Creative freedom at US$2.50 per square metre
Following the Asian financial crisis, the Government Supply Department complex, which included the adjacent clubhouse of the Royal Yacht Club, stood empty. In 1998 the government decided to rent out the vacant premises of the multistorey warehouse, and at HK$2.50 (US$0.32) per square metre it very quickly found tenants.
Gallery owners and artists soon discovered the huge warehouse, which offered them the space to express their creativity that was rarely found in Hong Kong. In no time at all a dynamic art scene established at North Point, complete with live art performances, workshops, and exhibitions. Artists like May Fung, who today manages the ACO Art & Cultural Outreach at the Foo Tak Building in Causeway Bay as well as 1a space, now located in Ma Tau Kok, had their studios in the thriving artists’ village.
Info
Address 12 Oil Street, North Point | Public Transport MTR Island Line (blue), Fortress Hill Station, Exit A | Hours Mon 2pm-8pm, Tue-Sun 10am–8pm| Tip Every January an arts festival – the Fotanian Open Studios – takes place in Fo Tan, Sha Tin.
One year later the government refused to renew the tenants’ leases, allegedly due to unresolved insurance issues, and despite voluble protests the building was vacated. Some of the artists later moved to the Cattle Depot Artist Village, while others moved into the Foo Tak Building, to Fotan, or Hung Hom. Meanwhile, the warehouse was not demolished until 2012. The Arts and Crafts style former clubhouse of the Royal Yacht Club, built in 1908 - the only colonial building complex on the original stretch of coastline that is left in North Point - was bought up and revitalised. Today it houses Oi! “a space that fuels creativity, imagination, and an open dialogue … by inviting diverse communities to experiment freely with contemporary art and culture.” The goals are high: Oi! should “ provide a platform where people can realise their dreams in art.” Oi! works closely with the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. Various workshops and exhibitions should provoke thought and reflection, and address a sustainable lifestyle through social interaction.
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