HONG KONG, CHINA. The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) Arts and Culture Festival 2024 launched last week with its opening ceremony held on 8 August.

The festival, which runs until 31 October, features a series of exhibitions displaying the works of local artists and promoting Hong Kong’s culture to a global audience.

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has partnered with M+, MobArt Gallery, Art Promotion Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Hong Kong Arts Centre to present art exhibitions that highlight the diversity of the local arts scene.

In addition to the festival’s fine art displays, performers at the launch took to the stage to entertain travellers passing through the airport.

Attendees at the opening ceremony included Leisure and Cultural Services Department Heritage & Museums Assistant Director Esa Leung; M+ Museum Director Suhanya Raffel; Hong Kong Arts Centre Executive Director Rebecca Ip; and MobArt Gallery Director Shirley Chung.

AAHK Chief Operating Officer and Acting CEO Vivian Cheung said: “As the gateway to Hong Kong, HKIA stands as an ideal venue to showcase the diverse cultural landscape of our vibrant city. HKIA has been providing a valuable platform for both established and emerging local artists to share their work with a global audience since 2015.

“The Arts and Culture Festival will enrich the journey of every traveller passing through the airport. The completion of the Three-runway System this year will also enable more travellers to visit Hong Kong and experience the city’s diverse culture and vibrant arts scene.”

The festival features four exhibitions spanning diverse themes, from traditional crafts to digital arts. Local traditional craftsmanship – long recognised as Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage – is represented with life-sized replicas of items such as bamboo steamers and mahjong tiles.

Visitors can personalise their own postcards of local street scenes using stamps made with ‘Lee Hon Kong Kai’ fonts – a signature calligraphy commonly used in Hong Kong’s signs since the 1970s.

Limited-edition luggage stickers designed by local artists are also available to travellers at the exhibition.

A display of gongbi paintings feature in the Ground Transportation Centre. These traditional Chinese artworks, known for their delicate and exquisite outlines of natural beauties, have been transformed into dynamic visuals and interactive experiences through multimedia digital technology.

An interactive display allows visitors to select their favourite paintings, choose materials and colour palettes, and craft their own animations in the virtual world.

The airport’s giant digital screen features four animated paintings created by local artists and 260 secondary school students. The collection explores Hong Kong’s dynamic culture from different perspectives while giving travellers a sense of ‘home’ before they depart the airport.

More than 20 watercolour paintings by renowned local artist Kong Kai Ming depicting Hong Kong’s natural beauty are also being showcased in the Departures Hall. ✈️