PR021/20 20 March 2020

Balletic Street Scenes Enrich Journeys at MTR Station through New Station Artwork

Commuters at now find themselves immersed in images of the fascinating streetscapes of enriched with choreographed balletic poses and expressions. Produced by a multimedia artist Mr Jevan Chowdhury from Britain, a series of large-scale panoramic station art pieces entitled “This is Wan Chai” has transformed the lower platform of the station bound for Kennedy Town into a ballet performance stage portraying lively local street scenes. The artwork brings people to visualise daily life through the graceful motion of more than 40 dancers from the Ballet and the members of the public in iconic Wan Chai locations.

Commissioned by MTR Corporation and jointly initiated with the Hong Kong Design Centre, “This is Wan Chai” was made in collaboration with the Hong Kong Ballet, Treacle Media, the UK’s Department for International Trade and Conran + Partners. It is the latest station artwork under the “Art in MTR” programme. At present, a total of 86 artworks are displayed in 52 stations.

“The artwork showcases the uniqueness of Wan Chai in both kinetic and static ways. We hope this dynamic backdrop will touch the emotions of our daily commuters and bring smiles to their faces and energy as they travel through the station,” said Mr Andrew Mead, Chief Architect (ARBUK) of MTR Corporation.

“We are thrilled to be part of this collaborative project that provides a ground-breaking experience for our passengers. The artwork transforms the experience of using the station and brings the character and energy of the Wan Chai District deep underground,” Mr Mead added.

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About MTR Corporation

Every day, MTR connects people and communities. As a recognised world-class operator of sustainable rail transport services, we are a leader in safety, reliability, customer service and efficiency.

MTR has extensive end-to-end railway expertise with more than 40 years of railway projects experience from design to planning and construction through to commissioning, maintenance and operations. Going beyond railway delivery and operation, MTR also creates and manages dynamic communities around its network through seamless integration of rail, commercial and property development.

With more than 40,000 dedicated staff*, MTR carries over 13 million passenger journeys worldwide every weekday in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia and the Mainland of China. MTR strives to grow and connect communities for a better future.

For more information about MTR Corporation, please visit www..com.hk.

*includes our subsidiaries and associates in Hong Kong and worldwide

About “Community Connect”

“Community Connect” is the Corporation’s platform for initiatives that aims to support everyone from the young to the old while enhancing the liveability of our city. What all the programmes have in common is that they’ve been carefully developed to nurture the communities we serve, so that together we can grow and thrive in a sustainable Hong Kong. Specifically,

• We invest in young people as they are our customers, future leaders, innovators, and game changers – supporting their development is an investment in our communities’ futures.

• We contribute to making cities more connected and vibrant through staff volunteering, and collaborating with NGOs and social enterprises to address evolving community needs.

• We enhance the travelling experience through integrating art into our station architecture and facilitating artists to stage their art-related activities or displays in our stations and malls.

Photo Caption:

Produced by the British artist Mr Jevan Chowdhury, “This is Wan Chai” installed at MTR Wan Chai Station is the latest station artwork under the “Art in MTR” programme of MTR Corporation.

Appendix

About the Artwork

Title of Work This is Wan Chai Artist Jevan Chowdhury Lower platform and adit of MTR Wan Chai Station bound for Kennedy Location Town Medium of Dance and Photography Creation Dimensions Approximately 150 metres long x 2 meters high Concept & “This is Wan Chai” is a monumental photographic installation that Description captures Hong Kong Ballet dancers racing through iconic locations in Wan Chai and their interaction with members of the public.

The artwork reimagines and reinvents the station as a public space at the heart of the local community. In this way, the station is transformed into a living stage of choreographed street scenes that commuters play their part in as they pass through.

Conceived by artist Jevan Chowdhury and performed by more than 40 principal, soloist, coryphée and corps de ballet dancers from the Hong Kong Ballet as well as members of the public, the artwork is designed to be viewed on the move.

As part of the “Moving Cities” series by Jevan Chowdhury, “This is Wan Chai” is included in an on-going global inventory of film and photographic work in which cities are transcribed through dance.

Commissioned by MTR Corporation and jointly initiated with the Hong Kong Design Centre, “This is Wan Chai” was made in collaboration with the Hong Kong Ballet, Treacle Media, the UK’s Department for International Trade and Conran + Partners.

”This is Wan Chai” engaged members of the public in the making of the work. It involved 20 partner organisations, 65 artists and a 37-member production team. “This is Wan Chai” is an observation of the theatrical stage everyday life Artist Statement presents as seen through the lens of magical realism. Duration of 11 months Creation Materials & Digital print on vinyl sticker film Techniques