Nestled within the sleek Airside shopping center in the newly developed Kai Tak neighborhood, Gate33 art space provides a sanctuary that reflects the city’s older, more familiar neighborhoods. The latest exhibition, TypePOP Show, delves into the rich tapestry of Wong Tai Sin, San Po Kong, Kowloon City, and To Kwa Wan through the lens of typography, exploring the built environments, communities, and culture that define these vibrant districts.
Daisy Chu, co-curator of the show, highlights the proximity of these established neighborhoods to Kai Tak, emphasizing the inspiration drawn from their communities. The exhibition features an array of immersive and interactive works by 10 talented designers and artists, including Katol Lo, Jonathan Mak, Adonian Chan, and Lee Chi-wing, each bringing their unique perspectives to the showcase.
Venturing into the exhibition, visitors are greeted by Lo’s captivating walk-through installation, ‘Infinite Mirror Room of Bestowment.’ Hand-lettered signs adorn the space, evoking the graphic landscape of To Kwa Wan, while 110 four-character aphorisms engraved on mirrored pillars immerse visitors in a world of traditional Chinese wisdom. The mirrors, inspired by those found in traditional Chinese medicine and bone-setting clinics, pay homage to the practice of patients expressing gratitude through donated mirrors.
Co-curator Chu, driven by this tradition, organized workshops in local businesses to gather words of appreciation from residents. Lo skillfully transformed these messages into inscriptions, capturing the essence of handcrafted signs that once characterized Hong Kong’s streets, each distinct style contributing to the city’s unique visual identity.
Mak’s work, influenced by the typographical landscape of Kowloon City, takes a different approach. Collaborating with a local Thai community group, Mak engaged with children to gather their thoughts and impressions of the neighborhood. Employing an oscilloscope, he ingeniously converted their words and neighborhood sounds into graphical elements, resembling common components found in local signage and pedestrian crossing signals.
The exhibition has resonated deeply with locals, with queues forming on weekends to experience the show. Lo emphasizes that even those without a background in design can appreciate the stories and insights it offers into the community, making it a compelling exhibition that captures the essence of Hong Kong.
