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2022-2024

Joy Again, Isle

Looking to the south from Sai Kung Town, the Sai Kung Hoi is surrounded by Sai Kung peninsula, Kau Sai Chau and Clear Water Bay peninsula. With the natural barrier of the studded isles and the natural inlets, the waterways of Sai Kung Hoi is calm all year round. Rich in natural ecological resources as well as historical and cultural heritage, many places in the Sai Kung Hoi, such as Yim Tin Tsai, Sharp Island, Kau Sai Chau and High Island, etc., are popular for visitors during holidays.

Since 2019, Tourism Commission has organised a new three-year pilot tourism project in Yim Tin Tsai, namely the Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival. Through collaboration amongst local and non-local artists, youngsters and villagers, the Arts Festival has turned the island into an “open museum”, bringing a new and unique travel experience integrating arts, religion, culture, heritage and green elements to participants.

Upon completion of the Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival in 2021, some artworks showcased have been retained at Yim Tin Tsai as exhibits for visitors’ appreciation. To leverage the successful implementation of the Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival under the pilot project and sustain its momentum to showcase the unique culture and the valuable natural ecology and heritage of the islands in Sai Kung District, another three-year Arts Festival, namely Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival will be launched later with Yim Tin Tsai as the centre and reaching out to Sharp Island, Kau Sai Chau and High Island. The Arts Festival will diversify the tourism offerings and enrich local and non-local visitors’ experience, blending the rich history, local culture, heritage and natural environment of Sai Kung Hoi with Hong Kong’s creativity and arts atmosphere.

Curator’s Message

Hong Kong, formed by islands, has evolved our unique culture, religions, geology and social practices in harmony with nature. Art, as a medium, is a reflection of our lives which brings us on a journey of discovery and healing.

During this 3-year Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival, aside from our base at Yim Tin Tsai, participants can further explore the old and the new of Sai Kung Hoi at Sharp Island, High Island and Kau Sai Chau through different art installations and public programmes. With the theme of《Joy Again, Isle》, we wish that the isles can be the place where people meet, connect, begin and enjoy their journeys to experience the healing power of arts and nature.

We invite you to join us in appreciating the creations of the isles, villagers’ stories and creating your unique joyful arts experience at Sai Kung Hoi!

———

Curator
One Bite Design Studio

Interconnecting people and making places
[Create · Observe · Take Action · Bite]

Being the Hong Kong’s first certified B Corp architecture firm, onebite is a creative team of strategists, architects, designers, community outreach managers and event managers. Headquartered in Hong Kong with an office in Singapore, we have been involved in various architectural, interior design, art and pop-up installations visual communication and social creative projects in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia since 2014. Placemaking is in our DNA and we strive to bridge the gaps between space, place and our society by constantly exploring the synergies among our stakeholders.

2024

Joy Again, Gather

From prelude to stories retold, the sub-theme for the third year is “Joy Again, Gather”.

Each encounter between individuals will be the threads of messages to bring on to tomorrow. Artists are invited to bring to life the spirit of reunion for participants in Yim Tin Tsai, Sharp Island, Kau Sai Chau (Kau Sai Village) and High Island through their artistic endeavours, manipulating around interactions & encounters. In concert with public participation in art creation, we endeavour to craft a sustainable future for our islands, allowing art to become a balm for the visitors.

Dots, lines, and planes will come together in the third year’s artworks, as the islands of Sai Kung Hoi’s waters transform from mere points and individual narratives, into carriers of assembly. We eagerly anticipate that the stories that have coalesced in the first and second years will spark inspiration in our artists, leading to the creation of a multi-faceted art-driven reunion that is unique for Sai Kung Hoi. This year’s Arts Festival will explore different forms of “gathering”. Through the art installations, the static form of “gathering” emerges on the islands. Immersive experiences bring some active form of “gathering”. The cross-disciplinary collaboration between the villagers and different parties materialises the joy of encounter.

2023

Joy Again, Stories

Retelling the stories of our islands, humanity, ecology and natural beauty, the second year of the SKHAF will be having islands as the container of dialogues to bridge the present and future of the city’s valuable resources.

Looking like dots on the map, our islands co-created the unique identity of Sai Kung Hoi. From dots, we start to see the daily lines of kaitos, the connections between each visitor and traveller. Each line represents a different story, a different experience. We hope to bring out these intangible yet significant lines intertwining in Sai Kung Hoi through the artworks in the second year.

Stories are about moments, yet not static. Stories evolve, grow and transform through time, space and interactions. From lives, objects, habits, rituals and recurrences, we record and frame different angles for residents, visitors and tourists to observe and discover these stories. From islands to people, all joy again, stories.

2022

Joy Again, Isle

In the opening year, the isles become canons of initiation. Behind the tranquility of these isles are tangible chronicles of an intertwining series of historical events that gradually shape the unique cultural landscape we witness today. Artists are invited to curate artworks with themes like village stories, balance of rural and urban, ecological conservation and cultural inheritance in response to the creation of lives. With low-carbon tours and public programmes, participants may enjoy the journey of the beginning of lives again.

Annual Themes

SKHAF2023-key-visual
SKHAF2022-key-visual