CHAT celebrates 5th anniversary with Spring Programme 2024 Factory of Tomorrow
March 16 - July 14
Free
CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) proudly announces its Spring Programme 2024, Factory of Tomorrow, as it gets ready for its 5th anniversary. The group exhibition, curated by CHAT’s curatorial team, will open to the public from 16 March to 14 July 2024 and feature CHAT’s contemporary art collection as well as newly commissioned works.
Marking 5 incredible years since the textile heritage museum opened in 2019, Factory of Tomorrow ambitions to articulate the unique artistic character and vision of CHAT, which is housed in a prime example of Hong Kong’s industrial heritage – a former cotton spinning factory. CHAT has also lined up an exciting series of events to provide visitors of all ages with a rich and engaging cultural experience.
Envisioning the future through heritage
Since its establishment, CHAT has always striven to breathe life into heritage. Factory of Tomorrow is in the genealogy of CHAT’s curatorial journey over the last 5 years. Through heritage, it endeavours to critically examine the past and evoke imagination for the future.
The exhibition brings together contemporary art creations by 19 artists of Asian backgrounds. Roughly divided into two parts, Factory of Tomorrow first reflects on the role textile played in Hong Kong’s industrial past before shifting the focus to the present and the future. Ranging from textile works and sculptures to immersive installations and videos, the artworks reflect the artists’ perspectives on textile technology and materials, diversity, climate change and our future. While shedding light on various problems, CHAT does not intend to glorify the past or foster pessimistic outlooks; but rather, it calls on visitors, artists and designers to collectively learn and build a better path forward.
In addition, CHAT is thrilled to welcome several new elements as it embarks on the next chapter. The D. H. Chen Foundation Gallery will feature the new special display Misfitted: Unspoken Stories of Tailoring, curated by Bruce Li and introducing local textiles tailor-made for different purposes. A new interactive experience, Illumin-Loom, will invite visitors to operate a virtual loom and create their own illuminated textile patterns. The CHAT Lounge will also reopen with big curtains designed based on artworks by local students, the interactive art piece DEMOS, and the display Artefacts of Labour contextualising art through heritage, textile and CHAT’s collection.
Opening performance, art photo booth and more exciting celebrations
As in previous seasons, CHAT’s offerings in spring 2024 extend beyond the exhibition space. Complementing the thematic show are a range of captivating performances as well as artist and curator-led tours, workshops and talks. On 15 March, the audience can participate in the opening performance by Frog King Kwok, a pioneering performance artist from Hong Kong, at The Hall at The Mills using musical instruments made from recycled materials.
