BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

Operated by the Hong Kong International Photo Festival, Koon Man Space — a space dedicated to contemporary photography located in Chuen Lung Village — launched the “Chuen Lung Visual Archive” research project following its official opening in May 2024. Supported by the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme, the project brings together institutions and artists from diverse disciplines to conduct phased fieldwork and document oral histories in Chuen Lung.

By integrating a wide range of historical materials, it aims to establish a comprehensive visual archive of the village. This effort seeks to showcase and preserve the cultural heritage of this Hakka village, which boasts hundreds of years of history, while documenting its transformation from a rural settlement to a modern society.

The scope of the research encompasses six seemingly independent yet closely interconnected areas: everyday life, vernacular knowledge, the anthropology of landscape, cultural practices,, natural ecology, and ethnobotany. The “Chuen Lung Visual Archive” is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. An exhibition will be held to present the final results of the project.

The first round of open studios for the “Chuen Lung Visual Archive” — The Investigation of Sound and Modernology, will be held from 26 April to 10 May, 2025, over a two-week period, to present the research findings of artists Sui Fong and Sunny Wong.

Sui Fong explores Chuen Lung’s rich auditory landscape through sound investigations, reactivating the dormant sound memories of its history; Sunny Wong draws inspiration from the everyday lives of villagers, delving into the contemporary cultural significance of their practices. Through a fusion of sound and daily life, history and modernity, their work unveils a new chapter in the story and future of Chuen Lung.

Sui Fong: A Stream a Path

Sui Fong uses sound as a medium to collect childhood stories and the soundscape of Chuen Lung, exploring “the wisdom of finding joy in hardship (苦中作樂)“ from children’s perspectives. These narratives inspire a series of creations surrounding auditory memory, sound guides, and Chuen Lung instruments, titled A Stream a Path.

Even during the 1960s, a time of resource scarcity, the connection between humans and their environment, as well as the yearning for life, never ceased. For adults who are engrossed in daily labour and have forgotten their playful, inventive selves, this serves as a crucial reminder. By interviewing villagers, Sui Fong reconstructs playful routes and creates “Chuen Lung Instruments” inspired by these oral histories. For instance, what kind of melody might emerge from picking watercress?

Could the act of collecting firewood and pine needles for fuel, often viewed as a tedious chore, be reimagined as a performative gesture of play? When recording and reconstructing fleeting memories of mountain winds and disappearing species, are we, in essence, creating fantastical new forms of life?

The fictional instruments inspired by these interviews serve as keys to unlocking memories. Using these as a medium, she invites villagers and the broader public to explore how sound can evoke recollections and reimagine life in Chuen Lung. By doing so, she guides people to rethink the dynamics of human, environmental, and ecological interactions. Through collective remembering and imagining, she fosters the recreation of shared memories.

Sunny Wong: Chuen Lung: The Pulse of Objects

Sunny Wong showcases a fieldwork map created through the lens of “modernology,” delving deeply into the folk wisdom of Chuen Lung. As Japanese architect Kon Wajiro described in his publication Modernology, modernology “as a methodology, focuses on the ‘objects’ visible before our eyes today, with its ultimate concern being the present state of humanity.”¹ Sunny’s exploration highlights key aspects, such as villagers’ upcycling of everyday items, hand-made farming tools, objects from past industrial production, and vernacular architecture.

By learning from villagers, for instance, the exact wrist twist for efficient sweeping, the unspoken rules for bargaining with local gods, using the right tools for picking vegetables — Sunny uncovers how these instinctive practices, though lacking systematic rationale, mirror subconscious approaches to living within specific socio-temporal frameworks. Through these items, he narrates stories of “observations along the roads of Chuen Lung”, revealing a rich tapestry of culture, history, and ingenuity.

¹ Japanese architect and educator Kon Wajiro founded Modernology in 1927.

In addition to the open studios, the two artists will conduct a series of events, including taking participants out of the exhibition space to explore and experience art together in the open space of Chuen Lung.

Creativity is not just for artists — it is part of how we live, think and connect with the world. The following series of events invites participants to explore their creative potential, discover the unique charms of Chuen Long through exploring its wisdom, sounds and stories, and through personal engagement in activities and in-depth exchanges, together reveal how creativity is embedded in everyday life, both consciously and subconsciously.

1. Discovering Folk Wisdom with Sunny Wong

Join artist Sunny Wong on a journey to uncover the everyday ingenuity of Chuen Lung. Through stories, observations, and creative exchanges, discover how folk wisdom — rooted in daily life — can inspire us to see the world in new and imaginative ways.

2025.04.26 (Saturday) 14:30-16:30

2. Sound Investigation: Discovering Chuen Lung Through Sound

Embark on a walking tour through the heart of Chuen Lung, bringing its elements to life through sound — by tapping, touching, and playing. As you journey through the village, this immersive experience invites participants to explore its unique auditory landscape, revealing how listening evokes memories and how those memories shape our sense of touch and connection.

2025.04.27 (Sunday) 11:30-12:30

3. Listening Workshop: Exploring the Soundscape of Chuen Lung

Beginning with the act of listening, Sui Fong draws inspiration from Canadian artist Murray Schafer and local art collective Twenty Alpha to share the concept of “anti-visual” perception. Through listening practices, participants will explore the unique daily rhythms of Chuen Lung — so distinct from the urban “concrete jungle” — and deepen their understanding of its soundscapes.

2025.04.27 (Sunday) 14:30-16:30

4. “Tracing Everyday Creativity” Talk: Sunny Wong X Tristan Chan

In this inspiring conversation, artist Sunny Wong and local villager-artist Tristan Chan share their creative journeys centred around Chuen Lung. Sunny finds inspiration in observing daily life, while Tristan draws from personal memories and village stories. Together, they will reveal how creativity acts as a powerful force to connect people, places, and moments of life. 

A “free-range” childhood in the villages of Yuen Long fostered the habit of wandering and observing the streets for one, while leftover wood pieces from the Chuen Lung timber mill later became the foundation for the other’s sculptural creations. Their dialogue will reveal how creativity serves as a powerful force connecting land, life, and the human spirit.

2025.05.03 (Saturday) 15:00-16:30

5. Parent-Child Sound Workshop: Reactivating the Memories of Chuen Lung Sound

In this workshop, participants will learn the principle that sound is created through vibration — whether it is the motion of the body, the rhythm of objects, or the light and heavy strikes of tapping. Using instruments crafted from Chuen Lung’s “three treasures” (bamboo, banana, and pine), parents and children will come together to enjoy the joy of sound-making and creative expression, whilst reactivating the unique auditory memories of Chuen Lung’s past.

2025.05.04 (Sunday) 14:30-16:30

*Cover Photo/Thumbnail Photo from Hong Kong International Photo Festival