THE HOUSE COLLECTIVE INAUGURAL ART PROGRAMME - ENCOUNTERS ACROSS CULTURES

Our Houses are where cultures meet, where foreign minds meet local experiences, and where tradition meets new. “Encounters Across Cultures”, The House Collective’s new art programme, is an artistic exploration of the crossing of cultures. These locally inspired art pieces are intertwined with the distinctive style of artists, creating multi-disciplinary art pieces that goes beyond one medium or perspective. By celebrating our ties with the local art community, we participate in the cities’ flourishing cultural scene. 

For 2019, the first year of the programme, we invited multidisciplinary artist Katja Loher to collaborate with creative minds from the four cities where our Houses are located: Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai. 

Entitled “Seeds of Life”, she created a new series of work inspired by the five Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water, presented through site-specific installations at our Houses, responding to the individual style and architecture of each. 

Known for her distinctive take on video sculpture, Katja fuses video and three-dimensional forms. “The idea is to free video from the technology of the screen,” Katja explains, “so that you can enjoy it as an experience.” Katja’s artwork takes inspiration from nature – the significance of the five elements is their interconnection. When they are not in balance, they become a destructive force – ancient wisdom that is highly relevant to the sustainability concerns that we so deeply share at Swire Hotels.

The collaboration comprises four installations showcased within the four Houses — taking inspiration from contemporary Chinese art with Gallery Weekend Beijing at The Opposite House in Beijing, feng shui designer Thierry Chow at The Upper House in Hong Kong, street fashion brand Dirty Pineapple at The Middle House in Shanghai, and Chinese ink artists Hao Wu and Yong Ma at The Temple House in Chengdu. The programme celebrates and nurtures collaboration with the local artist communities.