In March, Tatler’s arts and culture editor Aaina Bhargava joked that every time someone said ‘Hong Kong is back!’ during art week, we should have a shot. She wasn’t wrong—Hong Kong is back, and if the ReStart Art Club party—often referred to as the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) party—was anything to go by, not only has the city returned to its full glory, it’s also brighter than ever
Where? K11 Atelier on King’s Road
When? March 23, 2023
Who? Dino Sadhwani, Princess Alia Al-Senussi, Sonia Cheng, Adrian Cheng, Eva Chow, Jonathan Cheung and Tina Leung
Here’s what you missed:
Previous editions of the event were hosted at some of Hong Kong’s most well-known addresses, including the Harilela Mansion, the now-defunct Jumbo Kingdom and The Mills. And this year, the city’s creatives made their way over to K11 Atelier on King’s Road for a party that tickled all the senses.
The evening was hosted by Princess Alia Al-Senussi and Dino Sadhwani, and co-chaired by K11 Group founder Adrian Cheng; vice chair of M+ museum Alan Lau; LACMA board of trustee member Eva Chow; LACMA CEO Michael Govan; and director and CEO of UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing Philip Tinari. The event brought together the global arts community to celebrate the reinvigoration of the international art scene in Hong Kong. VIP guests included Anne Wang-Liu and Lindsay Jang, who embarked on a multisensory journey that explored all aspects of art: the familiar and foreign, digital and analog, acoustic and electronic.
Stepping into the venue, guests were invited to enjoy cocktails from a gin bar created by Two Moon Distillery, then traverse through the depths of nature in an immersive art exhibition created by the renowned South Korean art and design group D’strict. Inside the flower-themed immersive space, guests were treated to an infinite symphony of “petals” created through mirrors and media art. Another had a jungle theme depicting a tropical rainforest where animals change colour and patterns according to the light and environment.
Afterwards, guests were ushered into an elevator to take them to a hall. During the minute-long journey, an acrobat performed inside a lifesized diamante-incrusted martini glass, keeping guests entertained and ensuring not a single moment went to waste.
With creative direction by Jason Swamy, the event featured coloured lighting contrasted against various materials and textures, paying homage to the 1970s’ and 1980s’ Hong Kong, while sequential surprises continued to be unveiled throughout the night. Traditional dim sum carts were wheeled around the venue to keep bellies full, while mahjong tables were set up on the dance floor for partygoers to play on while resting their feet. Eight local and international acts were flown in from the US, Ukraine, Switzerland, Mexico, France, Philippines and Taiwan. Tatler’s Asia’s Most Stylish honouree Anisha Thai, performed with a crew and kept guests grooving all night.
Classic neon streetlights lit up the ceilings to usher guests out, but one sign in particular had people behaving like a character in a 1980s John Hughes movie: hands in the air, fists pumping to the music. It read: Made in Hong Kong.