5 exhibitions and dance shows this weekend July 20-21 in Hong Kong to catch

Immerse yourself in the history of Cantopop’s golden age, see the art of novelist Jin Yucheng, or catch some contemporary dance shows

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Detail from Jin Yucheng’s work Jing’an Temple (2018), on show as part of the artist’s solo exhibition in Hong Kong. It’s one of several options this weekend for lovers of art and dance. Photo: Jin Yucheng

Published: 6:15pm, 18 Jul 2024Updated: 3:31pm, 19 Jul 2024

An immersive Cantopop experience, art exhibitions and dance shows – five cultural highlights of this weekend in Hong Kong.

1. Soundtrack of Our Lives, Tai Kwun

The attention to detail is what makes “Soundtrack of Our Lives” such an outstanding exhibition about Cantopop. Embark on an immersive journey through the three decades in which legendary composer Joseph Koo Ka-fai and lyricist James Wong Jim created 236 songs, including the unofficial Hong Kong anthem Below the Lion Rock, through a series of carefully staged rooms at Tai Kwun, with lots of historic materials that pay tribute to the pair’s genius and influence.

You’ll find yourself transported back to a time many refer to as the golden age of Cantopop.

Visitors to the “Soundtrack of Our Lives: Joseph Koo x James Wong x the Rise of Cantopop” exhibition at Tai Kwun, Central. Photo: Eugene Lee

“Soundtrack of Our Lives: Joseph Koo x James Wong x the Rise of Cantopop”, Duplex Studio, Block01, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Daily, 11am-7pm. Until August 28.

2. Legible City Hong Kong at M+

A screenshot from Jeffrey Shaw’s “Legible City Hong Kong” (2024), on display at the M+ museum in West Kowloon. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Jeffrey Shaw, a leading figure in new-media art in Hong Kong, has partnered with one of the city’s most important writers, Dung Ka-cheung, to create a new version of his pioneering interactive artwork Legible City (1989-1991) for the M+ museum of visual culture.

The interactive work features Central and the western districts on Hong Kong Island in the 19th century, with all the buildings replaced by text taken from Dung’s novel “Hong Kong Type: A Love Letter Late for One Hundred and Fifty Years”.

On Friday evenings, visitors can travel around the virtual landscape on a special exercise bike in Found Space, their journeys live-streamed to the M+ facade.

“Legible City Hong Kong” (2024), M+ Found Space, M Plus, 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District, closed on Monday, Tuesdays to Thursdays and weekends 10am-6pm, Fridays 10am-10pm, Until October 6.