執笠小店紀念碑 Monument of Vanishing Shop 




錄象裝置,2017
Video installation, 2017

概念:

記憶與地方認同包含了時間和空間兩種向度。如果我們一直受著無窮無盡的資訊廣告充斥包圍,人對空間,甚或對自己的情感也逐漸被異化/割裂開來。這是消費行為與人的情感認同之間, 一個吊詭的地方。而在眾多亞洲城市,日常生活空間的私有化與規管,及因資本進駐而造成的排擠情況,經已讓各地民眾為之而行動。然而這些行動卻往往仍局限在「借來的時間,借來的空間」的壓縮情況,(無權勢者只能在有限的時間,有限的空間裡做事)。於是「把握當下」成了一種精神勝利式的懷舊情感下,無力感的出口,也是個人唯一可把握的希望所在。


「執笠小店紀念碑」,是特為亞洲城市的士紳化問題而創作的一個影像裝置計劃。裝置中的映象收集了香港繁華鬧市的街道上,各執笠小店的促銷廣告牌。這些廣告牌宣示著每一所獨立小店的最後哀鳴,但同時也是一種吸引客人的促銷策略,(有些小店一直維持這執笠狀態達十年以上)。在這此瞬即逝的當下,這些小店一面維持它非日常的日常狀態,同時提示我們一種「永恆地臨時」的堅韌狀態。


Memory and local identity include the dimension of both time and space, but with the endless information and advertisement bombard in our everyday life, the sense of alienation toward our living place, as well as our inner feelings will split and spoilt. This is the paradox occurs between consumerism and the sense of belonging toward our place of living. In most of the cities in Asia, privatization and other regulations lead to an obvious shrink in our living space, moreover the penetration of global capital cause an exclusion to certain groups, resulting in the direct action taken by the people to fight against it. But these actions are often limited with "borrowed time, borrowed space", the unprivileged can only react within limited time and limited space. So "do it right now" becomes the only exit for the spiritual victory as well as nostalgic feelings, and this would be the last rebel one can hope for.

The Monument of Vanishing Shop is a video installation created as a response to the gentrification process takes place in Asian cities. The video incorporates images of banner and advertisement of closing shops in the downtown of Hong Kong. These signs declare not only the last whisper of each independent local business, at the same time they work as a marketing strategy to promote and attract buyers (some of these shops remain the "closing status" for up to ten years). In the fleeting time of these shops, The Monument hopes to document the daily/ non-daily facets of these shops, and suggests an eternal stage within temporaries and uncertainties. 

展出場合:韓國濟州雙年展 2017
presented at, 2017 Jeju Biennale