AMBASSADORS BALL

Pinch of Salt

Guests arriving at PMQ were greeted by a sight that conjured images of a wet market—fish sculptures hanging from the ceiling of the creative hub. They were the work of local artists Mic Leong and Soilworm Lai, whose studio Stickyline was engaged to spearhead the creative direction of the Ambassadors Ball, staged by the Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design to raise funds for the Design Trust. The duo’s visuals announced the theme of the evening, “Salted Fish,” inspired by a line from Stephen Chow’s 2001 flick Shaolin Soccer: “Without any dreams in life, we would be like salted fish.”

The evening started with cocktails in the foyer, where guests were able to peruse the lots destined for the live and silent auctions. These included a series of prints by Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, a poster by Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist Sterling Ruby and a wingback chair by British designer Tom Dixon. The dinner began with a candid opening address by Design Trust cofounder and chairman Alan Lo, who then introduced the trust’s new executive director, Marisa Yiu, to outline the range of initiatives she will be implementing this year.

The live auction proved to be the high point of the night. Jehan Chu acted as auctioneer, and his candour and lively demeanour ensured there was never a lull or a moment of silence. At one point he brought the guest of honour, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, to the stage. The night wrapped up with an after-party at nearby Aberdeen Street Social, where Drafus Chow got behind the turntables and kept people on the dance floor well into the early hours. More than HK$6.5 million was raised during the evening.