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展覽 Exhibition:2026年5-6月，〈鄉村初夏藝術節2026：做個自家人〉，谷埔村，香港 | May-Jun 2026, ‘Village Early Summer Arts Fest 2026: Be One of Us’, Kuk Po, Hong Kong
維繫鄉村生氣的小規律Routines that sustain the vitality of a village
I had a two-month artist residence in Kuk Po, a historic Hakka village in Hong Kong bordering Mainland China.
It was a special experience because only a handful villagers actually stay overnight in Kuk Po, since the village’s population drastically dropped for emigration to the UK mostly in the 60s. For many years, the village has been mostly abandoned. Recent years see government and university-led effort to restore and revitalise Kuk Po, and some retired villagers come back to Kuk Po to take care of their ancestral homes and village.
As I reside in Kuk Po, I start to get acquainted with the villagers, animals and objects and their schedules and routines. I come to realise it is the accumulation of these routines and habits that sustain Kuk Po as a ‘home’. Touched, I observe and photograph their seemingly insignificant, everyday activities in the village.
The main component of the work is tiles for rooftop, each with an image or text on it. The tiles are stacked up. Each stack represent a villager, animal or house in Kuk Po. The images on the tiles are arranged chronologically. By uncovering the tiles, audiences can have a feel of the day and night of the character. Each stack includes a quote from the character and a summary of the character’s day, all written in Hakka.
The tiles and the board and the stools supporting the work are all found in the village. The work is set at the former pier once used by villagers travelling in and out of Kuk Po by sampan. The site is an entrance to the village and offers a great view of the sea.
The tiles are offered to the respective villagers upon the completion of the exhibition. – – –
Presented by:
PolyU School of Design
Curated by:
Duncan Yiu, Seika Studio
Villager acknowledgement (in no particular order):
Yeung Chuen Cheung, Pak-yau gor, Chun gor, Ng To Mrs Yeung, Giu jei, Yeung Bun, Sheng gor, Chung Kee Mrs Yeung, Chun jei, Wu So gor, Dai Lek gor, Mr Lee, Mrs Lee, Gun gor, Wah gor, Mr Wong, Tung gor, Martin, everybody and everything in Kuk Po
