HK airport showcases interactive artworks by local artists

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has partnered with M+, MobArt Gallery, Art Promotion Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and Hong Kong Arts Centre to present art exhibitions that highlight the diversity of the local arts scene. 

Also known as "Traversing past and present", the exhibition includes four themes ranging from traditional crafts to digital arts, aiming to showcase the creativity of local artists to visitors and local residents.  

As part of the HKIA Arts & Culture Festival 2024, the works will be displayed from 8 August until 31 October at Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1, Ground Transportation Centre Downramp South near the Arrival Hall. 

The exhibition also features a series of interactive works blending traditional gongbi painting and multimedia digital technology created by Hong Kong artist Cherie Cheuk and designer Jack Lau.  

Cheuk, known for her gongbi painting, drew inspiration from the local elements of the "fabric streets" of Sham Shui Po to create a series of gongbi paintings, depicting flowers, birds, and monkeys with a classical flair, bonsai on window sills, ubiquitous tile patterns, and literati curios and displays.  

Meanwhile, designer Lau has injected life into those gongbi works by turning them into animated images using art technology. Viewers can browse the website by scanning the QR code above each painting, and match their own choice of "painting", "colour" and "pattern" to craft their own animation through augmented reality. 

Visitors will be able to explore a series of gongbi paintings, traditional Chinese paintings delicately and exquisitely outlining natural beauties, which have been transformed via multimedia digital technology into dynamic visuals and interactive artworks at the Ground Transportation Centre.  

Furthermore, Local traditional craftsmanship, long recognised as Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage, is presented with life-sized replicas of items such as bamboo steamers as well as mahjong tiles. 

Visitors can personalise their own postcards of Hong Kong street scenes by using stamps made with “Lee Hon Kong Kai” fonts, a signature calligraphy that commonly used in Hong Kong’s signs since the 1970s. Visitors can also receive limited-edition luggage stickers designed by local artists. 

The airport’s giant digital screen will feature four animated paintings created by local artists and 260 secondary school students. The collection explores Hong Kong’s dynamic culture from different perspectives while giving visitors a sense of “home” at the airport, a place of farewell.  

Each artwork has been brought to life through digital technology. In addition, more than 20 watercolour paintings by the local artist Kong Kai-ming, depicting Hong Kong’s natural beauty are being showcased in the departures hall. 

The "Traversing past and present" exhibition was first showcased last year at the Tio Gallery in Zhongshan, as part of the "Art><Creativity" Exhibition Series in the Greater Bay Area.  

Vivian Cheung, acting chief executive officer of AAHK, said, “As the gateway to Hong Kong, HKIA stands as an ideal venue to showcase the diverse cultural landscape of our vibrant city. HKIA has been providing a valuable platform for both established and emerging local artists to share their work with a global audience since 2015."

"The Arts and Culture Festival will enrich the journey of every traveller passing through the airport. The completion of the Three-runway System this year will also enable more travellers to visit Hong Kong and experience the city’s diverse culture and vibrant arts scene," she added.

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