Adrian Cheng's museum-retail business model continues to serve as an extraordinary source of support for the city's creative young people by bringing them in direct contact with potential buyers.

Graphic artist and illustrator Victor Chu sits in ATUM, the Nordic-style restaurant inside K11 and reflects on his long relationship with the facility. "I grew up on this street," he says. "I was here before the mall."

Ten years ago Chu was an aspiring artist. He remembers walking past the newly opened K11 in Tsim Sha Tsui with his grandmother. "My grandmother said, one day if I could have my artworks in here, that's something she would love to see."

Chu's grandmother's wish for him came true. His works have been displayed several times in the airy K11. His first time was in 2016 when the mall was looking to display artworks around the theme of fashion. "They were looking for artworks on the theme of lines and threads," recalls Chu. His signature style is to draw intricate lines, manually, which take the form of geometric shapes, reflecting time and memories, the two things, as Chu points out, have no distinctive shape. "I think they found me on the internet. I created artworks for their exhibition."

The collaboration was an important stepping stone for the young designer. "They are not just commercial," he says of K11. "They find local artists, new artists. They try to help us fit into their campaigns. They give us so much freedom with what we're trying to do."

Chu, who now works in the White Cube art gallery, will exhibit in K11 again in November. The piece is called "One Of" and features hanging metallic installations.

He is only one among a number of talented local artists whose career received a boost after exhibiting at K11.

Stickyline, comprising the designers Soilworm Lai and Mic Leong, have also exhibited several times at K11. Their work involves transforming two-dimensional paper shapes into three-dimensional forms - unusually large and fragile hanging installations. The pair, both of whom graduated from Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design with degrees in industrial and product design, first exhibited in K11 in 2014. K11 hired them to create paper designs for the art mall's fifth anniversary.

"The K11 art team approached us," recalls Leong. "It went very smoothly - we brainstormed together and came up with great ideas."

The K11 invitation came after Stickyline's successful launch with a project called "Masked Creatures" - paper headpieces crafted into shapes resembling several of Hong Kong's most famous landmark architecture such as the Space Museum, IFC and HSBC Main Building. The project was created for the Hong Kong design festival deTour in 2011, and then went viral on social media. The duo says it is their "proudest accomplishment to date". They went on to re-create the paper shapes as installations, window displays and sculptures.

The subsequent exposure has resulted in more commissions, allowing the pair to reach new audiences. "Most people we talk to have seen our projects in K11," says Leong.

"Putting art in the public area helps people - not just art people - to connect with it, and give feedback on their experiences," adds Lai.

Soaring high

With high ceilings and plenty of open spaces - a rarity in Hong Kong malls - K11 seems designed for exhibits. It is set to provide more flexible retail space with a stronger eco-orientation once its current renovation, using natural materials such as wood and stone, interspersed with foliage, is complete.

The mall, owned by New World Development, is the brainchild of Adrian Cheng. Cheng's scholarly interest in arts and culture changed his outlook on how a mall could be used, explains Rebecca Woo, director of operations for K11 in Hong Kong. K11 was launched in 2009 as a museum-retail concept, a venue that could support young designers. A sister mall opened in Shanghai in 2013 and several more are planned to open across China in the next five years. So far K11 has held more than 500 art exhibitions, artist talks, workshops and film screenings in partnership with local and overseas artists and organizations in Hong Kong.

"K11 is not a shopping mall, it is an art mall," says Woo. "We like to incubate young artists and designers." More than a dozen young designers at a time get to showcase their ware in specially promoted areas of the mall at below-market rents. They can use the space to launch their brands, gain access to K11 customers and hear direct feedback about their products. K11 management teams also offer help and advice with pricing, marketing, promotions, etc.

Woo says K11 fills a void by giving young business owners a taste of retail and brand building in the real world.

Her team visits design exhibitions in Hong Kong and overseas as well as graduate shows in universities and art schools to scout for candidates they intend to support. Occasionally, as with the ATUM restaurant which pays equal attention to the taste and look of the food they serve, the K11 scouting team stumbled across a design-oriented business that was already successful but could do with more exposure.

Art and marketing share the same budget, explains Woo. Such a strategy ensures that art and artists are an integral part of the discussion when campaigns are planned.

It's a combination that works, according to Lai. "They never say no," he says. "As an artist, we appreciate that they give chances to local artists." Referring to the paucity of exhibition spaces, especially for relatively unknown artists, in Hong Kong, Lai acknowledges the role K11 plays toward bridging the gap.

"They have showcase areas, they've got lights and they give you good suggestions and support on the technical side," he says.

K11 wears a festive look in the lead-up to its 10th anniversary. French graphic designer and illustrator Jean Jullien created an installation, Bright Idea, in honor of the K11 initiative to support talented young artists. photos by edmond tang / China Daily

(HK Edition 08/10/2018 page10)