(4 March 2015, Hong Kong) Amidst the buzzing art scene in Hong Kong this March, as a unique landmark that integrates art with commerce, K11 has been committed to establish the revolutionary Museum Retail Concept. K11 and BANK/MABSOCIETY join hands to present Hong Kong’s first ‘Book from the Ground - Concept Store” by Xu Bing, an art installation cum design store based on his groundbreaking novel Book from the Ground: From Point to Point from 4 March – 12 April 2015.
The store design itself is an art installation, for this first “Book from the Ground - Concept Store” in Hong Kong, the artist transformed the visual language of his book into practical consumer objects. The store offers visitors a series of premium, limited-edition products such as coffee mugs, umbrellas, magnets, mobile phone cases, tote-bags and wristbands, etc. Visitors can shop for these consumable “icons” inside the “store” as well as reading From Point to Point. This interactive consumer experience reminds us of the ever-closer relationship between signs and our daily life.
Mathieu Borysevicz, the Founder of MABSOCIETY said, “Xu Bing is the artist that I adore, he has consistently explored the changing nature of language in our globalizing world. This concept store is based on his renowned novel Book from the Ground: From Point to Point, the artist transformed the visual language (symbols, logos, icons) of his book into different merchandise. In collaboration with K11, I am very happy to realize this unique artistic concept of Xu Bing and bring it to Hong Kong.”
“K11 believes the unlimited possibility of Art and Commerce, with three essential elements of Art • People • Nature, K11 continuously brings arts and commerce together. Riding on the collaboration with Xu Bing, the renowned Chinese artist, we aim at promoting arts to the public and arousing more public interest in not only displaying the art installation, but also launching a series of premium created by the “icons” of “Book from the Ground” in the pop-up store,” Ms. Rebecca Woo, Hong Kong K11 Art Mall-in- Charge said.
Book from the Ground: From Point to Point is a novel written without any traditional language. Instead, it is composed of pictograms, logos, and icons that the artist spent years collecting, editing, and then composing into a 120-page readable story. Its visual narrative could be read by anyone, anywhere, without translation; anybody who has encountered these “modern hieroglyphics” – from smiley faces to airport signs to corporate logos – will be able to understand and enjoy it.
Xu Bing’s “Book from the Ground – Concept Store”
Date: 4 March – 12 April 2015
Venue: Atrium, G/F, K11 Art Mall
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm (Daily)
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To media, please download photos using the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qan4o73alps9hh8/AABKOOKBYopvD2RQiCdCQ2JQa?dl=0
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