Art • People • Nature

Business travel has always been a necessity for executives whose companies cross more than a few borders. As such, how to make good use of the traveling time on plane as a key productive time is an art itself to say the least. One such brilliant moment was three years ago when I was flying back to Hong Kong from Beijing. A few weeks before the trip a couple of things had been in my mind: firstly, I was pondering what kind of vision and spirit I could inject into the brand of K11; secondly, how corporations could actually contribute to the cause of environmental and urban sustainability; and lastly, since my school days in Harvard when I immersed myself in cultural studies, I had long been fascinated by the different traditions of Eastern philosophy and how they could translate into a different aesthetic sensibility.

 

In deep thoughts I gazed down on the vast expanse of different provinces and cities from Beijing stretching towards Shenzhen. It dawned on me that the geography was not unlike when you fly over say from the east coast to the west coast in United States. However, the truly amazing thing was that the richness and diversity of culture I dare say, are a bit more varied and interesting in China than in the States.

 

One of such cultural backbones is the holistic view of cosmo and nature through the Five Phases. Each phase has a series of associations with different aspects of nature and describes interactions and relationships among phenomena. Within this framework, the element of Fire produces Earth or ash, as the most common form in nature, and nurtures Wood, which also refers to people; and wood feeds the sparkle of creative Fire, which crystallizes into the pinnacle of art. The journey of creativity in Chinese perspective is therefore always the pursuit of a holistic state in which material and spiritual living are seamlessly merged. This distinctive view has not been commonly shared by the world which is still dominated by western mainstream thinking of material wealth. However, the continuous overall strengthening of China as a nation will surely draw more interest in its thoughts by the outside world.

 

The world of contemporary art biennials and other corporate sponsored cultural events leapfrogged many folds during the past decade. Besides the star artists and curators, the true success of the events, rather than as a form of cultural tourism, has more to do with how well the event communicates and adds to the diverse expression of local culture, thinking and the people behind it. If contemporary urban experience truly integrates our mental state with our natural environment in a sustainable way, it seems a different approach should be attempted indeed. This brings it all back to K11, which will be a seamless merger of an art museum and a shopping mall, in which Art, People and Nature will all be featured in equal measures, just like the tradition of the Five Phases.

 

It dawned on me that K11 can be a new kind of destination where old neighborhoods rich in local culture can be revitalized and transformed, and a whole new community with clear values will be created. K11 awakens and enlightens us to pursue a journey of creativity through Art．People．Nature, and transcends our being into a holistic state in which material and spiritual living are seamlessly merged. With this clear vision in mind, I drew up the three interactive core values of the K11 brand on the plane:

 

Art

K11 will strive to bring art back into everyday living by getting artwork and art activity into the community and within the daily reach of ordinary people. Recognizing the local voice in reflecting the true concern and culture of contemporary urban existence, K11 will bring together local young artists through various exchanges, exhibitions and residence programmes and create opportunities to share their works among the public. K11 believes through its committed effort and long term planning, art appreciation and general aesthetic learning can be accessible to more people. K11 will always set its eyes on urban cultural revitalization and the support of urban art and cultural development, and contribute to the cross cultural exchange among many fast growing cities of China and the rest of the world.

 

People

K11 emphasizes the gradual process of revitalization, transformation and creation. Human endeavours are shaped by and root in the rich local culture, philosophy and the way of life of ordinary people. K11 believes the advancement of quality of life can be better achieved through relentless exploration and revitalization of local culture. It will bring true creativity through the transformation of old community and its traditions, and create a new neighbourhood where people can actively participate in and be proud of.

 

Nature

K11 awakens everyone to bear their thoughts on nature and be part of nature at the same time. K11 will create space for urban living and activity which stay closely in tune with and preserve the natural environment. K11 believes rational green design and planning can go a long way in achieving resources and energy conservation and emission reduction. People will be more willing to work, live and engage in leisure activities in places incorporating and resembling the natural environment. K11 will bring all kinds of avant-garde green design, sustainable thinking, programmes and way of life to the communities and encourage people to have more frequent and closer dialogue with nature.