Hong Kong art space Current Plans goes into ‘hibernation’, but first, an overnight farewell performance and podcast in its Sham Shui Po home

Current Plans founder Eunice Tsang talks about its closing performance with collaborators Per.Platform and Stilllive, and podcast on ‘moving out day’

Her art space opened in Sham Shui Po while it was still a low-rent area, but with redevelopment and rising rents Tsang is being priced out

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Eunice Tsang, founder of Hong Kong art space Current Plans, which is closing in Sham Shui Po because of rising rents. She plans to reopen in a temporary space within two months, while looking for an affordable permanent space in a grass-roots neighbourhood. Photo: Current Plans

Published: 4:15pm, 23 Nov 2023Updated: 5:00pm, 23 Nov 2023

Current Plans, one of Hong Kong’s most popular non-profit art spaces, known for fun, provocative and quirky exhibitions and performances, is bidding farewell to its Sham Shui Po home with a bang this weekend.

Spanning Friday evening and Saturday morning, an overnight public performance, suitably titled Currently Still Planning to Perform, will be held with two groups of collaborators, Per.Platform and Stilllive.

And on Sunday – moving out day – founder Eunice Tsang will set up a podcast station where visitors can drop in for a chat: about their life stories, what they think about Current Plans, their views about the world, or anything else they like.

The content will be recorded and put on its website. Tsang is also considering including the transcripts in a book about the space, where she wants to push the idea of “democratically opening up the floor for face-to-face conversation”.

“Perfect Sense: Solo Show by Chris Shen” at Current Plans, April 24 to June 10, 2022. Photo: courtesy of Chris Shen

On Friday, more than 15 artists connected to the Hong Kong live art festival Per.Platform, as well as Yuki Kobayashi, the Japan-born founder of Stilllive and current resident artist at the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile in Tsuen Wan, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, will be on site to create a group performance that reflects the changes in Sham Shui Po and the vibrant grass-roots art community that has emerged in the Kowloon neighbourhood.