The Mills Exhibitions on the March:
Reshaping community footprint with “Nice to Meet You, Kapok!” and
living out the idling life philosophy with “Weave Upon a Time”
(Hong Kong, March 4, 2021) – In the blossoms of Spring from March to May, local cultural and creative landmark The Mills will exhibit two shows, “Nice to Meet You, Kapok!” and “Weave Upon a Time.” The two exhibitions offer a series of diverse activities and programs on kapok trees and idling culture respectively to walk you into the community and appreciate the downshift in our pace of life under the pandemic.
“Nice to Meet You, Kapok!”: clothing, food, living
The Nan Fung Group has launched a community project titled “In Time Of”, engaging society on multidisciplinary topics from culture and arts, to social design and sustainable development. “Nice to Meet You, Kapok!” is The Mills’ response to the group project, curating an exhibition in which kapok trees serve as an introduction to the study of community and a reminder to all of us to live our lives mindfully. Passers-by come and go, leaving the beautiful trees on the sidewalk unnoticed. Collaborating with several artists and local shops, the exhibition will showcase kapok trees in Hong Kong and its varied uses in our daily lives.
Beely Daily, a local fabric dyeing creative unit, used fresh fallen kapok as a source of natural dye for clothing. The Mills also partnered with the 57-year-old Hing Cheong Medicine Store in Fuk Loi Estate, Tsuen Wan, to make Chinese herbal Five Flower Tea and talk about kapok’s therapeutic effect in natural detoxification. In addition, The Mills’ tenant Europa Tea Foundry created an exclusive dessert, the Kapok Honey Lemon Rice Chiffon Cake, that imitates the shape of kapok, surprising you with its taste. Time-honored homeware store Lai Hing Kee, brings us back to a time before memory foam, when kapok was used for the filling of pillows. Moreover, the local illustrator Maoshan Connie will take us on a journey to discover kapok with a hand-painted kapok tree map of Tsuen Wan. During the oral history community tour, visitors follow the footprints of kapok and experience the connection between kapok and the community.
Kapok in hand-paints and weaves
In addition to enjoying the “Nice to Meet You, Kapok!” exhibition, visitors can also personally experience the cultural beauty of kapok within the community. Starting from Tsuen Wan, the Kapok Tree Community Guided Tour led by arts and culture reporter BoBo Choi relates the development of the community alongside the growth of kapok. If you like to draw, do not miss the Kapok Tree Sketch Tour held by the local Wahayeah Sketch Group. Together, you and the instructor will follow the Kapok Tree Map created by Maoshan Connie to search for kapok, observing its beauty through your drawings, whilst appreciating nature.
Various workshops and experiential activities for adults and children will also be available, including Kapok Glass Drawing workshop, Easter Egg Puppet workshop, Kapok Dyeing, , Embroidery Kapok Pin workshop and Kapok Spinning demo & experience. All successful registration of【Nice to Meet You, Kapok!】tours and workshops will get one voucher to enjoy 50% off of the Kapok Honey Lemon Chiffon Rice Cake specially created by Europa Tea Foundry. Registration is required for all activities and awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. Please refer to the appendix for more details.
Kapok Tree Map of Tsuen Wan created by local illustrator Maoshan Connie
“Weave Upon a Time” to revisit an “idling” life
Beginning last year, we all have experienced the inconveniences, uncertainties and hardships of the pandemic. Social distancing creates an unprecedented amount of “me time” to relax, pondering our urban lifestyle and meaning behind all the busyness. In fact, idling is never useless, rather a necessity of life and catalyst for creativity.
The “Weave Upon a Time” exhibition allows visitors to rest and contemplate their lives. Local textile designer Zoe Siu and product designer OrangeTerry adopted various weaving methods to revive and recycle old furniture into a series of leisure chairs. By adding color and creative knots onto cold and worn-out student chairs and folded tables, the exhibits reimagine everything items, allowing visitors of different ages to indulge themselves in a warm, relaxing atmosphere.
Hands-on relaxation
“Please hurry to relax!” The Mills is offering a series of activities to welcome everyone to incorporate a slower pace of life.
Illustrator LOSZEHAHA will teach color matching and drawing techniques for participants to leave their mark upon the glass doors of The Mills.
Inspired by the concept of Meditation Cave, Breakthrough Art Studio reinterpreted the traditional bamboo and rattan weaving patterns and constructed an artificial cave with “triangular tiles” made of colourful cloth. Visitors are invited to experience the joyful weaving and create their own bamboo fans.
Meanwhile, the professional contemporary dance group TS Crew designed a fun and participatory performance inspired by the beauty of weaving.
Rolling Books, a local social enterprise which promotes reading, will introduce a mobile book cart. Creative and flexible, the mobile book cart helps spread knowledge, ideas, and re-ignite the city’s love for reading. During the Easter holidays, Rolling Books will read Greeny Runaway, a book co-created by The Mills and The Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children. The picture book depicts the community adventures of the green traffic light character.
Registration is needed for the activities on a first-come-first-served basis. Please refer to the appendix for more details.
The mobile book cart by the Rolling Books
Bamboo Fan Weaving Workshop by the Breakthrough Art Studio
“Nice to Meet You, Kapok!” Exhibition
Date: March 6, 2021 to May 30, 2021
Time: 10am – 10pm
Venue: G/F – 1/F, The Mills (45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong)
Website: https://www.themills.com.hk/event/nice-to-meet-you-kapok/
“Weave Upon a Time” Exhibition
Date: March 17, 2021 to May 2, 2021
Time: 10am – 10pm
Venue: The Hall, The Mills (45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong)
Website: https://www.themills.com.hk/event/weave-upon-a-time/