Independent art galleries defiant as rent rises in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po neighbourhood threaten their survival
- In Sham Shui Po, one of Hong Kong’s poorest neighbourhoods and a haven for independent art in the city, rising rents have recently forced some spaces to close
- Those behind art galleries in the area reveal why they’re determined to ‘keep doing what we’re doing’ as players with deeper pockets move in
Sham Shui Po in Kowloon has so far borne the burden of being labelled a must-see cultural destination in every imaginable Hong Kong visitors’ guide.
The neighbourhood, one of the poorest in the city and home to a vibrant independent arts community, has retained its edgy appeal.
Now alarm bells are ringing as rent rises force art spaces to close and big players move in.
The latest to be affected is Current Plans, a gallery that will soon be losing its space in Wong Chuk Street. Founded by Eunice Tsang in 2021, the independent art space quickly generated a lot of excitement with its well curated contemporary programmes.
“My mind has been blank,” Tsang says, a few days after receiving a call from her landlord in July, the upshot of which was that a prospective new tenant would probably be taking over her space at the end of the year. “I haven’t really thought it through – it’s just so sudden. I haven’t even told all the artists yet.”
Running an alternative art space without government funding is always precarious. The spirit of living in the moment is reflected in the name of Tsang’s venue as well as that of its predecessor, Present Projects.