Second Sónar Hong Kong electronic music festival will be kicked off at Hong Kong Science Park

(Hong Kong, 14 March 2018) - Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) welcomes the return of popular electronic music festival, Sónar Hong Kong, to Hong Kong Science Park for the second edition on 17 March 2018.

HKSTP, converging the city’s largest innovation and technology ecosystem, is a fitting experience partner for the unique event to showcase technology in an edgy and culturally enriched context.

First launched in Barcelona in 1994, Sónar has become a popular annual event bringing together electronic music lovers and creative people from different disciplines and communities in a celebration of digital culture. In this Hong Kong edition, a mix of big names in electronic music will share the stage with promising emerging talent to provide a full day of live music acts. In addition, the Sónar +D creative technology programme will provide opportunities for idea exchange and creativity exploration through workshops, talks, prototype demonstrations and avant-garde performances, virtual reality and new media arts installations.

Science Park’s “resident” humanoid robot Sophia will be speaking at the festival. Created by Park Company Hanson Robotics and was granted Saudi Arabia citizenship, Sophia is remarkable for being able to show emotional responses delivered with lifelike facial expressions. At the event, the audience can interact with Sophia as she explores her own sense of identity as artificial intelligence and a humanoid robot. Sophia will also make her debut as a musician and performer in a live music-theatre performance.

IOIO Creative, a member of HKSTP’s Incubation Programme, will showcase its new media art, Tapping, through the Sónar +D platform. Tapping is a wind instrument with multiple nodes that produce soothing sounds as the wind alters the data collected by the accelerometer and bends the speakers to change sonic parameters and audio phasing. IOIO Creative is formed by a pool of engineers, artists and designers. Their creative and unique solutions are a blend of technology and art that make relevant to the community.

Science Park’s Robotics Garage is a co-working space with free access to tools and advanced fabrication machinery, robots makers can turn their ideas and dreams into commercial reality. It will be opened to Sónar’s spectators to visit and explore possibilities, and used to hold Sónar workshops, through which participants learn to make an 8-Step Drum Sequencer as an introduction to Arduino, a popular electronic prototyping platform. Participants can build a simple sequencer, develop the code on a laptop, then program the sequencer and take the project home to continue the experiment with Arduino.

HKSTP’s Chief Executive Officer Albert Wong believes Sónar Hong Kong helps to connect the community with the Park on a whole different level. “Through this cool musical event, electronic music lovers and digital culture enthusiasts will have a glimpse of the technological progress in artificial intelligence and robotics, data science and smart city at Science Park. HKSTP welcomes such cultural events to the Park, as they create opportunities for people from different walks of life to personally experience how technology contributes to keeping the cultural landscape diverse and hip, and delivers extraordinary multi-sensory experiences.”

And Magnetic Asia’s Chief Executive Officer and Sónar Hong Kong Festival Director Mike Hill commented “Geared towards those with an interest in creative technology and digital culture, Sónar Hong Kong offers opportunities for creative communities to meet, interact and exchange ideas while showcasing cutting-edge immersive experiences. It is a unique opportunity, rarely seen in Hong Kong, for festivalgoers to experience the entire lifecycle of the creative process in an accessible way.

HKSTP is the ideal partner for us to work with to deliver a unique experience to festival goers in Hong Kong. HKTSP bring a refreshing and genuine open mindedness that allows this innovative event to take place in Hong Kong.”