Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre

I am always seeking out art in Hong Kong anywhere I can find it. Thus why I sought out the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre today.
They are located at the top, past the Aviary, up the vertical climb of Hong Kong Park. It is easier to reach if you find it from Kennedy Road or rather you skip the vertical climb to get here.
The Visual Arts Centre holds many roles and is an open, multi-​directional art space that focuses on art learning and exchange. Workshops, talks, studios, exhibition hall, lecture theatre, movies, multi-​purpose rooms. Their purpose is to nurture young art talents and to bring a wider vision for Hong Kong.
Today, I went to see what was hanging on their walls and what was open to the public to view. They also have a movie they show most Saturdays around 1:30PM (check their website on this before you go). Their current exhibition was one artist, all pieces were for sale and the artist herself was present painting on sight. The exhibition space is intimiate, welcoming and much larger that I would have thought.
In their little lobby as well, they have all sorts of brochures, leaflets, books about all things going on around the city pertaining to the art world. Some great info is in their racks… so don’t skip taking a peak so you are in the know all going on in the art world around Hong Kong.
This place is a bit out of the way if you are not in the area, but it an easy thing to parlay into a visit to Hong Kong Park and the Aviary.

I had no idea about the existence of this place. I got there by chance. It was Sunday, sun was shining and I decided to take my book to Hong Kong Park. I had been there many times but had never really explored the park in depth. This time the plan was to sit at a bench in the shadow, read for a few minutes and walk around. But it got more exciting than that… I discovered the Visual Arts Centre.
Located at the West side of Hong Kong Park, it’s not visible from the park. However, it’s a big building classified as Grade I heritage and built around 1900 initially used as barracks for married British officers and then turned into a space devoted to local artists.
On the day I visited there was a free photograph exhibition, by the entrance and along the corridor. Besides that part of the building, they have an exhibition hall, a lecture theatre and studios that can be hired by artists to perform their arts. They also organize lectures, workshops and seminars. Although they conduct really interesting programmes, they are mainly in Cantonese and directed to the local public only.
It’s a great place for a cultural break if you are around Hong Kong park, the exhibitions are usually interesting and it’s worth visiting the building itself, as it’s a piece of Hong Kong history. What I like the most about the place though is the fact that it was created to devote some space for art creation only, so that local artists could develop their creativity.