Cover Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (Photo: courtesy of Amanda Wei Gallery)
Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (Photo: courtesy of Amanda Wei Gallery)
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Besides Art Basel, there are plenty of arts events happening in the city, from the first-ever ComplexCon outside of the US to an exhibition by a Parisian painter who was obsessed with cats
March is known as art month in Hong Kong, and for good reason too: a plethora of art events are taking place in our city this month, the biggest among them being Art Basel.
But besides Art Basel, there are plenty of other arts events happening in the city too, both in the genres of visual and performing arts, such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Music lovers should also keep their eyes peeled—and ears pricked—for some major festivals and big names coming to Hong Kong. For starters, pop culture festival ComplexCon is making its debut in our city, marking its first-ever event outside the US since its founding in 2016. Or for something more innovative, how about a contemporary music concert lit by neon lights? To find out more about all these events and more, read on.
In case you missed it: Performing arts 101: Why does an orchestra need a conductor and what do they do on and off stage?
1. Neon Sounds Multimedia Concert
Above Neon Sounds Multimedia Concert (Photo: courtesy of Streetsignhk)
Neon Sounds Multimedia Concert (Photo: courtesy of Streetsignhk)
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When: March 1 to 2
Where: Shouson Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wan Chai
What: Neon light installations take centrestage in this music performance where musicians Chan Hing-yan, Chan Kai-Young, Fung Lam and Matthew Schreibeis will pair their music with the vibrant lights to create an audio-visual feast. Delivered by Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and Toolbox Percussion, this multimedia project has been conceptualised in collaboration with local heritage conservation group Streetsignhk and pays an ode to the iconic and historic craft of neon light-making.
2. ComplexCon
When: March 22 to 24
Where: AsiaWorld-Expo, 1 Airport Expo Boulevard, Chek Lap Kok
What: Led by Japanese designer Verdy, the first-ever ComplexCon outside of the US will take place this month in Hong Kong, featuring a line-up of local and international musicians. This festival, founded by fashion designer Marc Ecko, has been bringing together pop culture, art, food, style, sports and music since it was founded in 2016. This year’s performers include British-American rapper 21 Savage, Chinese rapper Lexi Liu, Taiwanese rapper Shou Lou and Hong Kong performer Edison Chen.
3. ‘Still Life’
Above Yeung Tong Lung in “Still Life” (Photo: courtesy of “Still Life” production team)
Yeung Tong Lung in “Still Life” (Photo: courtesy of “Still Life” production team)
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When: March 2 to 3
Where: Multi-media Theatre, HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, 135 Junction Road, Kowloon
What: In this documentary, independent film producer Peter Yam captures behind-the-scenes life of local self-taught painter Yeung Tong Lung who, for more than four decades, has been depicting his home city’s urban landscape, objects and human lives. The screenings are accompanied by artist talks.
4. Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra Concerts in Hong Kong
Above The Verbier Festival's music director Gábor Takács-Nagy conducting the orchestra (Photo: courtesy of Aline Paley)
The Verbier Festival's music director Gábor Takács-Nagy conducting the orchestra (Photo: courtesy of Aline Paley)
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When: from March 24 to 25
Where: Various locations
What: The Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra is made up of alumni of its training programmes who now hold positions in prestigious orchestras around the world, including the Vienna Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras. It is the resident orchestra of the Verbier Festival, an annual music festival that takes place in summer in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.
It will be coming to Hong Kong this month for a Beethoven concert presented by Asia Society Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts on the first day. It will be followed by a trio recital at Asia Society's Miller Theatre, featuring Pianist Alexander Malofeev, violinist Marc Bouchkov and cellist Anastasia Kobekina.
5. ‘The Line that Never Ends’ exhibition
Above “Petite fille à l’oiseau” (1957) by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (Image: courtesy of Amanda Wei Gallery)
“Petite fille à l’oiseau” (1957) by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (Image: courtesy of Amanda Wei Gallery)
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When: Until September 7
Where: Chatham Maison Art Research and Exchange Centre, Mid-Levels
What: French Japanese painter Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita was an iconic figure in the 20th-century Parisian avant-garde movement, who was known for blending traditional Japanese ink techniques with modern French aesthetics. A contemporary of Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani, he chose elements of Paris, from cats to cafés, as his subjects. The Hong Kong exhibition not only features his artworks but also his photographs, videos and interviews. Visits by appointments only.
6. Henderson Arts @ Central
Above Collected Light: From Legacy to Future (Photo: courtesy of Henderson Land)
Above Elaine Chiu (Photo: courtesy of Henderson Land)
Collected Light: From Legacy to Future (Photo: courtesy of Henderson Land)
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When: Until April 6
Where: Various locations in Central
What: Central is having an artistic makeover for about a month, as ten international and local artists are displaying their art pieces and installations at the landmarks of the district. As well as exhibitions held in collaboration with six international galleries at H Queen's, an art hub under Henderson, there will also be outdoor pieces, including a 220-metre art hoarding called Realising Central Cityscapes at New Central Harbourfront Site 3 Project by Hong Kong artists Elaine Chiu and Zoie Lam.
The two created this vast mural to capture the unique elements of the city, such as Star Ferry, the Peak and the Court of Final Appeal Building. Chiu, who created Hong Kong Kaleidoscope as part of this big mural, says she uses vibrant colours to "honour Henderson Land's deep-rooted history in Hong Kong. I want to convey the power of unity and love in a post-pandemic world where we come together as one again."
7. Aim High Music Foundation Fundraising Concert 2024
When: March 3
Where: JC Cube, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central
What: Enjoy soul and pop music by a talented local line-up, featuring renowned pop singer Ivana Wong, rock band The Hertz and youth choir Lunar Antz. Joining them on stage is John Laudon, the co-founder and composer of Aim High Music Foundation, an NGO that provides music education to young people from underprivileged backgrounds. Proceeds from the concert will go to this foundation.
8. The Rule Breakers
Above A still from “Serenade” (Photo: courtesy of The George Balanchine Trust and Cheung Wai Lok)
A still from “Serenade” (Photo: courtesy of The George Balanchine Trust and Cheung Wai Lok)
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When: March 22 to 24
Where: Lyric Theatre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Wan Chai
What: The Hong Kong Ballet will present their iterations of period-defining pieces: George Balanchine’s Serenade (1934), which subverted expectations by incorporating students’ falls and other mishaps into the choreography; William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (1987), which put athleticism and stamina to the forefront; and Andonis Foniadakis’s Strangelove (2024), which explored complex human conditions. The production will feature live music by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
9. WestK FunFest
Above Little Thai Forever (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Area)
Little Thai Forever (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Area)
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When: March 16 to April 7
Where: West Kowloon
What: West Kowloon’s inaugural WestK FunFest features more than 150 international and local family-oriented productions, workshops, installations, interactive elements and arts programmes. One of the highlights is Arts Impact Fellowship 2023 awardee Gabriella So Chi-ching’s Little Thai Forever. This performance, based on real testimonies and semi-biographies of young Thai performers raised in Kowloon City, traces four decades of history of a family-owned Thai restaurant and how food and the sense of familial community fortify them against life’s hardships.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
