Corporate Responsibility
Exhibition dates: 14.1.2020 – 25.2.2020
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To energise the city with arts and design elements, Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) and MTR Corporation are kicking off an exhibition project HKDI x Art in MTR ─ TKL_WE_IMAGINED to showcase a collection of playful design ideas by HKDI students. The exhibition will be launched from now to 25 February 2020 near Entrance/Exit J of MTR Central Station. The project presents Tiu Keng Leng in diverse ways that are inspired by community characteristics and the history of Tiu Keng Leng. Existing traditions meet the craft of a new generation, creating vivid ideas that add vitality to the hustle and bustle of the city.
HKDI was approached by MTR with a challenge to rejuvenate MTR Tiu Keng Leng Station to improve passenger experience and enhance the connection between the station and the community. This industry collaboration provided a valuable opportunity for HKDI’s design students to experience the entire process of working with a large corporation, from project brief, pitching and presentations, to project modification in response to a professional client’s comments, and finalising the output. The participants also expressed that it was a useful lesson to sharpen their design techniques and communication skills, better preparing themselves for their careers.
Six groups of HKDI students from different design disciplines took part in the creation of works. After researching the history, culture and urban landscapes of the district, each team of students created their respective interpretations of the neighbourhood using a wide range of design media channels, including furniture, illustration, character design, environmental arts, advertising campaign and interior installations. Two of the six works have been selected for future display in Tiu Keng Leng MTR Station as the rejuvenation project’s final designs.
TKL_WE_IMAGINED has unleashed students’ astonishing creativity and innovative production processes. Passengers can experience Tiu Keng Leng’s history, local culture and stories, forging a closer connection between the community and the residents. Since the early 20th century, the neighbourhood has held strong historical significance throughout the city’s development. Artwork “The Transformation”, designed by five Visual Communication students , consists of four sets of seats in cubical shapes embedded with the history of the community. Passengers can see the iconic Tiu Keng Leng landmarks represented in the seats, including the early primitive shelter houses of local residents/fishermen before the 1950s, the squatter area in the 1960s and 70s, modern housing estates in the 1980 - 1990s, as well as the Hong Kong Design Institute, a neighbourhood landmark since the 2000s. Another work - “Architectural Evolution” – also reveals the neighbourhood from a historical perspective. Done as a long computer-drawn scroll, the project presents the architectural changes in the community over the past century, including the A-shaped stilt houses, the squatter area, the old police station at the peak, the modern shopping malls and tall residential buildings of the New Town, as well as the HKDI. “Bi-cycle”, created by students majoring in Landscape Architecture, introduces one of the major elements of the Tiu Keng Leng community ─ turning bikes into station art. Meanwhile, “Mirage” is a geometric mirror wall statue based on old pictures of Tiu Keng Leng’s shores, echoing one of the neighbourhood’s earliest names, “The Ridge of Mirror Reflection”.
Since 1998, the MTR Corporation has integrated art into stations to enhance customer experience. Station spaces are utilised to inspire the public, contribute to the development of communities and enhance quality of life. Through the Art in MTR programme under the Community Connect platform, the TKL_WE_IMAGINED exhibition in MTR Central Station highlights the pride that HKDI and its students take in being a part of the Tiu Keng Leng community and Hong Kong at large. Their talents will build a bridge that brings the community and its people closer together.
