Hong Kong movie costumes and props, from Wong Kar-wai films and other famous productions, celebrated in major exhibition

‘Out of Thin Air: Hong Kong Film Arts & Costumes Exhibition’ celebrates the props and costumes from productions that date all the way back to the 1950s

Items include Maggie Cheung’s costume from Hero, outfits worn by Chow Yun-fat and Gong Li in Curse of the Golden Flower, and mementos from Wong Kar-wai films

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Gong Li and Chow Yun-fat’s court robes, by costume designer Yee Chung-man, from Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) at “Out of Thin Air: Hong Kong Film Arts & Costumes Exhibition”, a major exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Photo: Hong Kong Heritage Museum

Published: 5:15pm, 15 May 2023

In film, the art department is responsible for the sets, props, costumes and other visual prompts that help bring a screenplay to life.

While these artefacts are often thrown away or left to collect dust in some forgotten warehouse, they are sometimes collected by the studios, cast or crew who recognise how such objects embody the stories and spirit of film history.

“Out of Thin Air”, a new exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum jointly organised with the Hong Kong Film Arts Association (HKFAA), brings to light many such treasures from now-iconic productions that date all the way back to the 1950s.

The expansive celebration of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry – staged concurrently with an exhibition in the same museum commemorating the 20th anniversary of superstar Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing’s death – evokes the golden age of Hong Kong culture.

A display from “Out of Thin Air”, a new exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum jointly organised with the Hong Kong Film Arts Association. Photo: May Tse

Not that it is just about nostalgia – there is the barrister’s gown worn by actor Dayo Wong Tze-wah in A Guilty Conscience (2023), the all-time top grossing local film in Hong Kong, as well the costume chart from Anita (2021) that sheds light on the staggering 284 costumes worn by the main characters in the Anita Mui Yim-fong biopic.