Press Release

19 January 2017

ZAHA HADID
THERE SHOULD BE NO END TO
EXPERIMENTATION
17 MARCH 6 APRIL 2017
ARTISTREE, TAIKOO PLACE, 979 KING'S ROAD, QUARRY BAY,
HONG KONG

With experimentation, you think youre going to find out one thing, but you
actually discover something else ... more than you bargain for Zaha Hadid

The Serpentine Galleries and Zaha Hadid Design are proud to bring their
critically acclaimed exhibition of early paintings and drawings by the late
Zaha Hadid to Hong Kong. First conceived with Hadid herself, this revelation
(London Evening Standard) of a show has been newly expanded with
additional archival material. The exhibition is the closing presentation for
ArtisTree, the arts space in the heart of the citys Taikoo Place by exhibition
presenting partner Swire Properties, before it is relocated to a new address.

While Zaha Hadid (1950-2016) is rightly regarded as an architectural pioneer

and visionary, this unique Serpentine presentation also reveals her as an
artist with drawing at the very heart of her work. The work includes paintings,
calligraphic drawings and rarely seen private notebooks with sketches that
show her complex thoughts about architectures forms and relationships.

The exhibition, brought to Hong Kong in association with J.P. Morgan Private
Bank, focuses on Hadids early works before her first building (Vitra Fire
Station, Germany) was erected in 1993. Ranging from the 1970s to the early
1990s, the paintings and drawings on show include Hadids first
internationally acclaimed project, The Peak (1982-3), awarded first prize in a
design competition for a leisure club in the Hong Kong hills marking a
critical moment in Hadids career.

Drawing and painting were fundamental to Hadids practice. Influenced by

Malevich, Tatlin and Rodchenko, she used calligraphic drawings as the main
method for visualising her architectural ideas. For Hadid, painting was a
design tool, and abstraction an investigative structure for imagining
architecture and its relationship to the world we live in. These works on paper
and canvas unravel an architecture that Hadid was determined to realise in
built structures and that was later seen in the characteristic lightness and
weightlessness of her buildings. Conceived as Hadids manifesto of a utopian
world, the show reveals her all-encompassing visions of space and reality.

This survey of Zaha Hadids experimental 2D work is a revelation ... Hadids

paintings and drawings, which sit somewhere between art, architecture and
design, compellingly fuse fantasy and science
Evening Standard

This exhibition provides an unparalleled insight into the creative process of

the architects early years, revealing how a strange calligraphy was incubated
in her notebooks, an esoteric universe of dots, dashes and swirls, before
leaping off the page into working drawings, and wall-sized paintings
The Guardian

Technology and innovation have always been central to the work of Zaha
Hadid Architects, and many of Hadids paintings prefigure the potential of
these digital processes. Connecting directly with the individual paintings in
this exhibition, four experimental virtual reality experiences have been
specially developed in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, offering a
dynamic and immersive insight into Hadids architectural vision.

Building on this commitment to technology, a dedicated mobile tour will also

be available as part of Bloomberg Philanthropies ongoing digital engagement
programme at the Serpentine Galleries. Available through visitors mobile
phones, the mobile tour offers ArtisTree visitors an interactive gallery
experience including stories, audio clips and additional drawings from the
Hadid collection. In addition, a screening room in the exhibition featuring
exclusive footage from the Zaha Hadid archive, will also be made available.

These interactive components are supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies

through its Bloomberg Connects programme, a global initiative that helps
cultural institutions innovate and engage audiences by leveraging digital
technology.

Marking the first presentation of Hadids early works in China, this timely
homage first opened in 2016 to record London audiences at the Serpentine
Sackler Gallery, extended and renovated in 2013 by Zaha Hadid Architects.

Hans Ulrich Obrist, Serpentine Artistic Director and Yana Peel, CEO said:
We are honoured to bring this expanded exhibition of our friend and long-
term collaborator Zaha Hadid to Hong Kong the very place that launched
her reputation as a global architectural pioneer. Her declaration that there
should be no end to experimentation has not only become a mantra for the
Serpentine Galleries but is the basis on which this showcase of Zahas
visionary talent and legacy was conceived in her own lifetime.
Guy Bradley, Chief Executive of Swire Properties, said: Swire Properties is
a long-term supporter of the arts, and we are delighted to partner with
Serpentine Galleries and Zaha Hadid Design for the first time to bring Zaha
Hadids visionary work to Hong Kong, our home market. Zaha left an indelible
mark on modern architecture, and her experimental style resonates closely
with our own approach of taking bold steps to transform spaces.
Don Taylor, Director of Office at Swire Properties, said: Were very proud to
present Zaha Hadids rarely seen works at ArtisTree before it moves to a new
home. We felt it only fitting that her achievements be showcased as the finale
programme for our much-loved event space ArtisTree at Taikoo Place, which
has brought an extraordinary array of artistic and cultural events to the Hong
Kong community.

For press information contact:

Nancy Groves, nancyg@serpentinegalleries.org, +44 (0)20 7298 1544
V Ramful, v@serpentinegalleries.org, +44 (0)20 7298 1519
Press images at serpentinegalleries.org/press
Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA
Serpentine Sackler Gallery, West Carriage Drive, Kensington Gardens,
London W2 2AR
Wayne Leung, wayneleung@swireproperties.com, +852 2844 3038
Swire Properties

Image Credit:
Metropolis, 2014
Copyright Zaha Hadid Foundation

Notes to Editors

About Zaha Hadid

Born in Baghdad, Zaha Hadid (1950-2016) studied mathematics at the
American University of Beirut before studying architecture in 1972 at the
Architectural Association in London. By 1979 she had established her own
practice in London Zaha Hadid Architects garnering a reputation across
the world for her ground-breaking theoretical works, including The Peak in
Hong Kong (1983), the Kurfrstendamm in Berlin (1986) and the Cardiff Bay
Opera House in Wales (1994). Hadid was a Pritzker Laureate and had recently
received the RIBA Gold Medal. Her first realised building was the Vitra Fire
Station in Weil am Rhein, Germany, in 1993.

Hadids vision redefined architecture for the 21st century and captured
imaginations across the globe. Her legacy endures within the DNA of the
design studio she created. Working with office partner Patrik Schumacher for
three decades, Zaha Hadid Architects work arranges form and space into
breath-taking spatial compositions. The MAXXI: Italian National Museum of
21st Century Arts in Rome, the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympic
Games and the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku are built manifestos of ZHAs
quest for complex, fluid space.

ZHAs work of the past 30 years was the subject of critically-acclaimed

exhibitions at New Yorks Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 2006, Londons
Design Museum in 2007, the Palazzo della Ragione, Padua, Italy in 2009 and
the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2011, the DAC Copenhagen in 2013 and the
State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg in 2015.
About Zaha Hadid Design
As an architect and designer, Zaha Hadids work explored spatial concepts at
all scales from the city to individual product - sculptural jewellery and limited
edition furniture pieces, homeware items and fashion accessories - as well as
interior, exhibition and set design commissions. Under the lead of Woody Yao
and Maha Kutay, ZHD was established in 2006 to implement the latest
technological and material innovations in collaboration with the worlds most
respected brands.

ZHD also features a gallery space arranged over two floors which hosts an
ever-changing programme of exhibitions and collaborations. The ZHD Gallery
regularly showcases the work of emerging designers, young artists and
innovative fabricators, as well as it hosts a variety of collateral events.

About Serpentine Galleries

With an international reputation for excellence, the Serpentine Galleries in the
heart of Londons Kensington Gardens attracts up to 1.2 million visitors a year
to its world famous exhibition, architecture, design, education and public
programmes, providing learning through art for people of all ages and
backgrounds. The Serpentine had a long relationship with Zaha Hadid, which
began in 1996 when she joined as a Trustee of the Serpentine Gallery. Her
first structure in London was the inaugural Serpentine Pavilion in 2000. It was
followed by a light installation, Lilas, in 2007. In 2013, she completed the
extension for the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, one of Zaha Hadid Architects
first permanent buildings in central London. She also participated in the
Serpentines Interview Marathon in 2006 and 89Plus Marathon in 2013.

About Swire Properties

Swire Properties develops and manages commercial, retail, hotel and
residential properties, with a focus on mixed-use developments in prime
locations at major mass transportation intersections. Swires investment
portfolio in Hong Kong comprises Taikoo Place, Cityplaza and Pacific Place as
well as investments in mainland China, the US and Singapore.

As a keen supporter of arts and culture, Swire Properties introduced ArtisTree,

a unique venue for visual and performing arts, to Taikoo Place in 2008, to
make diverse arts and cultural events accessible to local communities. Since
its launch, the 20,000 sq ft space has made a significant contribution to
Hong Kongs arts scene, with landmark events including the inaugural
Vivienne Westwood A Life in Fashion exhibition, The World of Tim Burton,
Outside the Box | Frank Gehry exhibition and Building M+: The Museum and
Architecture Collection. To facilitate the ongoing redevelopment of Taikoo
Place, ArtisTree will be relocated to Cambridge House, re-envisioned as a
dynamic space with a programme focusing on performing arts by both local
and international artists. The new space will be completed in mid-2017.

Taikoo Place is recognised as one of Hong Kongs best-planned business

hubs, offering over 5 million sq ft of prime commercial space for local and
multinational corporations. Apart from ArtisTree, a wide range of premium
business and leisure amenities are provided in the area, including serviced
apartments TAIKOO PLACE APARTMENTS, the landscaped garden Taikoo Park,
and restaurants and cafes. Also located in Taikoo Place is blueprint, a co-
working hub that target small businesses entrepreneurs as well as corporates
looking for flexible workspace.
About JP Morgan Private Bank
JP Morgan is a global leader in financial services to corporations,
governments, for-profit and not-for-profit institutions and wealthy individuals.
Through the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan, the firm delivers customized wealth
management advice and solutions to wealthy individuals and their families,
leveraging its broad capabilities in investing, family office management,
philanthropy, credit, fiduciary services and special advisory services to help its
clients advance toward their own particular goals. For more than 150 years,
the Private Banks comprehensive and integrated product offering,
commitment to innovation and integrity, and focus on placing the interests of
its clients first and foremost have made J.P. Morgan an advisor of choice to
people of significant wealth around the world.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in more than 120 countries around the world
to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The
organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts,
Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health.
Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloombergs
charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2016,
Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars. For more
information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.