ABSTRACT
Tai Kwun, a colloquial name literally meaning ‘big police station’, was first established by the British in 1864 and later revitalised as one of the largest cultural districts in Hong Kong. The transformation of the former Central Police Station into a series of art galleries not only follows the narrative of the Hong Kong Government’s vision to position the city as a cultural centre but also underscores how the preservation and revitalisation of colonial heritage have been adopted as a tool to make certain part of the past continues to animate in the present. In examining the building and the stories around it, this chapter asks what role does the former police station play in the larger public realm? It does so in two parts. The first revisits the exhibition ‘Tai Kwun 101’, which took place against the backdrop of political unrest in the city in 2019. The second draws on observations at the site. By studying the architecture, exhibitions and cultural consumption of Tai Kwun, the chapter explores how a symbol of law and order has been re-articulated in recent times into narratives that fit a wider political agenda, encapsulated in increasingly complex urban, political and media landscapes.
