A Cultural Take-Over

Hong Kong, once a cultural desert bereft of world-class museums, art venues, and qualified curators, has transformed itself into a burgeoning arts hub. The Hong Kong Museum of Art was long considered a forgotten space, with Hollywood Road serving as the solitary beacon of art galleries. That was the extent of the scene.

Fast forward to today, and Hong Kong is undeniably on its way to becoming Asia’s cultural epicentre. The progress has been multidirectional: from the development of the Western Kowloon Cultural District to a sustained effort in audience building through expanded university curricula and programs such as CineFan.

Gradually, Hong Kong has evolved into a major platform for the development, appreciation, and commerce of art. The city now hosts numerous prestigious events, including Art Basel, and is home to all major art auctioneers. Remarkably, in 2020, Hong Kong claimed the position of the second-largest market for contemporary art.

Christie’s Next Move

As a leading creative video production company, we had the unique opportunity to produce a large-scale video campaign for InvestHK. One video highlights the iconic Christie’s auction house which we shot just months before they moved to their new headquarters at The Henderson, a recently completed architectural marvel designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. On the brink of a pivotal moment in Christie’s evolution, we were given access to and filmed art within art.

To capture this success story of Eastern arts meeting the West, as narrated by Christie’s Asia Pacific President Francis Belin, we felt compelled to blend visuals of both Chinese and Western art. Additionally, we were struck by the burgeoning strategic importance of digital avenues in the modern auctioning process.

To this end, we infused our film with playful colour by inserting Astera tubes in the gallery in stark contrast with the nativity scenes of the paintings on display. A simple glitch visual effect allowed us to evoke the world of crypto: a nod to the innovative spirit of the times, and a testament to the transformative power of art. At the other of the spectrum, Ming Dynasty ceramics were filmed with super slow movements and extreme close-ups to appreciate the texture of these remarkable pieces.