Hong Kong is a city known for its versatility and resilience; yet what is often seen in daily life is rigidity and lack of alternatives. Architecture, under such circumstance, becomes an agency reflecting on human, social and even political conditions, and at the same time moulding the values of the public. On one hand, it conforms to the rules of capitalism and private demand; on the other, it seeks to transcend the norm and open up imagination. What lies in between could be conflictive and creates endless and ever-changing battlefields. New ideas are put to test at the borderline; they may fail or they may transform into new set of values. The classical Chinese essay Thirty-Six Stratagems is a collection of military tactics applied at wars in ancient China that categorized into chapters that illustrate different situations. The wisdom provides guides in politics, business and civil interaction in modern time. Drawing reference from the classic, the exhibitors examine the challenges they face and attempt to provide solutions to the complexity of reality.

Promoters: The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Biennale Foundation; Hong Kong Arts Development Council