SIU KAI FONG

MEMORIES OF NORTH POINT



NORTH POINT RESIDENTS’ ORAL HISTORIES AND BELOVED FURNISHINGS INSPIRED O&O STUDIO AND REHYPHENATION’S SIU KAI FONG, SHOWCASING A RICH TAPESTRY OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD’S PAST FOR THE PRESENT.



In response to Hong Kong Arts Centre’s open invitation for community-driven public art, Siu Kai Fong was commissioned with support from the Urban Renewal Fund. It acts as a reflection of the neighbourhood’s daily usage of the causeway. Further, it captures the historic district’s personal narratives through repurposed furnishings gathered from North Point households and businesses for visitors to experience a piece of the past.



Upon repeated visits, the team observed that the public pier was frequented by people participating in different activities at every hour of the day. Particularly in the case of the area’s elderly, they used the causeway for rest and relaxation. Online research and community discussions further yielded a key fact: users of the causeway bring household furniture to use and readily share them with others. North Point’s communal furniture became the basis for Siu Kai Fong.



The team wanted Siu Kai Fong to reflect the neighbourhood practise of re-using old furnishings but include pieces that have stories to tell. To that end, the team reach out to the North Point community for donations and received 47 chairs and 3 tables. For the ones with compelling histories, narratives by voice actors provided lively recordings of seven chairs accessible via scanning QR codes embedded on each piece.



The final installation is an urban living room compilation of upcycled furniture and installations complemented by painted floor graphics inspired by colourful heritage patterns commonly found in tenement buildings.



Siu Kai Fong made the public realise the closeness of Hong Kong’s communities and the invisible connections that bind everyone together. It acts as a record of a time and place in North Point. Since its unveiling, the team have been pleasantly surprised how people have used the chairs in unexpected ways. It is not a finite installation. Siu Kai Fong has taken on a life of its own.