Symphony of the Future

EVENT DESCRIPTION

K11 is proud to launch its public art programme, ‘Symphony of the Future’, as one of the four art programmes of Art@Harbour, a project presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Art@Harbour will be held from 23 June to 18 December at the Tamar Park, and Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom promenades. Multiple outdoor art installations and digital art façades featuring the integration of art, science and technology will be set up by project partners at various locations, complementing each other and creating photogenic spots along the promenade. By displaying art pieces contributed by international and local artists, the project aims to inject vibrancy and innovation into the harbourfront and offer the public new interactive experiences to enhance the celebration ambience for the city.

‘Symphony of the Future’, open to the public along the Promenade of K11 MUSEA, the Avenue of Stars and Salisbury Garden, is a meticulously curated public art programme that reflects K11’s mission to be at the forefront of the evolving art world and demonstrates its ongoing commitment to combining art, lifestyle and technology. The three featured art pieces that have been contributed by international and local artists, namely, HΞXAVΞRSΞ (2022) by Don Diablo*, Looking Up (2022) by Tom Friedman and a prelude for the future (2022) by Olivier Cong (江逸天), explore the use of new technology and mixed media to bring foresight to a hopeful future.

HΞXAVΞRSΞ by Don Diablo – a one-of-its-kind “phygital” portal to the Metaverse
A key highlight of ‘Symphony of the Future’ is HΞXAVΞRSΞ by renowned Dutch artist Don Diablo. HΞXAVΞRSΞ is the embodiment of physical-meets-digital (“phygital”) art and offers insight into Diablo’s vision of the future. Two editions of the same sculpture will debut simultaneously at K11 MUSEA and K11 Shanghai respectively.

This is Diablo’s third and latest art project in partnership with Sotheby’s, with whom K11 also maintains a long-standing relationship. This collaboration and undertaking to bring diverse forms of art to the public is reflective of both K11 and Sotheby’s missions as cultural pioneers. The visionary HΞXAVΞRSΞ – a one-of-its-kind “phygital” portal to the Metaverse – features videos illustrating Diablo’s vision of the future of the Metaverse. The artist invites the audience to peek through the futuristic doors to view the videos of the sculpture that are embedded inside, and embark on a journey of imagination. The videos are remotely transmitted by Diablo himself to the audiences in Hong Kong and Shanghai through the internet, and the content will evolve over time. Featuring multimedia art and music, HΞXAVΞRSΞ is a cross-disciplinary creative endeavour for the public, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries.

The heated discussion about the Metaverse both scares and excites people as they look forward to its endless possibilities but also fear the impact to our social community. Diablo hopes to bridge the gap by bringing a piece of the Metaverse into the real world through HΞXAVΞRSΞ, and to open the door to invite people to discover what lies beyond the physical world and also within their imaginations.

Diablo has been leading the way in the world of digital art and NFTs, and his previous “phygital” NFT works INFINITΞ FUTURΞ and DΞSTINATION HΞXAGONIA were highly sought-after. This time, he has converted HΞXAVΞRSΞ’s videos into NFT, transforming it into an NFT sculpture.

Other works featured in ‘Symphony of the Future’
Besides HΞXAVΞRSΞ, ‘Symphony of the Future’ also features Looking Up (2022), an augmented reality piece by American conceptual artist Tom Friedman. Friedman draws from personal experiences to recreate prosaic moments that inspire reflections of everyday life. Viewers are invited to interact with the artwork in a different dimension by simply scanning the QR codes shown in Salisbury Garden with a smart phone.

In addition, a prelude for the future (2022), a performance by Hong Kong artist Olivier Cong which reinterprets In a Landscape by American composer and music theorist, John Cage, will be broadcast from 7pm to 7:30pm daily along the Avenue of Stars, and a virtual livestream of Cong’s performance can be viewed by scanning the QR codes made available along the Avenue of Stars. The artist himself will also give live performances in Salisbury Garden to re-enact the virtual livestream. Cong is a contemporary music artist and composer known for his evocative performances. He has collaborated with numerous cultural organisations including Hong Kong Light Pulse Festival and West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. a prelude for the future explores our contrasting expectations of the physical and digital realms and their differences.

Inspiring imagination through innovation and education
K11 has always been a keen supporter of sustainable development of art, aiming at fostering the link between art and the public. Therefore, alongside this public art programme, an extended programme of community-focused and educational tours, as well as a webinar will be lined up for all ages to understand more about art, providing an opportunity for more imagination beyond the physical world.
Please visit artatharbour.hk for more details on Art@Harbour.