Hong Kong photographer Gareth Brown has spent the past 19 years working on a personal project called “Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest” – using dance to showcase the city’s unique spots.
Hong Kong Dance Company dancer Debby Chuang at a derelict industrial building in Tsing Yi, reputedly a major paint factory operated by Swire in post-war Hong Kong. Photo: Gareth Brown.
For what he called a “very personal passion project,” he photographed ballerinas, contemporary and traditional dancers, as well as artistic swimmers and aerialists, against the backdrop of heritage buildings, natural landscapes, and modern infrastructure.
Dance artist Sudhee Liao at Pun Uk, a Meixian Hakka mansion in Yuen Long, dating back to 1934. The building was built by Hakka businessman Pun Kwan-min, who contributed financially to the 1911 Revolution to overthrow the Qing dynasty. In 1938, future Chinese premier Zhou Enlai stayed at Pun Uk. The mansion has a Grade II listing, and though seemingly sound, the structure has been left derelict for many years. Photo: Gareth Brown.
Aquatic performers Nora Cho, Grace Pang, Carmen Leung, Michelle Pang, and Chan Hoi-lam – members of the Hong Kong artistic swim team – at a river pool in Sheung Luk Stream, Sai Kung. The photo was taken before the deeper pools became popular with social media influencers and daredevil tombstoners. Photo: Gareth Brown.
Suku Limbu and Sajna Gurung, from the Hong Kong Nepalese Dance Group, at the Hindu Temple in Burma Lines, the former Queen’s Hill Army Camp in Fanling. The abandoned temple is a visually striking architectural gem. Designed as a place of worship for the Gurkhas of the British army, its hexagonal shape is reminiscent of a lotus blossom. Photo: Gareth Brown.
“Over the years, I’ve kept the works mostly to myself, dance and heritage friends,” said Brown, who is originally from the UK.
Having amassed a large collection, “I’m attempting to bring it to the attention of a wider audience.”
Contemporary dancer-choreographer Abby Chan at the Kam Tin Tree House, where the roots of a massive banyan tree have intertwined with the remains of an ancient study hall. It is located in Kam Tin, a historic traditional village famous for its many temples. Photo: Gareth Brown.Former Hong Kong Ballet star Irene Lo, now associate director of the Hong Kong Academy of Ballet, at the House of Convenience, or Fong Pin Yuen in Cantonese, on the outskirts of Tai O, Lantau Island. The facility was established by a Buddhist woman named Yip Sin-hoi in 1934 for seriously ill and dying patients to pass their final days. Photo: Gareth Brown.
The photographer said he usually found locations of interest – “culturally, historically, or they just look good” – and then chose dancers who best fitted the spot.
For example, at a river pool in Sheung Luk Stream, Sai Kung, he worked with members of the Hong Kong artistic swim team. At an abandoned Gurkha Hindu temple in Burma Lines, he collaborated with traditional dancers from the Nepalese community. An aerialist posed at a wall tree of the former Tung Chi College on Ship Street, which has since been demolished.
Prima ballerina Faye Leung, previously senior principal at Hong Kong Ballet, at Island Eastern Corridor, a prime example of the ambitious mass infrastructure projects that embody Hong Kong’s can-do spirit. The ballerina’s movements, full of power and grace, pay homage to this remarkable feat of modern engineering. Photo: Gareth Brown.
Joana Cambeses, an aerialist and acrobatic performer, hanging from a wall tree at the former Tung Chi College, on Ship Street in Wan Chai. The building has been redeveloped since the image was taken. Some of the most impressive wall trees could be found on Ship Street. Photo: Gareth Brown.
Contemporary dancer Sarah Xiao at the 33-metre historic granite edifice at Tai Tam Upper Reservoir Dam. Photo: Gareth Brown.
“If nothing else, the project is an interesting historical record of the [Hong Kong] dance industry, as well as locations that no longer exist or probably won’t exist for much longer,” Brown said.
The project gave him the chance to work with some of the city’s prominent dancers, such as Hong Kong Ballet principal dancer Yang Ruiqi, former Hong Kong Dance Company principal dancer Laura Pan, and dancer-choreographer Abby Chan.
Contemporary dancer-choreographer Flora Hon and actor-dancer Rick Cheung at Sunset Peak, Hong Kong’s third-highest peak, on Lantau Island. At the summit, there are 20 small concrete huts, constructed by missionaries in the 1920s. Legend has it that the huts served as a refuge from the sweltering heat and humidity of Hong Kong summers, as well as from the many spiritual distractions in the burgeoning city. Photo: Gareth Brown.Contemporary dancer Siobhan Dumigan braves cold temperatures at Cape D’Aguilar Battery, on the southernmost tip of Hong Kong Island. The World War II relic sits on a rocky outcrop in a hostile environment. Photo: Gareth Brown.
“I’ve been very lucky,” the photographer said of the collaborations.
At the heels of Brown’s solo exhibition at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club last year and another show at the Hong Kong Dance Awards ceremony last week, “Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest” is currently on display at The Corner Shop, a small gallery in Tsim Sha Tsui managed by the hotel Mondrian Hong Kong.
The exhibition will run until May 17.
Hong Kong Ballet principal dancer Yang Ruiqi at Plover Cove Reservoir in Tai Mei Tuk, the first freshwater coastal lake to be built in Hong Kong. The dam has a clean, futuristic aesthetic. Photo: Gareth Brown.
Laura Pan, former principal dancer at the Hong Kong Dance Company, at Shek Lo, an imposing abandoned colonial mansion in Fanling. The building – built in 1924 by Peter Tsui, founder of Wah Yan College – is a blend of Chinese and European architectural styles. Having been uninhabited since the 1980s, the Grade 1 historic structure has become a sanctuary for a large colony of bats. Photo: Gareth Brown.
Modern dancer-choreographer Lemon Doo and dance partner Tonia Wan at the Innovation Tower, designed by Zaha Hadid. The futuristic-looking building, located on the campus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hung Hom, has fluid curves with an ethereal, otherworldly appearance. Photo: Gareth Brown.
Exhibition: “Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest” – Photography by Gareth Brown.
Dates: April 20 – May 17, 2026.
Opening Hours: 11am to 11pm.
Venue: The Corner Shop by Mondrian, 11A-11D Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui.
World Press Photo has announced the winners of the 2026 World Press Photo Contest. HKFP shares those shot by photographers in the Asia-Pacific and Oceania region.
“I have deep respect for the thoughtful process behind every story we award. I believe that the jury’s intentionality is – and will continue to be – the source of the public’s trust in World Press Photo,” World Press Photo Executive Director Joumana El Zein Khoury said.
According to World Press Photo, the winning pictures will be shown to millions of people as part of their annual travelling exhibition in over 60 locations around the world.
“The winners were judged first by six independent regional juries, and the winners were then chosen by a global jury consisting of the regional jury chairs plus the global jury chair,” a press release said.
Ukrainian-born Hong Kong photographer Roman Olinchuk specialises in transforming ordinary locations into cinematic portraits.
Photo: Roman Olinchuk.
Olinchuk told HKFP that his inspiration is constantly changing, as he scouts out hidden gems across the territory: “My work has definitely been shaped by cinema, the work of other photographers and artists, and video games with insane visual styles. Inspiration can come at any time, in any form.”
Photo: Roman Olinchuk.
“It might come from visiting a location, a quote from a movie, trauma, feelings of connection, personal struggles, or even the colour of a pomegranate. It all depends on whether my creative antenna is tuned to receive and interpret whatever is there into a concept,” he added.
Photo: Roman Olinchuk.
He said he was constantly on the lookout for new locations: “It feels a bit like finding treasure, maybe a quiet, unremarkable neighbourhood has a rusty playground, or a parking lot with a view of Lion Rock. You never know.”
Photo: Roman Olinchuk.
As for the threat of AI when it comes to the art world, Olinchuk said he had a love-hate relationship with the technology: “I do use it for minimal editing, like removing certain objects or expanding a photo if needed. But for me, it’s important to create things organically. I will climb that mountain, I will pour black slimy liquid over my face, I will gather everyone I can to make an idea REAL. Because the point is in the process of creation.”
Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.Photo: Roman Olinchuk.
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