The Ambassadors’ Ball 2015
27. 11. 2015
26 November 2015, Hong Kong - Hailed as one of the most influential fundraising events in town in art and design sector, locally registered non-profit organisation Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design (“HKAoD”) is pleased to present its 7th edition of The Ambassadors’ Ball aiming to raise funds for Design Trust. Launched in 2014, this grant-making platform aims to actively accelerate creative design and development of meaningful projects in Hong Kong and the Greater Pearl River Delta Region. The annual fundraiser was held on Thursday, 26 November at Maxim’s Palace, City Hall, Hong Kong, with enthusiastic support from 350 prominent design luminaries, creative influencers and stakeholders, art connoisseurs, creative talents, collectors, celebrities, art and design lovers and patrons. This event was an overwhelming success and raised over HK$ 6 million which contributes to seed the grant capital of Design Trust.
Themed as “Tales from the Fragrant Harbour”, the event took guests on a journey back to the old Hong Kong and paid homage to the four traditional iconic crafts of the city. HKSAR Chief Secretary for Administration Mrs. Carrie Lam, GBS, JP graced the event with her presence as the Guest of Honor. The elite guest list included: Mr. Victor Lo, Mr. and Mrs. Alan and Yenn Lo, Mr. and Mrs. Alan and Michelle Chan, Mr. and Mrs. Adrian and Jennifer Cheng, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth and Jing Jing Fok, Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin and Yama Gaw, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Lumen Kinoshita, Mr. and Mrs. Paulo and Sonia Pong, Mr. Dennis Chan, Mr. Harris Chan, Mr. Rock Chen, Mr. Evan Chow, Mrs. Patti Ho, Ms. Joyce Tam, Ms. Vicky Lam, Ms. Veronica Lam, Ms. Antonia Li, Ms. Claudine Ying and Mr. Anthony Wong.
Mr. Adrian Wong, laureate of the 2013-2014 Sovereign Asian Art Prize, presented a remarkable performance in collaboration with a group of talented local musicians and dancers. Under a poetic name of “Tales from the Fragrant Harbour”, it portrays the lives and tales of 4 local craftsmen, a neon sign maker, a barber pole maker, a wicker ware weaver and a tinsmith, whose trade and craft represent an integral and important part of the ineffable scent of Hong Kong.
On this special occasion, guests were welcomed by Desmond So, and the Live and Silent auctions, led by the esteemed auction house, PHILLIPS, highlighted the evening. Together, the auction featured over 75 lots of artwork, design items, travel and lifestyle experiences as well as pieces designed by Adrian Wong and created by each of the craftsmen featured in the performances. Many of the limited edition, signed or unique pieces were donated by blue-chip galleries, namely Edouard Malingue, Gagosian, Lehmann Maupin, Pearl Lam and Simon Lee Galleries. The auction also showcased works by local masters including Alan Chan, anothermountainman, Douglas Young, Frog King-Kwok Mang Ho and Joyce Wang to name a few. All proceeds from the auction would be donated to Design Trust as contribution to the seed capital for grant disbursement.
“HKAoD began in 2006 as a small non-profit organization with big dreams of enlivening our city through cultural experiences and continuous endeavor to promote design, creativity and local culture. May we take this opportunity to give our heartfelt gratitude to our long-term supporters and patrons for their generous support. In 2014 we launched Design Trust, which marked the transition of our role from project executive, to project initiator by providing flexible and responsive funding for creative projects that promote design talent, research initiatives and content related to Hong Kong and the Greater Pearl River Delta Region. To date, we are proud to enable various research grants, design and culture projects with over HK 1 million dollars. Looking forward, we target to increase the both the number and size of our grants as well as to expand our collaboration network locally and internationally.” said Mr. Alan Lo, Chairman of the Board of Directors.