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Welcome to the Spinning Factory!
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. The Mills building was formerly a cotton-spinning factory owned by Nan Fung Textiles. The green walls and high windows in The D. H. Chen Foundation Gallery are vestiges of the golden era of Hong Kong's textile industry. The exhibition Welcome to the Spinning Factory! will provide a brief but intensive history of Hong Kong's textile industry, featuring rich imageries, […]
Find out more »Untitled by Kato Izumi
Kato Izumi is a renowned painter based in both Tokyo and Hong Kong. Born and raised in a rural area in Shimane prefecture in Japan, young Kato’s playground was always surrounded by rich nature. This experience from his childhood instilled in him the idea that humans are a part of nature. When he was invited by CHAT for the Spring Programme in 2020, he made an installation of 5 figures with painted stone heads and bodies from living plants in […]
Find out more »Makers of Hong Kong: In Conversation
‘Made in Hong Kong’ is a distinguishing emblem of quality and history that has carried different meanings over the generations past. In the ‘Makers of Hong Kong: In Conversation’ video series, ‘makers’ of textiles from knotted fishnets to tailored saam fu are invited to share their making process, practice and their thoughts on the continued importance of ‘Made in Hong Kong’. Topics of discussion will reflect on the displayed objects of Misfitted: Unspoken Stories of Tailoring and past displays at The […]
Find out more »30-Minute Making
Drop in for fun crafts inspired by Hong Kong’s textile heritage, guided by CHAT’s Faces of Textile Culture! Create your own heat-shrink keychain, wax-print pouch, dot-beaded charm and photo frame, or Illumin-Loom heat-transfer tote bags – no experience is needed. *All activities are subject to availability. For enquiries, please call 3979 2301 or speak with our staff on the day. Date & Time: Weekends and Public Holidays 1:00-7:00pm Experience Level: Suitable for all ages Fee: From HK$40 to HK$200/set
Find out more »Hand Spinning Demonstration
In this demonstration, visitors can observe how cotton fibre is spun into yarn. The demonstration welcomes all for viewing and questions! Date & Time: Weekdays 3:00-5:30pm Weekends and Public Holidays 1:00-4:00pm (Closed on Tuesdays) Fee: Free Faces of Textile Culture Wanted! We are now openly recruiting ‘Faces of Textile Culture’ (FTC). FTCs will introduce textile culture to CHAT’s visitors starting from April 2026 by leading various activities, such as hand spinning demonstrations and ‘30-Minute Making’ sessions. We invite interested individuals […]
Find out more »Learning Tour on Sustainability
Sustainability and environmental protection are more than buzzwords – they are more pivotal than ever to our shared world. How can we put these values into practice and become smarter, more responsible consumers? In this one-hour interactive tour, participants will closely examine rare museum-grade textile artefacts alongside the industry’s latest innovations. Through engaging activities, they will learn how to extend the life of their garments and adopt environmentally conscious habits in everyday life. Tour content includes: - Rethinking your wardrobe: […]
Find out more »Misfitted: Unspoken Stories of Tailoring
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. What is a good tailor – a master of cut and fit, an engineer of paper patterns, or a bespoke stylist saving you from a wardrobe clash? This special display departs from viewing tailoring as a craft, and instead seeks to understand it as a unique set of social interactions between maker and wearer, offering new perspectives on the […]
Find out more »Interactive Experience : Illumin-Loom
Operate a weaving loom from the future and create your own illuminated textile images in CHAT Arcade! Illumin-Loom is a walk-in interactive experience where visitors can design unique patterns on colourful light strips. The finished creation will be exported as a digital image to download. Visitors can also choose to print the image as heat transfer stickers, and in our 30-Minute Making workshop, iron it onto a special tote bag. Alternatively, visitors can bring home the sticker and follow the […]
Find out more »‘Factory of Tomorrow’ Community Embroidery Curtains
What is a ‘Factory of Tomorrow’ like in the eyes of primary school students? In CHAT Lounge, a set of embroidered curtains takes inspiration from the new motto as CHAT celebrates its 5th anniversary in March 2024. Over the course of several months, hundreds of primary school students from the '333 Learning Companion Leadership Program' supported by We R Family Foundation learned about CHAT and its history to create drawings and paper models of a ‘Factory of Tomorrow’. Several works […]
Find out more »Guided Tour
Discover hidden stories and knowledge about CHAT’s exhibitions and collections through guided experiences! Led by trained docents, our Regular Tour is available by walk-in or group booking. Private group tours can also be extended to include a making workshop. Find the one that suits you best and make your visit truly memorable! 1. Walk-In Guided Tour This free 45-minute guided tour of our permanent and seasonal exhibitions will take you through the rich history and heritage of Hong Kong’s textile […]
Find out more »Cherry Machine Demonstration
Let’s witness Hong Kong’s only operating industrial drawing frame in action at CHAT! Leung Fung Yee (Auntie Yee) worked as an experienced machine operator who operated spinning machines at different cotton mills, including Nan Fung Textile, from 1980s to 1990s. She is now retired but she comes to CHAT to make the ‘Cherry’ drawing frame come alive again! Performing one of the essential processes in the spinning production, this drawing frame is donated by the last cotton-spinning mill in Hong […]
Find out more »CHAT Reads
Interested to explore more about the artworks and artists on view in the current exhibition? Step into CHAT Reads to pick up a publication, sit down and develop new understandings of textile and art. This reading shelves presents a non-circulating library of publications with varying levels, relating artists and artworks with one another and with topics beyond the gallery space. Publications are thoughtfully chosen to reflect an array of media, languages, regions and perspectives. All are welcome to enjoy reading […]
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Accessibility Tour
Free Admission｜Walk-in Learn more about latest Accessibility Tour Embark on a multisensory journey through The D. H. Chen Foundation Gallery at CHAT, where fond memories and experiences are warmly shared! Jointly led by a duo of deaf and hearing docents, the Accessibility Tour is a unique museum experience that celebrates diversity and inclusion. In this interactive tour, you will explore fascinating stories of Hong Kong’s industrial past, the meticulous processes of cotton spinning and the lived experiences of former textile […]
Find out more »ANTEPRIMA x CHAT Contemporary Textile Art Prize 2024
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. Asia is home to rich textile traditions. Its textile art is generally seen as an applied art, and textile artists are often equated with weavers, tailors or knitters. However, Asian artists increasingly turn to textiles to honour traditional craftsmanship while addressing historical narratives and current global urgencies, such as pollution and waste, pioneering a new dimension of textile art. […]
Find out more »Seed to Textile 2024 BOLOHO: Visitants to Lunar Factory
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. Visitants to Lunar Factory summarises Guangzhou-based artist collective BOLOHO’s activity over their six-month residency at CHAT in 2024. As their first institutional solo exhibition in Hong Kong, it culminates their co-creative efforts in CHAT’s community programme Seed to Textile. BOLOHO draws inspiration from their recent research on huaqiao nongchang (overseas Chinese farms) and the diverse plants that thrived there. […]
Find out more »Artefacts of Belonging
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. Asking an industrialist, a floor manager, a worker and a union representative to recount the history of Hong Kong’s textile industry would yield vastly different stories and perspectives. Yet, a sentiment shared regardless of background is the pride of having participated in a prosperous industry. Beyond economic gain and material abundance, what social relationships from Hong Kong’s industrial past […]
Find out more »Pixel to Stitch: Knit Computer Sleeve Workshop
$850｜RSVP 10% discount for CHAT members, 15% for CHAT Patrons. Turn your unique creation into a computer sleeve with the colourful pixels of the Illumin-Loom. In this exciting one-hour workshop, you will explore essential graphic design principles that will help bring your ideas to life! Then, you will get to customise your computer sleeve, including personal lettering and yarn selection, all under the expert guidance of CHAT’s talented textile programme team. To ensure optimal learning results, each session accommodates only […]
Find out more »Curator-led Private Tour
Join our intimate and interactive tour of exhibitions on view led by curators. Conducted in groups, these tours are the best way to ask questions about the ideas and concepts behind the exhibition and share your thoughts with the curators in a friendly atmosphere. Topic subjects to the exhibitions on view. To reserve a tour, please submit your booking form 30 days prior to your intended visit: $50 per head for University and Tertiary level institution $150 per head for […]
Find out more »Bloomberg Connects
The Bloomberg Connects app is a free digital guide to cultural organizations around the world that makes it easy to access and engage with arts and culture from mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. The app offers information about current exhibitions at a portfolio of hundreds of participating cultural partners through dynamic content tailored to each organization. Participating collections currently include botanical gardens, performance venues, outdoor sculpture parks, and world-class museums. Features include expert commentary, video highlights, pinch-and-zoom capability and exhibition maps. […]
Find out more »Lining Revealed – A Journey Through Folk Wisdom and Contemporary Vision
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. From beadwork to embroidery, straw weaving to paper craft, patchwork quilts of nomadic tribes to silkscreen prints of agrarian island communities, handicraft techniques and everyday objects inherited through time immemorial have often been sources of inspiration and materials for contemporary artists. Both folk craft and contemporary art originate from humanity’s innate desires for creation, expression, exchange and identity, and […]
Find out more »Special Display: CHAT at The Mills – Weaving the Ocean
Weaving the Ocean began with the idea of replacing vanishing natural materials with new, commonly available ‘natural’ materials. Ari Bayuaji discovered an abundance of plastic ropes tangled in the roots of trees on the coast of Bali. These ropes, appearing as an organic part of the trees, inspired him to repurpose them as weaving material. In early 2020, during the pandemic, Bayuaji recruited two local assistants to help unravel and clean the harvested plastic ropes, turning them into fine, colourful […]
Find out more »Artist and Curator-Led Tour
$50 | RSVP Lining Revealed – A Journey Through Folk Wisdom and Contemporary Vision features 13 artists across Asia, showcasing a diverse range of folk crafts alongside works of contemporary art. It encourages a thoughtful dialogue on the historical, social and cultural contexts of folk craft between the past, present and future. Join an in-depth exhibition tour led by the curator Wang Weiwei and the artists Ari Bayuaji, Han Mengyun, Young In Hong, Almagul Menlibayeva, Aziza Shadenova, Ye Funa and […]
Find out more »Silkscreen Printing and Aroma Sachet Making Workshop with Hand-Woven Fabric
$320 | RSVP 10% discount for CHAT members, 15% for CHAT Patrons. Join us to experience the intangible heritage of traditional techniques and make your own lucky textile pieces ! The homespun fabric, or tubu, of Chongming Island, China has a rich history of 500 years. In this workshop, veteran weaver and fabric collector He Yongdi will introduce the cultural significance of tubu and invite you to use silkscreen printing techniques to create a unique piece with the fabric. After that, […]
Find out more »Glossy Indigo Fabric of Dong: Band Weaving Experience
$450 | RSVP 10% discount for CHAT members, 15% for CHAT Patrons. Learn about the textile culture of the Dong ethnic group in China and weave your own phone strap using their traditional techniques. Patterned bands have been part of every aspect of Dong women’s lives – from mothers weaving baby wraps and shoulder straps for their children to villagers gathering to make luck-bringing bracelets for the young. These bands feature intricate designs like plum blossoms and snake bones or […]
Find out more »Revisiting Handicraft: Kwan Kwa Marriage Gown as Case Study
Deposit $50 | RSVP Is the past always better? In a society obsessed with nostalgia, how can handicraft validate, criticise or rebut the popular idea? Timmy Wong is a master tailor of kwan kwa, a type of traditional two-piece Chinese bridal costume. He inherited ‘Lucky Embroidery’ from his father in 1977, which now stands as the only workshop still producing kwan kwa embroidery in Hong Kong. Here, Wong will explain the techniques involved in making the wedding costume, showcase exceptional […]
Find out more »Seed to Textile 2025 – Open Call for Seeders
CHAT is calling for new Seeders! Since 2019, CHAT’s flagship community programme Seed to Textile has been acquainting artists and members of the public with the connections between nature, textiles and art through hands-on experiences ranging from farming to gallery practice. Artists and participants handle seeds and seedlings, harvest plants, extract colours from them, and create artworks by dyeing fabrics with natural pigments. This year, we have invited Hong Kong artist Sara Tse to explore how nature and textiles give […]
Find out more »Busy Needles: Textile Embellishments of Hong Kong
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. Embroidery, beading, drawnwork – these intricate tasks were once skilfully carried out by many of our older generations. Upon closer look, they also illustrate the defining qualities of commercial craft production and circulation in 20th-century Hong Kong, such as systematisation of skilled work, female labour and leadership, adaptation for export markets, and alienation between makers and consumers. Busy Needles […]
Find out more »Artefacts of Motif
Experience the exhibition in full 360° immersion below. Double click to launch the VR 360° tour in full screen mode. The dragon has taken countless forms through the centuries: in ancient China, it was reserved for religious or imperial use; today, it is a symbol of prosperity widely applied in everyday life and on special occasions. Through the dragon, this display of CHAT Collection objects questions and attempts to answer how traditional motifs are sustained and reinterpreted, how they […]
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