CHERI
CHAN
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Goldfish Street
Installation / Projection2022
“Goldfish Street" is an art installation that comments on the society of Hong Kong, the place where I was born and raised for 15 years. The installation draws inspiration from Goldfish Street, which is a small section of Tung Choi Street located in Mongkok, Hong Kong. Walking down the 300-meter-long street, you will find around 40 compact shops and stalls selling all kinds of ornamental fish — predominantly goldfish, beautifully displayed in small plastic bags filled with water and compressed oxygen, hanging in the storefronts.
Small, tight, dense, overcrowded... that's the core of Hong Kong. The city's limited land area, coupled with its high population density, leads to a metropolis where space is highly valued. Skyscrapers fill the skyline, with buildings tightly packed together, creating a sense of being surrounded by walls of concrete and glass.
I find myself
surrounded by walls
of concrete and glass
Every breath I take feels like a gasp for air / in this metropolis where every inch is fiercely contested
Every breath I take feels like a gasp for air / in this metropolis where every inch is fiercely contested
This installation transforms the arrangement of the tightly packed stalls and the visually striking plastic bags into "cells." This is achieved using a honeycomb structure on an 8-shaft loom, with knitted bags that also resemble the plastic bags. The bags are stuffed with various knit samples and plastic beads. Throughout the process of creating this piece, I gathered comments about Hong Kong society from both locals and foreigners, which were then projected onto the sculpture.
As I walked down the street, I would see numerous plastic bags filled with water. Each bag held a unique and stunning ornamental fish, accompanied by the calming sound of compressed oxygen...
to be continued.