崖hea響槓言voice from the root, reclaiming

展覽 Exhibition:

二零一六年四月，＜得左，失左＞展覽，賽馬會創意藝術中心，香港 | Apr 2016, ‘We Gain; We Lost’ exhibition, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, Hong Kong

二零一六年二月至三月，第二十一屆 ifva 比賽媒體藝術組入圍作品展，香港 | Feb-Mar 2016, The 21st ifva Awards – Media Art Category Finalist Exhibition, Hong Kong

二零一五年五月，長春社文化古蹟資源中心，香港｜ May 2015, The Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage, Hong Kong

一個向父親學習客家話的記錄

A record of the inheritance of Hakka from father

背景

家父為東莞黃江客家人，七十年代來港，誕下算是半隻客家人，但唔曉聽，唔曉講客家話的我。在香港，不懂父母的「鄉下話」，實在平常不過。

理所當然以香港人身份生活了廿多年，我驚覺與上一代的歷史文化斷裂，可以是一個「問題」，遂向父親學習客家話，也借機和父親打開話題。

學習／閒談

在這兩年裏，每逢我們相聚時，我都不時請教父親客家話，並將之錄音。

學習十分隨意，由最簡單的名字，桌上的餸菜，以至較為複雜的問答題，都無序胡亂的學了一點。其後，爸爸和操客語的親友交談，我又將其錄音，試着從中學習客家話。

我將學得的客家話，以香港粵音、普通話拼音、英文和自制聲調標記組成筆記，為學習的結晶，代表我與客家話的關係。

這個學習過程，自然拓展至客家文化，父親來港前在家鄉的經歷，來港的經過，一直到現在的生活。父親的故事，也是不少上一輩並非香港出生，為過更好生活而來港的香港人故事。

裝置

我將這兩年的學習錄音化為裝置，重塑為客家話漂流、承傳的故事，分享閒談／學習過程中的種種，希望當中各式有遠有近，有粗有細的故事可獲發掘。

整個裝置主要分為兩部份：

（一）渡港 — 將父親由家鄉來港的故事錄音，分拆為數個喇叭和唱盤，按時序、地點擺放，化為一個虛擬的時間線、地圖；

（二）學舌 — 將向父親學習客家話的錄音，以一部展視客家話筆記的電視機、兩個喇叭和各式椅子，邀請觀眾可一同學習客家話。

我又加入與家鄉、家庭相關的物件，例如家中的矮櫈，家鄉常見的炮杖碎等，將兩代人（爸爸、我；從大陸來港定居的香港人、土生土長的香港人）、兩個語言文化（客、粵），以及兩個地方（東莞、香港）之間聯繫呈現。

學習客家話是一個「修復（客家人）身份」的過程，是和父親另一面連結，也是兩代香港人想像語言和身份可能性的一道門。裝置以學習客家話為切入點，檢視香港的文化和歷史，反思香港（人）語言和身份：為何我（不）是客家人？何謂「香港人」？是祖籍、出生地、定居地、語言文化，還是純粹的身份認同？

說的雖然是客家話，但其實是最地道的香港故事。

– – –

Background

My father is a Hakka (‘Hakka Chinese’ or ‘Hakka Han’) from Dongguan, China. He came to Hong Kong in the 70s and has lived here since then. As a half-Hakka born in Hong Kong, I could not even speak or understand one single Hakka word. However, not knowing parents’ mother tongues of their hometowns in Mainland China is the “norm” in Hong Kong.

After living with the taken-for-granted Hongkonger identity for 20 years, the “problematic” of not knowing the Hakka language as a Hakka suddenly emerged. I started to ask my father to teach me Hakka, trying to open up dialogue with him.

Learning & Talking

Over these two years, every time we spent time together, I asked my father to teach me the Hakka language with a recorder aside. The learning was impromptu and casual. I have learned some basic Hakka randomly, from my name, dishes on the table to more complex questions. I also recorded my father’s dialogue with his Hakka-speaking relatives and friends and tried to learn the tongue.

I invented a hotchpotch of Hong Kong Cantonese, Putonghua pinyin, English and self-invented marks for tones to write notes on the Hakka learned. The notes crystallise my Hakka learning and represents my relations with the language.

The learning process naturally expands to the Hakka culture, my father’s life in his hometown Dongguan, how he immigrated to Hong Kong and the stories after. Coming from the Mainland to Hong Kong for a better life is the story of my father and a lot of Hongkongers of the last generation.

Installation

I transform the recording of the learning with my father into an installation. The installation reconstructs the drift and inheritance of the Hakka language, and shares my talking/learning experience in the process. It creates a space for discovery of the multiple narratives in the process.

The installation can be divided into two major parts:

(i) On the way: The recordings of my father’s story from his hometown to Hong Kong are separated into several speakers and CD players. They are put according to time and location, forming a virtual timeline and map;

(ii) Pass on: The recordings of my father teaching me Hakka are re-enacted with a TV set, two speakers and chairs. It invites audience to learn the Hakka language together.

The installation comprises objects related to my father’s hometown and my family life, such as stools taken from home and firecracker scarps that are commonly seen in my hometown. It displays the linkages between two generations (of Hongkonger), two languages and cultures (Hakka & Cantonese) and two places (Dongguan & Hong Kong).

Learning Hakka is a process of “(Hakka) identity restoration” and reconnecting to another side of my father. It is a way to start dialogue and reflect the possibilities of language and identity. The installation uses learning Hakka as an entry point to examine Hong Kong’s culture and history and reflect on the identity of Hong Kong (people): what makes me (not) a Hakka? What are the criteria of being a Hongkonger? Are they ancestry, place of birth, place of residence, language and culture, or simply identification?

Talking about Hakka, this is essentially a Hong Kong story.

客家話學習筆記｜Learning notes sample

學舌｜Pass on

渡港｜On the way

如果｜If

學舌：「充得行」｜Pass on: “Is it okay”

渡港：兩遇打獵｜On the way: the hunters

崖hea響槓言 voice from the root, reclaiming 第二十一屆 ifva 比賽媒體藝術組入圍作品展，香港，二零一六年 | The 21st ifva Awards – Media Art Category Finalist Exhibition, Hong Kong, 2016