The Hari Hong Kong Launches Art Trail with Hotel Art Ambassador

The Hari Hong Kong has launched a cultural immersion experience that guides guests through the remarkable rota of art adorning its walls and Wan Chai neighbourhood’s exciting art scene.

Photo credits: The Hari Hong Kong

“The Hari Art Trail” is underpinned by a personalised art tour with the hotel’s in-house art ambassador, practicing artist Bibek Rai, who shares anecdotes behind the hotel’s eclectic art collection and contemporary design.

Spanning a variety of mediums including installations, mixed media, surreal photographs, graphic paintings, three-dimensional images and digital film pieces, the art is curated by London-based art advisory A Space For Art, which also selects works for sister hotel The Hari London.

Vast “The Monumental Melt” by Rado Kirov using mirrored stainless steel, Tseng Kwong Chi’s iconic black and white self-portrait series, and Lee Leenam’s mesmerising digital reinterpretation of the “New Kiss” are among standouts in The Hari Hong Kong’s permanent collection. The hotel’s rotating display includes works from The Hari Art Prize Hong Kong Edition in support of talented emerging artists.

Photo credits: The Hari Hong Kong

Following Bibek’s art tour, guests are encouraged to continue the art trail by visiting two of Wan Chai’s hidden gems; 1960s tenement block turned creative hub Foo Tak Building and appointment-only gallery PHD Group.

Described by locals as a “vertical art village”, Foo Tak Building has partially subsidized rental units at below-market rates. Its variety of arts and cultural organisations, focused on the likes of visual arts, literature and publishing, sound and performing arts, and community development, pursue their artistic endeavours without burdensome rents.

Housed in a renovated space that used to be a private rooftop clubhouse in the 1970s, contemporary gallery PHD Group’s concrete walls and floors showcase creations from the region’s emerging and mid-career artists.

Wai Chai and neighbouring Central District are home to a host of art galleries including Woaw Gallery, Kiang Malingue, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Villepin, White Cube Hong Kong, Pearl Lam Galleries, Over The Influence, Tang Contemporary Art and Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery.

“With art running through The Hari Hong Kong’s DNA, our art trail affords a whole new perspective of our hotel and Wan Chai, one of Hong Kong’s oldest yet most creative districts,” said The Hari Hong Kong’s General Manager Edward E. Snoeks. “Bringing more depth and substance to a stay with us, Bibek connects guests with the narratives behind our artworks and our hotel’s design before guests step out into Wan Chai to interact with its edgy art scene.”

The elegant 30-story hotel bears the stamp of acclaimed British interior designer Tara Bernerd, comprising 210 guest rooms, including three signature rooftop suites, with views overlooking Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, The Peak and Victoria Harbour. Authentic Italian ristorante Lucciola, contemporary Japanese restaurant Zoku (with a remarkable ceiling of angled timber slats in origami-like forms), alfresco terrace bar aptly named The Terrace and The Lounge, an all-day sitting area adorned with a compelling collection of art and books, make for the hotel’s diverse dining landscape. 

The exclusive art tour with Bibek, who is also part of the hotel’s restaurant services team, is available by appointment only and subject to availability.

Offering The Hari Art Prize and The Hari Chronicles, an ongoing series of conversations about art, design, culture and Hong Kong, The Hari Hong Kong makes for a gateway to art and culture.

The globe’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for sustainable travel has awarded The Hari Hong Kong ‘EarthCheck Benchmarked Bronze status’ for its raft of sustainability measures.