On July 27th, the Octone Foundation participated in the participatory art project "Unboxing 2025: Bloom of Light," organized by Tai Kwun Contemporary and led by Japanese artist Shinji Ohmaki. The event was successfully held. The Octone Foundation invited 25 children from Po Leung Kuk residential homes to attend as the creative protagonists, transforming life memories into floral patterns through free creation, allowing them to "grow and spread" in the Tai Kwun exhibition hall, embodying the core philosophy of "Creating the Future through Art, Culture Without Boundaries."
Art Intervenes in Life: Drawing Floral Patterns of Memory
"Unboxing 2025: Bloom of Light" invites audiences to participate in the co-creation of Shinji Ohmaki's participatory art project "Bloom of Light," specially created for the Tai Kwun space, breaking through traditional art experiences. The participating children freely created floral patterns carrying their unique stories using colored sand materials, collectively building a continuously growing shared space that presents a vibrant new aspect of life to the world. A total of 30 volunteers from the Octone Foundation and Po Leung Kuk staff collaborated throughout the process, guiding the children to interpret the light and shadows in their memories through colors and patterns. The final works will be interwoven with creations from participants of different sectors into a grand puzzle, symbolizing multicultural integration and social inclusion. During the event, the children enjoyed nutritious meals carefully prepared by the Octone Foundation in the Tai Kwun rest area, experiencing holistic care for both body and mind within an artistic atmosphere.
Creative Enlightenment: Illuminating Cultural Horizons
Mr. Ho Fan, Chairman of the Octone Foundation, stated: "We firmly believe that art is the key to empowering life with vitality. Through our 'Outing with Kids' series of activities, the Foundation continues to connect cultural institutions with welfare organizations, creating immersive experiences for children to 'step out of residential homes and into art museums.' This workshop particularly emphasizes 'memory translation,' encouraging children to give form to their emotions through creation, cultivating aesthetic literacy and self-confidence through interaction."
Cultural Integration: Weaving the Social Spectrum
"Outing with Kids," as the Octone Foundation's flagship annual project, marks the first collaboration combining Tai Kwun's exhibition space with artist resources. It is anticipated that the final "Bloom of Light" artwork will gather over a thousand floral patterns from creators of different ages and backgrounds, presenting a massive installation art piece of "collective creation by all" in physical form in 2025. The organizers emphasize that this model redefines the public nature of art, transforming museums from display spaces into venues for social dialogue, echoing the contemporary spirit of "Culture Without Boundaries."
Looking to the Future: Expanding Artistic Participation
Following the successful conclusion of the "Outing with Kids" event, the Octone Foundation will continue to deepen its "Creating the Future through Art" program. Through resource integration and cross-sector collaboration, the Foundation aims to enable more children from residential homes and grassroots families to participate in such cultural activities, promoting social equity and innovation through arts education, and collectively weaving a new spectrum of cultural integration.
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