裝置/活動 Installation / Event:
2024年3月，圓塱食誌，一間．青年館，香港 | March 2024, On the Plain of Plenty, A Few Moments．Youth Hub, Hong Kong
以食物探索在「香港小非洲」的族羣與生活
Explore the people and life in Hong Kong’s Little Africa through delicacies
粉團 | semo
珍珠 | Boba
秋葵湯 | okra soup
小鄉有大洲 | in a village lies a continent
起源及考察 Background and research
我本來對非洲大陸所知無幾，亦不知錦田橫台山有「元朗小非洲」之稱。我開始與錦田的非洲社羣接觸，並在他們日常吃家鄉菜和聚腳的貨櫃裏加深對他們的認識，發現他們主要來自西非伊博蘭（Igboland，現屬尼日利亞）的伊博族。
我與非洲族羣不論在背景、文化與在港生活各方面均為南轅北轍。食物成為我結織他們的方式：我與他們的交流總離不開烹飪、進食和學習彼此的飲食習慣。伊博菜與我嚐過的菜系截然不同，令我大開眼界；而他們對香港食物與生活的理解和適應方式，同樣令我深感好奇。我為自己對香港非洲族羣及其艱辛生活的貧乏認識感到慚愧。
I (and arguably many Hong Kongers) did not know much about Africa, let alone the African community in Wang Toi Shan, a village area in the rural Kam Tin, Hong Kong, which is vibrant enough to be nicknamed ‘Hong Kong’s Little Africa’. I began my encounter with the Africans in Kam Tin in a container where they hung out and enjoyed food from their home, and found out the majority of the community members were Igbo people from Igboland (currently Nigeria), West Africa.
Although the enormous differences in background, culture and lifestyle set us apart, food became the pathway for me to acquaint the community. My contacts with them always involve cooking, eating and exchanging knowledge of food. As much as I learnt about the eye-opening Igbo cuisine, I also got to know their perception and adaptation to the food and life in Hong Kong. I was struck by the vast unknown of the African diaspora in Hong Kong and their often underprivileged way of life in the city.
裝置及活動 Installation and activation
作品可以分為四組以錄像為主的裝置，以三道菜和四個人，整合我與在港非洲族羣的交流。三道菜色分別為粉團（semo）、伊博秋葵湯和珍珠奶茶，它們聯繫了三個伊博人Stanley、Andy和Joy。每道菜色均置於一張桌上，上面放有錄像、食譜筆記和在香港鮮見的各類食材。第四人是香港非洲人協會幹事港人Camy，她與在港非洲族羣和尼日利亞的淵源可追溯到20多年前。
觀眾可以一邊欣賞錄像和翻閱食譜筆記，一邊用嗅覺與觸覺探索食材。每逢週末，我會在現場烹調伊博秋葵湯，並邀請公眾依照錄像和食譜筆記，製作吃秋葵湯不可或缺的粉團，再一同按伊博人的傳統用手進食。有時，錦田的伊博朋友會親臨現場教授，使本地人與伊博人有機會直接交流。
作品當然與我不太認識的伊博人和非洲有關，但也同時在探索錦田和香港 — 一個我稱之為家、理應熟悉的地方。有時，我會把這次體會想象為在自己土生土長的城市中遊歷。
The four-part video-based installation distils my whole encounter with the Igbo diaspora through three dishes and four people. Each of the three dishes — semo, okra soup and boba milk tea — is connected to three Igbo people, namely Stanley, Andy and Joy. Each dish is presented with a video of making the food, a notebook of the recipe, and ingredients for the dish, many of which are rarely seen in the city. The fourth person is Hong Konger Camy, secretary of Hong Kong African Association, whose relationship with the African diaspora and Nigeria dates back to more than 20 years ago.
While watching the videos and reading the notebook-recipes, audiences were also invited to open the jars of the raw ingredients for sensory experience. At weekends, I was on site to cook okra soup, and ‘guided’ the audiences with what I have learnt to make their own semo, the staple that goes with the soup. Audiences could then try the semo and the soup with hands, just like how our Igbo counterparts would. Igbo friends might show up to the weekend activation sometimes, enabling actual exchange between the locals and the Igbo people.
As much as the project was about Igbo, Nigeria and Africa on which I only had minimal knowledge, it was also a discovery of the neighbourhood of Kam Tin and Hong Kong — a city I call home — at large. I sometimes think of the whole project as a voyage to an unknown land in my own city.
粉團製作（攝影：陳庭章) | Making semo (photo: Tim Chan)
秋葵湯和粉團試食 | Soup and semo tasting
伊博朋友Andy到場示範 | Demonstration by Andy, an Igbo friend in Kam Tin
後記 Epilogue
錦田的非洲朋友雖然資源有限，生活艱難，但他們同時是我遇過最友善、最慷慨的人。我既為他們的磨艱慨嘆，又被他們的積極與及時行樂所感染。計劃接近尾聲時，我有幸獲他們稱為onye igbo（伊博人）。有朝一日，我也希望到伊博蘭和非洲走走！
In spite of their limited resources and the arduous circumstances they face at times, the Igbo people I met in Kam Tin were some of the friendliest and most generous people I have ever seen. Their hardship has inspired me, as much as by their positive attitude and ability to have fun in any situation. Amiably called an onye igbo by the end of the project, I hope to visit Igboland and Africa one day : )
多謝 i meela : D
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主辦 Presented by:
香港藝術發展局 Hong Kong Art Development Council
鳴謝 Acknowledgement:
EBOH Manuel Chibuzor
Joy EZINNE Ileagu
駱美清 Camy LOK
OKEKE Stanley Chigbogu
OUSSOU Augustine
Ebuka
香港非洲人協會 Hong Kong African Association
翻譯與編輯 Editing & translation:
張慧婷 Stephanie Cheung
李太后 Rita Li