Hong Kong Arts Development Council presents
JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power
<i>after the deluge</i> by media artist Kingsley Ng opens tomorrow 6 – 31 January 2018

Using Tai Hang Tung Storage Tank as an exhibition venue for the first time

#JCNewArtsPower #OurTalentsOurPride

(Hong Kong, 5 January 2018) after the deluge, an interactive exhibition of the JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power by internationally acclaimed media artist Kingsley Ng will be opened to the public from tomorrow, Saturday 6 to Wednesday 31 January 2018 at Tai Hang Tung Stormwater Storage Tank. The underground space has been made available for Ng’s site-specific work of art in an unprecedented move from the Drainage Services Department, who have been hugely supportive of the idea from the outset. Tai Hang Tung Stormwater Storage Tank will be taken over by after the deluge for three weeks, during which the unique space will be open for guided tours.

“We are delighted to be working with Kingsley Ng and the Drainage Services Department to repurpose the cavernous Tai Hang Tung Stormwater Storage Tank - an unconventional site for an art installation - into a place of imagination and reflection for the first time in its history. after the deluge is a poetic and evocative installation we are excited to be bringing to the Hong Kong public.” said Dr Wong Ying-wai, Wilfred, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council

“Tai Hang Tung Stormwater Storage Tank is Hong Kong’s first and largest storage tank. It is a very important infrastructure for flood prevention. We are delighted that Kingsley has chosen to work so closely with us for this project, after the deluge will help the public know more of our work and vision told through art. We have capacity for 10,000 visitors to join guided tours during the exhibition period and hope the public will enjoy.” said Mr Edwin Tong Ka Hung, Director of Drainage Services Department.

“I am delighted to join the opening ceremony of this second exhibition of the programme, and to witness after the deluge, the art work by internationally acclaimed media artist Kingsley Ng,” said Ms Rhoda Chan, Head of Charities (Grant Making – Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture), The Hong Kong Jockey Club. “Arts, Culture and Heritage is one of the four strategic focus areas of our Charities Trust donations. Through the JOCKEY CLUB New Arts Power programme, we hope that the city’s ‘new arts power’ will be able not only to share their work, but also accumulate experiences and hone their skills as artists, so that their art can go further and benefit more citizens from all walks of life.”

The exhibition continues Ng’s exploration of human response to nature in extreme weather, and the impact of climate change, it is a theme that was initiated in his 2016 work Spring: A Homage to Liang Quan at the OzAsia Festival in Adelaide. Inspired by the ancient Chinese myth, Yu the Great, which tells the story of the legendary ruler famed for his visionary flood control initiatives, the installation draws attention to the unknown heroes continuously working on Hong Kong’s flood control, and their heritage which is so uniquely Hong Kong’s.

Starting from the above-ground green pumping station, following the route of main stormwater drains, leading to the storage tank, Ng brings to light a completely new view of Hong Kong, by using the space for artistic celebration of the city’s heritage and drainage infrastructure aims to both educate and inspire. after the deluge uses light installation and sound navigation to create an interactive exhibition that stimulates an underwater immersion. The dark and underground space that is Tai Hang Tung Storage Tank is thus transformed into a space for contemplation, inviting the public to explore and appreciate what can easily remain unseen.