The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Park was the site of the government house during the city’s early development and officially opened to the public in 1871. Apart from housing historic monuments, old and valuable trees as well as other exotic flora, the Gardens is also the home to various endangered species.
This year marks the 150th Anniversary of the Gardens. Yale trained fine art photographer Gretchen So was invited by the Art Promotion Office to create site-specific work to celebrate the occasion. During on-site visits over the course of a year, she captured the interesting scenes where people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds interacted with each other, or enjoyed a solitary moment. The images in her portfolio ‘Where the Hearts Meet’, she explores the remarkable landscapes of the Gardens and the relationship between humans and nature.
She believes that the intrinsic value of the Gardens lies in its power to nurture relationships, generation after generation. This series of artworks is a distinctive way to honour the Gardens, which provides all conditions that are needed to connect the hearts of its visitors.
This outdoor exhibition showcases aluminum prints, displayed on both sides of the stone steps leading to the Bronze Statue of King George VI, forming a spectacular outdoor gallery. Other photos are nested in different trails where the landscape and the scene environment in the image are intertwined, allowing the audience to travel freely between reality and imagery.