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For all its grand imperial treasures, the Palace Museum isn’t always an easy casual browse. Its latest exhibition, however, takes a noticeably modern approach to ancient history. Bridging the gap between imperial heritage and contemporary urban life, the thematic showcase – titled ‘A Day in the City – An Experimental Study of Things Across Time’ – invites nine local artists to reframe the Forbidden City’s majestic grandeur through the familiar lens of everyday Hong Kong.
Highlight artists include illustrator Kasing Lung, best known as the creator of Labubu, who brings his whimsical style to pieces that place the Forbidden City’s Imperial Garden next to Yau Ma Tei’s Yung Shue Tau, populated with his signature forest elves and creature companions from ‘The Monsters’ series. Alongside him, painter and sculptor Kila Cheung draws a parallel between Qing dynasty Emperor Puyi’s well-documented obsession with cycling and the street bike culture of 1980s Hong Kong, capturing the adolescent energy of both eras through mixed-media sculptures.
Comic artist Li Chi Tak continues that playful juxtaposition with an interactive installation inspired by an afternoon daydream, in which children imagine building a grand garden playground together. Meanwhile, ceramic and 3D-printing artist Benny To takes real historic architectural blueprints – including military barracks plans for the Qing dynasty’s Divine Mechanism Corps – and translates them into sci-fi artefacts, luminous windows, and modern feng shui potted plants.
The remaining artists add further depth to the dialogue, including Seth Hon, who uses live meteorological data to grow a ‘breathing’ stone inside a virtual environment, and Charlotte Lui, who reimagines imperial scenes into local cha chaan tengs and the Victoria Harbour skyline. And finally, visual artist Tsang Hing Ling examines human civilisation through digital fish artworks, Yau Kwok Keung reconfigures the logic of celestial rotation using modern materials, and composer Fung Lam wraps the space in a soundscape structured around ancient Chinese timekeeping.
Apart from the artworks, the gallery also has a dedicated space for public workshops led by local artists and practitioners, encouraging participants to experiment with different materials and explore their own perspective on cultural heritage. The exhibition is open from now until February 22, 2027. Standard entry is included with a general admission ticket ($70 for adults, $35 for concessions), and tickets can be booked directly through the museum website or the WestK app.
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