The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s recent announcement of the world premiere of its Metaverse Symphony very much reflects Hong Kong’s position and increasing relevance in the areas of innovation, technology and the arts.
The significance of the Metaverse Symphony lies in the development of a digital representation of the physical performance, but without any of the constraints of hosting a full orchestra of over 90 musicians in a fixed location, at a fixed time, where each member of the audience has a predetermined view. This is an innovative move and provides infinite creative opportunities for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to engage and interact with new and younger audiences. It promises to be an enriching and immersive experience and possibly a first in the metaverse and definitely worth watching.
The virtual concert will be broadcast in the much-heralded Sandbox. This is the Web3 platform where arts and entertainment converge with gaming and commerce in an environment where among other things participants can create, own and monetize their online experiences. The physical premiere will take place in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in May 2023 while the virtual concert will be performed in a digital recreation of Statue Square catering to a global audience.
Co-commissioned with the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, the symphony was composed by the extraordinarily talented Elliot Leung Ho-yat who is a graduate of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. At only 27 years of age his dramatic symphonic film scores have garnered a loyal following. Internationally recognized as a very talented composer he is definitely one to watch in the future. One of his most popular works is the soundtrack for The Battle at Lake Changjin and this is also the highest grossing non-English-language box office film of all time. An impressive achievement!
Perhaps one of the more important points to remember about the Metaverse Symphony is that it is homegrown. The collaboration of art and technology is certainly not new but the example set by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and its partners underlines the importance of supporting local creative talent and actively promoting local art and culture to broader international audiences. This symphonic iteration is simply one example of what is possible when technology interacts with culture and the arts.
The metaverse is based on blockchain technology, the concept of decentralization and token-based economics. There is no doubt that the capability and the speed of development of the technologies and the platforms that are emerging will inevitably touch the lives of most people in some shape or form. Sooner perhaps than many envisage.
It’s worth noting that the fields of innovation and technology are areas on which Hong Kong has been particularly focused for some time. Acknowledgment of this is reflected in the fact that we have maintained the 14th place ranking in the 2022 Global Innovation Index, notwithstanding the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the economy over recent years. In this regard it is also worth noting that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster was at No 2 in the rankings in last year’s index. Two of the main drivers in the development of technology and innovation have been the Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport. The role of the former is to facilitate and support an ecosystem that connects stakeholders, supports research and drives development and innovation with the endgame being commercialization. It is home to some 1,100 companies from 22 countries. Cyberport on the other hand is focused on digital technology including artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, fintech, digital entertainment.
Another interesting example of the crossover between art and technology can be seen in the Hong Kong Palace Museum which houses over 900 priceless artifacts and treasures on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing. From inception the curatorial team had a clear vision to broaden the programming. As a result, they commissioned six local multimedia and interdisciplinary artists with a brief to create their contemporary interpretations of art and culture in the Forbidden City through the lens of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The results range from a powerful kinetic, AI-driven calligraphy experience to a precision timepiece simultaneously representing two realms of time, one regular, one irregular. A magnificent sound instillation utilizing 31 audio channels to convey Qing court music is juxtaposed with a night sky which has been reconstructed in an instillation created from Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) archives. Overall, the exhibition reflects thousands of years of Chinese culture and heritage and seamlessly embraces the ancient and the modern.
The museum’s awe-inspiring building was designed by local architects and contains nine galleries. It has quickly become one of the most popular local attractions with visitor numbers outperforming projections, which is quite an achievement, particularly as travel restrictions curtailed the tourist market. However, the visitor numbers also reflect the importance residents attach to their cultural roots. It is currently exhibiting over 100 masterpieces from the collection of the Princes of Lichtenstein, which includes Baroque works by Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck and is presenting its inaugural Art in Ink Festival.
Over recent years we have witnessed an increasing number of artists and institutions embracing technology, and the technology sector realizing the value and commercial potential of accessing new audiences through art and culture. There is understandably much debate surrounding the artistic merits of some of the work being produced, particularly in the area of non-fungible tokens. Nonetheless we are at an important point in time and Hong Kong is particularly well placed to take advantage of the crossover between art, culture and technology. There is a significant opportunity to nurture local talent and where appropriate utilize new technology to help promote Chinese arts and culture to international audiences. This ties in with President Xi Jinping’s overall vision and the policies being implemented by the chief executive.
The author is an international partner and Global Advisory Board member of MilleniumAssociates AG, and director of Ireland Funds China.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.