A durational performance on preserving history.
This performance took place on the steps of Hong Kong’s City Hall, which is located on the waterfront. Opposite me were construction barriers that blocked the view of the docks and waters, where the city was doing demolition work.
Just adjacent to where I was sitting was the small “Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery,“ which gave the history of the redevelopment of the city. Available there were a number of heritage trail brochures that identified monuments and architectural landmarks, but in most cases they noted that the objects had been moved or destroyed.
Demonstrations had taken place at this site recently, as the city had decided to tear down a number of 19th century buildings that were on Queen’s Pier, in order to redevelop the waterfront. Many people, including members of the artist community, wanted to preserve the old buildings as part of the heritage of Hong Kong. The protesters sadly were unsuccessful in their effort.
I sat on the steps of City Hall with a book of photographs of old Hong Kong called A Century of Hong Kong Roads and Streets. Over the course of 5 hours I carefully erased the old buildings from the images. People sat with me and looked at the photographs as I slowly and carefully removed the structures.
One elderly Chinese gentleman looked at an image that I was working on, pointed to a building in the photo and then pointed out beyond the construction barrier. He gestured with his hands palms down, crossing back and forth over each other – “gone,†shaking his head sadly. He understood what I was doing.
The police shooed people away from me, but did not tell me to stop.