UNCHARTED TERRITORIES
ABOUT
Eight months ago, Hong Kong Tatler and Louis Vuitton came together to forge a platform that would celebrate collaboration and creativity. The resulting project, entitled Uncharted Territories, saw eight of the city’s most interesting and influential artists and creatives—chosen for their impact and relevance in their respective fields—work together in pairs to produce expressions on a theme: the spirit of travel. The participants were motivated not only by the rare opportunity to work in unlikely couplings but also by the chance to inspire and energise fellow artists in the city’s burgeoning scene.
Uncharted Territories also presented them with the chance to build an artistic dialogue with Louis Vuitton. The brand’s long association with art was built through ambitious events, ranging from the expertly curated exhibitions at the Espace Louis Vuitton on Canton Road to 2009’s large-scale A Passion for Creation show, which saw the Museum of Art wrapped entirely by Richard Prince. Louis Vuitton’s genuine, vigorous support for artists—both global and local—rendered it the ideal partner for Uncharted Territories.
Guided by curator William Zhao, the four teams were given full artistic freedom to produce works that capture travel in its multifarious definitions— physical, spiritual and otherwise. The works are highly personal statements yet all point to the transient nature of Hong Kong, a metropolis that has evolved rapidly to become a global hub, a node where culture and commerce vie for attention.
Says Zhao: “Life is a journey. Every moment in a lifetime is a journey. Every minute counts as we laugh, work, relax, travel. We enjoy it as we share these with friends and family. It’s an honour to be invited by Louis Vuitton and Hong Kong Tatler to curate Uncharted Territories and explore new horizons with many talents: filmmaker Flora Lau, fashion designer Anais Mak (Jourden), entrepreneur Kevin Poon, photographer Wing Shya, artist Angela Su, architect Joyce Wang, artist Adrian Wong and animator Wong Ping. In the eight months since we commenced this project, we have been through hardships, enlightenments, difficulties, blissful times. The process has been a unique journey for all of us.”
On the following pages, we showcase the collaborating pairs and ask them to describe their works-in-progress. Each week, new video content about each team and their progress will be posted on Hong Kong Tatler’s Instagram and Facebook pages, as well as the Uncharted Territories website: hk.asiatatler.com/lvhkt. The completed works will be displayed at an exhibition in January that will be launched with a charity auction.