HONG
KONG
WOVEN
7 collages. 2 film photographs each.
14 photographs woven.
(2020)
Concept
One of the first shifts that came to mind when I began this project, was the shift from high-school to university, and the consequent shift from living in Hong Kong to New York City. I was excited and impatient; I couldn’t wait to leave, to experience a whole new city – until COVID interrupted my plans. The frustration I felt began to impact the way I perceived the city, my home, the only place I’ve grown up in. However, after my initial disappointment diminished, I looked at my existing privilege living in one of the greatest cities in the world. I thought “Had I already appreciated everything it had to offer? What would I miss?” Just because something is familiar, doesn’t mean it’s boring.
My friends and I would often walk endlessly through the streets, talking, pointing, and taking photos here and there. The things we saw are the “mundane” parts of the city, not necessarily the grandiose, tourist spots – but these are the little parts I love most. I wanted to draw attention to these minor details – signs, words, lights etc. – that are idiosyncratic (but not stereotypical) to Hong Kong.
Part 1:
Physical weaving allows me to dissect each photograph and reconstruct them with the context of another. Despite no longer coherent, the photographs remain familiar. By fixating on the individual squares, I began to look at details with a clarity I had never viewed before. Although the photographs’ contexts are obscured and confused, I feel as though their beauty and uniqueness are highlighted. I created 7 different collages, each made of 2 photographs.
.jpg)
Part II:
I took the physical pieces a step further in a digital weaving. I wanted to detach the image from any context and instead have it provoke thoughts of “Where have I seen this before? It feels familiar.” With each composition, I selected crops of areas I found peculiar (e.g. a standout clock, or building windows adjacent to bottles of condiments) and began to line up them up to create a single image. It was interesting to see that as whole, it still seemed a testament to (my) Hong Kong life.