執笠小店紀念碑 The Monument of Vanishing Shop
影像裝置,尺寸按場地而定,2017
Video installation, dimension variable, 2017
*this work is presented for the Jeju Biennale 2017
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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,甚或對地方的認同與情感也逐漸被異化/割裂開來。這是生活場域與感知場域之間, 一個吊詭的地方。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不由自主狀況,經已引發各地民眾的直接行動,但這些行動常局限在短暫、斷裂的經驗,如停留在「借來的時間,借來的空間」,一種壓縮的時空裡,如面對。於是「把握當下」成了一種精神勝利式的感傷情感下,為無力感提供出口,如「小確幸」的希望之所在。
「執笠小店紀念碑」希望凝固這種訊速消逝與把握當下的同時並存,並以香港的執笠小店(快將結束的小商店),呼應亞洲城市的士紳化問題。這影像裝置收集了香港繁華街道上,各執笠小店的促銷廣告牌。這些廣告牌一面宣示獨立小店的最後哀鳴,同時也是吸引客人的促銷策略(有些小店一直維持這執笠狀態)。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,同時提示一種「永恆地臨時」的堅韌可能。
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 problem 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 moment within an age of temporaries and uncertainties.