Hong Kong community comes together to bring Event Horizon, paving the way for public art in the city
19 November 2015 (HONG KONG) – Event Horizon by British artist Antony Gormley officially launched today, and will be a part of the Hong Kong cityscape for six months, until 18 May 2016. The most extensive public art installation ever seen in the city, Event Horizon brings Hong Kongers a chance to see and interact with a world renowned art project and delight in being the Asian city of choice for the arts – changing the face of contemporary art in the city forever while paving the way for public art.
This afternoon’s launch ceremony at Statue Square Gardens was officiated by Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBS, JP, Chief Secretary for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), together with artist Antony Gormley, Director of British Council Hong Kong Robert Ness, and Carmen Ho of K11 Art Foundation, along with student tour guides and students participating in the Youth Arts Foundation education programme. The Hong Kong community and HKSAR Government welcome the project, with support from renowned sponsors and local landlords.
Antony Gormley said: “I am delighted to see that Event Horizon is launched in Hong Kong. Event Horizon captures the particular time of a particular body: a subjective place. The principle dynamic of the work is the relationship between imagination and the horizon, involving the citizen in a game of seeking and perhaps finding. Beyond those figures that you can actually see, how many more are out of sight? Where is the meeting place of earth and sky? Event Horizon engages Hong Kongers in the desire to look up and look again at familiar places in a new way, inviting reflection on human nature and our place in the wider scheme of things.”
Presented by British Council Hong Kong with support from lead partner the K11 Art Foundation (KAF), Hong Kong is the first Asian city to stage theinstallation following presentations in London, Rotterdam, New York, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Robert Ness, Director of British Council Hong Kong, said: “I’m delighted that we’re launching Event Horizon today and excited that it’s brought so many Hong Kong organisations, corporations, businesses and individuals together in this celebration of the transformational power of art. It’s amazing to see so many people craning their necks to get a better view of Antony’s sculptures and watch them recording the moment on their smartphones. Our Teaching Centre have produced education materials for distribution to all schools in Hong Kong, supported by a series of teacher development workshops. We’re responding to the debates about the place of ‘art’ in our busy urban lives and, indeed, the way we relate to the busy cityscapes in which we live.”
Adrian Cheng, Founder and Honorary Chairman of the K11 Art Foundation and Lead partner added: “Hong Kong is a special place, geographically, historically and culturally and this project adds to its appeal. We believe that public art makes the everyday better, to live and work amongst art. For art to be seen outside the traditional gallery environment, to a place that belongs to the people - the public realm - to be on constant show is extremely exciting. For six months and through two seasons, this project will be amongst us, marking a ground breaking moment for Hong Kong. I’ve always said, “in art we live” and now we can apply this to our City. We invite everyone to cast their gaze on this touching public art project.”
Event Horizon is thirty-one sculptures installed at both street level and building tops across a kilometre wide zone of Central and Western district. In an age in which over half of the human population of the planet now lives in cities, the installation encourages people to question how the individual responds to the built environment.
The most extensive city-wide public art project in Hong Kong will focus the public’s attention on the urban environment and the design of their city, as well as their interaction with it, as they catch sight of, search for and engage with the collection of sculptured figures standing on roof tops and at ground level.
The installation is complimented by a strong education and outreach programme, which includes dedicated activities and support tools for students, teachers and the general public. For details of all Event Horizon education and outreach activities in Hong Kong, visit www.eventhorizon.hk
Presenters
Event Horizon in Hong Kong is presented by British Council Hong Kong with support from lead partner the K11 Art Foundation and sponsors GAW Capital Partners, Grosvenor, Christie's, Hogan Lovells, Howard Bilton of The Sovereign Art Foundation, Central Saint Martin /Kai-Yin Lo Cross Culture Lecture, Dynamic Network Alliances, Mazarine Asia Pacific, Icicle Group and Sinclair Communications.
Event Horizon education and outreach programme is supported by M+, West Kowloon Cultural District, Asia Arts Archive, the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Hong Kong, PMQ, Asia Society Hong Kong and Youth Arts Foundation.
Event Horizon supporting organisations include JIA Group, Perrier Jouët, The Financial Times, Time Out Hong Kong, Art Map and Art Plus.
Learn more about Event Horizon on the website at www.eventhorizon.hk, and join the conversation on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EventHorizonHK
Instagram: https://instagram.com/eventhorizonhk/
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