In 1990, the Hong Kong Arts Centre’s Exhibition Department invited residents from all over Hong Kong to photograph the people and events of their daily life within a 24-hour period on September 7 of that year. Three months later, these photographs, representing first-hand experiences of Hong Kongers, were collected and exhibited as One Day in Hong Kong.

Today, thirty-three years later, using research on Hong Kong art histories as a framework, Asia Art Archive organises Another Day in Hong Kong, raising the question: Given that a record of a day in the future was able to be documented, can we similarly reconstruct a day that has already passed?

Earlier this year, AAA conducted a comprehensive review of its Hong Kong collections. Compiling statistics on all the dates in our database, we identified a median day: October 19, 1996.

We interviewed over a hundred individuals from Hong Kong’s art community regarding their recollection of this particular day. Initially, few could remember how they had spent it. However, since it was asked seemingly out of the blue, people’s memories of this day—or rather, their imagination—gradually became more vivid and concrete.

Countless insignificant things and trivial matters happen on any given day. Our researchers’ greatest pleasure is encountering these so-called “trivial matters” absent from records in mainstream history. These “trivial matters” allow opportunities for identifying with the life of another time and place, infusing history with humanity.

Through archives, personal memories, imagination, as well as artistic interventions, this exhibition aims to trigger fresh perspectives on art and history, allowing us to get closer to this one day in Hong Kong.

October 19, 1996, Hong Kong. Just another ordinary day.

Artists: KK Cheung, Florence Lam, Holly Lee, Lee Ka Sing, Ocean Leung, Siu King Chung, and To & Ling Are Covering Their Ears (To Yeuk and Lai Chun Ling)

Public Programmes 
Lecture Performance | When History Comes Alive
Date: Sunday, 26 May 2024, 3–4:30pm HKT
Venue: CCG Library, Asia Art Archive 
 
Archives and Archival Research in Hong Kong
Date: Wednesday, 19 Jun 2024, 6:30–8pm HKT
Venue: CCG Library, Asia Art Archive 

Talk | Hong Kong's Video Art of the 1990s 
Date: Saturday, 20 Jul 2024, 2:30–4pm HKT
Venue: CCG Library, Asia Art Archive

Talk | Whether We Find It or Not, It's Not Dependent on Luck: Behind the Scenes of Another Day in Hong Kong
Date: Saturday, 24 Aug 2024, 2–3:30pm HKT
Venue: CCG Library, Asia Art Archive
 
*Updates and details of the programmes will be announced on this webpage.

Another Day in Hong Kong is curated by Anthony Yung and Hazel Kwok, in collaboration with Isabella Chan, Aki Kung and Leah Lam. 

Exhibit Creation: Cho Wing Ki, Pun Tsz Wai and Chung Wong

Production Support: Stefan Luk, Krystie Ng, Angela Su and Ho Ting

Exhibition Support: Özge Ersoy, Rebecca Tso, Ruby Weatherall and Lily Wong

Graphic Design: MAJO  
Media Production: Jervois X Limited  
Media Partners:ArtReview, Being Hong Kong, Excohk, foremless. p-articles, and Hong Kong Reminiscence

Special thanks to Siu Keung@Jervois X, as well as all artists and cultural workers who have contributed to the exhibition.

Another Day in Hong Kong is generously supported by the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as Mimi Brown & Alp Erçil, Mimi Chun & Chris Gradel, and Wendy Lee & Stephen Li. 

Recalling Disappearance: Hong Kong Contemporary Art is financially supported by the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The content of this programme does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.  

Relevant content

One Day in Hong Kong 香港偶拾
Collections

One Day in Hong Kong 香港偶拾

Image: Oscar Ho Hing Kay Archive, AAA Collections. Courtesy of the artist.
Oscar Ho Hing Kay Archive 何慶基檔案
Collections

Oscar Ho Hing Kay Archive 何慶基檔案

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OPEN CALL | On Time
LIKE A FEVER | Notes

OPEN CALL | On Time

DEADLINE FOR PITCHES: 22 July 2024

WhatsApp Image 2024-09-11 at 11.37.58_f49cdccc_homelist
A Hong Kong Story: Why Is it So Difficult to Tell?
LIKE A FEVER | Essays

A Hong Kong Story: Why Is it So Difficult to Tell?

Leung Ping-kwan (Yasi) traces representations of Hong Kong through film, art, and theatre to examine its seemingly elusive identity 

hkcollectionhomelist
Exhibition | Life-Size, or Not: Another Portrait of Hong Kong Art
Programmes

Exhibition | Life-Size, or Not: Another Portrait of Hong Kong Art

Tue–Sat, 21–25 Mar 2023

Hong Kong Conversations-home list
Hong Kong Conversations 2023: Independent Researchers
Programmes | Hong Kong Conversations

Hong Kong Conversations 2023: Independent Researchers

Sat, 16 Dec 2023, 2–6pm HKT

WhenHistoryComesAlive_homelist
Lecture Performance | When History Comes Alive
Programmes

Lecture Performance | When History Comes Alive

Sun, 26 May 2024, 3–4:30pm HKT

archive_homelist2
Talk | Archives and Archival Research in Hong Kong
Programmes

Talk | Archives and Archival Research in Hong Kong

Wed, 19 Jun 2024, 6:30–8pm HKT

One Day in Hong Kong
One Day in Hong Kong
Exhibition Catalogue

One Day in Hong Kong

香港偶拾
1990

Hong Kong Memories
Hong Kong Memories
Artist Monograph

Hong Kong Memories

NuNaHeDuo (All holdings in AAA)
NuNaHeDuo (Dislocation) (All Holdings)
Periodical

NuNaHeDuo (Dislocation) (All Holdings)

娜移
1992

Para/Site 1996 - Cover
Para/Site 1996
Reference

Para/Site 1996

1997

Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition 1996
Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition 1996
Exhibition Catalogue

Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition 1996

當代香港藝術雙年展 (1996)
1996

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