Local talents showcase Hong Kong’s design history in Milan
Young creatives offering Italian fair a taste of Hong Kong from afar are fearless enough to take city to the top, says curator
Walking the busy streets of Mong Kok, taking the Star Ferry across the harbour and shopping under the red plastic lampshades of the wet markets - these are some of the personal experiences that can best demonstrate Hong Kong's potential as a city of design.
That's according to Nille Juul-Sørensen who, as curator of the largest presentation of Hong Kong design at this week's Milan Design Week, is tasked with showcasing the city to an expected 300,000 visitors.
Juul-Sørensen believes the city's fast-changing nature and the growing number of talented young designers who focus on creating "experiences" rather than products can make Hong Kong the leading design city in Asia in the next 10 years.
Singapore may strive to be a design hub, and mainland cities such as Shanghai and Beijing may have lots of money, but Hong Kong can lead the game.
"It's not about the money. It's about not being afraid of taking chances," he said.
Hong Kong has put itself on the world map in the past five years and its experience could provide a lesson for its European counterparts, said the award-winning architect, also CEO of the Danish Design Centre.
"In many places, design is treated as art only, but Hong Kong shows us that design is business - which is what many countries are looking for," said Juul-Sørensen, whose own work includes designing airport components for the Hong Kong International Airport.
