Tai Kwun Unveils Gender & Space Heritage Exhibition

Tai Kwun unveils a new heritage exhibition revisiting gender and space whilst uncovering hidden stories of underrepresented and forgotten women.

Curated by Dr. Anita Chung, the Head of Heritage at Tai Kwun, the Centre for Heritage and Arts has opened a new “Gender & Space: Women in the Shadows of History” exhibition from now until the 15th of January, 2023.

Tai Kwun Unveils New Heritage Exhibition "Gender & Space: Women in the Shadows of History"

Touching on modern and contemporary interpretations of gender and identity, a parallel exhibition “Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III” diving into queer mythology and bringing together the perspectives of over 50 LGBTQ+ artists from Asia will be presented by Tai Kwun Contemporary from the 24th of December, 2022, until the 10th of April, 2023.

Focusing on stories of underrepresented and forgotten women of history, Gender & Space adopts a gender lens on the history of Central Police Station whilst asking essential questions such as “how far we have come in the quest for gender equality in our city,” and “whether the past can illuminate the present and provide insights for a better future?”

A curation of photographs, architectural drawings, and archival information, the heritage exhibition uncovers gendered spaces and invisible women in a historic place of power and masculinity – a man’s world designed by and for men, barely paying tribute to the women in its workforce, expatriate wives, and gender-related crime and imprisonment issues.

Dr. Anita Chung, the Head of Heritage of Tai Kwun and curator of the exhibition, commented, “Gender & Space is designed as a safe and reflective space for engaging in meaningful discussion on gender and social equity. We seek to understand history from multiple perspectives, acknowledging not only the different forms of inequality, but also their underlying causes.”

The exhibition will also feature a “Gender Salon,” an inclusive space designed to engage the community and open important conversations on gender.

10 dialogues and 2 workshops will be hosted at the Gender Salon touching on a range of topics including minority voices, the male gaze, sex work and human trafficking, and domestic carers.

“It is crucial to examine the structures in place and the interlocking systems of power that determine who is free or unfree, powerful or powerless, and dominant or subordinate. Gender & Space shows that gender identity is complex, multi-layered and ever-changing, and why we must challenge discriminatory practices and address the needs and aspirations of all members of society to bring about positive change,” Dr. Chung concluded.