Guided Viewing: 3 Exhibitions at the Hong Kong Design Institute With Curator Joy Wang

The Executive Committee is pleased to organise a guided tour of three exhibitions presented by Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) Gallery. HKDI is a leading design education institution in Hong Kong, offering excellent learning opportunities to keep pace with the growing demand of the creative industries. Themed as the White Sheet, the campus design from French architects Coldéfy & Associés, was the award-winning project in the HKDI International Architectural Design Competition in 2006/2007. We will start the tour with a showcase for Swiss accessory and watch, follow with a silk exhibition and end with an exhibition about design and technology. Our tour will be led by Joy Wang, Curator of HKDI Gallery.

1. “Swiss Accessory and Watch Design by HEAD – Genève”
This exhibition showcases over 100 pieces of designs by students of Geneva School of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève), one of the major institutions of art and design education in Europe. It demonstrates the latest innovations in jewellery, watch and accessory designs from Switzerland. Highlighting not only the renowned Swiss techniques of precision but also craftsmanship instilled by mentors in the field, via collaborations with worldrenowned watch and accessory brands such as Baume & Mercier and Piaget.

2. “In Praise of Silk: Fashion from China National Silk Museum Across Time”
The exhibition is a tribute to “mulberry silk”, the fibre that made China famous since historical times. Presented by HKDI’s Department of Fashion and Image Design, in collaboration with the China National Silk Museum, one of the largest textile museums in the world, this fascinating display provides an insightful journey through the millennialong evolution of China’s silk culture and its global impact. Exhibits range from ancient Chinese silkwork designs to contemporary fashion, weaving looms, animations, photographs, and more.

3. “Homo Ex Data – The Natural of the Artificial”
As robots, drones, and virtual reality enter our smart homes, technology has gradually built within us a second nature, an artificial one. But how natural can an artificial, technology-driven world be? To answer such a philosophical question, the Red Dot Design Museum will showcase a variety of Red Dot Awardwinning products in an exhibition that demonstrates how well-designed technology has become a “new, second nature” to modern human beings, so much so that our daily life and global society can no longer survive without these technologies.

Resource Person
Joy Wang is currently Curator of Hong Kong Design Institute & Institute of Vocation Education (Lee Wai Lee), overseeing international exhibitions under the brand HKDI Gallery Presents, including most recently “Konstantin Grcic – Panorama” with Vitra Design Museum; “Rafael Moneo: A Theoretical Reflection from the Professional Practice. Archive Materials (1961-2013)” with Fundación Barrié and “Homo Ex Data –The Natural of the Artificial” with Red Dot Design Museum. She directs the curatorial and event services teams in the creation of large-scale art and design exhibitions and educational events. Previously, she worked at the British Council Hong Kong (Arts and Creative Industries); the Hong Kong Arts Festival; and the Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association.