A quick digest of the coolest weekend happenings in Hong Kong.
Friday, April 5
Marriott Bonvoy Presents Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani — the three-time Grammy winner, former No Doubt frontwoman, and noted non-hollaback girl — will perform a one-night-only show at the Central Harbourfront event space, timed to coincide with this year’s Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament. According to the event’s organizers, this will be “the first time Stefani has performed in Hong Kong for more than a decade.” Doors will open at 5pm, and there will be a screen playing the Rugby Sevens live onscreen. The opening act for this event will Supper Moment, a local band known for belting out Cantopop ballads and anthems, and were also one of the headliners at Clockenflap in 2017.
5pm at, Central Harbourfront Event Space. HK$780.
Asia Society presents this art installation by LA-based James Turrell. This marks the first time the American artist has set up an installation in Hong Kong, and focuses on Turrell’s use of light for his immersive installations. The name of the exhibition, “yukaloo,” refers to an aperture setting in which LEDs are engineered to change colors gradually over the course of several hours. This installation attempts to recreate an atmosphere similar to how the sky changes from late afternoon to night.
10am to 8pm at, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty. Free.
Stephanie Teng: A Body of Work
Last chance to see Hong Kong-based photographer Stephanie Teng‘s first solo photography exhibition at Eaton HK. A Body of Work was born out of a frustration at the lack of diverse representation of body shapes in mainstream media, particularly in weight-conscious city like Hong Kong where being small and slim is seen as the ideal body type. Teng uses her exhibition to dismantle “the oppression and discomfort of the ideal corporeal” by focusing the lens on women of all shapes and sizes.
10am to 8:30pm until Sunday, April 7 at, Eaton House, 4/F, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Kowloon. Free.
Portrait of Hong Kong by Fan Ho
This exhibition features photographs of old Hong Kong taken by the late Shanghainese photographer and film director Fan Ho. The images take you on a journey from the “boat people” of west to east of Hong Kong Island, moving across Victoria Harbour into the bustling and modern Kowloon, and then ending in the quiet waters of the New Territories. The exhibition will feature about 40 works including some rare vintage pieces, and a book of Ho’s photos, also with the same title, will be on sale for HK$780. There will be a preview tonight from 6pm to 9pm, and a formal opening on Monday, March 25.
11am to 6pm until Sunday, April 28 at, 28 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Free.
Vvzela Kook: Fragrant Little Haven
Also taking place at Eaton HK is the opening reception for this exhibition by new media artist Vvzela Kook. During her research, Kook found that Hong Kong — a city that used to be home to many villages and plenty of vegetation — is a concrete jungle where at least 180 streets are named after plants or trees, and that these street signs serve as a reminder of the city’s forgotten past.
8pm to 11pm until Sunday, May 5 at, Tomorrow Maybe, 4/F Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Kowloon. Free.
Alchemy: Solo Exhibition by Willi Siber
German artist Willi Siber — described by the event organizers as a “virtual alchemist” — will be presenting his latest solo exhibition, and third solo show at the Karin Weber Gallery, which will feature materials that have moulded into altered states quite unlike their original form. This is the last chance to see Siber’s exhibition, which features objects whose forms and shapes are combined, juxtaposed or twisted with fluidity to create three-dimensional wall and table objects that blur the line between sculptures and pictures.
11am to 7pm until Saturday, April 6 at, Karin Weber Gallery, 20 Aberdeen Street, Central, SOHO. Free.
Local rock bands Grounded, The Sound Generation, and Last Digits will get the weekend off to a head-banging start.
9:30pm to 1:30am, at, The Aftermath Bar, L/G, 57-59 Wyndham Street, Central. Free.
Wontonmeen is a hostel that hosts a regular slew of small and intimate jazz nights. Performing on Friday evening is group, made up of Farley Joshua MacCluer (vocal/bass/trumpet), Nazar Tabachyshyn (keys/accordion/vocal), Andromeda (keys/ukulele/percussion), and Candace Lee (percussion/vocal).
8:15pm at XS, G/F 135 Lai Chi Kok Road, Kowloon. Free.
Saturday, April 6
Renowned contemporary Thai dancer and choreographer Pichet Klunchun will be holding this demonstration and discussion on “Khon,” a traditional Thai dance that was solely performed in the royal court by men in elaborate costumes and masks, set to a story and accompanied by narrators and a small ensemble of musicians (click here to see the Pichet Klunchun Dance Company in action). In this event, Klunchun together with a Cantonese opera actor Paris Wong will explore the meaning tradition, training and learning, and eventually reinterpret tradition in a contemporary context. Entrance is free but register online to confirm your place.
2:30pm to 4:30pm at, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central. Free.
This exhibition will for the first time display drawings, paintings and notes by artist Lee Wen dating from 1978 to 2014. Lee is a Singaporean performance artists oft-credited as the man who shaped the development of performance art in Asia, and introducing contemporary art to Singapore. One of Lee’s most notable works includes The Journey of a Yellow Man, a series of installation and performances that evolved from a critique of Orientalism to a mediation on freedom, climate change, humility, and religious practices. This exhibition is in memory of Lee who died last month.
10am to 6pm until Saturday, June 29 at, Asia Art Archive, 11/F Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan. Free.
Menstrual Man and Period. End of Sentence.
Chinese University of Hong Kong will be holding this screening of two films about people tackling the taboo of periods in India. The first one is Menstrual Man about a man called Arunachalam Muruganantham who became an unlikely hero in the movement to generate awareness about menstruation in India by inventing a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine. The second is the the Academy Award-winning documentary Period. End of Sentence. about a group of women and girls in a small village in India who band together to learn how to operate that same machine that Muruganantham created, and in turn empower the women in their community. Entrance is free, but guests must RSVP to confirm place.
2:30pm to 5pm at, V322 Lecture Theatre, Jockey Club Innovation Tower, Polytechnic University of Hong Kong. Free.
Brooklyn pizza place Motorino will be hosting a pizza-making workshop this weekend. The event starts off with wine and antipasti, then a chef will teach participants how to make their own Neapolitan pies, from tossing the dough to getting creative with traditional Italian toppings. Reservations are required and can be made at info@motorino.com.hk. Entry fee includes antipasti, pizza, and free-flow Peroni, plus an option to pay extra for three hours of free-flow prosecco or wine.
3pm to 5pm at, Motorino, 15 Ship Street, Wan Chai. HK$248 (plus 10 percent service charge) HK$58 (free flow prosecco or wine).
Aftermath will be bringing aback a night of metal music featuring all-female local metal band Kyanos, post-hardcore group YEUK YEUNG, Rock and heavy metal group The Prowlers, and alternative and hardcore group
The Priceless Boat.
9pm to 12am at, The Aftermath Bar, L/G, 57-59 Wyndham Street, Central. Free.
Sunday, April 7
Author Paul French Talk and Book Signing
This cozy Mui Wo bookshop will be hosting a talk and book signing with British author Paul French, whose work generally focuses on China’s recent history. His most successful book to date is Midnight in Peking, a murder mystery set in Beijing in the 1930s that has appeared on international bestseller lists for the New York Times and the South China Morning Post, and was adapted as a drama for BBC radio.
2pm to 4pm at, VIBE, Shop E Silver Centre, Silvermine Bay, Mui Wo. Free.
If you’re looking for something low-key and wholesome to on Sunday after a weekend of too much drinking, you could swing by Aftermath for their Sunday board game days. They have Monopoly, Exploding Kittens, the Game of Life, Carcassonne, and other games. What better way to end the weekend than with a drink, some food, and a boardgame with your friends.
5pm to 12am at, The Aftermath Bar, L/G, 57-59 Wyndham Street, Central. Free.
Free Yoga Class Sponsored by Flow Factory Co.
End the weekend right with this free yoga class by yoga apparel and equipment store Free Flow Factory Co. This class is good for beginner and intermediate yogis, and will focus on conditioning exercises that will prepare your body physically and mentally for achieving certain asanas or yoga postures and positions. Remember to bring a yoga mat, small towel, and water.
11am to 12pm at, Tamar Park, Admiralty. Free.
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