ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
The closure of Hong Kong's iconic Kai Tak Airport in 1998 was a significant moment in the city's history. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the airport's closure, Blue Lotus Gallery is pleased to announce a special upcoming exhibition "Goodbye Kai Tak and Thank You”. Featuring photographs by Canadian photographer Greg Girard and Hong Kong photojournalist Birdy Chu, the exhibition offers a unique perspective on the airport's history and legacy.
It was time for the last plane to depart from Kai Tak Airport, as the Cathay Pacific flight CX251 left for London Heathrow right after midnight on July 6, 1998. “Goodbye Kai Tak and thank you,” said Director of Civil Aviation Richard Siegel, before throwing the switch. The lights were turned out at Kai Tak around 1:20am, marking the end of the airport’s 73-year history. Since the airport’s closure, the sight of planes flying across the Kowloon peninsula became a thing of the past, but Kai Tak has made its mark in Hong Kong’s culture, garnering much discussion and awareness into the present day, even as the airport’s site took on a new life.
Kai Tak Airport, also known as the Hong Kong International Airport, was the main airport of Hong Kong from 1925 to 1998. The airport was originally built as a small runway in Kowloon Bay in 1925, and was expanded over the years to become one of the busiest airports in Asia. The airport was known for its challenging approach, since pilots would have to navigate through a series of hills and buildings, making the sharp turn to land on the runway before reaching Checkerboard Hill. Surrounded by densely populated areas and mountains, the location of the airport only added to the difficulty of approach and landing. Despite so, the sight of planes across the panoramic view of the city’s skyline made the airport a popular spot for aviation enthusiasts and photographers.
The airport and planes created a dynamic visual backdrop for Greg Girard and Birdy Chu, who sought to record and uncover different facets of life around the airport. whether it be planes flying over tong lau, or crowds of people in the busy districts. The terminal may be a bustling hub for travellers and international cargo, but pockets of silence appear as passengers stop to make a phone call before boarding. As the airport approached its imminent closure, the aircrafts themselves became a spectacle as onlookers would try to capture a piece of history, a memento of an era that came to a close.
Kai Tak Airport holds a special place in the hearts of many people who have fond memories of traveling through it, or for those who used to watch planes land and take off from its iconic runway. While the airport may be gone, its legacy lives on in the memories of those who experienced it and the photographs offer us a chance to revisit the extraordinary airport as well as the everyday lives surrounding it.
This challenging task makes Kai Tak famous & unique. Each aircraft had to fly over the densely populated Kowloon City, passing through hundreds of families, what a classic scene it was.... Now it’s all became our memories.” - Birdy Chu
Birdy Chu is an artist, photographer and film director based in Hong Kong. He began his creative journey by studying design in his hometown before pursuing film and video production, as well as advanced photography, in Canada. Birdy's works have been showcased in various film festivals and art book fairs across the globe. He has been recognized for his exceptional talent and was a finalist in prestigious awards such as the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards 2009, National Geographic Photo Award 2012, Hong Kong Art Prize 2013, and Human Rights Art Prize 2015. In 2016, he won the Most Popular Mobile Film Award at the Mobile Film Festival. Birdy's visual images reflect his concerns about social development and serve as an archive of our ever-changing world. His latest photo-book ‘HK 1997’ captures the transformation that took place during Hong Kong's most significant year.
“After living in Hong Kong for three years or so, and flying in and out constantly for work, I finally decided to try and photograph in the streets below the flight path into Kai Tak. Which, as it happened, was how I "discovered" the Kowloon Walled City, a place I'd heard rumour of but had no idea where it actually was.” - Greg Girard
Greg Girard is a Canadian photographer who is known for his work exploring the social and urban landscape of Asia. He was born in Vancouver in 1955. Girard’s early work focused on the urban landscape of Vancouver, but in the mid-1970s, he began traveling extensively throughout Asia, photographing cities such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Tokyo. He has since become known for his insightful and often haunting images of the rapidly changing urban environments of Asia. One of Girard's most well-known projects is ‘City of Darkness’, a photographic exploration of the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. The walled city was a densely populated, largely unregulated urban enclave that was notorious for its cramped living conditions and illicit activities. Girard's photographs provide a vivid and intimate look at life inside the Walled City before its demolition in 1993. Girard has also published books on other cities in Asia, including ‘Phantom Shanghai’ and ‘Hanoi Calling’. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in the collections of museums such as M+ in Hong Kong, the Ontario Gallery of Art and the Vancouver Art Gallery.
More information:
Goodbye Kai Tak and Thank You
Photography Exhibition Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Kai Tak Airport’s Closure
with photographs by Greg Girard and Birdy Chu
