As the chill returns to Hong Kong’s air, prompting residents to embrace the outdoors, the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is debuting its first-ever comprehensive outdoor exhibition—’The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art Plaza Project.’ This multimedia initiative seamlessly blends high culture with accessible public space, offering a unique opportunity to experience art and design inspired by traditional Chinese garden aesthetics right outside the museum walls. Running now through November 2, 2026, the exhibition features contemporary installations by five local artists and one leading architect, with free entry during the museum’s official operating hours.

Reinterpreting Zen in the City

The exhibition, strategically positioned in the HKPM’s Museum Plaza, aims to extend the museum’s cultural influence into everyday urban life while spotlighting the exceptional creativity of Hong Kong talents. The curation draws inspiration from classical Chinese gardens, known for their harmonious balance of architectural pavilions, flowing water features, and artfully-arranged rock formations.

However, these age-old natural elements are radically reinterpreted through the lens of modern city life. Visitors will encounter iconic garden components—such as bamboo thickets, smooth stones for contemplation, and flowing streams—composed of materials routinely found in Hong Kong’s bustling environment, including recycled bamboo poles, metal, and specialized textile fabrics.

The use of materials like bamboo underscores a powerful local narrative surrounding adaptability and resilience, integral concepts within the city’s architectural history. Complementing the two-year showcase, HKPM is also hosting concurrent workshops and talks designed to delve deeper into the philosophical and artistic concepts driving this inaugural outdoor initiative.

Architectural Highlights and Nighttime Views

One of the exhibition’s most compelling visual elements is Dancing Bamboo, a striking installation crafted by celebrated Hong Kong architect Rocco Yim. Yim utilizes bamboo poles salvaged directly from the city’s vast scaffolding industry, arranging them into an imagined forest. This piece masterfully celebrates the tensile strength, flexibility, and sustainability inherent in a material often overlooked by modern construction.

Echoing this material focus, artist Inkgo Lam presents Arrow, a mesmorizing work that expands her expertise in bamboo crafting. Inspired by the traditional bamboo arrow, the piece symbolically captures the constant, often productive, tension between inherited traditions and contemporary progress.

For an entirely different viewing experience, visitors are encouraged to return after sundown. Several installations by artists Chloë Cheuk, Tung Wing Hong, and Eastman Cheng are designed to transform into luminous displays. Utilizing light and shadow, these pieces offer a spectacular, illuminated perspective on the artists’ modern interpretations of serenity and natural form.

Key Exhibition Details:

• What: ‘The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Art Plaza Project’
• Where: Museum Plaza at the Hong Kong Palace Museum
• When: Now through November 2, 2026
• Cost: Free of charge during museum opening hours

This lengthy, free outdoor exhibition provides a significant opportunity for the public to engage with sophisticated, locally-produced art without the barrier of entry fees. By transforming the museum plaza into a contemplative yet accessible art sanctuary, HKPM is successfully utilizing public space to democratize culture and champion Hong Kong’s position as a dynamic hub for contemporary design and creative reinterpretation.