Tai Wai Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre | Campus Youth Co-create Visual Exhibition to Promote Everyday Environmental Sustainability with Art “Living in Harmony with Nature, Sustainability in Every Step” Exhibition

Description

To promote environmental awareness and the concept of sustainable fashion, the Student Affairs Office of the School of Professional Education and Executive Development of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, together with the Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre, are co-hosting the 'Living in Harmony with Nature, Sustainability in Every Step' creative exhibition at the Co-creation Space of the Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre. The exhibition is structured around four themes: 'Clothing, Food, Housing, and Transportation', with each theme lasting for four months. The first phase starts with the theme of 'Clothing'. Students from the School of Professional Education and Executive Development of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, together with curator Tang Wai-lam, are presenting a series of visual exhibitions and workshops centered on clothing recycling to encourage youths and citizens to embrace environmental protection and sustainable living in their daily lives, revisiting the question of 'how to coexist with the Earth'. The exhibition also showcases the 'Seven Treasures of Tzu Chi International Disaster Relief', linking environmental protection with humanitarian efforts. The exhibition, workshops, and lectures are open to the public free of charge, and the remaining themes of 'Food, Housing, and Transportation' will be presented in the future to promote the idea of 'sustainability in every step' for everyone.

The exhibition is a joint effort between the students of the School of Professional Education and Executive Development of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre, and Mr. Tang Wai-lam, who together conceived, planned, constructed, and displayed the exhibition. The entire process, from ideation to realization, was student-led. Through the co-creation space, they not only showcase their ideas and creativity but also inspire the public's interest in sustainability and art, conveying the power of environmental education. The exhibition takes clothing recycling as its entry point and features six exhibition areas that utilize realistic experience, visualized multimedia installations, and youth creative works to guide visitors to reflect on the profound impact of their daily consumption habits on the environment, practicing the sustainable living concept of 'sustainability in every step'. Dr. Lau Yui-yip, Director of Student Affairs of the School of Professional Education and Executive Development of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said, 'We understand that public education is closely related to daily life. Therefore, we hope to create an art co-creation space that utilizes the four themes of 'Clothing, Food, Housing, and Transportation' in daily life to achieve the goal of sustainable living, and also connect with various sectors of society through the exhibits to convey the importance of environmental protection and the urgency of immediate action.'

The Silent Mountain of Clothing: A Powerful Lesson for Children
   
 In addition to showcasing student designs that transform outdated clothing into functional garments, the exhibition also includes workshops that teach the public how to repurpose discarded denim into unique accessories, aiming to educate through hands-on practice about the sustainable living concept of environmental protection.
Students from the H.C.Y. Ho Memorial School of the Hong Kong Student Aid Society are among the participants. They redesigned and manufactured denim clothing from discarded denim items, demonstrating that non-mainstream students can also support societal and environmental development. The exhibition reflects the students' hard work and affirms their abilities. Moreover, the venue features a visually striking mountain of clothing constructed using approximately 1,500 pieces of old clothing donated by Share Clothing Bank, the environmental organization长春社, and the social enterprise Dress Green. Through this immersive installation, the exhibition aims to educate the public about the importance of circular fashion and reduce the impact of the clothing industry on the environment through behavioral art. Ms. Cheng Cho-lam, a student from the School of Professional Education and Executive Development of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, shared, 'While preparing for this event, I reflected on my own wasteful habits in daily life, which made me deeply understand the concept of 'being kind to nature is being kind to ourselves'. It was a memorable learning experience.'

'The Other End of the Earth': Guiding the Public to Reflect on Personal Consumption Habits
    
The exhibition also displays environmentally friendly clothing and the 'Seven Treasures of Tzu Chi International Disaster Relief' from the Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre, demonstrating how environmental protection can be combined with charitable acts to create a virtuous cycle economy. A simulated refugee tent and disaster relief equipment are set up inside the venue to allow visitors to experience the cramped and challenging living conditions faced by survivors in the aftermath of natural disasters, wars, and resource scarcity. The exhibition area features a projection screen that displays real records of international disaster relief efforts in different regions, presenting the struggles of disaster-stricken people in harsh environments. Ms. Tse Man-hei, Center Manager of the Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre, pointed out, 'Through this exhibition, we hope that people can feel the importance of environmental protection through stark contrasts. For example, one of the disaster-stricken area exhibits featuring a human-shaped doll is designed to reflect the viewers' faces, allowing them to empathize with the plight of those in disaster areas and arouse their awareness of environmental protection.'
 
Curator and Creative Director Tang Wai-lam hopes that by simply citing the methods of upcycling and recycling, the public and teenagers will be encouraged to develop environmental awareness. By combining the materials of civilized communities with the disasters caused by global warming into a holistic exhibition, he aims to use concrete imagery to awaken the public to the consequences of excessive consumption and encourage them to think twice before making impulse purchases. Contrasting the wastefulness of modern civilized society's materialism with the global warming caused by overconsumption is also one of the key focuses of this exhibition. Through an exhibition that is easy for citizens to understand, the ultimate goal is to 'implant' the foundation of 'living in harmony with the Earth' into every visitor.

In recent years, the Student Affairs Office of the School of Professional Education and Executive Development of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University has actively integrated ESG and sustainable development concepts into students' whole-person development programs. The Student Affairs Office and the Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre not only serve as guides for the students but also act as super-connectors, linking different organizations such as social welfare, education, and industry sectors. They create a platform for everyone to engage in common issues while involving students in community projects, meeting the current needs of primary and secondary schools for ESG environmental education. This exhibition marks the beginning of a cross-sector collaboration between the Student Affairs Office and the Tzu Chi Eco-Awareness Centre, aiming to cultivate a new generation of 'green citizens' with a sense of social responsibility through the 'campus-community linkage' model. It also hopes to convey that even though everyone comes from different backgrounds and has different resources, they can still embrace diversity and unite towards a common goal, choosing their own path of environmental protection.

“Living in Harmony with Nature, Sustainability in Every Step” Exhibition
Date: Now until July 5
Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Address: Co-creation Space, 5 Che Kung Miu Road, Tai Wai
Fee: Free admission
Workshop and lecture details: https://sao.cpce-polyu.edu.hk/tc/what-s-new/latest-activities/index.html