Just last Saturday (March 18), the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong exceeded 100,000.
This is the first time since customs clearance between Hong Kong and the mainland.
There are many theories about this number, some say that it was because of Lin Junjie's concert last weekend, and some guess that he came a few days earlier to prepare for this week's Basel.
*Lady Elephant sent fresh hot Basel scene picture
Looking horizontally and vertically, Hong Kong in March and April is not only crowded, hotels are also ridiculously expensive, if you are willing to wait, it seems good to go in May and June before the summer vacation.
For example, today, I want to introduce you to the highlight of Hong Kong every May: the French May Art Festival.
This art festival will penetrate all corners of Hong Kong, with various performances/exhibitions, which will last for about two months.
In the past two days, I found that many programs have been ticketed.
The day before yesterday in Hong Kong, there were two concert tickets, both of which were seconds away, that... Whether you grab it or not, today's article is worth reading.
Come to Hong Kong in May, watch the concert, and blow some early summer breeze from art~
01
What is officially promoted?
Friends who are attending French May for the first time, if they don't have a clue, following the official recommendation is the best way.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of May in France, and the theme is "Art Linkage", which represents the pulse, connection and growth of the festival, and also symbolizes the festival's role as a bridge for cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and France.
Therefore, the seven key programs of this year, covering genres such as heritage culture, music, dance and theater, can be said to be heavyweight and very meaningful.
Virtual tour of Versailles
⏰
April 19 - July 9
Thematic Exhibition Halls 3-5, Hong Kong Heritage Museum
Standard $10 / Group $7 / Concessionary $5
This virtual tour of Versailles in Hong Kong blends the past, the present and the imagined future, bringing the charm of monuments to the audience through technological means.
As one of the greatest monuments of France's glorious and cultural heritage, the Palace of Versailles remains an active leader of its time today, with a tour of the Palace of Mirrors, the French Gardens, and Marie's Palace. Antoinette's bedroom offers a new way to experience the charm of Versailles.
However, remember to download the "Virtual Versailles Tour" before visiting (this app will be available before the exhibition starts in mid-April) to have a better immersive interactive experience on site~
Dance Reflections
by Van Cleef & Arpels
This special project is a contemporary dance project launched by Van Cleef & Arpels in 2020, which will present a selection of top original and repertoire works by international choreographers and dancers.
This year, there will be nine performances, workshops and film screenings in France, and through these activities, the audience hopes to explore their relationship with dance.
These nine activities include the inheritance of folk dance, the analysis of legendary figures, the exploration of dance and spatial relationships, and the ingenious performance that combines extreme sports and art.
The venue is also not limited to the general performance space, and some shows will dance into the M+ building or shine in the West Kowloon Art Park.
Friends who are interested in this part can pay attention to the official French May, some programs that require tickets have also been ticketed on the city ticket network.
"The Harmony of Two Pianos"
Niu Niu and Theo · Fuxianna Black
⏰
12 May at 20:00
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall
$420 / $320 / $220 / $150
urbtix.hk/event-detail/9693
World-famous pianists Niu Niu and Theo · Fussennahei will perform from Dayefel's Tactile Pieces to Bizet's Carmen Fantasia, from Rachmaninoff's Suite II to the two-piano version of the Yellow River Piano Concerto.
If you like piano, don't miss this exciting performance, you will witness the wonderful fusion of East and West through classical music.
"King Lear"
Philips · Grace String Quartet No. 9
⏰
May 5-6 at 20:00
Hong Kong City Hall Theatre
$380 / $280
urbtix.hk/event-detail/9658
The performance King Lear, based on the soundtrack written by Grans for the Broadway play of the same name, is a masterpiece created by him and the Tana's string quartet, known as the "impeccable musician".
The biggest highlight is Grace's more vivid depiction of the turmoil, violence and despair of Shakespeare's classic tragedy through the string quartet.
《His Temple》
⏰
10 June at 20:00
Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall
$380 / $280
urbtix.hk/event-detail/9623
Musician Jiang Yitian controls the direction, concept, musical performances and texts of the show, working with dance artists Wong Wing Luk and Tam Zhizhuo to create a dialogue between contemporary music and dance with a unique line-up of local artists.
The show was inspired by Maupassant's short film Clair de Lune, and the surprise session was when French Ambassador Carrie Lam Jiaxin appeared in the form of a voice performance to interpret the script with her participation.
Karen and Debussy String Quartet
⏰
23 June at 20:30
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
$480 / $420 / $280 / $180
urbtix.hk/event-detail/9767
It's an electric guitar-quartet sparkling and charismatic musical performance where you can hear Karen Ender's classics including the newly choreographed "Going Anywhere", "Strange Weather" and "Winter Garden".
02
What to see during the May Day holiday?
Most of the shows start in mid-May, but knowing that everyone will take advantage of the May Day holiday to go to Hong Kong, I scanned the list and specifically turned over the activities that can be encountered during the May Day holiday (April 29-May 3).
Of course, the "virtual Versailles tour" officially recommended above is also open on May Day, and you can go along the way~
reshape
⏰
April 20 - May 1
Soho House White Box 22楼
Present events force us to rethink the way we live and understand the world, and the artist's work gives us hope despite the challenges of our surroundings.
Reinventing is a mixed-media, cross-cultural art exhibition organized by Children of the Mekong River Hong Kong that blends the unique imagination of curatorial artists with the unique perspectives of disadvantaged children.
Perhaps through this exhibition, you can find different ways of thinking about things and reshape a better world.
Archifictions
⏰
May 1 - May 26
TwentyCinco Gallery
Reservations only, admission is free
"Archifictions," an ongoing exploratory series that reflects artist Loung's fascination with modern architecture, is also his first solo exhibition in Hong Kong.
Drawing inspiration from huge silhouettes and geometric lines, his works are always stacked with layers of black and revolve around intimate topics.
The venue of the exhibition, TwentyCinco Gallery, is also worth checking in: this is a private place located on the top floor, with 3,000 square meters and 360° panoramic view, take the opportunity to visit the exhibition, and also see Hong Kong from a different perspective~
Pablo · Picasso: Glass portrait
Preview
⏰
May 1 - May 15
The Landmark Exchange Square Central Hall
exhibit
⏰
May 18 - August 27
The University of Hong Kong Museum of Art
(Closed on Mondays, public and university holidays)
The exhibition features a selection of relatively unfamiliar glass paintings by Picasso, who marveled at the masterful assembly techniques of the glass painters called "gemmail", and explored the possibilities of artistic creation using these materials.
The works on display are from private collections, and visitors have the opportunity to see the extraordinary works of the abstract masters and see the familiar Picasso.
City of Streamers – Urban Duo
⏰
May 1 - May 15
Fran Art Collection – Wong Chuk Hang Gallery
Admission is free
(Sundays, Mondays and public holidays by appointment only)
The exhibition brings together works by French visual artist and photographer Joel Odyssey and Fluxus artist Maxime Bracker, expressing the connections and contradictions between the urban environment and people's lives. The works on display will be presented in physical and NFT form.
03
Something easy to take
A friend said before that the art cell is not an active self, and I am afraid that I will be a little out of place when I go to Hong Kong in March, April and May every year.
Don't worry, start with the easy-to-take photography exhibition~
After all, photography is a moment of freeze-frame life, and with the curator's careful creation according to the theme, passing by and taking a look, it is light and burdenless, but it is too suitable to join the Hong Kong citywalk itinerary.
With Agnès B, a celebration of French fashion and photography
⏰
May 3 - May 14
The Garage, D2 Place Phase II
The French flair is really perfect for the gentle and slightly hot early summer! True to its name, the exhibition will showcase images captured by Agnès and photographically inspired fashion pieces.
Roche knitting, a subsidiary of the Roche Group, will also bring limited-edition knitted artworks modeled on Agnès b.'s photographs.
Literally
⏰
May 4 - June 3
French Cultural Association Hong Kong (Wan Chai and Jordan Centre)
Parenthèse Bookstore / Boogie Woogie Photography
Because of her identity as a photographer, from the business world to the corner of the suburban street, Florence Levillain has a keen sense of many details around her, so her work can take the viewer to discover the forgotten but inseparable parts of everyday life.
The French use a lot of vivid metaphors every day, but few people seriously explore the origin and literal meaning of these idioms, so Florence Levillain uses photography to interpret the literal meaning of these everyday words.
Even friends who don't know French can follow her work and explore the unique poetry and humor of French metaphors.
lowdown
⏰
May 5 - June 24
(Closed on Mondays)
The Gallery Paris 1839
"Inside Views" is a series of night shots by photographer Florian de Lassi. She lives alone on New York's Lower East Side, and when she stands in her fourth-floor apartment and looks out, she often sees women waiting alone.
This series of works peeks into the mysterious and depressed private side of women living in big cities, and discovers the loneliness of human beings behind the bustling cities.
04
There is also a must-see Olympia
The French Art Fair @ Da Kwun, which was first launched last year, was well received, and this year's series has been preserved~ There will be performances and dialogues this year, go to Da Kwun to play Remember to pay attention to whether you can run into it.
The Fables of La Fontaine
⏰
May 6 - May 14
Tai Kwun Review Plaza
Archibo Calamantra Theatre will present a large-scale puppet show "Fables of La Fontaine", where animals in costume show their humanity in every move. It seems to be a lively event of animals, but it actually presents a thought-provoking fable~
Please note that although the performance is free to watch, there are specific performances, so if you are interested, remember to frenchmay.com/article/199 the card at a good time
"Tai Kwun Dialogue"
Cultural heritage under the smoke
⏰
May 8, 19:00-20:30
Tai Kwun Jockey Club Cube
Admission is free after registration
(Please refer to Tai Kwun website for registration details)
A conversation worth paying attention to if you are interested in cultural heritage~
Through the introduction of fieldwork and innovative technologies, the dialogue will trace the process of cultural heritage conservation in war and conflict areas, and participants can face the real problems of cultural heritage from various identities and perspectives.
05
How can you forget foodies?
France May · All at Chinachem Group
⏰
May 11 - June 19
Central Market and L'hotel Plaza
Please and everyone who has not seen Hong Kong for three years, be sure to include the reopened Central Market in the check-in list~
Then in May and June, you can stop by the traditional French market, there will be French culture, food and handmade products, I think it is very exciting after looking at last year's pictures, and look forward to the Central Market presenting the feeling of the collision of East and West.
Gluttonous cities
⏰
May 7 - June 3
V54 Artist in Residence
Admission is free and advance reservation is required
bit.ly/3VzQaWc
Then I also found an exhibition that is very suitable for foodies~ The experience of artist Chong Ling is very unique, born and raised in Urumqi, studied in France, and now lives in Hong Kong, France and Hong Kong are like her second home.
Rooted in everyday life, "Gluttonous City" is simple but iconic, showing the urban style full of human feelings. The artist's experience shows the understanding of Hong Kong and French culture, I believe it can resonate with us more~
♀️ ♂️
How to say, the French May program is really, too ~ many ~, this article dare not say that it is the most complete and incisive, but I hope you can use this as a clue to dig out the side of Hong Kong that you are interested in!
Then make an appointment, see you in Hong Kong in May and June?
Figure / Network
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