It Takes Two

After many delays, Lorraine Kiang and Edouard Malingue opened their much-awaited second gallery space in Hong Kong, doubling down on their commitment to and investment in Hong Kong’s art scene

- Aaina Bhargava 

Thank You, Next took up the ground floor of a residential building on the brink of demolition in Jordan. Inspired by the Ariana Grande hit song of the (phonetically) same title, the exhibition curated by architect Natasza Minasiewicz, which ran from October 21 to December 3, featured a large totemic structure composed of a stack of coring samples. These ring-shaped, mostly concrete samples were extracted from the walls and floors of buildings under renovation around the city, including a small 1960s housing complex near Wan Chai’s Star Street precinct. The once decrepit building is now home to Kiang Malingue’s new gallery space.

“We wanted to assert our Hong Kong roots in a neighbourhood that reflected Hong Kong’s multifaceted spirit and culture,” says Edouard Malingue, one half of the couple behind the eponymous Kiang Malingue gallery. “In 2019, we came across a tall walk-up building at 10 Sik On Street, tucked away in Wan Chai, and fell in love with it.”

Until April 2022, the business was known as Edouard Malingue Gallery; last year, the couple renamed it Kiang Malingue, incorporating Malingue’s wife and business partner, Lorraine Kiang, and officially honouring their partnership.