The non-profit School of Everyday Life has created a “Gift Exchange” art installation series at Kwun Tong House, aiming to promote meaningful life education for families with ill children.
Human beings are intrinsically connected to the natural world, yet we often take this coexistence for granted, overlooking the profound bond between humanity and nature.
“Our ‘Gift Exchange’ art installations for RMHC Hong Kong aims to promote reflections on life, particularly the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature,” said Eno Yim, Founder and Director of School of Everyday Life.
The third-floor dining area and games & video zone of Kwun Tong House feature two large wooden art installations that add vibrant color to the space. The piece facing the kitchen, titled Underground Exchange, depicts how a tree thrives on the circular ecosystems it relies on, including soil, water, sunlight, air, and microorganisms. Maintaining this ecological balance ensures the tree’s healthy development.
The work’s title Underground Exchange refers to the mutually beneficial, symbiotic cycles constantly occurring in nature, which have parallels with the circular food ecosystem. The School of Everyday Life hopes this piece will inspire people’s associations with food, allowing them to accept nature’s life-sustaining nourishment with a sense of comfort.
The piece Where Comes the Flowers showcases the vibrant ecology around a kapok tree, including birds, flowers, and wildlife like bulbuls and squirrels. The work aims to inspire reflections on nature’s interconnected relationships.
“The flowers, birds and animals depicted are common to Hong Kong’s urban landscape”, Eno explained. The Where Comes the Flowers piece is placed across from a large two-story window, where an actual thriving kapok tree outside creates an intriguing contrast.
Kiwi, the designer involved in the Gift Exchange installations, hopes that interacting with the mechanisms, like the motion of a bee’s wings, will help children and caregivers learn about the interconnections between different species in nature.
“Through these works, we hope children and families feel less alone. As children are confined during treatment, we bring nature into the House to make them feel connected to the world and inspire happiness,” Kiwi said. “More importantly, it’s to awaken gratitude, so people respect and cherish life more.”
“In terms of color and materials, the work presents a warm, happy feeling using natural wood and avoiding harmful chemicals”, Kiwi says. “All shapes and mechanisms are carefully designed to avoid sharp corners that could hurt users.”
Kiwi’s creative process carefully considered providing an educational and enjoyable viewing experience. Collaborating with the RMHC Hong Kong aims to break the perception that life education is boring. Kiwi said, “In this design-oriented home, we can render our work in a fun, interactive way to inspire people to think about life.”
![]() Underground Exchange of “Gift Exchange”. |
![]() Where Comes the Flowers of “Gift Exchange”. |