Date posted: 2014.06.24

1600 Pandas hit PMQ and settle at their final Hong Kong destination for 3-week exhibition

“Panda Co-creation with Local Creatives” and “Hug-a-Panda” Programs Announced

Hong Kong, 24 June 2014 – Organized by PMQ and curated by AllRightsReserved, the “1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation” exhibition has finally arrived and settled at PMQ, the final destination of the pandas’ Hong Kong tour. Today Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngo, Chief Secretary of HKSAR, officiated the opening ceremony of the exhibition which is open to the public from 25 June until 17 July 2014. All 1600 Pandas are now stationed at PMQ for visitors to get up close to them and be inspired to actively promote the spirit of conservation and sustainable development.

Mr. Stanley Chu, Chairman of PMQ Management Limited, said: “PMQ is one of HKSAR government’s “Conserving Central” initiatives. The present site, after renovation, has established itself as a new landmark for the local creative industry. The grand opening of the site was witnessed by Leung Chun-ying, Chief Executive of HKSAR and other officials last Saturday. We strive to promote local creative culture and PMQ has successfully become a platform for local creative entrepreneurs and designers to showcase their talents. We are very proud to be the official organizer of the ‘1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation’ as well as being able to extend the idea of conservation and sustainable development through creativity into the community.”

‘Panda Co‐Creation with Local Creatives’ program
In celebration of the exhibition, a number of tenants at PMQ have joined hands to create a wide variety of panda-themed merchandise with eco-friendly materials or methods, as a way of practicing conservation and sustainability through creativity. There is a vast array of merchandise available, ranging from fashion, accessories, and fragrances to home furnishings, cakes and pastries. A portion of the profits made from the merchandise will be donated to the WWF-Hong Kong for conservation and educational purposes.

Close Contact with Paper Mache Pandas at “Hug-a-Panda”
During the exhibition, visitors at PMQ can get in even closer contact with the paper mache pandas at the designated “Hug-a-Panda” area; they can hug and take photos with the paper mache pandas, allowing them to get a better understanding of the art of paper mache as well as increase the awareness of resource protection and sustainable development.

1600 Panda adoption program continues the mission of public conservation
1600 represents the number of remaining giant pandas on Earth thereby to raise the public awareness on conservation and sustainable development. While appreciating these adorable paper mache sculptures, public may take part in the panda adoption program from 25 June 2014 through online registration. Successful adopters will be drawn and able to take the paper mache panda home at the end of the exhibition. The paper mache pandas available for adoption are in total three different sizes in two positions. The adoption cost per panda ranges from HK$200 to HK$450 and all the proceeds are to be donated to the WWF-Hong Kong for conservation and education purposes.

World’s first “Made-in-Hong Kong” Paper Mache Panda Workshop
During the exhibition, PMQ — in partnership with its Community Creativity & Culture Partner, Hongkong Land — will host the world’s first “Made-in-Hong Kong” Paper Mache Panda Workshop. Participants can take part in designing and making their own version of the Hong Kong – exclusive paper mache panda designed by “Father of 1600 Pandas”, Paulo Grangeon. And due to overwhelming responses, all workshops are already fully booked. All of the final products will be publicly exhibited in Central for two weeks in July so everyone in Hong Kong can share the excitement of recycling and environmental friendliness. Participants can take home their masterpieces when the exhibition is over. All proceeds will also be donated to WWF – Hong Kong for conservation and education work.

Meanwhile, through a collaboration between Hongkong Land and the “Bless Hong Kong” campaign initiated by the Commission on Poverty – Societal Engagement Task Force, 500 children from underprivileged families, ethnic minority groups and the disabled community will be invited to make paper mache pandas in the workshop via the Social Welfare Department. Their work will also be displayed at the exhibition exclusively for the “Made-in-Hong Kong” pandas, spreading, harmony, creativity and conservation messages to the community.

“1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation” Organizer & Partners:
Organizer: PMQ
Curator: AllRightsReserved Ltd.
Artist: Paulo Grangeon
Beneficiary Organization: WWF-Hong Kong
Community Creativity & Culture Partner: Hongkong Land
Fully supported by Bless Hong Kong
Supporting Organization: Create Hong Kong office of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government

About PMQ
PMQ is part of the government’s “Conserving Central” initiative and also one of the heritage conservation and revitalization projects under the Development Bureau. Awarded with the operating rights after an open invitation for proposals, the Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation Ltd (“Musketeers Foundation”) set up a non-profit-making social enterprise to run the project, in collaboration with Hong Kong Design Centre, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the Hong Kong Design Institute of the Vocational Training Council (VTC), namely PMQ Management Co. Ltd. Not only an iconic design hub for the Hong Kong creative industries and design community, PMQ also promotes “enterprising creativity” and creativity manifestation, and sets out to nurture more local designers.

PMQ’s Partners:

Paulo Grangeon is an enthusiastic French sculptor who has been active in his craft for more than 30 years. He, his wooden sculptures and stage designs have graced numerous countries in Europe and America, and eventually, around the world; Paulo was later recruited as a wood designer by an international brand, where he worked for almost 20 years. In 1997, Paulo was mesmerized by the Thai craft of papier-mâché and started his own ceramics and papier-mâché workshop in France, “Matiere Premiere”. He then frequented Thailand to further study the art. In 2008, Paulo was invited by the World Wildlife Fund to create the “1600 Panda” world tour. To date, he’s made more than ten thousand papier-mâché pandas in Thailand. Aside from pandas, Paulo is no stranger to other animals: in 2009 alone, he molded 120 papier-mâché whales for the Overseas Ministry of France and 200 papier-mâché black bears for Taiwan.

AllRightsReserved (ARR) is a Hong Kong-based creative studio established in November 2003. It always reaches out to wherever creativity springs. In 2014, ARR collaborated with world-renowned British artist Lawrence Argentalong to curate the world’s largest Panda art and charity project “I AM HERE”, in order to raise public awareness of panda conservation. The unprecedented 15-metre, 13-tonne, site-specific giant panda art installation was built directly into Chengdu IFS, differentiating this new landmark by fusing art with architecture. In 2013, “Rubber Duck Project – HK Tour”, the first public art exhibition ever curated in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, attracted international and local attention with overwhelmingly positive feedback. This March, ARR art-directed the special edition booklet for the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Other projects include “WE PRINT ORIGINALS”, the first large-scale 3D scanning and printing exhibition in Hong Kong, creative and art direction for the entire graphic visual system of West Kowloon Bamboo Theatre, and “100 Years Before the Birth of Doraemon” in 2012. Other solo exhibitions have featured Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun, American artist KAWS, Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, etc.

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experienced conservation organizations, with a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF-Hong Kong has been working since 1981 to deliver solutions for a living planet through Conservation, Footprint and Education programmes. In support of our global mission, WWF-Hong Kong’s vision is to transform Hong Kong into Asia’s most sustainable city where nature is conserved, carbon pollution is reduced, and consumption is environmentally responsible.

The “Bless Hong Kong” Campaign seeks to encourage community participation in poverty alleviation efforts as well as promote tripartite collaboration among the community, the business sector and the Government in assisting the underprivileged and increasing mutual help. The Campaign includes a series of community initiatives that share the message of “helping those in need, is a blessing in deed”.
More than 200 organisations are taking part in “Bless Hong Kong”. Over 600 activities are being rolled out from January to July this year.

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to spearhead the development of Hong Kong’s creative industries. Set up in June 2009, CreateHK co-ordinates the Government policy regarding creative industries, focuses Government’s resources catering for the promotion and speeding up of the development of creative industries in Hong Kong, and works closely with the trade to boost the development of creative industries. CreateHK has a HK$6 million CreateSmart Initiative and a HK$3.2 million Film Development Fund to provide funding support to initiatives that are conducive to the development of Hong Kong’s creative industries and film sector.