Art and culture in Hong Kong: why art galleries such as Axel Vervoordt are moving to Wong Chuk Hang from the usual tourist areas like Central
- Art galleries are moving from busier areas of the city to a former industrial neighbourhood in Southern district because of its low rents and space
- The arts scene is growing there in spite of relatively low footfall, thanks to high- quality exhibitions and creative programming
Even before the MTR opened there in late 2016, Wong Chuk Hang in Hong Kong’s Southern district was, thanks to its space and relatively low rents, touted as the city’s next cultural hotspot.
Three years on, and the industrial district is developing – if slowly.
Wong Chuk Hang, although only a seven-minute train ride from the interchange station of Admiralty, is still considered by many to be too out of the way for a casual visit. However, since 2012, the number of art galleries in the area has gone from zero to around 20, and the low foot traffic has done little to stop this cluster of spaces from expanding (albeit slowly) and staging high quality exhibitions and programmes.
At this year’s Hong Kong Art Week, which runs until November 30, visitors can see what the galleries have achieved in developing and sustaining the city’s art ecosystem, without the pressure of high rent.
Daniel Lippitsch, the director of McNamara Art Projects that opened in Wong Chuk Hang in 2015, says he has seen positive progress in “the South Island Cultural District”, which also includes Tin Wan and Aberdeen. “The MTR has definitely improved the number of people coming to explore the area, but I do not assume that anybody expected it to compete with Central,” he says. “We have also seen a steady increase of people and new developments in the Wong Chuk Hang area.
“The focus has been on the quality of the exhibitions and projects, which I’m happy to say has greatly improved over the last couple of years and attracted an interesting and global crowd. I also see constant growth of the area in regards to internationally acclaimed galleries [here], such as Axel Vervoordt, as essential proof of the growing importance of the South Island Cultural District.”
Founded and run by the designer’s son, Boris Vervoordt, the Belgian-based Axel Vervoordt gallery moved from a tiny space in Central, the city’s financial district, to a breathtaking, multistorey space in Aberdeen in March – and Boris Vervoordt believes the move of the gallery will fortify its presence in Asia.
“This next phase anchors our presence in the region [after five years in Central],” he says. “With 8,000 square feet, we are able to curate exhibitions with no limitations, [and] present larger works that fully embody the artist’s practice.”
At the end of this month, the gallery will be offering an art residency to Mexican artist Bosco Sodi, which Vervoordt says will occupy yet another floor of the building. “Rather than showcasing artworks, we want to continue to create activities to make [the] South Island district even more vibrant and unique an arts hub. We want to differentiate it from the galleries in Central. We love the authenticity of this area, which is respectful to its heritage in its use of space.”
Off the beaten track Wong Chuk Hang is a magnet for fashion companies
Similarly, at the end of 2016, de Sarthe Gallery traded its centrally-located Club Lusitano space on Ice House Street in Central, for a 10,000 sq ft space in Wong Chuk Hang.
The gallery’s director, Willem Molesworth, acknowledges there has been, since the move, a comparative lack of pressure to stage commercial exhibitions selling blue-chip art – work that is expected to increase in value regardless of the economy.
“I’m not under the same financial pressure, I’m able to take risks and invest in the long term,” he says. “I can work with young contemporary artists closely, come to understand them deeply, make a commitment and work with them for a long span of time. We try to make value that lasts, for both the artists and collectors.”
Its next exhibition, “Home Sweet Home”, fittingly features installation, painting, and video works by local artist Mak Ying Tung 2, who plays with the integration of simulation and reality, and how this construction makes up Hong Kong.
Through local engagement and perhaps a great deal of patience, these South Island galleries have the potential to create a niche that features more creative programming.
Charles Fong, the director of Rossi Rossi, a gallery in an industrial building in Aberdeen – just to the east of Wong Chuk Hang – says the city has a skewed idea of what an arts hub should be. “It’s extremely commercial and market-led,” he says.
“We don’t need to force [Wong Chuk Hang] to become an arts hub – it will organically grow into one, because the industry actually works together and creates a demand for art production to thrive. I am not too worried about the place not getting the traffic that we want right now, [as] we are still in the process of growing it.”
Fong also points out the significance of cooperation between galleries in the neighbourhood. “There is more of a sense of camaraderie between the galleries here as we share resources, consult each other for advice, and debate about current art trends.”
South Island Art Brunch, November 23, 11am-2pm. Part of Hong Kong Art Week, which runs until November 30. Inquiries: 3480 5051
