【Hong Kong, China】”Wyndham Social: we have to be very strong” New Interactive Art Project Exhibition

Wyndham Social will collaborate with a group of local artists and creative units to present the inte[...]

Wyndham Social will collaborate with a group of local artists and creative units to present the interactive art project “we have to be very strong”. Through installations, participatory creations, behaviors and a series of workshops, it intervenes in the urban life rhythm and understands the personal emotional space that is overlooked in modern cities. The title of this project is taken from a lyric in the song “Romantic Kowloon Tong” by the local independent music group my little airport – “we have to be very strong / if we want to do something very wrong”. Although we are not preparing to do bad things, under various social constraints, if we want to break through some established rules, frameworks or rhythms and re-understand the relationship between private fields, groups and even communities, we must always be strong (or pretend to be calm). By transforming the non-place space of the lobby of a commercial building that connects the main streets and office areas into a participatory safe space, building a private corner on the social stage passage and extending the “backstage” space, the public is encouraged to pass by and participate. Through practices such as behavior, writing and images, people can connect and share their own experiences, allowing individuals to take a break from the homogeneous and linear rapid rhythm of commercial city life and accept and discuss the self, emotions and vulnerability. The project is mainly divided into three parts: sharing sessions, participatory installations and workshops. The weekly sharing sessions切入情感表达 from different angles in modern urban life. In the first stage, hosted by the mind-body health advocacy brand The Blu Journal, guests from different backgrounds explore issues related to self-love and mindfulness that are overlooked in daily life, such as how emotions affect the body’s senses, friendships that are drifting apart, and how to age gracefully. Guests include Chen Yahui (Xian Di), the champion of the beauty pageant program “Beautiful at 40”, Zhen Yin, a registered Chinese medicine practitioner and one of the top 40 in the “Last Mask Miss Election”, Michelle Chen, the founder of the natural skin care brand RARE Skin Fuel, and psychological fitness instructor Winnie Sung. In the second stage, the sharing session is hosted by psychological counselor, cultural and media worker Li Tianen. Starting from mindfulness and the five senses and starting from the tiny daily life, different negative emotions that are overlooked are explored. Portrait photographer Zhang Biyin will host a creative workshop. Starting from oracle cards, she will lead the audience to practice through writing and visual media, share and listen to each other, and establish meaningful connections in a comfortable way.

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Cross-disciplinary artist, writer, and scholar Sonia Wong presents two site-specific interactive installations: ‘There is space for everything’ and ‘WHY WALK WHEN YOU CAN DANCE’. ‘There is space for everything’ begins with the concept of a safe space, setting up private telephone booths in the lobby of a commercial building, complete with various props to create an intimate space and expand the understanding of private domains. ‘WHY WALK WHEN YOU CAN DANCE’ starts with the intervention of pedestrians’ walking behavior and pace, transforming the lobby passage into a large dance machine, disrupting walking rhythms to re-envision urban non-place spaces. Hong Kong scriptwriter and actress Li Yinglei will set up a writing practice station at the venue during busy weekday hours, using ‘sit down, write, drink coffee’ as a prelude, employing various forms and themes to invite passers-by to take a sip of hand-brewed coffee and share a story through writing. Since its establishment in August 2022, the art and cultural space Wyndham Social has been committed to supporting local artists’ creations and providing a platform for creators from different cultural backgrounds to display their work, encouraging cultural enthusiasts to interact. This participatory art project, lasting for six weeks, aims to encourage the audience to embrace their own and others’ emotional vulnerabilities through various artistic and expressive media, building a more inclusive and humanized multi-cultural space within the community. The exhibition is open from 10/18 to 12/01, 11:00-21:00, with performance times and durations subject to the venue.

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