BYOBlast to the Hong Kong Biennale This CNY in the West Kowloon Cultural District

In lieu of its guiding theme of “City Mobilization : BYOBiennale,” the Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture invites Hong Kongers to usher in the year of the tiger with BYOBlast, a dynamic series of Lunar New Year celebrations.

BYOBaby Tiger/ 14-16 February
Doll your little ones up in their finest tiger costumes or Chinese New Year attire and head down to West Kowloon Cultural District on 14-16 February from 15:00 to 17:00, to have the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes.

Participants under 12 will be rewarded with a special Biennale balloon and will have their photo taken, using a FujiFilm instax mini7, and displayed among the many exhibitions of the Biennale. Visitors will vote for the most creative costume, and the lucky winner will receive a FujiFilm instax mini7 camera and limited edition Biennale education kit.

BYOBlanket to the Lunar New Year Fireworks/ 15 February
Snag a coveted spot on the West Kowloon Cultural District waterfront, aptly situated along Kowloon Harbour, as Hong Kong rings in the year of the tiger with its annual fireworks display on 15 February. Or opt to BYOBlanket, find a cozy spot on the green Biennale site, and soak in the visual spectacle of the fireworks alongside the cultural display of the Biennale.

A helpful hint: BYOBinoculars for an even more intimate fireworks show!

BYORed Pocket/ 9-27 February
From February 9-27, the Hong Kong Biennale curatorial team invites the Hong Kong public to celebrate Chinese New Year by bringing their own red pocket, printed with their surname on it, to the Biennale site. As giving out red pockets has long been a Chinese New Year custom to bring best wishes for the new year, participants will be asked to write their own wishes on the back of the red pockets and to hang these on the Pocket Fence (exhibit E58) structure.

The red pockets will create a vibrant red space within the three semi-enclosed areas of the Pocket Fence and express vitality, happiness and good fortune. The collection of wishes from different families will also enable the curatorial team to record the surnames of all the participants in an attempt to map family connections. Encouraging community participation, BYORed Pocket is a collaborative celebration of what Hong Kong wishes for this Chinese New Year.

Designed by leading international architecture firm nArchitects, the Pocket Fence, is a playful platform for collaborative activities. Founded in 1999 by partners Eric Bunge and Mimi Hoang in New York City, nArchitects, brings an open-ended approach to the design process based on clear diagrammatic thinking and an ability to unite a wide array of concerns into rigorous and cohesive design outcomes. For more information about nArchitects, please visit www.nArchitects.com.