'Restart! Beyond Gaming Exhibition' Opens at AIRSIDE Gallery in Hong Kong
What is gaming for you? A form of entertainment, popular culture, or emotional support? For most Hong Kongers, video games go beyond what’s on the screen.
This summer, enjoy a throwback-fueled tribute to Hong Kong’s gaming history at the GATE33 Gallery at AIRSIDE with the “Restart! Beyond Gaming Exhibition!”
From arcade classics to retro cartridges, this interactive show presses the restart button to spark curiosity about deeper meanings of gaming through art and design, and harks back to the collective, personal memories surrounding the genre from the 70s.
Opening on Aug. 1 and running through Nov. 9, 2025, the Exhibition will be opened to the public for free, inviting visitors to reflect on the deeper meaning of games and their important part of Hong Kong’s cultural tapestry through six curated zones: “Memories and Popular Culture,” “Collection,” “Craftsmanship,” “Relationships,” “Progress,” and “Anytime.”
Expect rare collectibles on display such as the Atari 2600 from the 70s, the Nintendo Famicom (real and fakes) of the 80s, and over 300 Nintendo games from the 80s and 90s, as well as multimedia artworks and a special remaster of the cult classic “Little Fighter 2,” featuring an exclusive Kowloon Walled City scene created especially for AIRSIDE.
Here’s a sneak peek into “Restart! Beyond Gaming Exhibition!” and their six zones:
- Zone 1: Memories & Pop Culture
- Here you can see a display of home consoles from 1970 to 2000, featuring the Atari 2600 model launched in the 70s, the Nintendo Famicom with Hong Kong modifications and Supergun Adaptor from the 80s, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System with the Game Doctor in the 90s, and original manuscripts of the HK-original game “Little Fighter Series 2.”
- Here you can see a display of home consoles from 1970 to 2000, featuring the Atari 2600 model launched in the 70s, the Nintendo Famicom with Hong Kong modifications and Supergun Adaptor from the 80s, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System with the Game Doctor in the 90s, and original manuscripts of the HK-original game “Little Fighter Series 2.”
- Zone 2: Collection
- A wall of 300 Nintendo games from the 80s and 90s, organized in a “Breakout” style layout to demonstrate the importance of game cartridges to gamers.
- A wall of 300 Nintendo games from the 80s and 90s, organized in a “Breakout” style layout to demonstrate the importance of game cartridges to gamers.
- Zone 3: Craftsmanship
- See repair and modifying tools, as well as game console components of industry people, examining the tight bonds between technicians and players, as well as the shift in the electronic industry following the city’s boom.
- See repair and modifying tools, as well as game console components of industry people, examining the tight bonds between technicians and players, as well as the shift in the electronic industry following the city’s boom.
- Zone 4: Relationships
- Visitors can see classic games such as “The King of Fighter ‘98” and “Bubble Bubble,” as well as try out a remake of “Little Fighter 2,” with an AIRSIDE-exclusive backdrop of the Kowloon Walled City.
- Visitors can see classic games such as “The King of Fighter ‘98” and “Bubble Bubble,” as well as try out a remake of “Little Fighter 2,” with an AIRSIDE-exclusive backdrop of the Kowloon Walled City.
- Zone 5: Progress
- Check out “Checkpoint,” a piece created by multimedia artists Daniel Lam and Edward Ng, and a zone that highlights three old-school monitors and sees three eras of digital art.
- Check out “Checkpoint,” a piece created by multimedia artists Daniel Lam and Edward Ng, and a zone that highlights three old-school monitors and sees three eras of digital art.
- Zone 6: Anytime
- Everyone becomes a part of a game from the moment they enter the exhibition! Multimedia work “Rigid Body” by artist Seth Hon can be seen at designated points of Zone 6, where visitors become digitized and shown with other players!
The show is led and curated by the Cultural Project and Kimhung Design, in collaboration with a team of curators, game creators, console craftsmen, and new-gen players.
For more information, visit the GATE33 Gallery website here, and follow the Instagram page here. Follow AIRSIDE HK on Facebook and Instagram.
“Restart! Beyond Gaming Exhibition!” at GATE33 Gallery, AIRSIDE HK
Location: Shop 312, GATE33 Gallery, AIRSIDE, 2 Concorde Road, Kai Tak, Kowloon
Dates: Aug. 1 to Nov. 9, 2025
Admission: Free
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