Kong innovative designswith the rest of the world. To further its mission, the Hong Kong Design Centrepartners with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), with the sponsorship fromCreate Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region (HKSAR Government), to inaugurate the large-scaledesign campaign Design Spectrum at 7 Mallory Street, URA's firstpreservation-revitalisation project comprising a cluster of 10 pre-war Grade IIhistoric buildings built in the 1910s.

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

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

Curated by Amy Chow, a world-renowned interdisciplinarydesign expert, Design Spectrum will roll out a series of exhibitions with fourunique 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 throughmaterial innovation. This will be followed by the second exhibition that guidesdesign enthusiasts through the rich and fine details of design by reinventingreading space and reading culture. The third exhibition of the series exploresthe role of design in connecting humans with life community. The exhibitionseries will be concluded with a showcase of the implementation of design thatleads to the development of cultural and creative industries and promotion ofAsian design.

Material Modernity: Morethan 90 exhibits that demonstrate the happy marriage between traditionalmaterials and innovative designs

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

The debut exhibitionMaterial Modernity: Incredible Bamboo, Paper & Wood looks into the visualculture and language of Asian design through material innovation.

The exhibition features more than 90 award-winningdesigns by designers from across Asia, including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, TheMainland, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Design enthusiasts willenjoy a design extravaganza that travels through the similarities anddifferences among different cultures while experiencing the individuality andcultural identities embodied in designers' creations.

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

DesignSpectrum is honoured to feature a unique art installation by theinternationally renowned architect, spatial designer and artist William Lim. Anaward-winning local architect and the recipient of 2017 Chinese Design of theYear, Lim utilises bamboo to build an artistic flower plaque installation,created especially for this campaign. Lim stated that bamboo is a versatile andenvironmental-friendly material, which is widely used in Hong Kong'sconstruction industry and bamboo is arguably the most symbolic material thatcan represent Hong Kong.   Flower plaque,on the other hand, is another important cultural symbol of the city. Hence, thecommission work "The Flower Plaque" is a key fixture of the local traditionalcelebratory and festive events. Commissioned by Design Spectrum, Lim skillfullyunites bamboo and flower plaque together by creating an inviting flower plaqueinstallation with bamboo, paying tribute to the art of bamboo scaffolding andHong Kong cultural heritage.

InternationallyRenowned Local Architect William Lim Designs Unique Flower Plaque Installationto Honour Hong Kong's Cultural Heritage

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

Workshops by top designers to invigorate Hong Kong design

Design Spectrum will alsooffer a series of workshops and seminars to design enthusiasts and industrypractitioners. Homegrown design talents Aries Sin, Xavier Tsang and Maggie Tsewill be taking participants on a creative trip to create the Wan Chai flavourin Design Lifestyle Workshop, which is truly interactive and dynamic. Creatinga platform for exchange among industry practitioners and those who aspire tojoin the design industry is another mission of Design Spectrum. "DesignerSharing: Material Modernity" will be co-hosted by Zhang Lei, founder of theHangzhou-based studio Pinwu, and renowned Hong Kong designer Freeman Lau. Thetwo design heavyweights will respond to the exhibition Material Modernity whilesharing their design stories about raw materials bamboo, wood and paper,dissecting the secrets behind developing design objects into a sustainableindustry. Moreover, "IDK Design Thinking Workshop: Materials Inspired byNature" will be offering design solutions in the style of collaborative creation,allowing participants to discover the possibilities of various raw materials.

Design Spectrum will offerfree guided tours to visitors. The tour will take visitors through theexhibitions on the ground floor exhibition gallery and 3/F gallery whileexplaining the ideas and stories behind the designs. Details of the exhibitionand activities can be found in the Attachment, while registration details ofthe workshops, seminars and guided tours are available on project website at www.designspectrum.hk.

Attachment 1: Details ofDESIGN SPECTRUM Exhibition & Activities

MaterialModernity: Incredible Bamboo, Paper & Wood Exhibition

TheFlower Plaque x William Lim

DesignShowcase by Local Design Power!

IDKDesign Thinking Workshop: Materials Inspired by Nature

Design Lifestyle Workshop

Formore information, please visit https://www.designspectrum.hk/.

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and doesnot otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions orrecommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of theproject team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect theviews of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, theCommunications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic DevelopmentBureau, CreateHK, the CreateSmartInitiative Secretariat or theCreateSmartInitiative Vetting Committee.