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Andy Warhol exhibition in Asia: 15 minutes clearly isn’t enough

CNNGo staff — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:45:51 +0000

by CNNGo staff

Five cities in Asia are to be hit by pictures of canned soup, a hamburger and a colorful representation of Chairman Mao, apparently wearing lipstick, over the next two years.

The artworks are traveling as part of the “Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal” exhibition, the biggest retrospective on Warhol’s work ever to be shown in Asia.

Warhol, who died in 1987, is famous for declaring: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”

The show will start at Singapore’s ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands hotel on March 17, 2012, and will then travel to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo before it ends some time in 2014.

Specific date and venue details for the other cities have not yet been released.

West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre: Viva la Cantonese opera

Christopher DeWolf — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Christopher DeWolf

The West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre's opening night was probably the most glamorous launch of a temporary stage.

Tickets for a series of 11 Cantonese opera performances over the Lunar New Year in Hong Kong sold out almost immediately.

The shows, which are being staged inside a traditional temporary theater, mark the launch of the construction of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) and will give a glimpse of what the future arts hub will be like.

The demand for the shows may be due to curiosity over the Cultural District project, or the added attraction of a contemporary art and new media exhibition about Cantonese opera to be held alongside the performances.

Plus, tickets cost a mere HK$10.

Yuck bring the hip to Hong Kong

Dan Pordes — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:54:03 +0000

by Dan Pordes

Yuck are bringing their awesome lo-fi guitar rock to Hong Kong.

Barely in their twenties, Yuck have already ticked all the necessary boxes for music heavyweights: adored by NME, sold out uber-cool venues in New York and London and bowled over crowds at some of the biggest summer festivals last year.

Melding pre-grunge Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth into both an homage to their influences and a sound that's fresh and so moreish that the precociously young four-piece will have their superfuzzy, reverb-laden melodies rattling round your brain all the way home.

And if that's not enough to convince you, then drummer Jonny Rogoff's huge afro should. It's a thing of beauty.

Tracks to make you go "yum" for Yuck:

Lunar New Year 2012 in Hong Kong: Giant fish floats, Mushu and a bamboo theater

Dan Pordes — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:00:38 +0000

by Dan Pordes

The color, diversity and sheer amount of events taking place throughout Lunar New Year in Hong Kong make it the best place to celebrate.

Here's where we will be welcoming the first day of the Year of the Dragon on January 23:

The power of flowers

There will be many new year flower markets, but the best is at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. As the biggest one in Hong Kong, it will be open all night on New Year's Eve (January 22).

The later it gets, the more you’ll be able to haggle for the festive favorites -- including peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, daffodils, orchids and potted mandarin trees -- all helping to bring good luck and prosperity to the Year of the Dragon.

January 17–22, noon-midnight, Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Free Admission.

The Damned: Godfathers of Punk, live in Hong Kong

Dan Pordes — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:34:01 +0000

by Dan Pordes

Get the Year of The Dragon off to a fiery start, as the Godfathers of punk The Damned blasts your ears off at Grappa's Cellar.

The Damned are the true forerunners of the ultimate rebel yell: first punk rock band from the United Kingdom to release a single ("New Rose"), an album ("Damned Damned Damned"), to have a record on the UK music charts, and to tour the United States.

Want a taster?

First ever punk single to be released "New Rose" has been covered by the likes of Guns N' Roses, Blondie and Eagles of Death Metal. Check it out here.

"Smash It Up" is the single so punk that it was banned from BBC's Radio 1 playlist because of its perceived anarchic lyrics. Check it out here.

Bloody Marys and salt caves at the best new spas in Hong Kong

Payal Uttam — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Payal Uttam

A spate of spa openings in the past few months have given us whole new ways of obsessing about our health and beauty. From a medi day spa to a metrosexual heaven, here are the best new spas in Hong Kong.

Spa gets high

Perched 490 meters above sea level, The Ritz-Carlton by ESPA is the world's highest hotel spa. Our ears pop as we shoot up the express elevator to the top of the ICC Tower, leaving the real world behind.

A cocoon of luxury, the spa’s interior is inspired by its location in the clouds. Walls are curved and everything is wrapped in soft materials.

In keeping with the charm of the Ritz-Carlton, the spa has impeccable service.

After a welcome tea, you are given a diagram of the body to circle problem areas and to point your masseuse in the right direction. Treatments begin with a wellness consultation allowing you customize everything down to the aromatherapy oils.

Flying high with Aeroplane, live in Hong Kong

Dan Pordes — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:37:00 +0000

by Dan Pordes

One of the star remixers of the nu-disco and Balearica scene, the man known by his mom as Vito de Luca and by everyone else as music outfit Aeroplane is hitting exclusive night spot KEE Club this weekend for his Hong Kong debut.

The DJ's DJ, Aeroplane has been championed by famous UK track spinner and music producer Pete Tong amongst many others. They're all mad for De Luca's deep house beats, new spins on electronica and self-titled "spacious cosmic disco track" remixes of the likes of Friendly Fires, MGMT and Grace Jones.

Aeroplane tracks to check in to:

Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix ft. Au Simone)

We Can't Fly

MAMILS and deliverymen: A classification of cyclists in Hong Kong

Nicholas Olczak — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Nicholas Olczak

MAMILs: secretly holding in stomachs.

With its manic minibus drivers, stifling pollution and steep hills, Hong Kong seems poorly suited to riding a bike.

Despite these obstacles, cycling is surging in popularity and has made headlines in the past couple of months.

A cycling rally was held last December in support of a petition for a harborfront cycleway.

Bicycle enthusiasts as well as environmentalists want to see a bike path wind along Victoria Harbour from Kennedy Town to Sai Wan Ho, passing through some of the most congested parts of Hong Kong Island.

Best place to meet artists: Fotanian Open Studios 2012

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:46:49 +0000

An art lovers' annual event, the Fotanian Open Studios will turn the aging industrial area of Fo Tan into the most vibrant art hub in town during the coming two weekends.

In 2001, eight art students moved into Fo Tan's former warehouses and factory spaces. Since then, artists with different talents have migrated to Fo Tan attracted by low rent and large spaces, transforming the area into one of the best places to meet local artists in their studios.

There will be a range of exhibitions at the Fotanian Open Studios 2012 -- fashion design, antiques, paintings, sculptures -- from well known local artists to experimental new members.

A range of workshops, artist sharings and seminars will also take place. See the event website for details or pick up a flyer from a volunteer usually stationed outside the Fo Tan train station.

Most of the studios and exhibitions will be clustered in Wah Luen Industrial Center, which will turn into one giant fashion runway this weekend for Fotanian Open Studios 2012.

10 gyms with the most amazing views

Fiona Harper — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:05:00 +0000

by Fiona Harper

Basement fitness centers be damned. There are some places around the world that make your intentions to lace up the runners and don the spandex a whole lot more inviting.

1. MV Stella Australis, Chile

Ever wanted to jog around Cape Horn but thought it was impossible? Well, it’s not.

Brand-new ship (well, in cruise ship terms any ship just past her first birthday is still brand-new) Stella Australis plies the glacier-lined route between Punta Arenas (Chile) and Ushuaia (Argentina).

The gym is positioned on the top deck with full-height double-glazed windows providing an ever-changing view of snow-dusted mountains and glaciers amid forest-clad fjords. The double glazing is important, as summer temperatures barely reach double figures in South American Patagonia.

How to enjoy Christmas in Hong Kong

Lareina Choong — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

by Lareina Choong

1. Spark the imagination

Pauline Yau makes fragile paper look menacing in her work "The Ice Tunnel."

ArtisTree’s latest art exhibition "Paper Tales" pays homage to the beloved Hans Christian Andersen winter fairytale, "The Snow Goddess."

Reams of paper manipulated into dreamy scenes inspired by the story are on display.

"The Ice Tunnel" by local artist Pauline Yau is made of triangular beams interconnected by criss-crossing white ribbon resembling jagged glaciers.

"Feeding the World" is an intricate papier-mâché scene by Hong Kong design studio Aeroporto, depicting desperate suitors scrambling up ropes to catch a glimpse of the Snow Queen.

Best art galleries in Hong Kong

Payal Uttam — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:15:21 +0000

by Payal Uttam

Hong Kongers are a tough crowd. Every second person I meet protests that we have no real art scene and pronounces the city barren of creativity.

But, come on. In recent years, the Hong Kong gallery scene has evolved significantly.

Dealers are bringing in big name artists like Damien Hirst and Zhang Huan for solo shows. Alternative spaces devoted to new media and subculture art have cropped up. A slew of international dealers such as Larry Gagosian, Ben Brown and Sundaram Tagore have opened outposts.

Famed London gallery White Cube has a space under renovation and rumor has it that Marlborough and Pace Gallery are next.

Admittedly, we don’t have a bona fide gallery district like Beijing's 798 or Shanghai's Moganshan Lu, but buried among the bars of Wyndham Street, the knickknacks of Hollywood Road and the depths of high-rise buildings, are a spate of galleries worth the visit.

Fly Club birthday party with Goldie

Dan Pordes — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:16:10 +0000

by Dan Pordes

Popular dance club Fly will be celebrating its one-year anniversary with drum 'n' bass legend Goldie on December 26.

The popular electro night spot, usually jam packed with pretty young things sweating it out on the dance floor, will overflow on their anniversary party.

Actor, visual artist and musician Goldie jets into Hong Kong to man the decks and raise a glass for Fly's first birthday.

The first 150 people to RSVP will get to go to the complimentary open bar session from 10 p.m. - midnight.

All additional guests will be able to enter from midnight onwards for HK$200, which includes 1 standard drink.

Soprano Emma Matthews sings "La Traviata" at Elements mall

Dan Pordes — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:59:02 +0000

by Dan Pordes

Elements shopping mall are really spoiling it's customers this Christmas. Instead of the continued dirge of seasonal songs over the PA, they're taking their game up a notch and flying in internationally acclaimed soprano Emma Matthews from Opera Australia to serenade their shoppers with a special performance.

Warbling from upon a lavish 6-meter-high overturned stage suspended from the ceiling of the Metal Zone, Matthews will be giving Elements patrons a world premiere preview of the Giuseppe Verdi classic "La Traviata," due to be performed in her native Australia as part of the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour 2012 event in March.

The hour-long performance will also include a "fusion exchange" between Matthews and locally-celebrated soprano and conductor Man Kin-Ping.

"The Nutcracker," back for its 15th anniversary

Dan Pordes — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:01:31 +0000

by Dan Pordes

Since 1997 Hong Kong has changed in many ways, but the annual Christmas performance of Alexandre Dumas’s “The Nutcracker” by the Hong Kong Ballet has endured.

Fifteen years of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince exploring the fantastical world of King Rat, the Sugarplum Fairy, the Snowflakes and many other weird and wonderful characters and it still hasn’t lost its magic or missed a carefully poised step.

To celebrate the anniversary of “The Nutcracker," original artistic director Stephen Jefferies will be on hand at the Opening Night.

Floor-less roller coaster at Ocean Park's new Thrill Mountain

Hiufu Wong — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:52:18 +0000

by Hiufu Wong

Facing the threat of Disneyland's new theme area Toy Story Land, Ocean Park strikes back with Thrill Mountain.

The new zone of mechanical rides officially launched last week adding five new attractions to Ocean Park.

This includes The Hair Raiser, a floor-less roller coaster that is Hong Kong's fastest, hurtling at a speed of 88 kph.

Another big thriller is The Flash, a pendulum-style mechanical ride that can swing you up to 22 meters high while spinning. This is what "panorama" truly means.

Ocean Park broke its record this year with almost 6 million visitors, according to its latest annual report.

Applauding to Hong Kong Pop Legend: Roman Tam

Dan Pordes — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:03:02 +0000

by Dan Pordes

Roman Tam, the Godfather of Cantopop has been mourned since his passing away in 2002.

With the 10th anniversary of his death next year, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum has organized their collection of over 3,000 items of memorabilia donated by Tam's sister in 2006 for an exhibition commemorating the great man.

Titled "Applauding to Hong Kong Pop Legend: Roman Tam" the photographs, costumes and much more will be on display from Tam's highly successful career that includes over 30 years of storming the Cantonese pop charts, singing theme songs to popular TV Shows, producing muscials, and preparing the next generations of stars of the Hong Kong music scene.

Best Hong Kong bands to rock out with

Samantha Leese and Dwight Maar — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

by Samantha Leese and Dwight Maar

Noughts and Exes

The makers of Hong Kong’s finest indie-folk-pop are set to make waves further afield as the first Asian pop band to join US label Spectra Records in August.

Noughts and Exes are a multicultural outfit, whose members hail from Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and Britain. They produce an equally eclectic sound, using instruments such as electric cello, glockenspiel and melodica which come together in delicate musical tapestries.

Their second album "The Start of Us" was released in 2010 (listen to it on their website), with keyboardist Gideon So and singer-songwriter Joshua Wong at the helm.

Noughts and Exes will play at Clockenflap on December 11 at the Harbour Flap stage. www.noughtsandexes.com

This hefty, hairy duo have a hard-earned reputation as one of the heaviest live acts in Hong Kong. But how can two men produce such a massive, monstrous sound?