#East-meets-West

[miamaimania]

Ethereal curves ➤ Whispers of Korean heritage in Lie Sang Bong's 2013 SS collection

[hong-kong-art-man]

The 10 Adversities Of West Kowloon Cultural District In The Past & Its 3 Future Shots At Hong Kong’s Cultural Ambitions  

National government wants Hong Kong to be a cultural exchange centre.

Path to success is full of frustrations and setbacks.  Failure does not matter but regret does.

Let us not judge West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD西九文化區) by how many times it fell down in the past, but by how many times it will be able to get up in future.

The WKCD has gone through a number of well-publicized hard times for nearly 20 years leading up to the present partial opening of WKCD. It is evidently in safe hands with the new CEO Betty Fung.

In 1998, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Tung Chee-hwa announced the bold establishment of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the biggest in the world, consisting of 17 museums, concert halls and theatres, endeavouring to develop Hong Kong as the best cultural hub in Asia. The District could attract many tourists and strengthen Hong Kong’s cultural power.

Some visions and plans were later traumatized because such an ambition looked like a blessing wrapped in the clothing of a chain of curses:

(1)   In 2001, government employed the world-class architect Norman Foster to come up with a Grand Canopy concept for the whole district. The canopy could create a ‘microclimate’ in which, by forming convection air currents, hot air would leave and cool air would flow into the area, thus producing a cooling effect. The design faced strong opposition claiming that the concept was unrealistic and expensive. The design was scrapped.

(2)   In 2003, government put out to tender a PPP (public-private partnership) in that a single private developer would be invited to finance, build and operate the whole WKCD project. Again, the initiative was perceived as an exploitation of the public resources to dispense favour to just one developer. The proposal was defeated.

(3)   In 2008, government set up an independent West Kowloon Cultural District Authority to manage all the affairs of the district. There rapidly ensured a series of hot debates as to what should be built in the district. The variety of demands, ranging from children’s museum, arthouse cinema, Chinese ink works museum to literature museum formed a series of problems which were fundamentally insoluble. Also, the separate bidding of individual infrastructure projects resulted in extra tedious processes, heavy concurrent responsibilities and pressurized co-ordinations.

(4)   Government initially approved a HK$21.6 billion budget for WKCD. The construction cost unfortunately kept climbing and the estimated cost after a few years alarmingly went up to HK$47 billion. Politicians rebuked the WKCD Authority for failing to manage construction properly and so allowing it to be a bottomless ‘black hole’. At present, WKCD is still trying very hard to raise capital and hopefully it may not spark another financial tribulation.

(5)   In 2012, WKCD agreed to purchase about 47 contemporary art works from a Lucerne-based collector Uli Sigg for HK$177 million in consideration of his donating more than 1,000 other works to the M+ Museum of WKCD. This deal induced the great attacks from the public that there might have been some kind of ‘irregular transfer of benefits’ behind the arrangements. In 2014, M+ bought a ‘sushi bar’ for around HK$15 million with public funds which was an old renovation of a closed-down restaurant in Tokyo. Artists in Hong Kong disagreed that the item was worth the high price of collecting and bucked the wisdom of such an acquisition.

(6)   In 2017, one party-goer died and 3 were in a critical condition when attending an electronic rave concert at WKCD. They were sent to hospital and the police seized some amount of drugs from the site. There was a public accusation that WKCD should not allow such kinds of vulgar concerts to be held and these outdoor music festivals were about dirty language, anti-government sentiment and drugs.

(7)   In 2018, Hsin Chong Construction, the main contractor of M+, faced severe money troubles and was unable to pay its workers. Its significant delays caused WKCD to incur substantial losses. In March, the Authority issued a press statement to formally fire Hsin Chong owing to its alleged insolvency. Hsin Chong rebutted it as an incorrect accusation. The parties finally referred the disputes to litigation in the courts. There was, again, bitter political mudslinging in the battle against the reputation of WKCD.

(8)   In 2020, Duncan Pescod, chief executive of WKCD, tendered his resignation before his contract ended. He hinted that the government would like him to leave. The authority’s first head, Graham Sheffield, quit just 5 months into the job in 2011, citing health reasons, while the second chief, Michael Lynch, left in 2015 after working for a relatively short period of years. At the same time, the arts and culture sector had long been pointing its finger at these foreign CEOs, saying that they did not know well enough the local needs and circumstances. These awkward high-level personnel changes made a bad situation worse for the cultural district.

(9)   The Hong Kong Palace Museum, a local version of the national museum in Beijing, opened its doors in July 2022 showcasing Chinese precious exhibits and relics. The Palace Museum’s launch came a few months after the opening of M+ Museum, the contemporary arts centre in WKCD.  ‘When ill luck begins, it does not come in sprinkles, but in showers.’ People denounced the absence of public consultation for the idea of building a Palace Museum in 2016. Some interpreted it as a wilful ‘cultural re-education’. I disagree and think the present Palace Museum is impressive and meaningful. M+ is however still being under constant bombardment by the unfriendly forces: that the project was too expensive, the collections are of a bad taste or anti-national and there are insufficient local art works…

(10)     In 2021, WKCD tried to market its commercial site Artist Square Towers amid Hong Kong’s property market downturn. The tender was cancelled without a successful bid. In 2022, developers were re-invited to submit bids for the commercial project worth as much as HK$10.7 billion upon completion. Pray that such money will help WKCD.

Bad decisions and bad luck are a good pair which, through thick and thin, have sabotaged the painful past of West Kowloon Cultural District for more than 20 years. There are present signs of good pathways on the road to recovery. We can see at every weekend, thousands of citizens pour themselves into the beautiful District to support and peek into the cultural and architectural pride of Hong Kong. The future belongs to those who believe in the ‘can do’ spirit of our city.

From now on, apart from not making mistakes which may stunt WKCD’s growth, there will be 3 critical shots to make. Such 3 shots should take bona fide precedence over any direction of the cultural hub: to produce or encourage the production of top-grade cultural activity and program. By subsidizing these activities and programs, through overseas collaborating effort or otherwise, we can incubate the internationally outstanding status of West Kowloon and also artists in Hong Kong. Secondly, through bestowing charming characteristics on such art progeny, WKCD can help maximize the spread of the cultural preponderant influence of Hong Kong in the world as a result of art market expansion. The third heads-up is that the works must also be ‘Hong Kong-relevant’, speaking volumes about our cultural beliefs, preferences and tastes to other countries.

The best index to Hong Kong’s success should be how we will show the world that the striking ‘East-meets-West’ character of Hong Kong shall remain. Let us pray for a little hope that through West Kowloon, our city will excel culturally one day!

Maurice Lee

Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/xi-jiu-wen-hua-78115125?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

West Kowloon Cultural District Introduction  https://youtu.be/7gR7hEr4_UM  Acknowledgement – West Kowloon Cultural District

Hong Kong Palace Museum Introduction  https://youtu.be/QLtaJLfy-O8  Acknowledgement-RTHK

Tea House Theatre Experience at the Xiqu Centre   https://youtu.be/FqA4Iu-7aQI  Acknowledgement – West Kowloon Cultural District

[arlequinelunaire]

Inktober Day Twenty-Nine: Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld (counterclockwise) from Aa! Megami-sama/Oh My Goddess drawn in my shot at the Hilda art style.

Edit: Now in full colour

[jevilowo]

Not sure if ive already done this. But.

Predictions for COMIC 7

CHARLES DARLING WILL BE THE FINAL ENEMY besides Helen. Trust me on this one I swear they wouldn't have brought him in if they didn't have plans. ALSO the mother of the Mann triplets (Bette Mann neé Darling) was RELATED TO HIM HE'S RELEVANT. I'm so convinced he's the one Helen made a deal with and he's going to make a grab for Mann Co.

We'll get to see Bilious Hale in a flashback and find out what happened to him. Bilious Hale, oh guy who punched coal out of mines and sat on John Wilkes Booth while other people shot at him, my beloved. I hope they don't reveal he was a bad father or anything.

A woman is nice to Ms Pauling for once and she gets a smooch. She deserves it. Hopefully it won't be a smooch from Helen (DAMN YOU 4CHAN LEAKS), the old lady's had her hired since Pauling was in her mid teens.

WE GET HORSEMANN LORE! this is just wishful thinking on my part the Horsemann makes me insane. Shout out to Silas Mann fr. If he doesn't show up, I hope they at least acknowledge or reference him. I swear they had plans for him back in 2010. Which they then immediately abandoned in favour of developing Mann vs Machine.

Spydad reveal. Pretty much a given. No need to elaborate. I hope Scout’s mother shows up I love her.

Demo gets something important to do! He's only been there for comedic bits so far really, so I think he deserves some Serious Plot Stuff.

Build up to and cop out on Pyro face reveal. The whole thing of Pyro's character is the mystery, so I think the funniest way to go about a face reveal would be for us to only see the team's reactions and have them all react very differently e.g. Scout vomits, Demo gives them the thumbs up, Spy starts taking horrified notes, Engie looks vaguely lovestruck, Saxton Hale expresses annoyance that they aren't actually *insert obsucure species of something here* like he thought.

CONAGHER LORE!! By which I mean Engie shows up and has a chat with Fred about Radigan and immortality and whatnot. Fred has to have been spared from the bloodshed for a reason, right?

Classic Medic shows up! Or they confirm he is dead. Or they confirm he is Pyro which is a funny theory I read once but sincerely doubt. Maybe they'll pull a Bea and have him have been a girl the whole time.

I have a crackpot theory that Helen/Elizabeth is actually Bette Mann (again, mother of the Mann triplets), and while it's unlikely to be true, it would genuinely be so funny if I'm right so WATCH THIS SPACE. My main reasoning is Helen started her Australium search the year the triplets were born, aka the year Bette DIED, and also Bette is a nickname for Elizabeth. Also also it adds to my theory that she will team up with Charles Darling, who is, as I've already said, related to Bette.

Olivia gets to do something important also. Saying this bc she's mostly been a prop so far. I'm manifesting a sideplot where she summons the Horsemann to beat up Charles Darling for her.

Merasmus returns! Last we saw he was arrested, but Jay Pinkerton really likes his Soldier/Merasmus interactions so chances of him coming back are high.

There will be a joke like "geez it feels like it's been seven years since we beat grey mann" and a panel where everyone just lets that process before going back to plot stuff

Chances are, a new comic after so many years means there will be new writers, and the fandom has changed quite a bit since the last one. There will be SUBLIMINAL SPEEDING BULLET SHIPPING. There will be MORE FOCUS THAN IS REALLY NECESSARY on Scout. SOMEONE WILL THEY/THEM PYRO which sounds great actually you know what I forgot where I was going with this godspeed.

ZHANNASOLDIER WEDDING FINALE!!!

[tf2incorrectquotes]

Soldier/Zhanna: *bringing out ring boxes at the same time*

Zhanna: Oh… *laughs* It seems we both planned to propose to each other right here!

Soldier: *smugly* AH, BUT I’VE TAKEN THE KNEE! SO IT SEEMS THAT I’LL BE THE ONE PROPOSING TODAY!

Zhanna: *smirks* Not so fast! *on both her knees, huddled* I’m even lower than you! I’m proposing!

Soldier: OH HO HO! HOW SURE YOU ARE OF YOURSELF!

Soldier: *lays flat on his front* BEHOLD! I AM A LOW AS THE HUMAN BODY CAN POSSIBLY BE! I WILL BE THE ONE WHO PROPOSES, CUPCAKE, AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU C-

Zhanna: *cuts Soldier off by digging into the soil in front of him*

*meanwhile, a short distance away…*

Medic: *holding a "congratulations!" sign* Aw, look at them, they are truly perfect for each other!

Heavy: *holding a "SAY NO!" sign* So it would seem…

[omercifulheaves]

Marvel's Black Panther drawn by Katsuhiro Otomo, 1978

[nazarjoon]

fal-e hafez fortune tellers i made!

(a huge shoutout to my amoo for helping me w translations, although neither of us are poets so pls go easy on us)

fal-e hafez is a form of divination. if someone has a question/concern/struggle/etc. they will open a book of hafez's poetry to a random page. that poem will offer guidance and insight about the person's concern. this has been a common practice in iran for centuries and is often practiced during the holiday of yalda which is celebrated on the winter solstice ❣️

i thought it would be cute to combine these two forms of divination together! to keep it simple for the fortune teller i took the first couplet from a few of hafez's poems since there's not room for the whole thing

[nemeyuko]

Herbert West from the Lovecraft story meeting Herbert West from the films meeting Herbert East from Monster High.

[360degreesasthecrowflies]

Some examples of kimono through history and modern cultural examples from the current V&A museum exhibition

[theactioneer]

The Dynamite Brothers (Al Adamson, 1974)

[cauchesque]

just went to one of those generic hippie stores that promise to bring the wisdom of the orient to americans like you via incense, statues, and various hanging spinny things, except the exotic flair in question was sweden

[teamtastical-ask-blog]

SOLIDER!!!

Tell me how MUCH you love Zhanna!!✨️

-🪶

[RED SOLDIER]

"I love her as much as I love AMERICA! Which is from here..."

Soldier puts a hand on the ground and loads his rocket launcher.

He fires a rocket at his feet while jumping and goes flying into the sky, the highest rocket-jump he's ever jumped.

"TO HEREEEE!" Soldier yells at the top of his lungs, one hand stretched out above him.

[gnnosis]

on acceptance

[ people we meet on vacation, emily henry / ted lasso 3x10 / east of eden, john steinbeck / boy (2010) / “growing sideways,” noah kahan / the west wing 2x15 / greywaren, maggie stiefvater ]

[arlequinelunaire]

Oh My Goddess in Hilda's art style, now full colour (original Inktober pic)

[tf2incorrectquotes]

Soldier: *to Zhanna* Yo, girl, on a scale of ONE to AMERICA, how free are you tonight?

Engineer: *watching from the sidelines* Wow, that's actually a great line.

Spy: Indeed, but unfortunately-

Heavy: *charging towards Soldier with murderous intent* GERMANY NINETEEN FORTY TWO!

[foggyfanfic]

There comes a point when you are doing too much research for fanfic, and that point is probably way before you’re looking up the interactions between the Cocos and Nazcas plates in order to decide where you would put a fictional island if you want it off the coast of Colombia.