INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION BY ARTIST BO LAW AT THE PMQ BUILDING IN HONG KONG EXPLORES “A VIRTUAL ENCOUNTER WITH NEIGHBORLY NOSTALGIA.”
Blending art, culture, augmented reality, community and the lifestyle that is unique to “Old Hong Kong” together, the centerpiece of exhibition “LONG TIME NO SEE: A Virtual Encounter with Neighborly Nostalgia,” is an immersive mural featuring Central Hong Kong’s major landmarks that freezes a moment in this unique community’s heritage. The mural includes heritage buildings such as Tai Kwun, Central Market, Man Mo Temple and the Kom Tong Hall, which is today the Dr Sun Yat Sen memorial museum, illustrated in a modern and accessible style that allows for visitors to experience a visual mix of life straddling past and present. The exhibition also calls upon augmented reality (AR) technology to bring parts of the mural alive via a free smartphone app.
Serving first as Central School and then as the residential quarters for the families of married junior police officers, PMQ transformed into its current incarnation as the creative landmark of Hong Kong in 2014. Snippets of typical PMQ life are celebrated in the exhibition’s interactive animations located in its five Verandahs that allow for visitors to virtually “step” into the daily routines of 1950s family’s life in PMQ via their smartphones. Visitors can take selfies in the midst of virtual Mahjong games, traditional haircuts and more.
‘Long Time No See’ by artist Bo Law, Image courtesy of PMQ
The artist, Bo Law is himself Hong Kong-based and, with a passion for bringing art into the community, has a very personal connection with this one. The son of a policeman, Law grew up and lived in the PMQ building with his family from the age of eight till thirteen. His interpretations of PMQ are therefore “drawn from very personal experiences and reflect the curious yet accepting viewpoint of a lively child in a simpler age.”
‘Long Time No See’ by artist Bo Law, Image courtesy of PMQ