Hong Kong’s streets inhabit a fascinating co-existence of old and new deeply woven into the urban fabric, it weaves through the architecture and shapes its unique districts. Change has always been a driving force and this city continues to dance its movement of disappearance, now at an unimaginable speed due to urban renewal and beautification, economic downturn, an evolving job market, and an aging population. We are witness to a crucial moment of vanishing culture and traditional trades - a sunset of great importance.

Oi Kwan Barbers in Wan Chai is a 60-year-old traditional Cantonese alleyway barbershop, one of the last handful of its kind remaining.  Started by the late Master Lau, his son Mark inherited his father’s craftsmanship and maintains the shop in its original form. This is our ground zero whereby we invite artists and designers to create artwork in response to it. We also digitally archive the shop so that one day it may still exist in virtual reality even if lost to our physical one.

Together, we tell the story of a place, a craft, and a family - through exhibitions, artist talks, performances, workshops and books.  Project Oikwan proposes an alternative methodology for urban preservation and archiving of our collective memory, a journey in heritage innovation.