"Butterflies of Hope" - World's First AI Butterflies Illuminating Interactive Art

HONG KONG, Dec. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Christmas is a time of light – lights on the trees, shop lights, carol singers' candles, and huge public displays that we may make a journey to see. In this special year 2020, while hope is more wanting than ever, Lee Tung Avenue spares no effort to find the best Christmas lights, and therefore brings to us "Butterflies of Hope".

"Butterflies of Hope" is the world's first AI butterflies illuminating interactive art, created by 2019 MARTELL Artist of the Year Victor Wong, who is also an award-winning Hong Kong visual effects director. A 7-meter giant stained glass butterfly and over 350 little LED butterflies will be covering the LTA atrium and the entire boulevard. To bring the kaleidoscope of butterflies to life, their lighting will have varied features on days and nights. During the days, the magic hour happens at 12:30pm - 1:30pm. The illusion glass of butterflies will reflect and refract natural light to the ground, painting a colorful and dazzling avenue. At nights, AI (Artificial Intelligence) will control the butterflies to dazzle following the music, bringing a unique music-and-light symphony to the audience. Should they have a habitat, it will be the 12-meter towering Christmas tree at the atrium. The Christmas tree leverages touchless interactive technology and a special shadow projection effect to project butterflies on everyone's clothes. You may feel like you're in a mesmerizing movie scene.

Butterflies are a living embodiment of life and hope. This year, LTA hopes that our butterflies may shed the light of silver lining to every stronghearted Hongkonger.

World's first AI butterflies illuminating interactive art,
Art Tech brings movie-level production to LTA

With the advance of technology, the integration of art and technology innovation sets the new trend of art development - Art Tech.

"Butterflies of Hope" is a case in point. It is created by the 2019 MARTELL Artist of the Year, Victor Wong, also an award-winning Hong Kong visual effects director, whose artworks span paintings, sculptures, **, film special effects, and multimedia installations. He participated in the production of one of the world's best-selling games "FINAL FANTASY", and also created the world's first artificial intelligence 3D ink painting. Along with the MARTELL award, Victor has won the New York Film Festival Award, the Japanese JIAA Advertising Award, the Hong Kong Film Award, and the Golden Horse Award as well. This time, he will bring the art production of special movies to LTA, so that everyone can have a new viewing experience.

In recent years, Victor has been proactively leveraging AI technology in his artwork. "Butterflies of Hope" is one of his proud productions. The central area is a giant 7-meter luminous butterfly, whose stained glass design is mostly used in churches to refract colorful light effects when the sun shines. It is surrounded by more than 350 other LED butterflies, each of which connects to the central control AI system that changes the lighting according to the time, weather, temperature, humidity, and other parameters at the time. The lighting patterns are hence countless and unique every time. The magic hour happens at 12:30pm - 1:30pm when there is sunlight, reflecting the natural light to the ground and the buildings along the avenue. Plus the strong Christmassy symphony and the 12m interactive Xmas tree, the 10-minute music-and-light progrmamme every hour from 6:30pm to 9:30pm will indeed fill up the avenue with Christmas cheer. Everyone will feel like in a mesmerizing movie scene.

"Butterflies of Hope" - Symbol of love and hope

Victor said that the advancement of technology has brought Art Tech to be the dominant trend of art development. 2020 is an arduous year, but this year is about to pass. That is why in his new artwork, he takes butterfly as the theme, symbolizing beauty, love, hope, positivity and happiness. A butterfly lifecycle begins with an egg that becomes a caterpillar, then turning to a cocoon that eventually transforms into a beautiful butterfly. Since then, it can fly and dance freely in the boundless sky. Victor and LTA hope that by the butterfly's uniqueness, viewers can feel the vitality of life and face the future hopefully and positively. May everyone have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year with optimism!

Besides, LTA specially invited a multi-talented creative director Andrew Lau, who designed for famous movies such as "Infernal Affairs" and "Initial D". Andrew has designed butterfly-themed paintings for LTA this Christmas, adding a more artistic and cinematic sense around different corners of LTA so everyone can check-in and selfie in front of the masterpieces.

An Artistic, Educational & Eco-friendly Christmas Village

To promote eco-friendliness during festivals, the  "Butterflies of Hope" illuminating interactive art will be retained and presented in a different style during the 2021 Lunar New Year. Besides holiday decorations, LTA takes the concept of "placemaking" and adds elements of technology, design and art, education, environmental protection, and charity to every corner of the boulevard to create a multi-faceted Christmas village.

"Butterflies of Hope" is appreciated by different organizations including official collaborative partner "DesignInspire", and will be featured on the Hong Kong Tourism Board "WinterFest" official website, also is one of the satellite events of "BODW CityProg" of Hong Kong Design Center. While traveling out of town is off the table this year, why not celebrate the festive season at the spacious and Christmassy Lee Tung Avenue?

Child Butterfly-themed Art Space

LTA is teaming up with the local young artist Josh Tang and the kid art education Center "Colourful Kids" to organize a butterfly-inspired kids art space. Josh lived in the UK for 20 years and graduated from the University of Kingston and the University of Reading. He is currently working as an art educator at Colourful Kids, at which students are creating multiple handmade artworks with a butterfly theme. Their artworks will pour vibrancy and creativity all over the boulevard. Further, selected artwork will be sold online for charity (https://bit.ly/3g0xxqE). After cost deduction, all proceeds will be a charitable donation to "Soap Cycling". Josh even created a butterfly art painting named "FLY" for LTA. Displayed on the basement floor at Exit D of Wan Chai MTR station, the painting shows the transformation of a butterfly and its hopeful and vigorous form. The rich use of colors allows viewers to feel positive and joyful hope.

Soap Cycling DIY - Spreading the fun of Eco-Friendliness at Xmas

LTA shows full support to Asia's first soap recycling charity "Soap Cycling" in the festive event. Through recycling soaps, the charity finds more sustainable ways of waste reuse, successfully improving the hygiene of the disadvantaged and providing employment opportunities for the community at the same time.

Meanwhile, local artist Agnes Pang is specially invited for decoration design and conception. Agnes advocates the idea of "taking what others discard", turning the "garbage" into useful materials for creations. Based on the symbol of beauty and happiness - "butterflies", Agnes has made flowers with round plastic bottles and fruit wrapping nets. She meticulously transforms ordinary butterflies into flying "flower butterflies", so as to bring joy, creativity, and positive energy to everyone. Wish everyone shine and enjoy life even in adversity. DIY kits will go to the charity sale on weekends and Christmas. Hopefully, the promotion of environmental protection will make this Christmas more lovely and meaningful.

More Festive Joy On The Spot

There will also be a Christmas food carriage to bring you heart-warming snacks so that everyone can warmly welcome the festival. Alongside this wonderful Christmas Village event, you can also participate in a kid art creation competition. Victor, Josh and also PizzaExpress will create a series of butterfly patterns for everyone to unleash their creativity and submit their works online. Prizes, including a $500 dining voucher at PizzaExpress and a $100 cash coupon at THERMOS,  will be awarded to winners from LTA. Please pay close attention to our social media releases for details.

Christmassy F&B + Tons of Sales & Discounts

Other than art and eco-friendly activities, merchants at LTA are providing a variety of Christmas sales and limited products for customers.  For instance, Ms B's CAKERY is selling a brand-new series of Old Master Q cakes, one of which is inspired by butterflies. The shop will even transform into a butterfly house, which surely will become one of the best photo spots. Several restaurants, such as Crêpe Delicious (Urban Cafe) and PizzaExpress, will serve Christmas limited dishes. LTA will launch multiple member-exclusive dining and shopping rewards as well, including a cash discount coupon of up to HK$220 and an extra hour of free parking privileges for spending HK$1,000 or more, making your festival with friends and family more remarkable.

"Butterflies of Hope" is created by Victor Wong, the 2019 MARTELL Artist of the Year, whose creative media art is known to be a combination of traditional Chinese philosophy and contemporary digital spirit.

LTA is teaming up with the local young artist Josh Tang and the kids art education Center "Colourful Kids" to organize a butterfly-inspired child art apace.

Andrew Lau, a multi-talented creative director, will design cinematic paintings to display around different corners of LTA so everyone can check-in and take selfies in front of the masterpieces.

Soap Cycling will make unique butterfly-themed soaps for charity sale. Charity sale of DIY upclycling kit will be held during weekends and Christmas to spread the message of environmental protection.

Ms B's CAKERY is selling a brand-new series of Old Master Q cakes, one of which is inspired by butterflies. The shop will be even transformed into a butterfly house, which surely will become one of the best photo spots.

There will also be a Christmas food carriage to bring you heart-warming snacks so that everyone can warmly welcome the festival.

About Lee Tung Avenue

Lee Tung Avenue brings a new 200-meter-long, tree-lined pedestrian walkway to Hong Kong Island. The avenue is home to sidewalk cafes, gourmet restaurants, and local and overseas fashion outlets. It is also gaining fame for its large variety of lifestyle activities. Lee Tung Avenue is conveniently accessible from downtown via all forms of transport. Lee Tung Avenue prides itself on its close connection with local communities and revitalizing traditional Wan Chai, while becoming a focal point of Wan Chai South.

Lee Tung Avenue has won critical acclaims from Hong Kong and international organizations, including '2017 Fiver Stars Shopping Mall' award at Hong Kong Professional Building Inspectors Academy Awards 2017, 'Top 25 Shopping Mall Events' award selected by Hong Kong Economic Times, Gold Winner of 'Best Idea in Design' and 'Best Idea in Public Relations' at MARKies Awards 2018, Gold winner of 'Traditional Marketing' at 2018 ICSC China Shopping Centre & Retailer Award held by International Council of Shopping Centers.

Lee Tung Avenue's Official Website：http://www.leetungavenue.com.hk 
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