Pixelated Chronicles: Tales of Hong Kong Outlying Islands

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Wyndham Social gladly presents Pixelated Chronicles: Tales of Hong Kong Outlying Islands, a research exhibition by Project: As If ___, a Hong Kong design and research group founded by the architect duo Leroy Cheng and Vanessa Ma.

Stories of two hundred and sixty-three islands, pixelated into images that encapsulate tales of Hong Kong.

On this journey, fragments of images flow and intertwine through the space, gradually revealing the past, present, and future of these islands surrounding us. Countless pixels formed by each of us layer upon one another, coalescing into a vivid yet mottled tapestry, unveiling the rich layers of Hong Kong’s urban transformation.

The term “pixel” derives from the fusion of “pic” (picture) and “el(ement),” which denotes the smallest unit in a digital image. Similar to urban planning, each spatial moment represents the hues and stories that compose the city. Pixelated Chronicles employs images as a medium, adopting collage and layering techniques—up close, they appear fragmented and chaotic; yet from afar, they unveil endless possibilities for expansion and interpretation. By incorporating the element of time, the compressed information within each space silently chronicles our city’s developmental path and envisions numerous potential futures.

Islands are often imagined as small, alienated and remote, dependent on the mainland and parasitic to the metropolis. But is this perception of the islands, with which we have grown up, accurate? This research and curatorial project, based on the urban studies framework of architect Aldo Rossi and the perspective of island studies scholar Brian McGrath that “Islands are Urban Artifacts,” explores how islands are integral components of the city of Hong Kong.

The exhibition also resonates with the concept of the Diffused City, presenting how islands coexist symbiotically with our understanding of urban spaces, intertwining unique cultures, histories, customs, and developments. It expands our concept of the city and its potential forms while challenging conventional thoughts on shaping future cities.