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OPEN FOREST

DESIGN Installation and Artwork by ESKYIU commissioned by HSBC as part of their “Open to Art” Initiative.

ESKYIU OPEN FOREST is a new context and reimagining for ESKYIU’s ongoing urban intervention series of ‘Forests’, beginning with the 2013 INDUSTRIAL FOREST in Wong Chuk Hang commissioned by SPRING WORKSHOP.

As the latest contribution towards their ongoing “Open to Art” Initiative – HSBC’s has commissioned ESKYIU to envision ESKYIU OPEN FOREST – an interactive spatial installation inspired by the rapid ongoing urban and cultural transformation of the West Kowloon Cultural District and beyond.

As the 381 red filaments of the ESKYIU OPEN FOREST bend and sway with the wind – evoking the rhythm and verticality of bamboo – they create playful, hybrid interations of space, body and community. Visitors are encouraged to traverse the dynamic landscape of ESKYIU OPEN FOREST, and explore its unique physical, visual and auditory possibilities against the striking panoramic backdrop of the Victoria Harbour Skyline.

Amplified by HSBC’s interest in Augmented Reality technology, the ESKYIU OPEN FOREST invites visitors to use their mobile devices to begin an interative ‘Ecological Journey’ – revealing a rich, diverse ecosystem and an opportunity to learn about some of Hong Kong’s most unique and endangered local species.

Since a sustainable mindset is central to ESKYIU OPEN FOREST, all installation materials have been thoughtfully assembled. Retrofitted structural platform modules are clad in NIKE GRIND groundscaping – a recycled composite comprised of unused manufacturing scraps that celebrates a circular material economy.

With a vision for future expansion and renewal, ESKYIU OPEN FOREST offers a stage to reimagine the layered dialogues at the intersection of Hong Kong’s transforming culture, diverse urban fabric, technological advancement and rich biodiversity against a backdrop of creative community collaboration.

We are thrilled with this commission by HSBC, facilitating our long-term commitment to expand artistic collaborations with meaningful new dimensions here in Hong Kong and beyond. OPEN FOREST marks an exciting new chapter of an ongoing collaborative legacy for our creative practice. Our 2013 INDUSTRIAL FOREST, commissioned by Mimi Brown of SPRING WORKSHOP, and now part of the M+ collection, materialized a new experiential landscape for Wong Chuk Hang in response to the massive urban transformation occurring in the post-industrial area. The playful ‘Forest’ has since become an important project for us to explore heritage, architecture, nature, and artifice in Hong Kong. Today, the West Kowloon Cultural District is undergoing its own exciting evolutionary period, generating positive opportunities for creative community-driven dialogues. This is a transformation we have observed since our own journey with the budding district which began in 2009, when we curated an architecture exhibition on the site. The 2023 OPEN FOREST is reactive to this new context, engaging layered dialogues of culture, technology, biodiversity and play, against a backdrop of urban generation and growth. We invite all to step into the OPEN FOREST and join the conversation.

— Eric Schuldenfrei & Marisa Yiu – ESKYIU Founders

Stay Connected:

Facebook: ESKYIU

Instagram: @ESKYIU / @HSBC_HK / #ESKYIUOpenForest / #OpentoArt / #NikeGrind / #Nike

Project Details:

Location: Outside the M+ Curator Cafe, Harbourside Deck, West Kowloon Cultural District, HK

Date: March 9th 2023 (Soft Launch) / March 20th 2023 (Official Launch) – May 15th 2023

Acknowledgement:

ESKYIU

Design Principals: Eric Schuldenfrei and Marisa Yiu; Architectural Designer: Jay Jordan

HSBC

Commissioner

NIKE

Nike Grind Sponsor / Cultural Partner

SPRING WORKSHOP

Mimi Brown – INDUSTRIAL FOREST COMMISSIONER [2013]