2006-12-12

Last moments of glory to the Street of Romance and Happiness
Wanchai In A Different Light Projection Installation

The small and unassuming Lee Tung Street in the Wanchai district has witnessed more marriages than any other in Hong Kong. It was once lined with printers specializing in wedding invitations and was once nicknamed Hei Tip Gai – the street of wedding invites. In those times, one could easily feel the happiness that exuded from young lovers in keen expectation of matrimonial bliss. But the area has been scheduled for urban renewal and now all the shops are closed. Gone are also the shop owners, residents and customers that peopled the street of romance and happiness.

But The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation is giving Lee Tung Street its final moments of glory before its demolition to make way for urban development.

Conceived, designed and curated by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation; co-sponsored by the Cultural and Leisure Services Committee, WCDC and the Urban Renewal Authority, Wanchai In A Different Light is the first of its kind projection exhibition along the length of Lee Tung Street. The installation takes place from 13th December 2006 to 2nd January 2007. Photographic works of secondary school students who participated in the Through Our Eyes 2006 My Light Programme will be displayed at Lee Tung Street. This complex and interesting technical display highlights the deep feelings of our young generation towards the changing faces of Lee Tung Street and of Hong Kong itself. In many ways these are also images of the growing up and coming of age of our younger generation.

Wanchai In A Different Light was an unprecedented outdoor projection activity that used powerful computer aided projectors and the now abandoned Lee Tung Street as a backdrop to the images and words created by the participants of the Through Our Eyes 2006 My Light Programme. Although outdoor projections present many challenges, their images and words were enhanced by the haunting location, as they were shown on obscure corridors, outer walls of uninhabited buildings and closed gates of former printers. The upper parts of the buildings were lit by theatre lights, offering a contrast between the bright and the shadowy, and what is already past, and things that are still with us. There were performances of musical pieces by professional musicians during the opening.

This public projection show was conceived, designed and organized by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. It grew out of another project also organized by the Foundation – Through Our Eyes 2006 My Light, a photographic educational programme for secondary school students. When reviewing the works of the participants, the panel of judges, and teaching artists who themselves are professional photographers, were amazed by the maturity of their work, which went far beyond their amateur status and limitations of age and experience. When admiration subsided, it was decided that a stage should be found for these young artists so that they and their works could be shared with the public. And because one of the recurrent themes amongst these works is heritage, it was thought that Lee Tung Street, a street full of collective memories would be an excellent background to the pictures and words created by these young authors. “Wanchai In A Different Light” turned out to be an evening when art and history met, and when audiences were induced to ponder over their own identities in the face of challenges to traditions and changes in our society.

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation: A Commitment to Education and the Arts
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation was established in January 2005 with a mission to foster and promote arts and culture. The Foundation is a significant supporter of the arts, particularly education in the arts, in Hong Kong and China. Its secondary purpose is to bring a greater understanding of Chinese arts and culture to the rest of the world. It focuses on innovative programmes that offer multiple and long lasting benefits to their participants and the community.

Through Our Eyes 2006 My Light
In the summer of 2006, 148 Form 1-4 students from over 50 schools participated in a six-week workshop, where they used photography and creative writing to explore issues of self, identity, and one’s place in the world. An exhibition of the students’ images and texts was held at Central Library in November 2006. These works will be included in the second volume of the Through Our Eyes book series.

Through exercises such as a visual diary, self-portraits, family photos, precious objects, dream collages, and written reflections on personal images, the students learned more about themselves, one another and their worlds.

“This project has given me a lot of opportunity, to express myself, to tell other people the way I think, something that I would not normally do. Over twelve sessions of “sharing”, apart from learning how to express myself, I have also gained a much deeper understanding about myself as a person. I have discovered that my personality and the way I think are often opposite to other people. Some people may find me rebellious, but I don’t feel that I have done anything wrong. I will continue being this way, because this is me.”

Wong Man Wah, Age 14

~ Eng ~

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