Hong Kong heritage: old Tai Po Police station/ Green Hub

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Toothpicker

Even though Hong Kong is a small city, there are many hidden gems that are off the beaten track, and Green Hub is one of them. I only discovered this place via google map while I was in Tai Po after a visit to the Tsz Shan Monastery. Originally I was simply looking for a place to have lunch, but then I ended up spending hours there, which was completely spontaneous.

Green Hub is situated at the site of the Grade I listed Old Tai Po Police Station up on a Tai Po Wan Tau Tong Hill that overlooks Tai Po. This site was also the location where the British flag-raising ceremony took place, marking the official British takeover of the New Territories in 1899. The Police Station was erected in the same year as the Police Headquarters of the New Territories and lasted until 1949, but eventually closed down in 1987.

In 2010, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden had been selected to transform the Old Tai Po Police Station into a ‘Green Hub for Sustainable Living’. The Hub offers a range of low-carbon living programmes and workshops to help individuals and organisations understand the low-carbon living alternatives to unsustainable consumption that is causing climate change and rapid resource depletion. Opened in 2015, this revitalisation project was recognised with an Honourable Mention in the 2016 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

The wooden planks (pictured above) are actually recycled railway sleepers collected from the nearby Tai Po market station

The site comprises of three buildings: Main Building, Canteen Block and Staff Quarters, and they are arranged around an open lawn. The colonial style architecture is an excellent example of east meets west. It features verandah and louvre windows catered for the hot and humid climate in Hong Kong, and Chinese-styled timber roof structure with double-layered pan and roll tiles that are commonly used in Hong Kong’s colonial buildings. The design of the site reflected a utilitarian approach, which adopted a rather irregular form for the Main Building. The conservation team used archive photographs to restore the architectural details, and even repainted the buildings to match the original colour.

An old Camphor Tree Cinnamomum camphora near the entrance

The Canteen Block has been transformed into the Eat Well Canteen to promote low-carbon food culture. The canteen serves fresh, seasonal, locally-sourced, and fair-trade vegetarian dishes that aim to minimise energy during the cooking process, as well as reduce food waste.

Vegetarian food at Eat Well Canteen

Next to the canteen is the kitchen’s garden where herbs and vegetables are grown, and they are used as the ingredients for canteen, so they are guaranteed to be fresh. And on Saturdays, organic vegetables, herbs, and eggs from the Kadoorie farm and the garden would be available for sale in their eco shop. The Canteen also makes and sells homemade bakery products, seasonal sweet or salty pickles and different styles of sauce. Meanwhile, there are regular cooking classes and farming workshops that promotes the ethos of the hub and farm.

The Kitchen garden and eco shop

After lunch, I found out that there was a free one-hour guided tour of the site, so I signed up for it. The tour was very informative and it enabled us to visit the inner quarter that is normally not open to the public.

We first visited the heritage display of the Old Tai Po Police Station that has been carefully preserved. Visitors can see the typical setting and layout of a colonial Police Station with a report room, retention cell and armoury.

In order to fully appreciate this heritage site, one must join the guided tour as it enables visitors to enter the beautiful inner courtyard that is not normally open to the public. The once unappealing inner courtyard has been redesigned to an Enchanted Garden to enhance natural ventilation within the Main Building. Around the courtyard are the Police Quarters that have been converted into a guesthouse. The guest house have twelve rooms that can accommodate 24 guests, and they are available as single, twin, triple-bed to six-bed rooms at reasonable prices.

Standing in the courtyard, it is easier to appreciate the restored decorative architectural details, such as the Dutch gables, windows with voussoir-shaped mouldings and aprons, ornamented fireplaces, chimneys with moulding and cast iron downpipes with hopper-head.

The inner courtyard

Before the tour ended, our guide took us to the Seminar Room where we could observe twenty or more egrets resting not far from the site. Apparently, the northern slope of the Old Police Station is a nesting and breeding site for egrets and herons. Hence, a bird screen is in place along the walking path at the northern side of the Greeb Hub to reduce disturbance to wild birds that nest in the Egretry. The ecologists here continue to monitor the Tai Po Market Egretry, and in the summer of 2015, they counted more birds nesting nearby than before the renovation began.

After leaving Green Hub, I was curious about the red brick buidling nearby and decided to walk up the hill to explore. Built around 1907, this building used to be the Old District Office North and was the earliest seat of the colonial civil administration of the New Territories. The building also housed a magistrate’s court until 1961, but now it is used by the New Territories Eastern Region Headquarters of The Scout Association of Hong Kong. Although you can’t go inside the building, you can walk around outside to appreciate the architecture and the surrounding nature.

Law Ting Pong Scout Centre

It was very calm and quiet as I walked along the path towards the Tai Po Contour Sitting-out Area located up on a small hill. I was surprised to see so much greenery here, which is a huge contrast from the bustling Tai Po market not far away.

As city dwellers, we often think that we need to escape the city in order to find tranquility, yet we forget that nature may be around the corner from where we live. When we look harder, we would find that nature is really everywhere.

Tai Po Contour Sitting-out Area

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The Mills (Part 2): Art, design & retail

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Toothpicker

One of The Mill’s main attractions is CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) – a space dedicated to the past, current, and future of Hong Kong and Asia’s textile industry.

Welcome to the Spinning Factory! is the inaugural exhibition designed by Turner Prize winning U.K. architect collective Assemble and UK/HK design firm HATO. Set within the former cotton spinning mills of Nan Fung Textiles in Tsuen Wan, the exhibition tells the story of the cotton industry and the role it played in shaping Hong Kong’s past, present and future. The interactive exhibition features old machinery, vintage cotton products and archival documents and objects. Visitors can also experience the manual cotton-spinning process using traditional spinning instruments, and design and create cotton labels at the workshop stations.

‘Welcome to the Spinning Factory!’ exhibition at the The D. H. Chen Foundation Gallery

An interesting piece of artwork caught my eye outside of the gallery and it was a long piece of knitted textile on a table titied Fabric of CHAT. It was the work by Hong Kong-based artist/designer Movana Chen. Movana is known for her KNITerature, which combines stories by knitting books from people she encounters during her travels. When she first visited the construction site of The Mills, she discovered stacks of old discarded documents, so she shredded and knitted them into a new art form that contains the history and memories of the factory.

Fabric of CHAT by Movana Chen

CHAT’s inaugural exhibition, Unfolding : Fabric of Our Life, curated by Takahashi Mizuki showcases the works and performances by 17 contemporary Asian artists and collectives who use textile as a testimony to articulate forgotten histories and repressed lives through textile production. The thought-provoking exhibition reveals the region’s colonial capitalist exploitation through the use of fabrics and garments. One work that I found quite powerful is called ‘Day Off Mo?‘ by Filipino artist Alma Quinto, who invited Hong Kong’s Filipino domestic workers to speak out about their experiences through a video and their DIY craft book.

Dayanita Singh’s ‘Time measures’, 2016

Norberto Roldan’s ‘Incantations in the land of virgins, monsters, sorcerers and angry gods’, 1999 – 2018

Jakkai Siributr’s Fast fashion, 2015/19

Reza Afisina’s ‘Under Construction as Long as You’re Not Paying Attention’, 2018–19

Alma Quinto’s ‘Day Off Mo?’, 2018–19

I was also intrigued by Vietnamese artist Vo Tran Chau‘s ‘Leaf picking in the ancient forest’, 2018-2019. The name of the artwork is inspired by the title of a monk’s manuscript. Buddha, taking a few leaves in his hand, said to the monks: “All that I have seen and encountered are numerous, just like leaves among the grove, yet my teachings which I have revealed to you are but little, just like this handful of leaves in my palm…”.

The artist collected abandoned clothing from second-hand clothing stores to create her abstract mosaic chamber. Each quilted mosaic references historical photographs of Vietnamese textile factories and reflects the distinct cultural and political climates of North, Central and South Vietnam at different periods of time. The quilts reflect only blurred images as if a metaphor for the fate of the textile factories. Inside the chamber, one sees another side/story in these historical images.

Vo Tran Chau’s Leaf picking in the ancient forest, 2018-2019

One encouraging aspect of The Mills is that the retail outlets here differ vastly from other shopping malls in Hong Kong. Instead of international chained companies, the shops here are mostly independent and with a strong focus on sustainability.

I was glad to see that Book B (which we have worked with previously) has found a new home here. The space is inviting and it also has a nice cafe inside. I think this is one of the best independent book shops in Hong Kong, and I hope it will continue to thrive.

KoKo Coffee Roasters

Book B

Another surprise was to see a garment upcycling shop called Alt:, which is a partnership between HKRITA (The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel) and Novetex (a leading textile firm), together with funding from HKSAR government, H&M foundation and The Mills.

A garment-to-Garment (G2G) Recycle System is placed in the shop for the public to learn how old clothes can be upcycled and made into a new ready-made garment in 4 hours, with the aid of the innovation of upcycling technology. The on-site mill can upcycle up to 3 tons of textile waste per day, which hopfully will help to tackle the city’s fashion waste issue.

Alt: – the upcycling garment shop that can turn your unwanted clothing into something new

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to The Mills; I think it offer an alternative retail experience (which is much needed in Hong Kong), and the new textile centre is an exciting cultural space that showcases Hong Kong’s textile heritage while looking forward to the future.

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Hong Kong heritage: The Mills (Part 1)

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Toothpicker

Interesting 1950s-60s architecture

If you take the MTR in Hong Kong, you are most likely to encounter the name ‘Tsuen Wan’ because one of the main lines is the Tseun Wan line (red) and its station is at the end of the line in the New Territories. Around 100 years ago, this area used to be a village by the bay where pirates would pass through frequently. Then in the 1940s, many Shanghai industrialists from Mainland China moved to Hong Kong and then established textile factories (Hong Kong used to be renowned for its textile and denim industry) to manufacture textiles and garments for export. The area started to change when the Hong Kong Government developed it into a new town, building new housing estates to accommodate the growing population. Sadly, the textile industry started to decline around the 1980s, and the 33 mills gradually shut down; although some factory buildings still remain, the city’s textiles history has long been forgotten.

Traditional shops in Tseun Wan

One of the prominent factories here was Nan Fung Cotton Mills, established in 1954 by Chen Din Hwa (from Ningbo in China), who was known as the ‘king of cotton yarn’. Six mills were built between the 50s-60s, but Mill 1, 2 and 3 were knocked down in the 80s, and only Mill 4, 5 and 6 survived. In 2008, the mills ceased operation and a revitalisation project was annouced in 2014 to convert the factories into a destination for innovation, culture and learning. The project was initiated by Chen’s granddaughter, Vanessa Cheung, the managing director of Nan Fung, who wanted to preserve the site and its heritage. Four years later, The Mills was born.

I have witness numerous failures with the Government-backed conservations/restorations projects in Hong Kong, so I try not to have high hopes these days. However, since the HK$700 million-plus project was privately funded by the Nan Fung Group (now a major property developer and shipping company), I was slightly more optimistic before my visit. And unlike other heritage sites in Hong Kong, the attraction of this project is not its architecture, but its history and heritage that was tied to Hong Kong’s textiles industry.

I have never been to Tseun Wan before, but I found the walk from the MTR station to the venue utterly fascinating. I had to walk through a neighbourhood full of 1950s architecture including housing estates, schools and tradtional specialist shops selling dried seafood, hardware, stationery and groceries etc. It was really interesting to see elderly and children hanging out in the area; the neighbourhood seemed laidback and authentic.

I have read very mixed reviews about the venue before my visit, and they are mostly based on one’s expectations… it would be unfair to summarise or judge this place until you see it for yourself. I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by it, and I think it has exceeded my expectations (but like I said, I had very low expectations beforehand).

The 2,400sqm (260,000sqf) L-shaped site is huge, and it is not easy to nagivate around if you are here for the first time/enter from the side entrance. The company’s in-house architects, Boris Lo and Gary Ng, worked with Billy Tam, the partner at Thomas Chow Architects Ltd (also responisble for transforming PMQ in SoHo) on this project, and they have managed to keep much of the industrial look and architectural details in a respectable manner.

4th row: The old gate (with rows of golden cup motifs) of the factory has been preserved and now sits behind the reception area.

There are three pillars at The Mills: Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT), The Mills Fabrica (a techstyle incubator) and The Mills Shopfloor (an experiential retail space). CHAT is an exhibition and studio space that focuses on contemporary art, design, science, heritage, community and craftsmanship. There are also regular artist talks and workshops that are related to textiles, craft and design.

It is difficult to find a spacious, bright and airy venue in Hong Kong, so I particularly liked the spaciousness and relaxing ambience at The Mills. At the Fabrica Atrium, the original columns have been removed and parts of the roof replaced by skylights to create a long and naturally lit space, which I think works very well.

One feature that stands out at the site is the creation of The Park on the rooftop, a formerly vacant concrete space that has been transformed into an urban public space for the neighbourhood. The 4m x 23m wavy weaving wall mural, inspired by Hong Kong’s textile history, was created by Hong Kong artist, Lam Tung Pang and design consultancy Collective. When you look up, you can also see the restored signage of the former factory that says: Nan Fung Textile Co., Ltd.

To be continued…

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Hong Kong heritage: Tai Kwun 2010 vs 2019

Posted on May 25, 2019 by Toothpicker

Since its opening in mid 2018, Tai Kwun (means ‘big station’ in Cantonese) has become the hottest heritage destintation in Hong Kong. Located at the eastern end of Hollywood Road, the 300,000sq ft compound comprises three declared monuments: the former Central Police Station, former Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison. The revitalisation project is the biggest conservation project in Hong Kong –costing HK$3.8 billion– was led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the Hong Kong Government. The aim was to redevelope the site into a world-class heritage and arts centre.

Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, who are also responsible for the city’s M+ museum of visual culture (opens in 2020), worked with UK conservation architects Purcell, and local firm Rocco Design Architects to revitalise 16 historic buildings, a prison yard and parade ground dating between 1864 and 1925. Aside from restoring the old buildings, two new buildings – JC Contemporary and JC Cube – were added to house an art centre dedicated to contemporary art, and a 200-seat auditorium, respectively.

After the restoration (2019)

Interestingly, I was lucky to have visited the compound just before the restoration works began in 2011. In 2010, the annual deTour creative festival (which coincides with the Business of design week) took place here, so I was able to explore the site and record the exteriors and interiors before the restorations began.

When you look at the photos, you would notice that no significant structural changes were made to the 16 heritage buildings aside from new paint, the removal of wires and some essential restoration works. It is never easy to restore heritage sites, especially a compound with 16 buildings, and I think this project has to be one of the most sucessful cases in Hong Kong (if you look at the disastrous 1881 Heritage in Kowloon, then you would know what I mean).

The exterior of the site in 2010

Entrance – Before and after

The two new buildings are clad with a façade unit system made from 100% recycled cast aluminum, and the units create a contrast with the historical masonry blocks underneath. The the cast aluminum units have a distinctive roughness and texture, which helps to reduce the reflectivity and glare during the daytime. At night, light emitted from the building would be partially screened by the façade units, but without creating light pollution. The new additions have certainly made the site even more ‘instagrammable’ among visitors.

The new JC contemporary & JC Cube designed by Herzog & de Meuron

Wandering inside the JC contemporary building, I was reminded of the new extension at Tate Modern in London, which was also designed by the same architectural firm. The use of concrete and the design of the spiral staircases are very similar. The catch with employing starchitects is that they like to apply their signature styles onto most of their works; the best example is Norman Foster‘s airports – honestly, the world doesn’t need another cloned Foster-style airport! I do hope that the new M+ museum is not going to be a replica of Tate Modern.

Inside the JC Contemporary building: the spiral staircase

Art exhbitions: 1st & 2nd rows – Wing Po So’s 6-part practice; last row: Wong Ping’s animation

The 177-year rich history of the heritage complex reflects Hong Kong’s ups and downs during the British colonial era. Not only Ho Chi Minh was imprisoned here for 2 years in 1931-33, it was also used as a Japanese army base during the Second World War. Visitors can find out the history of the complex at the heritage storytelling spaces, and free guided tours are available daily.

As always, shopping and restaurants play a major role in a complex like this. Thankfully, the shops and restaurants here are mostly independent and local rather than chains like Starbucks or Pizza Express. A cultural centre needs alternative shops and restaurants to differentiate it from other shopping malls, and Tai Kwun has achieved this.

The heritage storytelling space, the former prison cells and a former court room

Although I think the architects of the project have successfully restored and revitalised the complex, I can’t help feeling that ‘something’ is lost in the process as well. Perhaps this is inevitable due to the scale of this project.

When I look at the photos taken inside the prison in 2010, the place had a slightly eerie and atmospheric feel, whereas now, the prison looks more polished and embellished. It is a shame that many of the fascinating old signage and inmate call system were removed too. Without these details, the prison looks more like a film set, and the authenticity is lost. But then again, as most Hong Kongers would say: “Hong Kong is a city with no memory” (old buildings are constantly being torn down and replaced daily), so when it comes to conservation, this probably is the best that you could ever hope for.

The prison cells before the restorations (2010)

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Hiking in Hong Kong: Lamma island

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Toothpicker

Hiking is definitely one of my favourite acitivities in Hong Kong, and I would do at least one hike whatever I visit the city. Not long ago, I reconnected with an old friend in the city who is a keen hiker, and she suggested taking the ferry to Lamma Island (35 minutes from Central) for a hike on a clear and sunny day in April.

The Sok Kwu Wan circular hike is a popular trail and takes around three hours to complete. We passed through the old Mo Tat village, which is several centuries old, and a new one nearby with more modern housing. There are also many banana and mango trees growing here – it is good to know that there are still people who choose to live in small rural villages like these ones in Hong Kong.

Hiking in Hong Kong has become more popular in recent years, and I believe this is related to the global ‘back to basics’ lifestyle trend. Unlike the previous generations, people now understand how stress is affecting our health, and many are trying to find a balance between work and life. Yet living in a small and dense city like Hong Kong, it is easy to feel suffocated and stressed, so turning to nature seems like the obvious choice for people to rejuvenate. Luckily, there are plenty of hiking trails in the city for stressed out people to escape from their hectic city lives.

After a relatively easy walk, we encountered a long stairway up to Ling Kok Shan. I usually don’t have an issue hiking uphill, but it was around 3-4 pm in the afternoon, and the sun was right on top of us, with no breeze at all. About 3/4 way up the hill, I felt quite nauseous and had to sit down for a rest. My friend was worried that I was suffering from heatstroke, and so she told me to take my time to rest and drink lots of water before continuing on. Later, I learned that the temperature had reached 28 degrees at 3 pm.

After a 15-minute rest, we embarked on our journey again and I felt much better after rehydrating myself. Despite the slight hiccup, I soon put that behind and was captivated by the panoramic views from the top of the mountain. The precarious-looking rocks from 164-140 million years ago are also one of the attractions here. Thankfully, our descend was easier, meanwhile, the sun was also less strong, which undoubtedly helped.

When we reached Tin Hau Temple at Yung Shue Wan, the sun was starting to set. We decided to get a drink by the pier to watch sunset, followed by a seafood meal at one of the seafood restaurants facing the sea. The seafood was delicious and I felt it was well-deserved after a challenging hike.

My last surprise of the day was the ferry journey back – seeing the spectacular Hong Kong skyline at night brought some unexpected excitement. Overall, I did enjoy the day, but would probably check the weather forecast properly before I take the plunge next time.

Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint at M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Toothpicker

I have always been fascinated by Japanese American modernist artist, designer and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi‘s work, yet I have never visited his museum in New York even though I used to live there. I have seen his work at MOMA and at other art institutions in America, but oddly enough, I have rarely seen his work being shown outside of America. Hence, I was quite excited about his exhibition in Hong Kong before my visit.

The ‘Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint‘ at M+ Pavilion exhibition is based on an ongoing conversation between two artists who never met: Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) and the contemporary Vietnamese Danish artist Danh Vo (born 1975). Vo, who has in recent years explored and researched Noguchi’s life and art, and has included Noguchi’s work in his installations with increasing frequency. This exhibition shed light on each artist’s protean body of work.

Occupying the main exhibition space were Noguchi‘s sculptures, furniture, lighting and worksheets. Noguchi‘s biomorphic sculptures remind me very much of another artist from the same period: Barbara Hepworth. Yet he was also a brilliant designer and landscape architect; his iconic coffee table designed in 1944 is still in production (now by Herman Miller/Vitra) after more than seven decades. Another classic design series are his Akari Light Sculptures, inspired by his trip to Gifu in Japan where it is famous for its manufacture of paper parasols and lanterns. Over the years, he created a total of more than 100 models, consisting of table, floor and ceiling lamps ranging in size from 24 to 290 cm.

In the middle of the room, there was a Chinese-style pavilion Untitled (Structure for Akari PL2) designed by Vo to hang Noguchi‘s paper lamp sculptures, and for visitors to rest. It blended extremely well with Noguchi‘s works.

Outside of the building were a few cargo containers where Vo‘s works were exhibited. Like Noguchi, Vo‘s life was shaped and influenced by Eastern and Western cultures. Due to his refugee background, Vo often addresses the issues of history, identity and belonging in his work. His conceptual works often weave archival fragments together and personal references. He also doesn’t believe in providing explanatory material, hence, it’s up to the visitors to interpret his work. Last year, Vo held a sold exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, so he is undoubtedly one of the most prominent Asian artists working today.

Danh Vo’s conceptual art work

The Arvind Indigo Museum in Ahmedabad, India

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Toothpicker

If you visit Gujarat, you are likely to pass through/visit Ahmedabad – the largest city and former capital of Gujarat. The Old city of Ahmedabad was the first in India to be declared as UNESCO World Heritage City in 2017. The historic city is also known for its textiles industry and it is home to one of the best textiles museums in the world: The Calico Museum of Textiles. Founded in 1949 by the industrialist Gautam Sarabhai and his sister Gira Sarabhai, the museum has a stunning array of Indian textiles dating back to the Mughal period, as well as collections of sacred bronzes, Jaina manuscripts, sculptures, and Indian miniature paintings etc. Visits to the museum must be booked well in advanced as there is only one guided tour per day (except Wed), and no photography is allowed. The 2.5 hour long tour is guided by a knowledgable but rather stern lady, and I found it hard to listen to her and take in all the history and information. Despite the fascinating collection, it was hard to enjoy the tour when being rushed around and forbidden to linger.

Luckily, there is a new museum in the city that is less formal and more relaxing, and it is dedicated to indigo. The new Arvind Indigo Museum is located at the former Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum, hence it is a bit confusing if you are trying to look for its website. When we visited, the museum had just opened (partially), hence there were no other tourists and no prior booking was needed. Set among tall trees and lush gardens, the Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum complex consists of two buildings restored by renowned architect Rahul Mehrotra. The colonial structure was built in 1905, but it was closed during our visit. The new indigo collection is called “Alchemy” and it is displayed in the adjacent building, the Claude Batley house built in the 1930s, which showcases indigo-dyed textiles, art and objects created by renowned contemporary artists from Indian and around the world.

First and last rows: Aboubakar Fofana; Second row: Amit Ambalal’s “Birds Of A Feather Flock Together”

Natural and indigo dyeing has made a huge comeback in recent years due to the issue of sustainability in the fashion and textiles industry. Therefore the opening of this museum is a timely one. Indigo is an indigenuous dye and it comes from a native plant called Indigofera tinctoria, grown mostly in Tamil Nadu nowadays.

The chairman and managing director of the 88-year-old textile and denim company Arvind Ltd, Sanjay Lalbhai wanted to pay homage to this magical dye that is closely related to his company and Indian’s heritage, so a 20,000 sqft museum dedicated to the artistic manifestations of indigo was born.

2nd row: Kirit Chitara’s rendition of ‘Mata ni Pachedi’; 3rd row: Hansikar Sharma; 5th row: Bhagyashree Suthar; 6th right and last row: Manish Nai indigo-dyed aluminium and 95 Natural Indigo Sticks installations

The exhibition is ambitious and fascinating because it goes way beyond textiles… there are sculptures, paintings, paper art, and even furniture. You can expect the unexpected here, and I think the curation is top-notch. Whilst the exhibition features many local artists, there are also works by artists from other parts of the world like Malian arist/designer, Aboubakar Fofana, whose beautiful indigo-dyed textile works can be seen hanging at the entrance area and in the courtyard of the new building.

3rd row: Shola Carletti‘s “essence”; 4th row: British duo Based Upon‘s “indigo Fragmented Crack”; 6th: Manisha Parekh’s paintings and British artist Annie Morris‘s sculpture made with indigo-dyed concrete, plaster, sand and steel; 7th, 8th and bottom left: Nibha Sikander; 8th right and bottom right: Sachin Tekade

The exhibition shows how diverse the indigo dye can be, and it is not just restricted to textiles. After the intense guided tour at the Calico Museum, it was pleasant to spend the afternoon here in a more relaxing setting surrounded by beautiful artworks. The museum is due to fully open in 2020, and I look forward to returning here again in the future to see more indigo art works.

1st & 2nd rows: Alwar Balasubramaniam’s indigo landscapes; 3rd row: Tanya Goel; 5th left: Kavin Mehta’s ‘Container’; 5th right: Shihoko Fukumoto’s ‘Time Space’, made with indigo-dyed linen; 7th & 8th rows: Vipul Mahadevia’s “Kimono, the fabric of life”. Bottom row: Aboubakar Fofana’s Indian denim installation

Sidhpur: splendid architecture in a neglected town

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Toothpicker

After a visit to the ghost village Durgapur (see earlier post here) near Mandvi, we visited another sleepy town called Sidhpur in Patan. Both places have exquiste haveli architecture but barely any occupants. What on earth happened to these places? I can’t fathom why these home owners abandoned their beautiful homes. It makes me wonder if Gujarat is full of these demise towns and villages.

Situated on the left bank of the River Saraswati, Sidhpur is in fact a scared town within Patan, one of the early medieval capitals of Gujarat. Named after the great Solanki ruler of Gujarat – Siddhraj Jaisinh, the name literally means ‘a pious place’. It was a prominent town in the 10th century under the Solanki rulers, and home to the desecrated 10th-12th century Rudra Mahalaya Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (now it is a ruin and protected national monument). The town was full of temples, kunds, ashrams and other sacred places that drew pilgrims from everywhere.

Yet our guide did not take us to the archaeological sites, instead he brought us to another part of town where there are rows of abandoned/demolished havelis with few pedestrians and cars. As soon as we saw the architecture, it was another “Wow” moment for all of us. From afar, it reminded me of Cuba; although I have never visited Cuba, these havelis resemble the Cuban architecture I have seen in photograhs/video footage. Perhaps it is due to the European influences and neoclassical features, as well as the colourful facades.

Welcome to the Dawoodi Bohras neighbourhood. The Dawoodi Bohras is a Shia-Muslim trading community, flourished in Sidhpur from the 1820s to the 1930s. These havelis were built by the prosperous Shia-Muslim traders, and they are all highly ornamented. Every house’s façade has an intricate monogram with the initials of the owners, and unqiue decorations that differentiate itself from other houses. The architecture style here is quite eclectic, where you can see influences from Europe, Persia and India, thus it is really a big ‘melting pot’.

The sad thing is that these havelis are mostly neglected, while some are being demolished. Like Durgapur in Mandvi, I doubt these houses are being preserved by the local authority, hence they may all crumble one day and just become piles of dust. I don’t know much about India’s architectural conservation guidelines, but it appears that the authorities tend to focus more on monuments than residential houses that also desreve preserving. If we look at SIngapore, their govenment has made immense effort into architectural conservation of heritage buildings, and have succeeded in conserving iconic monuments and residential buildings (despite that some may think that these buildings look too new and polished). If the local authority has the foresight, they could revive this neighbourhood and make it prosperous again.

After we left the residential area, we saw more activities on the main road, and here the mansions look even grander. I felt like I have travelled from Cuba to Southern Europe within minutes. The facades remind me of the Renaissance architecture in Spain and Italy – amazing!

Since I am unable to do much to save these buildings, I can only write and post these photographs in the hope that more locals would become aware of their existence and persuade the government to protect these invaluable heritage buildings.

Ancient stepwells in Gujarat: Modhera Sun temple & Rani ki Vav

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Toothpicker

I think most people who visit India for the first time would head to The Golden Triange for Rajasthan and Agra, whereas Gujarat seems less popular with first-time visitors. I have no question about the beauty and splendidness of Jaipur and Taj Mahal, but I also think that Gujarat is vastly underrated and hasn’t been promoted enough to foreign visitors. Before my trip, I knew nothing about this state and had never heard of the archaeological sites in the region, hence I was very pleasantly surprised during my visit.

There are many impressive archaeological treasures in this region, including stepwells, which are common in West India and parts of Pakistan. Basically, stepwells are wells or water tank in which the water is collected and reachable by descending a set of steps to the water level.

Surya Kund stepwell is an ancient stepwell at Modhera Sun Temple. Built on the bank of Pushpavati river, the Modhera Sun Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the solar deity Surya built in the 11th century by King Bhima I of the Chaulukya dynasty. The temple complex is divided into different parts; the first one is the Surya Kund stepwell, the others are Garbhagriha (main shrine) located inside Gudhamandapa (shrine hall) and Sabhamandapa (assembly hall).

Besides water storage, Surya Kund Stepwell was also used for religious ablutions before praying to the Sun God. The stepwell has 108 miniature shrines carved inside, since the number ‘108‘ has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga.

Both the shrine hall and assembly hall are beautifully decorated from the exteriors to interiors. The Sabhamandap is open from all sides and it is supported by 52 intricately carved pillars which denote the 52 weeks in a year. The carvings show various episodes about the life and times of Lord Krishna. Although I am not very familiar with all the gods and goddesses in Hinduism, I was quite blown away by the craftsmanship here.

The Garbhagriha was designed so that the first rays of sunlight would shine onto the image of the Lord Surya at the equinoxes which happen twice a year – around 20 March and 23 September. This light would then bounce off the walls to illuminate the entire sanctum sanctorum. And on summer solstice day (June 20-21), the sun would shine directly above the temple at noon casting no shadow. What surprised me is the ingenuity of the engineers who were able to calculate and built this temple so precisely over 1000 years ago. It reminds me of the ancient temples that I visited in Egypt, and causes me to wonder if our advanced technology is actually helping us or making us more stupid!?

Interestly, the temple is also famous for its erotic sculptures, which seems odd in modern day India. But before the 13th century, India was very liberal and open about sex. Sex was considered a holistic act and was taught as a formal subject. Kama (sexual desire) was considered to be part of the four human goals of life. The other three goals were: Dharma (moral life), Artha (material gains and means of life), and Moksha (the release from the cycle of life and rebirths). Again, are we regressing or advancing? It is quite debatable.

Besides the Modhera Sun Temple, there is another stunning archaeological site constructed around the same time in the nearby Patan. It is the Rani ki Vav stepwell, built in memory of Bhima I by his widowed queen Udayamati. Construction started around 1063 and took 20 years to complete; its architecture and sculptures are similar to the Sun temple.

Rani ki vav is considered as the finest and one of the largest example of stepwell architecture in Gujarat. It was built in the Maru-Gurjara architecture style, and it reflects the mastery craftsmanship of that period. In 2014, the stepwell was added to the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, but for some reason, the Modhera Sun Temple has yet to be listed.

Flooded by the nearby Saraswati river and silted over, the stepwell was buried underground for centuries until the 1940s. Aftre a major excavation by carried out by the Baroda State, the restoration of the stepwell took place from 1981 to 1987.

It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the scale and beauty of this stepwell. There are four levels and measures approximately 65 metres (213 ft) long, 20 metres (66 ft) wide and 28 metres (92 ft) deep. The stepwell is designed as an underground shrine or inverted temple, and it is highly ornamented. There are 212 pillars in the stepwell and more than 500 intricately carved sculptures depicting Hindu gods and goddesses; the Buddha; men and women; monks, priests and laity; animals, fishes and birds including real and mythical ones; as well as plants and trees, Here, the Buddha is depicted as Avatar of Lord Vishnu, alongside with some erotic maidens, which demonstrates the liberal attitude of that period.

It saddens me to think that our world today is in such a depressing state. We are destroying our planet day by day in the name of technology and economy. Maybe ancient wisdom and culture can help us to find our way out of our global crisis. History will always repeat itself, not because of our stupidity, but because we never learn from our mistakes.

Kutch art: Kalamkari & Warli painting

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Toothpicker

Besides embroidery and Ajrakh, there is a lesser known ancient art form called Kalamkari, which literally means ‘pen-worked’. The 23-step process is either hand-painted or block-printed onto a piece of cloth, and only natural dyes are used. The name Kalamkari is derived from the Persian words qalam (pen) and kari (craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen.

The two types of Kalamkari are Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam. With Machilipatnam style, Kalamkari designs are printed by hand using hand carved blocks with intricate details. On the other hand, the Srikalahasti style involves hand-painting and often depicting scenes inspired from Hindu mythology. Kalamakari was born out of story-telling, and the motifs include flowers, peacock, paisleys as well as divine characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

We visited the home of a Kalamkari artist who lives with his family in a small Kutch village. He specialises in Srikalahasti Kalamkari, and his hand-painted works are extremely intricate and precise.

Usually, cotton fabric is used for Kalamkari; though silk fabric can also be used. The long process involves treating the fabric first with a solution of cow dung and bleach, and to avoid smudging, it is then dipped in a mixture of buffalo milk and mylobalans. Kalamkari fabric is then washed twenty times and sun-dried. After this, the fabric is ready for printing or painting. Kalamkari designs are usually drawn/outlined by hand using a bamboo pen and black ink, then filled in with natural dyes extracted from flowers and vegetables. Often these paintings depict religious myths and epics stories, so they would feature borders around them.

Interestly, the artist’s wife also paints, but she specialises in another ancient art form called Warli painting. This is a tribal art originated from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India. This form of folk art uses geometric shapes such as circles, triangles and squares to form numerous shapes depicting life and beliefs of the Warli tribe. In the old days, Warli art was done on walls on special occasions. The painting would be done over a brown background using a mixture of mud and cow dung cakes. The white pigment is made from a mixture of rice, water and gum.

Since the Warli culture is centered around the concept of Mother Nature, so elements of nature are often focal points depicted in Warli painting. One of the most popular themes in Warli art is a spiral chain of humans around one central motif. This is in accordance with their belief that life is an eternal journey, and it has no beginning and end.

This was the first time that I encountered Warli painting, and it was love at first sight. I love the primitive style and simplicity. It also involves story-telling, but in a more back-to-basic style. After a bit of negotiation, I bought the painting for about USD70, which I thought was a bargain and I know I would not find it elsewhere. Everyone from my group congratulated me on this good buy and I left their home feeling happy. At the back of mind, I was also glad that I supported a local female artist, and I hope that she would continue creating these wonderful paintings in the future.

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Monthly Archives: May 2019

Hong Kong heritage: old Tai Po Police station/ Green Hub

The Mills (Part 2): Art, design & retail

Hong Kong heritage: The Mills (Part 1)

Hong Kong heritage: Tai Kwun 2010 vs 2019

Hiking in Hong Kong: Lamma island

Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint at M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong

The Arvind Indigo Museum in Ahmedabad, India

Sidhpur: splendid architecture in a neglected town

Ancient stepwells in Gujarat: Modhera Sun temple & Rani ki Vav

Kutch art: Kalamkari & Warli painting