1,600 pandas raise their paws for conservation

To mark the opening of design hub PMQ in June, creative firm AllRightsReserved is set to bring the long-running worldwide exhibition tour of 1,600 pandas to Hong Kong in an attempt to connect creativity to conservation.After touring France, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Taiwan and nearly 100 exhibitions, the 1,600 pandas will land in Hong Kong for the first time.The worldwide tour originated in 2008 by WWF and French artist Paulo Grangeon.The pandas, made from recycled materials, will be on display for one month at various points including Hong Kong International Airport, Tian Tan Buddha, Tsing Ma Bridge, Shatin Racecourse, Victoria Park and Ocean Park before heading to PMQ.The number represents the amount of pandas left in the wild.Born in 2008 in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, the worldwide tour has seen a while footprint across more than 20 countries around the world and the arrival to Hong Kong marks its second station in Asia.[gallery link="file" ids="46993,46992,46994,46995,46996,47008,47009,47010,47011,47012"]SK Lam, creative director at AllRightsReserved, told Marketing the idea spawned from the belief that creative work inspire people to get active about environmental conservation.He said the panda tour is an effort to weave sustainability and conservation into design, on top of raising awareness about endangered pandas.Funds raised via the project will be donated to WWF Hong Kong for conservation and education work.Project: “1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation”Organizer: PMQCurator: AllRightsReservedArtist: Paulo GrangeonBeneficiary organization: WWF-Hong KongCommunity creativity & culture partner: Hongkong Land