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 Performances
Date: Apr 2024
Venue: CCG Library, Asia Art Archive
Talk on Hong Kong History and Research Methods
Date: May–Jun 2024
Venue: CCG Library, Asia Art Archive
Talk on Video Artworks in the 1990s
Date: Jul 2024
Venue: CCG Library, Asia Art Archive
Behind-the-Scenes Sharing by Asia Art Archive Research Team
Date: Aug 2024
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.
