Media

“TKT Land Production” Exhibition
HKU Landscape Architecture exhibits to tell the stories of
Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing from “City｜Villages｜Countryside”

13 Dec 2012

 

In Hong Kong, most people understand "real estates" as the transction of apartments and houses, and the sky-rocketed prices of purchasing tiny little flats are the most common conversations among Hong Kong citizens. However, the core meaning of "Real estates" originated with the meaning of any property related to the land, including all natural resources and potential yields that the land could produce. It is highly related to the environment as well as the productivity of the landscape surrounding us.

This exhibition by the Division of Landscape Architecture of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) intends to represent Tsuen Wan’s and Kwai Tsing’s "real estates" to its original meaning, and to explain how, in fact, the significant roles that landscape play in forming, deriving, and allowing the emergence of the local culture, industry, and vibrant citylife that the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing District now has.

The exhibits of the HKU team will be shown at the Sam Tung Uk Museum in Tsuen Wan from December 15, 2012 to March 3, 2013. Ms Vincci Mak, Head of the team and Assistant Professor at Division of Landscape Architecture will lead a guided tour on December 15 (Saturday) after exhibition opening to explain the design concept and share her views on the district’s development including environmental conservation, use of green and open space, and preservation of cultural landscape.

The Exhibition takes on the district‘s zoning characterisitcs of “City｜Villages｜Countryside” as means and media to tell the stories of the respective “landscapes”, and their respective roles and values in each of zone.

The story of landscape in "City" celebrates the vast network and close proximity to various typologies of landscape spaces the district has, and explains "Urban Landscape" as an crucial component in shaping a healthy city lifestyle.

The story of landscape in "Villages" explains the emergence of local culture based on village-style-living. Villagers ‘respect to their surounding landscapes are reflected from the villages‘ spatial configuration; the way they made use of the natural resource in the environment also create unique "Cultural Landscapes".

Then the story of landscape in "Countryside" explores the vast and abundant natural resource the district has, which explains why earlier settlers saw this "Productive Landscape" as an asset to make a living and decided to stay.

The Exhibition will be held in the Assembly Hall, Middle Courtyard, and the Ancestral Hall of the Sam Tung Uk Museum, to illustrate each of the“City｜Villages｜Suburbs”stories respectively, with installation of cubes in each space to represent the spatial density between "Built Area: Landscape" of each zone, creating spatial expereience that may trigger audience to re-evaluate about the environment we live in.

Details of Vincci Mak’s guided tour are as follows:

Date: December 15, 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 4:35pm (after the opening performance)
Venue: Sam Tung Uk Museum 2 Kwu Uk Lane, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong

For the exhibition poster, please visit: http://www.cpao.hku.hk/media/arch.jpg

For details of the “TKT Land Production” Exhibition, please visit: http://huluhk.org/had2012/

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Vincci Mak, Assistant Professor at Division of Landscape Architecture, email: wsvmak@hku.hk, tel: 2241 5654; or Ms Melanie Wan (Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 email: melwkwan@hku.hk .