Cover Yvette Kong launches a new project titled The JadeWalkers at Venice Biennale (Photo: courtesy of Monique Lai)
Yvette Kong launches a new project titled The JadeWalkers at Venice Biennale (Photo: courtesy of Monique Lai)
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Here’s your one-stop destination to find out what the members of the Tatler community are up to, from starting new business ventures to hosting meaningful celebrations. This month we share how one Hongkonger is flying the city’s flag high at the Venice Biennale.
Each month, we bring you the latest updates and intriguing insights from the inner circles of the Tatler community. Discover who and what is making waves: and stay in the know about everything from impactful community projects and inspiring personal celebrations to groundbreaking new business ventures and cultural happenings.
This month, we’re clueing you in on the details behind The JadeWalkers, Yvette Kong’s new project that has brought Hong Kong culture to the Venice Biennale.
Also read: Tatler community news in April: A memorial exhibition honouring Lee Shau Kee opens in Hong Kong
Introducing The JadeWalkers by Yvette Kong
Former Olympic swimmer-turned-MIT lecturer Yvette Kong debuted her new project The JadeWalkers at the 19th Venice Biennale. The JadeWalkers is a re-imagination of Hong Kong’s heritage and textiles through riveting stilt-walking, music, dance and wearables.
Presented by Transversal Lab, the 30-minute spectacle began at the iconic Venice Arsenale, with drummers from the Conservatorio di Musica heralding the start. Kong, as The Female Warrior, led the procession in a striking costume. Towering alongside her were the Brooklyn Jumbies, stilt performers whose Afro-Caribbean traditions added a dynamic layer to the show.
Kong’s vision for The JadeWalkers aligns with the Venice Biennale’s 2025 theme, Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective., and Hong Kong’s pavilion theme, Projecting Future Heritage which explored bamboo scaffolding and overlooked architectural typologies. Kong’s project explored Hong Kong’s architectural and textile heritage, as well as the city’s creative potential through what she calls “living architecture”. Motifs symbolising Hong Kong’s history included nods to recent fencing triumphs, as well as Cantonese opera.
“My intention with this work is to connect the beauty of Hong Kong’s culture to the world, sharing our heritage and creativity,” said Kong. “To see this come alive feels amazing—it’s exciting to connect with the public and bring our stories to life.”
Kong collaborated with Laura Anderson Barbata, a Mexican-born, New York-based artist and MIT lecturer; and Tsai Chun Huang, assistant professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and 2024 Paris Fashion Award Gold Winner for this project. Following its Venice debut, The JadeWalkers is set to tour Europe and Asia, with a potential performance at the 15th National Games in Hong Kong.
As Content Director at Tatler Hong Kong, Tara shapes the brand's editorial vision across social, digital and print, and reports on Asia's most influential figures — from CEOs and leaders across business, style and the arts. In her dual role as Head of VIP, she also drives the planning and execution of Tatler's flagship IPs, curating star-studded events and building the relationships and communities that define the brand. Born and raised in the Middle East, she honed her craft in Dubai, crafting communication strategies for luxury brands across the Gulf. Follow her on Instagram @tarasobti.
