At VICE VERSA,
each extrapolates two contexts with a singular move...

From the gilded quadriga to translatio of evangelist, Venice once gained her prosperity by continual displacements. A virtual reflection in our recent history of city-making, Hong Kong is the most vigorous laboratory to excel such urban tactic - from colonial time to now the southern gateway of China, local architecture has constantly been transcribed, transformed, transferred and even transported.

With the exhibition titled "VICE VERSA: displacing acts, lives and thresholds of a hyper city", the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) and Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) present at the 10th Architectural Biennale under the name of "Hong Kong, China" for the very first time. The exhibition is fully supported by the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and received sponsorships from the business sector including the Bank of China (Hong Kong).

At yesterday's opening ceremony, Professor Bernard Lim, President of the HKIA and Commissioner of the Hong Kong, China exhibition said, "I hope this exhibition showing our "Hong Kong-ness" can draw visitors from the rest of the world closer to us and understand more about our city where we live and work.  Our exhibition of displacements is practically questioning the permanence of "site" and the definition of "place" it is an architectural research responding to the universal forces of urban acceleration and densification we are facing today."

Also speaking at the occasion, Mr Ma Fung-kwok, SBS, JP, Chairman of the HKADC and Commissioner of the exhibition, praised the tireless efforts of the three curators and the works of the exhibitors. He said, "As Asia's world city, Hong Kong has developed its own distinctive architectural personality in high rise, high density environment…. The exhibition is a manifestation of the creativity and plurality of a group of architects, urban designers, scholars and visual artists."

When introducing the exhibits, curators Alvin Yip, Billy Tam, Joshua Lau presented their vision. "Hostelling hot cash and volatile desires, Hong Kong is a unique creation in the history of city-making. Our first presentation at this most progressive architecture exposition is instrumental in constructing a discourse, to imagine new urban paradigms, tactics and identities for modern Chinese cities in a global age. At VICE VERSA, you'll find each exhibitor extrapolates two contexts with a singular move...".

All eight exhibitors have made presence to reveal to the world an unfamiliar portrait of Hong Kong,  the group include CL3 Architects Ltd; Andrew Lee King Fun & Associates Architects Ltd; Rocco Design Ltd; Vito Bertin, Gu Daqing and Woo Pui-leng; Laurence Liauw with Videotage; Architecture Design and Research Group Ltd; Hong Kong Housing Authority; Wallace Chang.

The opening ceremony was enlightened with the musical performance by King's Harmonica Quintet, a world-champion music group from Hong Kong and followed by a tour guided by the curators.

Also joining the opening ceremony were Mr Zhang Jianda, Cultural Attache of the People's Republic of China in Italy; Mr Fan Dian, Commissioner of the China Pavilion and Mr Wang Min-xian, Curator of the China Pavilion and its exhibitor Mr Wang Shu; Mr Duncan Pescod, Special Representative for Hong Kong, Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Communities; Mr Edmund CHENG, Chairman of Design Singapore Council and its director Mr Aaron Hung; Dr Milton TAN, Commissioner of Singapore Pavilion and its director Ms Yeo Piah-choo.

Representatives from Hong Kong included Mr Vincent Ng, Vice President of the HKIA; Ms Carolin Fong, Chairlady of the Steering Committee of the Hong Kong Exhibition and its member Mr John Ng; Ms Wendy Lam, Director of Arts Promotion and Corporate Affairs of the HKADC; exhibitors and a 10-member strong supporting team.

To facilitate discussion and exchanges with overseas counterparts, a symposium with the curators and exhibitors will be held at the exhibition venue tomorrow morning at 10:30am.  Moderated by international critics, friends from collateral exhibitions and other pavilions will join the debate on the making of Hong Kong exhibition and the making of Hong Kong. 

"VICE VERSA - Displacing Acts, Lives & Thresholds of a Hyper City" at Campo della Tana, Venice will be open to public from 10 September until 19 November 2006. For details, please go to www.venicebiennale.hk. Response exhibitions in Hong Kong will commence in November, in alignment with the 50th anniversary of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects.