Crazy for art in Old Town Central

Written by Time Out Hong Kong

One of the most vibrant neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, Old Town Central is bursting with creativity on every street corner. This area has everything from experimental stage performances held inside a repurposed depot, to world-class art exhibitions and edgy graffiti that graces the walls of small alleys.

Art and culture hubs

PMQ

Formerly the Police Married Quarters, PMQ Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info now houses works by promising young artists and designers in Hong Kong. Not only will you find a fascinating line-up of creative studios and designer products here, but there are also exhibitions and workshops all year round, giving you insights into the local creative scene. That’s not all: several heritage sites still remain at PMQ, such as the Former Central Junior Police Call Clubhouse and the granite stairs and rubble retaining wall of the Central School.

Fringe Club

Situated amid the hustle and bustle of Central, Fringe Club Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info distinguishes itself from the surrounding high-rises with a neoclassical exterior made of milky white and brown bricks. Since it inhabited part of the Old Dairy Farm Depot in 1984, the Fringe Club has been a celebrated exhibition and performance venue, and has helped introduce experimental works to the city’s art scene. Catch a host of poetry reading sessions, exhibitions plays and musical performances while you’re here — just check the events calendar ahead of time to see what's on.

Pedder Building

Housed within this beautiful Beaux-Arts style structure and a Grade 1 historic building is a wonderful range of internationally renowned galleries including the likes of Gagosian and Pearl Lam Galleries. Spanning multiple floors, Pedder Building is the ideal destination for gallery-hopping and discovering works by some of the biggest names and up-and-coming artists in the current global art scene.

Liang Yi Museum

This private art museum is a shining gem in the heart of Sheung Wan, especially for antiquities lovers. Spanning four-storeys, Liang Yi Museum Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info collects and showcases rare and under-the-radar Chinese antique furniture, as well as European bejewelled clutches, compacts and powder boxes from luxury design brands such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Make sure to book an appointment if you want to peruse the museum’s fascinating relics.

H Queen’s

This 24-storey vertical art space is currently home to world-class galleries and auction houses including David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth and Tang Contemporary Art. But what sets H Queen’s Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info apart from other art spaces in the city is its massive venues. Expect an elevated art-viewing experience at these multi-floor galleries and plenty of large-scale installations that wouldn’t fit in other locations.

Street art

21A Lyndhurst Terrace Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info

It‘s hard to miss the massive portrait of a man surrounded by rising bubbles on the slopes of Cochrane Street. Set against the black mosaic tiles of the building, Hong Kong-based French muralist Elsa Jean de Dieu has injected her signature joy and lightness to the bustling streets of Soho. The mural is also one of many born out of the HK Walls 2018 project.

45-53 Graham Street Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info

This hidden mural painting is done by renowned British street artist Dan Kitchener in his self-described urban impressionism-style. Viewers have to peek in between two units to be rewarded with a romantic depiction of a rainy New York evening in soft neon lighting, tucked away in this narrow alley.

46 Graham Street / 48 Hollywood Road Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info

Without a doubt the most photographed example of street art in Hong Kong, local graffiti artist Alex Croft’s colourful mural of old townhouses shines a light on the city’s iconic italic tenement buildings. Boasting a vibrant blue background, this piece of street art is a vibrant and colourful window into the past.

Shingo Art Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info

Japanese celebrity Shingo Katori has recently joined the fray of the Hong Kong street art scene to present a vibrant, red painting underneath one section of the Central–Mid-Levels escalator. The choice of colour, the Bauhinia motifs and the miniature skyline are all in tribute to Hong Kong. Take a step back and you’ll find that together, these elements form an image of a dragon.

Madera Hollywood Hotel Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info

Nothing screams star power like the iconic figures of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Charlie Chaplin. Covering the façade of this Hollywood Road hotel, the screen legends, accompanied by Frank Sinatra, are painted in pop art-like style in front of imagery of the Hong Kong skyline. Here’s your chance to get a selfie with these Hollywood greats.

52-56 Staunton Street Get me there {{title}} {{taRatingReviewTotal}} {{taRatingReviewText}} Address {{address}} Website {{website}} More info

Almost like a scene from the movie, Inception, Spanish illustrator Cinta Vidal Agulló has created a mind-bending piece featuring inverted architecture and gravity-defying grey buildings. Taking over the facade of Italian bar Stazione Novella, Agulló invites passersby to take a pause and re-examine reality on this steep slope of Aberdeen Street.

ARTLANE

Discover more wonderful street art Hong Kong has to offer and venture out towards Sai Ying Pun’s ARTLANE , where local and international artists have turned the building walls of Ki Ling Lane and Chung Ching Street into a kaleidoscopic canvas.

Information in this article is subject to change without advance notice. Please contact the relevant product or service providers for enquiries.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board disclaims any liability as to the quality or fitness for purpose of third party products and services; and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, adequacy or reliability of any information contained herein.