above second gallery

Prince Fatty, Reggae reworker of “Insane In the Brain”

…iliar Hip Hop lyrics. The producer and his vocalist will be playing at XXX Gallery for their first appearance ever in Hong Kong. As much a student of classic Reggae, as a producer himself, you can expect a night of amazing tunes. Prince Fatty has gained additional notoriety recently as his re-working of Old Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”, found its way onto the popular American TV series Breaking Bad. A sample of his remakes include the follow…

Roy Lichtenstein remixed Chinese art?

…translate details from classic paintings into metal. Hong Kong’s Gagosian Gallery unveiled Roy Lichtenstein’s “Landscapes in the Chinese Style” on Saturday, November 12th. The exhibition runs until December 22nd, 2011. As Lichtenstein’s Chinese landscapes aren’t his most well known works, this a special opportunity to get up close and examine rare works from one of the kings of Pop Art. Worth a visit! Roy Lichtenstein – Landscapes in the Chinese…

CCTV: An urban art show

The Apostrophe gallery is back with a new urban art exhibition titled CCTV. The show is based on the controversial topic of using cameras to monitor society and potentially prevent crime. (The theme is very timely as Hong Kong struggles with how to cope with a serial criminal who has thrown corrosive liquid down at shoppers on a busy pedestrian street.) The exhibition highlights urban art from Italy and America including work by Geometric Bang,…

Film Workshop exhibition at Agnes B.

…ternational Film Festival is curating a special exhibition at the Agnes B. gallery in Wanchai. What’s inside? Located up a set of stairs on Wing Fung Street, next to Pacific Place Three, the show consists of posters and props from Film Workshop’s movies. Glancing at the posters, you begin to understand just how many important works were born from the company. Absolute classics including Shanghai Blues (a personal favorite!) Peking Opera Blues, A B…

Terry Richardson: from Rio to Hong Kong

…er Terry Richardson is featured in the final installment of Diesel’s BRAVE gallery series. Active in fashion and celebrity circles, Terry Richardson is known for his frank, sometimes sexually charged portraits. His subjects have included Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gallo, Chloe Sevigny, Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Jay Z, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Johnny Knoxville, Pharell Williams, and countless denizens of the str…

Is Graffiti an element of Hip Hop?

…a show titled “Post No Bills” at the Opera Gallery in Central on Tuesday, September 17th. SEEN – Post No Bills Opening 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Tuesday, September 17th, 2013 Opera Gallery 52 Wyndham Street Central, Hong Kong RSVP to hkg@operagallery.com to attend You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry!…

Happy Birthday XXX!

…cation, no liquor license, and a bathroom that made Racks seem classy, XXX Gallery, a music-centric club, has thrived over the past year. Crowds sick of the bling and commercialism of Central’s nightlife scene headed en masse to the fringe of Sheung Wan to party to niche music in the former basement bank vault. XXX kept up their end of the bargain throughout the year, hosting interesting DJs and alternative events that felt at home in the grungy,…

8 Women / 8 Stories exhibition, Friday!

…st Miya Ando In a salute to International Women’s Day, the Sundaram Tagore Gallery is opening a group exhibition titled 8 Women / 8 Stories on Friday, March 8th. The show brings together an assortment of artists, each with their own distinct style and “engaged in thought-provoking intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic explorations.” Particularly interesting is Miya Ando, who was raised among sword smiths in Okayama, Japan, and skateboarders in San…

The Embassy art space opening!

[photopress:embassy_art_gallery_Hong_K.jpg,full,pp_image] What’s happening to this city? Pretty soon I’ll have nothing to complain about anymore! The same people behind the legendary (but now defunct,) 6 Keyz gallery in Chai Wan are opening their new art space, The Embassy this Thursday, March 20th. There are twenty featured artists including new faces as well as Hong Kong favorites such as Simon Birch. Events in the past by this gang have been f…

Rediscovering the Fringe Club rooftop!

…ou’ve walked too far down if you find yourself in front of the Fringe Club gallery windows, or the F.C.C. After walking up the flight of stairs you’ll need to open a door on your right and climb another short staircase. [photopress:rooftop_Fringe_club_Hong_K.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Fringe_Club_Lan_Kwai_Fong_H.jpg,full,pp_image] From here you open a door and you’re in a cafe / gallery space. [photopress:Fringe_Club_Hong_Kong_LKF.jpg,full,pp_…

Retro-future and the art of Hajime Sorayama

…ted the likes of George Lucas, Aerosmith, Sony, and Bape? The AISHONANZUKA Gallery is presenting a solo show by the artist for the first time ever in Hong Kong on Saturday, September 7th. The late 1970’s and early 80’s were a boom-time for the science fiction genre. Films, books and magazines went from being underground and niche, to becoming mainstream with the success of Star Wars. Previously, Sci-Fi artists had enjoyed cult followings and thriv…

Will Banksy bomb Hong Kong?

…atural History in New York; the Louvre in Paris, and London’s Tate Britain gallery. Now on the radar of auction houses, his works have been fetching record highs over the last few years and have attracted celebrity collectors. The “Love Art” exhibition takes place at the Hong Kong Art Centre in Wanchai. It runs from April 23rd to the 28th (note this is a short exhibition – catch it while you can!) The show is being put on in collaboration with the…

Prodip Leung’s “Abstract Dimension”

…her-worldly creatures. The exhibition will take place at Future Industries gallery, which is located just off Hollywood Road on Square Street. (Close to Man Mo Temple.) According to the press release: “Prodip’s new work combines figurative and landscape elements, making use of a variety of mediums – from wood and paper to acrylic on canvas“ to explore mythic transformations and the interdimensional qualities of the everyday.” Prodip is a multi-t…

ABSOR[BED] – a group exhibition

…way we experience our conscious lives. Getting to the new XXX! The new XXX Gallery is located in Sai Wan, aka Western District. The location is not near the Sheung Wan MTR station, so don’t try to walk from there! (Especially not in Hong Kong’s humidity!) It’s in the basement of a shopping center called Hong Kong Plaza. The doorway to XXX is just past the entrance to the shopping center You enter XXX from the street, not via the shopping plaza. Th…

Darlings of contemporary art highlight stellar Louis Vuitton exhibition

…d has created an exhibition worthy of its prominent name. The large, multi-gallery show provides a rare glimpse at works from revered contemporary artists including Jean-Michel Basquait, Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, and Takashi Murakami, to name just a few. This is an opportunity that doesn’t frequently present itself in Hong Kong. The exhibition is larger than I expected and is broken up into several sections. Marc Jacobs, who was once artistic di…

Murakami art exhibition coming next month!

…er artists. It was unsanctioned and not endorsed by the artist. The Fabrik Gallery, the same people behind the first Banksy show are following up with an exhibition of artwork by Takashi Murakami. The Japanese contemporary artist, known for his colorful drawings, figures, and commercial savvy, is much sought after by international collectors. His work has attracted the likes of Louis Vuitton, who commissioned Murakami to add his artwork to a serie…

Cool T-shirt alert at new Uniqlo flagship!

…rth a visit, as it has a futuristic design. The UT T-shirt section is part gallery, and part sales floor Rows of t shirts include premium graphics featuring classic Disney characters, as well as The Peanuts, and a very cool Creative Filmmaker’s series. They even had a few Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring t-shirts! Just in time for the upcoming Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition! 😉 A big plus is that their offerings are all very reasonably priced…

Vaford Gates: art opening? warehouse party? charity event? All of the above!

…, initially as part of a wildly successful group show curated by the Above Second Gallery in collaboration with Swire properties. Since then they have taken on several new projects in the city. The Vaford Group is a leading contracting and construction firm based in Hong Kong. The forward thinking company has joined a number of other progressive firms in embracing a trend towards introducing art in non-traditional venues. In addition to the art ev…

H.K. DJs – the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly!

…chased at 852 Skateshop in Causeway Bay, or HKIT Skateshop in Tsim Sha Tsui. For more information, call 9688-7175. Recommended! Tableturnz film screening + after-party Saturday, June 16th, 2012, first screening at 4:30, second at 7:00pm XXX Gallery Basement, 212 Wing Lok Street Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tickets at the door are $80 HKD, or $70 HKD advance Package tickets with film and after-party are $130 HKD door, or $120 HKD advance…

Welcome to Memory Lane!

…ng in Hong Kong’s Chai Wan neighborhood, Memory Lane is a concept store, a gallery space, and a new street wear brand. Its location in Chai Wan – already somewhat off the map, is deeper into the factory area than most people tend to tread. Though the MTR-centric may perceive it as uncharted territory, once you know your way, it’s actually not very difficult to get to. Situated on the far East side of Hong Kong, there are express buses that operate…

Aura Club and M-88

…new club located on the sixth floor is the third tenant to open. The Opera Gallery on G2 is another newcomer. The second, third and fifth floors of the building have been rented by the people behind Hei Hei Club, a popular spot originally located across the street. Their space in M-88 features two connected floors, as well as a large, several thousand square-foot outdoor balcony. (Note that many buildings in Hong Kong do not have a fourth, fourtee…

A look inside Beijing Club!

…or to floor checking out the different sections. You enter the club on the second floor, which features the main dance floor, and two large bars. The bars are lit by colored crystals. [photopress:Beijing_Club_Hong_Kong_bar_.jpg,full,pp_image] A staircase at the opposite end to the entrance leads up to the third floor which features a cut out space that allows you to see the dance floor below. [photopress:Beijing_Club_M_88_Floor.jpg,full,pp_image]…

H.K.’s art institutions – out to lunch?

A few weeks ago I stumbled into the PARA / Site gallery in Sheung Wan just as Japanese artist Tatsumi Orimoto, also known as “the bread man,” was introducing his work. The artist gave a short talk that sounded almost apologetic. He seemed to say: hey, people recognize me for this, and give my work attention because of this, so I have to keep on doing it. What he does is tie baguettes to people’s heads and then parades them around in public. But…

Flo Rida electrifies club Cubic opening!

…sn’t simply a club, it’s also a full-featured concert venue. Taking up the second floor of the Hard Rock Hotel in the City of Dreams complex, the space can easily accommodate medium-sized concerts, or function as a ‘super club’ for big name international d.j.s.. The gigantic main room features extremely high ceilings, a large stage, two sprawling bars, and scores of booths for party-goers. The booths are a smart feature of the club, and cater to H…

Hidden field above Happy Valley?

…een Lane, which is just off the top of Blue Pool Road in Happy Valley. The second is a small doorway in a fence with a staircase that leads down from the triple intersection of Tai Hang Road with Blue Pool Road, not far from Stubbs Road. It doesn’t look like much, but after a few short staircases you’ll soon arrive at what they call the rather wordy “Green Lane Service Reservoir Sitting Out Area.” Someone actually made a video of where the second…

Nike: Respect the Legend of 23!

…ess:Nike_Air_Jordan_Hong_Kong.jpg,full,pp_image] The event was held on the second and third floors of the three-story shop. The second floor held the sneaker exhibition which was built into the walls of the room and also occupied a large round glass casing that formed a nucleus in the center of the room. [photopress:Nike_Hong_Kong_Jordan_HK.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Nike_Tsim_Sha_Tsui_HK.jpg,full,pp_image] I’ve never seen so many Air Jordan s…

Chanel Mobile Art opens in Hong Kong!

…obile_art_Hong_Kong.jpg,full,pp_image] Once inside the tunnel you take the second right and walk towards City Hall. Near the beginning of the parking structure I found the entranceway staircase and proceeded up. I arrived early so that I could admire Zaha Hadid’s contemporary art container before heading inside. From its perch on top of a parking garage in the middle of Central, the Chanel Mobile Art pavilion has some pretty famous neighbors. Gazi…

HOODS “Previously Opening Exhibition”

…rop is a photo of paratroopers descending. Walking up the staircase to the second floor, you see a whole wall covered in black and white illustrations, stickers, and posters. Located against another wall and on several racks inside is the exhibition: a special collection of t-shirts that represent the designers’ philosophies. The first area belongs to Neighborhood. On the rack are a collection of t-shirts packaged in thin vacuum sealed containers….

Drum N Bass legend LTJ Bukem *tonight* plus MTR on the 13th!

…d other forms of bass-heavy music, next weekend, Saturday the 13th, is the second edition of MTR. MTR is a new party broken down into two rooms. The first is devoted to Drum and Bass and Dubstep; the other into Bassline / UK Funky. The first room will feature DJs: Liquid A from Manila, Redman, Stinks, Darkside, and Blooddunza The second room: Enso, Drafus, and Yao MTR Saturday March 13th Ashtray 3/F, Ho Lee Building, 38-44 D’Aguilar Street (in Lan…

Seafood village in the city?

…e. Twice last month I visited the Wong Nai Chung Cooked Food Centre on the second floor of the building that also houses the market. The location is smack in the middle of Happy Valley, on the corner of Yuk Sau Street and Sing Woo Road. It’s in one of those ugly government sanctioned buildings that takes the place of the more colorful, but perhaps less controllable street markets. You can enter the building on several sides. I usually enter on 2 Y…