Country China Architectural style Arts and Crafts movement | Phone +852 2512 3000 | |
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Former names Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Town or city Fortress Hill, North Point, Hong Kong Designations Grade II historic building Address 12 Oil St, North Point, Hong Kong Hours Open today · 10AM–8PMThursday10AM–8PMFriday10AM–8PMSaturday10AM–8PMSunday10AM–8PMMonday2–8PMTuesday10AM–8PMWednesday10AM–8PMSuggest an edit Former name Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Similar Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Cattle Depot Artist Village, Hong Kong Heritage Discovery, Dr Sun Yat‑sen Museum | ||
Oi! is an organisation in Hong Kong, developed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, that aims to promote visual arts by providing a platform for art exhibitions, forums and other art-related activities. It is situated at 12 Oil Street, Fortress Hill, North Point, at the corner with Electric Road. The address in Cantonese sounds like "Oi!".
Contents
Buildings
The organisation is housed in a complex that comprises a main building and two ancillary buildings. The complex was built in 1908 and served as the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club headquarters and clubhouse until 1938. Built in the Arts and Crafts style, it was officially opened on 21 March 1908 by the then Governor, Sir Frederick Lugard. The site lost its initial waterfront location due to subsequent reclamation, and the Club headquarters moved to Kellett Island.
After World War II, the buildings were used as a garage, government staff quarters and as a storage for the Government Supplies Department until 1998. They became part of the larger Government Supplies Department compound, that included the Department's headquarters. From 1998 to early 2000, the buildings of the compound were leased on a short term basis. They attracted a number of creative teams to develop arts in the area and housed the Oil Street Artist Village (油街藝術村). The government finally evicted the tenants, citing the occupants' lack of permits or insurance. A number of artists relocated to the Cattle Depot Artist Village in 2001. More recently, the buildings were used as a storehouse of the Antiquities and Monuments Office until late 2007.
The Former Clubhouse of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (前香港皇家遊艇會會所) has been listed as a Grade II historic building since 1995.
Aims and objectives
Since its inception, Oi!'s vision is to inspire local communities through the experience of co-creation of art. There are four basic objectives, or missions.
Activities
Since its opening on May 2013, Oi! has organized exhibitions and activities that are art-related to let citizens to encourage participation in arts in Hong Kong. There are 3 main types of activities, including Y! Projects, E! Projects and A! Projects.
Y! Projects provides a platform for young artists to develop creative talents through exhibitions and sharing. They can exchange their ideas with professionals, showcase their works and raise their profiles under this project. This project provides opportunities for new artists to learn and gain recognition, like "Sparkle! Art for the future", that encourages discussion and exploration of the relationship between art, contemporary life and social issues.
E! Projects allows artists and community groups to exchange and create new insights through activities like "XCHANGE", "Connectivity! Urban Arc-tion". The activities provide a platform to promote arts, architecture, local issues and stories through social interactions.
A! Projects provides a platform for artists and local residents to create environmental displays that merge art with the urban environment in the city. It allows participants to integrate art into daily life and make it to become a life defining attitude. "Living Art Projects" allows artists and citizens to beautify buildings under the theme "Green Art". It injects public's creativity into daily life and let participants experience art in their daily life.
Impact on the community
Located in an urban area, Oi!'s historic Arts and Crafts building provides an interesting contrast to surrounding newly built hotels and skyscrapers. It has an outdoor learning area that inspires the public, especially children's interests in the arts. Changing exhibitions and programs allow individuals to actively experience and create arts, can lead to a re-development in society's eyes.