‘A Hong Kong story’: typography exhibition explores old Kowloon communities around gleaming new Kai Tak
- The exhibition at Gate33 in Kai Tak’s Airside uses typography to explore the communities and culture of Wong Tai Sin, San Po Kong, Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan
- The interactive show features works by 10 designers and artists, including graphic designer and sign maker Katol Lo, and industrial designer Lee Chi-wing
Visiting Kai Tak for the first time can be a bewildering experience.
An entirely new neighbourhood has emerged after years of walled-off construction on the site of Hong Kong’s former airport, studded with gleaming landmarks such as Airside, a shopping centre developed by Nan Fung and designed by Norwegian architects Snohetta.
But deep inside this slick mall is Gate33, an art space that reflects the older, more familiar parts of the city that surround Kai Tak.
That is especially true in its latest exhibition, TypePOP Show, which uses typography to explore the built environments, communities and culture of Wong Tai Sin, San Po Kong, Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan.
“Kai Tak is a new area – we’ve got new malls and new residential areas, new street names we’ve never heard before,” says Daisy Chu, who co-curated the show with Ire Tsui. “But a lot of older neighbourhoods are quite close, only 10 to 15 minutes’ walk.
