Wandered around Wan Chai and noticed the 2F and 3F anime characters outside. Take the elevator up…read moreto the 4th floor and work your way down! Awesome little art galleries and looks pretty new.

When talking about the manga/anime culture, what is the first thing that comes into your mind?…read moreProbably Japanese manga (actually the word Man Nga is derived from the Kanji, that has the same pronunciation and meaning. Kanji are words that entered the Japanese language from ancient China, similar to how certain French had entered the English language system), cosplay (costume play) and the annual Anime-Manga Fair at Exhibition Centre. In fact, comics and animation has been active in many other countries too, for example the American comics of hero stories, the Hollywood/Disney production of (nowadays) computerized animations, the European comics often with political/fine arts themes, the Chinese comics of Sanmao, Chinese animation of folklore stories in Chinese water and ink style(such as Journey to the West, Nezha). Hong Kong , as such a small city in the world also have our own unique comics culture that is simultaneously influenced but different from those in China, Japan or the Western worlds, with a key focus on action, kung-fu, and triads stories, mirroring the success of Hong Kong movie industry. It is quite a refreshing turn of event that the government finally recognizes the importance of popular culture, and the choice of venue for commemorating the development of comics/animation culture in Hong Kong is equally amazing. The 10 no.s of pre-war tenement houses at Mallory Street, affectionately named the green houses after a casual repaint by the government after acquiring them in the 60s, and subsequently categorized as Grade 2 historic building, was chosen for rejuvenation for such purpose. The architectural team chose to gut out the narrow, dark and much deteriorated interiors of typical tenement houses and created a central courtyard area, as public space for the community, as if a secret garden hidden behind the facades of buildings. The usable space as on one side facing this central courtyard, with 2 bridges linking at third and fourth floor to the façades kept in place on the opposite side. The top two floors are exhibition and event space for rental purpose, whilst shops and restaurants occupies the first 2 floors. The most special use here is the Anime/Manga Salon. It is like a reference library, where important pieces of comic works are available for enjoyment within the salon. A good archive and relaxing space. On a side note, the project won the Medal of the Year 2013 and Special Architectural Award 2013 in the community building category, issued by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects.

Contemporary urban art may not be everybody's cup of tea. Most of the time, it goes right over my…read morehead but every now and then, I would get an inkling of the artist's message. What I find interesting about Oi! is that it is not your conventional art gallery. Oi! is not big. It sits on the corner of Oil Street and Electric Road in Fortress Hill on the island. A century ago, the waterfront was right outside this property. It was logical for the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to set up base here and operate until the government took over thirty years later in the 1930s. The historic brick buildings are specimens of the post-Victorian Arts and Crafts Architectural Movement. On the day of my visit, the theme was to stimulate our audio, visual, and tactile senses. The artists encouraged people to actually touch their creations. I like when art can be approached from more than one dimension. There was one exhibition room that was stark empty except for a porthole in the floor; and another one in which I had to duck my head because a block TV set was hanging from the ceiling. I also got to interact with other eclectic and obscure art pieces. Unexpectedly, the co-op kitchen was offering visitors complimentary miso soup on site. I guess if wine and hors d'oeuvres are served at the traditional art openings, why not offer hot soup at Oi! The idea was "they cook, you clean" so people had to do the little chore of washing the bowls they had used. I thought that was pretty neat. Everything was cool. Before heading out, I decided to use the restroom. I really wish I hadn't. They were either understaffed or negligent to have left the facility in a ghastly state. It might have been the visitors. What a shame to end my visit this way. For me, Oi! was an experience. I enjoyed the history aspect. I didn't have a full grasp of the pieces I saw but art is subjective. New exhibits rotate in periodically. Maybe next time I'll make a connection with one of them. 3.5

As we were simply walking by, I knew that this was clearly an old set of buildings that had been…read morerestored, but I was not sure what this space was exactly. With the kind staff at the customer service booth that went the extra mile to show me key parts of the facility and pointed out the specifics of the art installation spaces and the Social Gastronomy experiment space, I think I am a bit of a fan of this place. Once an old boat yard and covered mostly by water, this is a perfect example of Hong Kong recycling, reusing and re-purposing public building space. Part museum (with two installations currently: North Point Dream Properties Limited and 7-Paperholic), part social experiment on food with XCHANGE (turning leftovers and seasonal ingredients from participants and neighborhood markets into mouthwatering dishes), part community service/social hub (with talks, lectures, workshops, etc), part historical venue (Oi! is a Grade 2 Historic Building and they provide daily tours at 2:30pm, 4:45pm and 6:30pm daily). Art is really the driving factor for me with Oi!, but clearly their aim is really to connect with the community on a socially conscious level much greater than just art. But if you are not driven by social matters, note that admission to Oi! is free. The space is not large, but there is intellectually a lot going on to absorb at Oi! Although I did not have time to really understand all pieces of this space, I took a Oi! newspaper to go and have visited their website to sign up for news and events going on here. I will absolutely return to discover a bit more.

Having gone into City Hall Exhibition Gallery located physically in the City Hall building right…read morenext door to City Gallery several times to see their public art installations, I only just today wandered into City Gallery. Make note: City Gallery is located in the building on the City Hall campus that is closest to the Harbour...the entrance door faces towards Lung Wo Road. The word gallery insinuates "art" in my head, but this space is literally a gallery of the city (think planning and infrastructure versus paintings and sculptures). Three floors, open for free to the public, showcasing past & present development of Hong Kong. Sustainability, transportation, communication, power, sewer, water, green initiatives...the City Gallery highlights the big strategic picture of how to keep up with growth moving into the modern world with more mainland China people coming to Hong Kong and borders flowing more freely. The City Gallery was virtually void of people during my visit. I was advised by the nice lady working at the desk to start up on the third floor and work your way down. Up on the third floor, I watched a movie (with English subtitles) on three giant screens speaking to what city planning (part & present). It gives you a good understanding of what you will see in the actual gallery. The displays themselves are so/so, but I commend Hong Kong that there is even a gallery like this in the city talking about real urban challenges. This spot seems geared towards kids and students to teach them about urban planning (certainly there is a need to employ them now and in the future in this every evolving city). There were several kid displays and kid activities on each floor. Many of the displays are at a lower height, which leads me to believe that this place is indeed designed for the future minds of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Arts Center (HKAC), non-profit, performing arts, independent films…read more HKAC is one of my favorite arts organization in Hong Kong. This arts Center provides different kinds of arts performances, like sculpture and photography exhibition, visual arts, and performing arts. Tou can see all these arts performance or exhibition in those presentation spaces and venues. I also watch lots of independent films here, like some documentary and young directors' first work. I am impressed by the seats in agnès b. CINEMA. This cinema is not that big, but the interesting thing is you can see lots of names on the back of the seats. It is because, it is a funding scheme called "Name a Chair", seeking support for the renovation and equipment update of the cinema.It is a 5-year chair naming scheme.If you have money and want to give some support, then you can consider to join this project. It will be big deal! haha

I am not sure whether you have heard of this but not long ago, Hong Kong was once criticized as a…read morecultural desert. Though some still believe it is as teenagers are encouraged to study Business and are discouraged if they pursue Arts related studies. Regardless, Hong Kong does provide quite a few opportunities for those who are passionate about arts and culture. (It is the mentality of the mass that is difficult to change). The Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) is located at Wanchai which promotes contemporary arts, visual arts, or arts education. Because of the convenient location, there are quite a lot of students coming here after school to learn musical instruments or read some books here. Once you walk in, you may see quite a lot of artworks on display at the Jockey Club Atrium. Apart from that, below the ground floor you may also find studios (The McAulay Studio for example), theatres (agnès b. Cinema) and offices owned by international or local art organizations. The tower is consisted of fifteen floors and there are galleries, restaurats, a language centre or even a cinema. The best part of this place is the Pao Galleries where it hosts year-round art exhibitions. Over the years, it has held quite a number of programmes including the Art Walk every year. With the opening of Art Basel earlier this year, I can guarantee you that Hong Kong soon will not be called as a desert for arts and culture. If you would like to know more about this place, the arts on display or even the programmes, you may also join the guided tour (both English and Chinese), the tour lasts around an hour and it is completely free of charge. This is definitely a better choice than spending your time in a café. So next time if you are nearby, how about indulging yourself with art and fine dining here?

Review #3,500: When…read moreNathan Left (彌敦左岸) opened up in TST along Hart's lively nightlife road, I was super pessimistic at best. Who was Nathan and why did he leave? Is this another gwai lo bar taking over the local grime and pubs from yesteryear? Since I lived right around the corner, I figured it was important to see what the deal was. Here's the deal: This place is awesome and over the past 2 years, I've become a regular. Of the M1 nightlife establishments, Nathan Left is certainly the most unique. The exterior features a classic Hollywood marquee sign, along with open door seating at their downstairs pub where there is just enough room for people to enjoy a view out on the street while drinking a pint. The second floor, where a majority of the people are is stunning from a decor standpoint. It is mainly a lounge with very contemporary decor pieces and dynamic ones that change in from night in to night out (depending on their theme) along with tables, a stage, a classy bar, and a performing stage. Hidden in the back are pool tables, a karaoke room, and even beer pong. When I say I was blown away by the place, I was even more taken aback when I came back on different nights and the interior was transformed. One night was for a movie night and it was 1920s flapper party and the next night it was b-boys, big beats, and a hell of a hip hop night. For most other nights, it's a showcase of some of the best Filipino cover bands one can find. The menu is mainly a mix of western food, which like any M1 spots are typically grossly overpriced and typically mediocre. I was however, impressed at some of the items, such as their "wurst" sausage variety, and even their $650HKD steak which was exactly how I wanted it -- medium rare. Even I was surprised when I found their hamburgers and pizza to be strangely tasty. Despite all of this, I'd still opt for their drinks more than anything. The drinks are standard, but well done. There is a pretty solid selection of whiskey, and some beers on tap. It's not the most extensive selection of alcohol by any means, but it'll more than do the job for people who can order typical cocktails. The staff is young, professional, and very multilingual. My first few visits here were taken care of by Jordan, who despite looking like a fella from Ireland, was in fact a Hong Kong native and mercilessly trolling folks with his flawless Cantonese. The same for the gorgeous Zasha, who served every drink with a smile. Or absurdly friendly Jerome, who knew exactly how to get the party started. Finally, the manager Tony would give a hearty handshake to his regulars every time they entered / exited the joint. It seems like a moot point by now, but this really was my nightlife home away from home. It was a fun occasion any night of the week, a great place for a date, group fun, or a solo drinking session. And finally, an awesome place to listen to quality music and indulge in great company.

Had a GREAT time at Nathan Left. We were in from the States on the last leg of a vacation to a few…read moredifferent countries in Asia, and were lucky enough to have someone local showing us around. This bar is a gem, with an extensive and detailed drinks menu that includes classic speakeasy cocktails, a diverse selection of beers (for Hong Kong), and even WINE that won't break the bank, a welcome sight for westerners longing for a glass of vino after enduring the usually devastating wine prices in Asia. The real reason to come, however, are the cover bands. This bar makes more than adequate use of its upstairs space to host spectacular cover bands that will truly play you any song in the world. My understanding is that this is not that weird a thing in Hong Kong but for westerners it's pretty magical, so that is my lived experience. Decor is fun, eclectic and cozy. Ample seating upstairs even when busy.