A wonderful world: Detour Hong Kong (26th Nov

Official event poster

I have attended Detour Hong Kong (an annual event in collaboration with Business of design week, showcasing Hong Kong's local creative talents) for the past three years and I have to say that this year's has been the most successful so far. I don't know if it is due to the partnership with Japan, but the level has certainly gone up!

First of all, the venue itself is an attractions on its own... Victoria prison located inside the Central Police Station compound is a declared heritage monument built in 1841 but has ceased operation since 2005. The site's future has generated much public interests and attention because of fear of the government turning it into another shopping mall like the Former Marine Police Headquarters Compound in Kowloon. The future of this compound is yet to be decided, but I was thrilled to visit the site before it being 'destroyed' by the government and developers.

Last year's Detour (see my older entry) took place in the former Police Married Quarters which was an interesting concept and attempt but it failed in its execution. This year, with the participation of well-known Japanese artists and designers, the scale is not only larger but much more ambitious.

The compound itself is huge and is divided into different sections, so it feels a bit like wandering inside a maze... I like the fact that the organisers have kept the original features and did not 'glam' the place up. They managed to use the space and ambience effectively and maintained a balance between the space and installations. I especially like the cells re-designed by local and Japanese designers.

An inspiring and cool event that finally proves that Hong Kong is not just about business. What it actually needs is government support and more public interests. I really hope that next year will be another successful one as Germany will be the partnering country...