A quick digest of the coolest weekend happenings in Hong Kong.
Friday, October 25
Cosmic Disco with Guido Balboa & Fergus Heathcote
Italian DJ Guido Balboa and Fergus Heathcote from South Canton Soul Train will be providing a night of intergalactic funk and psychedelic soul this Halloween weekend. Dress code is mandatory and, as it’s space-themed, think cosmic disco, Area 51, sci-fi, retro-futuristic vibes. Limited advance tickets are almost sold out, but there will be some tickets available at the door. For table inquiries, email southcantonsoultrain@gmail.com
10pm to late at, Little Su, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central. HK$180.
Home: A Solo Exhibition by Dick Lau
Home has become a recurring theme in the ongoing protests, with protesters often saying they’re taking to the street because Hong Kong is their home. This solo exhibition by photographer Dick Lau presents a series of photos based on his childhood memories, and meditates on the concept of “home,” the meaning of home to an individual and a large group of people, and the idea of home not just as a physical space, but as a moment in time.
11am to 6pm at, Lumenvisum, L2-02, JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei. Free.
Hive Screening White Dolphin Doc ‘Breathing Room’
Co-working space The Hive Central will be hosting a screening of Breathing Room, a documentary about conservation and research into Chinese white dolphins. The dolphin is commonly referred to in Hong Kong as the pink dolphin, but its numbers have been dwindling because of infrastructure projects such as the new runway, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge; and collisions with boats because of the increased number of dolphin watching tours, and high-speed ferries. The ticket fee includes one complimentary drink and popcorn, proceeds will go to the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society.
7pm to 9pm at, The Hive Central, 14/F, Manning House, 38-48 Queen’s Road Central, Central. HK$50.
Moe Aljaf and A.J. — the duo behind the Spanish bar Two Schmucks — will be taking over Hong Kong dive bar The Pontiac this Halloween weekend. (Don’t just take our word for it that it’s one of the best bars in town, ask the people behind Asia’s 50 Best list).
8pm to 1am at, The Pontiac, 13 Old Bailey Street, Central. Free.
Golden Scene Selection: October
Golden Scene Selection is a monthly event organized by the Hong Kong Arts Centre and Golden Scene Company that showcases a selection of films from around the world.
This month they’ll be showing Only the Cat Knows about elderly Japanese couple Masaru and Yukiko, whose marriage is on life support as they become increasingly distant over the years. When Chibi, a stray cat that Yukiko has been looking after, disappears Yukiko realizes her marriage is going to end up the same way. You Shine in the Moonlight, about a high school student who offers to complete a bucket list for his dying classmate and in the process ends up falling in love with her, and A Rainy Day in New York, a Woody Allen comedy about a young couple who go to New York but find their trip scuppered by bad weather, are also in the mix.
2:15pm, 4:30pm and 8pm at, Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. HK$80.
The Comedy House Presents: Stand Up Comedy Night
Stand-up comedians Ailee Slater, Bryan Bentley and Ha Chiu will be providing some much-needed laughter this weekend. Entrance fee includes one drink.
8:30pm to 10pm at, The Hive (Wan Chai), 21/F, Phoenix Building, 23 Luard Road, Wan Chai. HK$150 (Hive members) HK$250 (non-members).
If you watched Natalie Portman in Black Swan and were left wondering “but what is Swan Lake actually about?” now’s your chance to find out. The Hong Kong Ballet will be presenting their take on Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet about cursed princess Odette, who is a swan by day but takes on human form by night.
2:30pm to 5pm and 7:30pm to 10pm at, Hong Kong Ballet, G/F, 60 Blue Pool Road, Happy Valley. HK$180 to HK$1,000.
Still-Life by Jennifer Steinkamp
LA-based artist Jennifer Steinkamp is well known in the art world for her 3D animations and video installations. Now, Steinkamp will be bringing her immersive work to Hong Kong with a “unique garden sanctuary.”
The central installation is a critical nod to the 16th-century genre of Dutch and Flemish still-life paintings, where normal everyday objects are carefully placed to offer visual allegories about the fragility of life and passage of time. In Steinkamp’s reimagining of still life, she animates fruit-bearing plants that “move and collide in a poetic dance that celebrates life and regeneration through the natural environment.”
This is your last chance to catch this exhibition, which ends on Saturday.
10am to 7pm (Friday) and 11am to 7pm (Saturday) until October 26 at, Room 407, 4/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central. Free.
Saturday, October 26
Shi Fu Miz Festival returns to Hong Kong this October for its fifth iteration. The “boutique festival” will settle on the former fishing island of Cheung Chau, the perfect place for some house and techno music. There will also be a chance to unwind with some yoga and martial arts, get a tattoo, and do some street art.
1pm to 12am (Sat) and 9pm to 10pm (Sun) at, Sai Yuen Camping & Adventure Park, Sai Yuen, DD CC Lot 12, Cheung Chau. HK$580 (last chance day tickets) HK$880 (last chance two-day tickets).
“Horrendous Japanese costumes” only at Japanese fusion restaurant Tenkei. Entry fee includes two drinks, and table packages are available.
10pm to 5am at, Tenkei HK, 3/F, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central. HK$350 (advance) HK$480 (at the door).
Barker (Berghain, Ostgut Ton) Live Set
Musician and DJ Sam Barker will be behind the decks at Sheung Wan club Minh. Barker’s music has been described as “bass music tropes, breakbeat, dub and ambient elements while still maintaining a strong connection to the dancefloor.” No dress code, and no photography.
11pm to 5am at, Minh, 279 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan. Free.
Zuma: Halloween Party Reloaded
Japanese brunch spot Zuma will be hosting performances from DJ Adrien Callier, Olivia Dawn on violin, Benjy on percussion, and Gabriel on trumpet at this Matrix-themed Halloween party. Entrance tickets include cocktails, free flow Veuve Clicquot champagne, red and white wine, beer, and soft drinks from 9:30pm until 12:30am.
9:30pm to 2am at, Zuma Hong Kong, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central. HK$630.
Viva LKF will be presenting a night of techno music this Halloween weekend. DJs spinning the decks include Dust13, PureMIND, Simtub, The Don, and Kaho. Entrance fee includes one drink.
11pm to 5am at, Viva LFK, UG/F, California Tower, Lan Kwai Fong, Central. HK$200.
VOLAR Presents: Are You IT? Ft. Henry Saiz & Band
Basement bar and club VOLAR will be hosting an IT-themed Halloween party, because nothing says Halloween like a shape-shifting clown monster.
11pm to 5am at, Volar, Basement, No. 38-44 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central. HK$350.
Learn how to make your own chocolate at this event, which will feature workshops run by some expert chocolatiers. Vendors at this event includes The Cakery, Keeping It Real & Raw, Bake to Basics HK, TeaWala, I Love Babycakes, and Impact Berry
1pm TO 5pm at, The Hive Sheung Wan, 33-35 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan. HK$80 to HK$250.
Ko Tim Keung: In Search of War Relics
Rediscover some Hong Kong history this weekend at Ko Tim-keung’s talk about war relics. Ko has been photographing a lot of these unassuming and forgotten military structures since the 1980s, and seeks to tell their stories.
11am to 1pm at, Blackbox Theatre, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei. Free.
Louise Nevelson is an American sculptor known for creating monochromatic wooden wall pieces. Yin Xiuzhen is a Chinese contemporary artist known for her colorful sculptures and installations. Pace will be presenting a two-person exhibition that juxtaposes the works of these two opposites, and explores the relationship between their respective styles of expression. The exhibition runs until November 15, and Yin will be present for the opening reception.
11am to 7pm (closed on Sundays) until November 15 at Pace Gallery, 12/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central. Free.
Hong Kong the way it was, by Ed van der Elsken
We’re all feeling a bit nostalgic about old Hong Kong these days (and with the ongoing protests, who can blame you?). F11 Foto Museum will be celebrating its fifth birthday with this exhibition of photos of old Hong Kong taken in 1959 and 1960 by Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken. The collection will feature 130 black-and-white photos of Elsken’s 13-month stay in Hong Kong, a city he reportedly once described as “the prettiest of harbor cities.”
2pm to 7pm until February 28 (closed on Sundays) at F11 Foto Museum, 11 Yuk Sau Street, Happy Valley. HK$100 (adults), HK$50 (students and seniors aged 65 and above), free for children aged 11 and under, and disabled persons.
Sunday, October 27
The World of Studio Ghibli’s Animation
If you’ve always wanted to take a selfie with No-Face or walk into the forest to visit Totoro, then good news: You might just get that chance here at this exhibition which will feature 3D models of iconic scenes taken from the studio’s beloved films, bringing its traditional pencil and paper illustrations and animated graphics to life. For years, Studio Ghibli — the Japanese animation studio behind these characters and founded by filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki — has been wowing audiences with beautifully animated masterpieces that feature fantastical worlds, lovable characters, and stories that resonate with young and old alike.
11am to 10pm until November 3 at Portal 6311, 1/F, 18 Sheung Yuet Rd, Kowloon Bay. HK$168 to HK$208 (adults, online) HK$118 to HK$148 (students and concessions), HK$360 to HK$450 (two adults and one child, and HK$100 for each extra child), HK$188 to HK$228 (adults, at the door), HK$128 to HK$168 (students and concessions, at the door), HK$408 to HK$540 (two adults and one child, and HK$100 for each extra child at the door).
This exhibition is part of the Emerging Curators Project, and explores the relationship between “an art object and the practice that results in the art object.” It invites guests to explore how contemporary art has shifted its focus away from “art for art’s sake” and towards viewing objects on their own in isolation.
2pm to 8pm (Mon) and 11am to 8pm (Tues to Sun) until 31 December at JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun Contemporary, 10 Hollywood Road, Central. Free.
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