2nd Exhibition of DESIGN SPECTRUM

• Nearly 100 Titles from Asia Featured in Touchable Book Design Exhibition
• Workshops and Forums to Unleash Imagination on Reading

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 16 October 2019 - Design Spectrum, the new design initiative organised by Hong Kong DesignCentre (HKDC) with the sponsorship from Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of theGovernment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government), isshowcasing Asian design philosophy in four thematic exhibitions at 7 MalloryStreet, a Grade II Historic Building in Wan Chai. Approaching halfway through thequadripartite programme, the second exhibition entitled Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process is slated to welcomevisitors in a cosy respite from the hustle and bustle, where an extraordinaryreading experience unfurls in a new touchable book exhibition.

"Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process" exhibition will display over 80 titles from across Asia and more than 500 design magazines from different countries and regions, Visitors can touch and leaf through the exhibits to soak up their beauty in a multisensory experience conjured by designers through use of colours, fonts, typography, formats and more.

Experience Regional DesignCultures in 100+ Titles & Projects from Asia

From now tillNovember 17 2019, "Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process" exhibition, curatedby cross-disciplinary design practitioner and seasoned international exhibitioncurator Amy Chow, will display over 80 titles from across Asia, each one acreative feat in its own right.  'Bookdesign is not just about the cover. It involves the designer as a conduit for theauthor's message, all the while in close collaboration with the publisher toelevate the reading experience and entice readers,' Amy comments. As opposed tothe usual book exhibitions, visitors can touch and leaf through the exhibits tosoak up their beauty in a multisensory experience conjured by designers throughuse of colours, fonts, typography, formats and more. The exhibition puts intoperspective the art of the creative process in book design and offers a newdimension to the pleasure of reading.

Exquisite examples on display include Hong KongOld Shop II with an unconventional structure that binds together two booksand a cover in different sizes. A Study on Hong Kong Beiwei Calligraphy& Type Design , on the other hand, is a 6-year research on the typedesign of Hong Kong. The book comes with a mini metal plate with the Chinesecharacter '永' (eternal) etched on it to demonstrate the intenseand powerful brushstroke of the Hong Kong Beiweifont.

In addition,visitors can also explore Asia's design scene through more than 500 design magazinesfrom different countries and regions, alongside examples of space, product orfont design for reading. Rare exhibits such as Indian and Malaysian works offera full-spectrum examination on Asian creative cultures, which transcendsgeographical, disciplinary and age boundaries.

Over10 Young HK Designers Redefine Reading Culture

With a progressive vision of heritage, DesignSpectrum taps young local book designers to showcase their magnum opuses. Amongthem are 10 creative minds including: the award-winning young designer HeiShing Chan; MV director Orange Chan, who collaborated in the production of thefilms Ten Years and Mad World ; Frank Lo who specialises increating three dimensional illusions through interactive printingtechnology; Mak Kai Hang, who studies the role of font in urbanisation anddesign, with a view to preserving local cultural heritage; Jacky Tong, theauthor of the award-winning title What We Deserve on environmentalprotection and animal rights; Vincent Yiu who works on book design and culturalprojects; Renatus Wu, whose passion for books culminated in his intrepid moveto forsake a stable job for an independent publishing business; Leumas To, thecurator of Ping Pong collectivecomics magazine who is also a frequent featured artist in international artexhibitions; Benny Au, a graphic designer and curator who incorporates greenmessage into his design codes; and 'Anothermountainman' (Stanley Wong), theaward-winning art, design, photography and advertising maestro whose RedWhite Blue series helps promoting positive messages in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Design Centreinvites the public to take a closer look at the efforts of these young creativeminds to give books a new and unconventional dimension.

A Walkthrough Nanjing's Blooming Publishing Industry

Curator Amy Chow visited Nanjing, the publishingcapital of China, for "Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process" exhibition,meeting leading figures in the industry, including Professor Cao Fang from Schoolof Design at Nanjing University of the Arts, and four leading book designers inmainland China, namely Zhao Qing, Pan Yan-Rong, Zhou Chen, and Qu Wen-Min. Theirinsights shed light on the publishing capital and how its cultural milieu fostersthe city's bibliophilic lifestyle. This original documentary will premiere in theexhibition, offering a precious chance for all interested parties to delve intothe publishing industry of mainland China.

Exciting Events to Enrich Collective CulturalImagination

In addition to celebrating the creativity andcontribution of Asian book designers, Design Spectrum will also organise aseries of free activities, including screenings, workshops and sharing, topromote the culture of creative reading. Five young local designers, namely HeiShing Chan; Orange Chan; Roger Ng; Renatus Wu; and Sunny Yuen,will co-host the "Designer Sharing on Open Page: The Art of the CreativeProcess" to exchange ideas on book design concepts and thereby encouraging a fruitfulcultural dialogue. In parallel to the exhibition, Design Spectrum will host aspecial screening of Hanzi , a documentary about Chinese font design andits role on reading and everyday life. What's more, free guided tours will walkvisitors through the exhibits and their design concepts along the exhibitionpath at the Gallery on the ground floor and the Exhibition Hall on the 3 ^rd floor. Details of the exhibition and activities are listed on the appendix. Fortour registration and details, please visit www.designspectrum.hk.

Attachment 1: 

Event Happenings of"Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process" Exhibition presented by DESIGNSPECTRUM

Open Page: The Art of the Creative Process

Designer Sharing on Open Page: The Art of the CreativeProcess

Screening: "Hanzi'

DesignWorkshop for Public: Create Your Unique Zine!

Book Reading Journey for Parents & Kids

IDK Design Thinking Workshop: The Art of Communication

For more 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.