What Happens When Art, Food, Music, Mixology, and Architecture Intersect in One Evening?
Edward Lee, Otto Ng, Eddie Kang, Halim Kim, and Andrew Bull discuss their sensory collision at the peak of Hong Kong Art Week.
On the evening of March 25, deep into Hong Kong Art Week 2026, THEM GOOD transformed M+’s AGATE restaurant into a living laboratory of creative fiction. Fusing the worlds of art, food, mixology, architecture, and music, the evening brought together five masters of their respective crafts: Chef Edward Lee, architect Otto Ng, artist Eddie Kang, mixologist Halim Kim, and DJ Andrew Bull. The goal wasn’t only a collaboration but a “collision” — an experiment where the boundaries between permanent architecture and ephemeral consumption were blurred. The result? A stunning, edible centerpiece co-curated by Lee and Ng, which saw guests enjoy an intricate way to consume a meal.
For Otto Ng of LAAB, this project was about stepping out of the “large-scale” comfort zone. While he usually designs entire restaurants, this time he shrunk his focus to the palm of a hand, creating the Harbour Plate — a 12-foot sculptural vessel inspired by the iconic Victoria Harbour. “I had to literally imagine how Edward Lee would glide his sauces across the surface,” Ng shared to Hypebeast, “and how the curvature of my contours could complement his movements to create one harmonious presentation.” Meanwhile, Chef Lee approached the collision with a student’s curiosity. Working with Ng’s three-dimensional landscapes forced him to rethink the very nature of plating. “[Ng's] medium is space, design, and three-dimensional landscapes. The landscape that he did is very interesting because it is three-dimensional, and plates are usually flat or it’s a bowl,” Lee noted. “To be able to plate on something that’s sculptural three-dimensional is very interesting.”
For Kang, he saw his role as providing the “narrative layers” that people feel rather than see. As he saw it, the collaboration proved that the “blueprint” of an event isn’t always a physical document, but a shared emotional atmosphere. “Architecture, food, drinks, and music all have their own narratives,” Kang explained. “When these come together, people don’t think about each part. They just feel one atmosphere.” It was mixologist Kim who brought a sense of balance to the “collision” through the concept of his drinks for the evening: Yin and Yang. His contributions, titled “Shadow” and “Bloom,” were designed to be incomplete on their own, only finding unity when experienced together. “My drinks are built on this idea… Individually, they are incomplete — but together, they become a single narrative,” Kim said, noting that HIS inspiration often came from the “imperfections” found in Kang’s art.
As the musical curator, Bull viewed the space as his most formidable partner. In a room defined by precise architectural lines, he treated every surface as a reflection of the sound itself. “The venue is absolutely a collaborator,” Bull remarked. “The building listens back… it’s the sixth collaborator, and probably the most unforgiving one.”
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Hypebeast: Every masterpiece, whether a building, a dish, a cocktail, a canvas, or a soundscape, starts with a structural logic. In this five-way collision, how do your individual ‘blueprints’ overlap to create a single, cohesive atmosphere?
Eddie Kang:I think we all bring our own stories. It’s not only artists who tell stories; architecture, food, drinks, and music all have their own narratives. When these come together, people don’t think about each part. They just feel one atmosphere.
Otto Ng: For me, it’s about celebrating a diversity of talents in the same space. Although we are from different disciplines, the common denominator is the artistic pursuit in our own forms. We aren’t trying to force a single, unified atmosphere. Instead, we’re layering different senses so that when they finally intersect, people can find their own harmony in the chaos
Halim Kim: Whether it is something we eat and drink, something we see and hear, or even the space we inhabit in this world — everything carries its own story. This project was less about aligning around a single, fixed answer, and more about expanding a shared narrative through individual interpretations. We began from the same point, yet translated it through our own languages and sensibilities. And when we came back together, those differences did not clash—they formed a flow. What may seem like divergence on the surface becomes, in fact, a sharper clarity when viewed through sensibility. Everyone involved here operates at a level where understanding and trust do not rely on explanation, but exist naturally within each other’s approach. There was no visible blueprint, yet within each of us there was already a refined internal structure. My role was to translate that flow into the most fluid medium—liquid. In the end, what brought this work together was not a predefined system, but trust. And through that trust, our individual interpretations overlapped into a single, cohesive moment.
Edward Lee: Oh, that’s a big question. I wanted to do something interesting in my field of expertise, so we created sauces. I wanted to think about how food is very temporary. We spend so many hours making beautiful food, and then people eat it in minutes or seconds even. There’s always a temporary nature of food. And unlike most other art, food is here and then it’s gone. So we wanted to kind of celebrate that aspect of it. There’s a bit of an unpredictability and randomness to this experiment as well.
Hypebeast: Architecture and Fine Art are built to last decades, while a Chef’s sculpture, a Mixologist’s drink, and a DJ’s set are designed to be consumed in the moment. How does the “permanent” space change the way we experience these ephemeral performances?
Kang:The space gives everything a strong background. M+ has a clear identity, so whatever happens inside feels more focused and meaningful. It helps connect all the different elements together.
Ng: M+ itself is an ever-evolving museum. Every time I visit, it feels completely new—the light shifts from day to night, the exhibitions rotate, and the crowd’s energy changes the vibe.
Nothing is essentially permanent, not even architecture–the experience can be different during summer and winter. Everything we experience today can only be experienced once, so it really makes me think about how to bring out the best in this collaboration.
Kim: Architecture and art may appear permanent, but ultimately they exist as emotions translated through the viewer. And those emotions are neither identical nor fixed. Depending on who experiences them, when, and under what conditions, the same work can be remembered in entirely different ways. A cocktail is no different. The glass empties, the liquid disappears—but what remains is not simply a substance, but a feeling. That feeling lingers in the body through aroma, temperature, and texture. When something that appears permanent yet remains fluid meets something that is momentary yet deeply lasting, the entire experience becomes more dynamic. I hope that everyone who enters this space can move freely within this current of sensations.
Lee: A restaurant is a very, very precise and curated space. Any you go into a new environment like this, it’s not my restaurant, you know? The lighting is different, the temperature is different, the noise level is different — I usually don’t cook in a environment like this, which is kind of a nightclub, so it’s all very different. At the end of the day, I’m a chef, and I can cook in any environment, but it’s interesting to see how all of it affects the end result, which is what the customers think of it.
Hypebeast: This venue is defined by its sharp lines and cultural weight. How did this specific architectural environment influence the way the sculpture was built, the art was drawn, the drinks were shaken, and the music was programmed? Is the venue the sixth collaborator?
Kang: Yes, I think so. The space has its own character; it affects how we place things, how people move, and how the whole experience feels. So it feels like we are working with the venue as well.
Ng: Architecture is not just about the structure, but also the context. M+ is surrounded by the iconic harbour, which has been the muse for a number of my projects at LAAB, including the Harbour Plate this time.
Bull: The venue is absolutely a collaborator. It dictates constraints, and constraints are what shape good decisions.
The sharp lines and scale at M+ push you toward precision. There’s less room for chaos unless it’s controlled. I programmed these sets with more defined transitions, cleaner EQ work, and a focus on spatial sound in mind—how things move across the room, not just through time.
As the “Musical Curator” you are not just “playing to people”; you’re playing to surfaces, volumes, reflections. The building listens back. So yes, it’s the sixth collaborator, and probably the most unforgiving one. Lucky for us we are at the fabulous new M+ AGATE restaurant space which is carpeted and acoustically warm, so it’s all good!
Kim: This space, especially Eddie Kang’s work, was a major source of inspiration. What I first felt was a narrative of life — one that becomes clearer precisely through its imperfections. His work, the space, and all the elements gathered here seemed to speak the same language. So rather than creating a single, self-contained drink, I chose a structure that is only complete when two elements come together. Yin and Yang — a concept deeply rooted in Korean and Eastern philosophy. The tension between imbalance, and the eventual flow into unity. My drinks are built on this idea. Yin is expressed as “Shadow,” and Yang as “Bloom.” But no bloom exists without shadow. These two drinks exist in symbiosis. Individually, they are incomplete — but together, they become a single narrative.
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Tim Lee/Hypebeast
Hypebeast: If you had to translate one another’s work into your own medium, what would it look like?
Kang: I would paint something warm and simple. Soft colors, gentle layers, and maybe one small surprising detail. Something comforting, but also a little playful.
Lee: They’re all very different. Otto is the one that I worked closely with. His medium is space, design, and three-dimensional landscapes. The landscape that he did is very interesting because it is three-dimensional, and plates are usually flat or it’s a bowl. To be able to plate on something that’s sculptural three-dimensional is very interesting.
Hypebeast: Chef, a question for you. Do you have a favorite dish that you really enjoyed consuming recently?
Lee: Myself? No, I eat everything under the sun. I’m looking forward to eating a lot of dim sum in Hong Kong while I’m here. Although I’m a chef, I’m also still a student of food, so I’m always trying new things, trying new recipes, trying new restaurants. It’s very rare that I eat the same thing twice.
Hypebeast: Final question for you all. By stepping out of your silos and into this five-way collision, what is one thing you’ve learned about your own craft from observing a discipline so different from your own?
Kang: I learned that emotion can be created in many different ways.
From the chef, I felt the power of a strong moment.
From the mixologist, the importance of small details.
From the architect, how space and scale affect experience.
From the DJ, how quickly energy can change.
It made me think about being more present in my own work.
Ng: Usually, when I work with a chef, like how we worked with Anh Sung Jae for Mosu, I’m designing the restaurant — the space at large, right down to the tables and the lighting. But this time, I’m stepping completely out of my comfort zone to design the plate itself. It’s a much more intimate encounter with the chef’s actual creation. I had to literally imagine how Edward Lee would glide his sauces across the surface, and how the curvature of my contours could complement his movements to create one harmonious presentation.
Bull: I’ve learned to think less about dominance and more about coexistence. In a club, the DJ often drives everything. In this context, you’re one layer in a larger system. Watching the other disciplines, especially the precision in architecture and the restraint in fine art, reinforced the idea that subtraction is as important as addition. Not every moment needs to peak. Sometimes holding back creates more impact across the whole experience. It’s made me more deliberate — less about playing more, and more about placing the right thing at the exact right moment.
Kim: It was an honor to be part of a project alongside such exceptional individuals from different fields. Hong Kong is also a city I deeply love—a place where different cultures and sensibilities naturally coexist, which made it even more fitting for this collaboration. Before being a bartender, I am someone who loves taste, style, music, art, people, and the world itself. Through my work, being able to meet people from different disciplines and share a common sensibility within a single project is deeply meaningful to me. This experience expands my world. It goes beyond simply making drinks behind a bar—it opens new ways of seeing, for both myself and those who experience it. In the end, I was reminded that truly meaningful work is not explained — it is felt.
Lee: Everyone approaches their work seriously, and they have a focus and a process. But I think what most people don’t see is the hours of work that go into it behind the scenes. It was very eye opening to see how many hours, how much prep work goes into creating everything, including the food. I take my work very seriously, and they take their work very seriously. I love seeing the passion and the work ethic that goes into their craft, because it’s the same that I bring to mine. It’s a lot of mutual respect and admiration for the other artists.
