3 cool Hong Kong art spaces to check out

This city is a wild one that keeps on giving. From Sheung Wan all the way to Ap Lei Chau, let’s get to know three of the most palate-cleansing yet understated galleries, powered by Hong Kong’s younger art scene.

Young Soy Gallery

Since opening its doors in October 2020, Young Soy has had five shows, collaborated with over 15 artists, launched a podcast, and seems to have no intentions of slowing down.

The young gallery often hosts shows in different venues to keep things fun. In February, it hosted “Ying Baau Geng,” a street art show in which they collaborated with a barbershop, making use of the Central location’s concrete walls to enhance the viewing experience. Another notable exhibition is “Recommended Daily Allowance” – hosted in the artist’s Wan Chai studio to offer a peek into the behind-the-scenes, giving more depth to the artwork.

Always making sure its events have a bar and a DJ, Young Soy is steadily gaining a reputation for its casual and welcoming atmosphere where the audience get to discover underrated and radical artists.

Young Soy, Unit 2219, 22/F, 10 Lee Hing St., Ap Lei Chau, [email protected]

Square Street Gallery

Founded in April 2021, Square Street Gallery is an independent space positioning itself as a transitional space somewhere outside the standard commercial/non-commercial divide.

Priding itself over its dedication and personal approach to nurture emerging artists, the ultra-young gallery is also extremely daring in the way it presents the space to the artist as a blank slate and gives them full creative freedom to experiment with the interiors. From local artist Wong Sze Chit’s “Modern Cave” to Italian painter Barlo’s “Zhi the Outlaw,” there has not been a single “white-wall” show yet.

Square Street’s current show is called “Nice and Dangerous,” in which local artist Nobody Here puts various public figures and cultural icons on canvas before burning their faces, highlighting the hypocrisy, danger, and destruction behind the superficial.

Square Street Gallery, G/F, 21 Square St., Sheung Wan, [email protected]

The Shophouse

Established in May 2020, The Shophouse is an ever-evolving art space in a repurposed pre-WWII building. Through collaborations with local and international artists and creatives, it aims to offer an integrated lifestyle experience that cleanses the palate like no other.

From the historic building itself to the stacks of art books in the corners and the premium tea offered in the back, The Shophouse offers a much more diverse experience for the viewer compared to the other more mainstream galleries.

What’s exciting is its upcoming show, “Door.” Featuring four up-and-coming local artists, this five-week “open-door” studio and exhibition will be the gallery’s first initiative to foster a tripartite conversation between artists, audience, and space.

The Shophouse, 4 Second Ln., Tai Hang, [email protected]