Space-action-interpretation. Cluster-distribution. Network-dispersion. Three locales: a community store in the heart of Central, a family house in the Philippines, a site of artistic reenactment of memories. Distanced intimacy. Past is the present. FPC member Winsome Wong’s first solo at the Floating Projects with installed images of Lorna’s. 以空間實作為演繹。簇的分配成為延散的網路。三種實地,遙遠的扣緊。從前就在當下。「據點。句點」成員黃慧心首度據點打開門。
黃慧心:《安娜的派對》𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂’𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 by Wong Winsome Dumalagan
2022.09.16-10.09 | Tue-Sun 2-8pm Daily (Closed on Monday 每日二至八,星期一除外)
Floating Projects (L3-06D, JCCAC, 30 Pak Tin Street) |據點。句點(石硤尾白田街 30號 JCCAC L3-06D)
Tea time with Lorna. Poster with Lorna’s handwriting
安娜來了香港三十多年,存在於香港的時間比我還要久,那也很合理,因爲她來了香港才會發生之後的各種事情然後我才會在這個世界出現。喜歡唱歌喜歡說個不停,有時對我來說太噪的她也慢慢在香港找到自己的地方可以搞搞小生意搞搞派對熱鬧開心一下。而每年她也會盡量回菲律賓一次,兒時我也會常常跟她回去,但之後便越來越少了。
《安娜的派對》以錄像裝置嘗試呈現我主動或被動有參與的,安娜在香港以及菲律賓的聚會和派對。雖然自小看著圍繞在她身邊不同人的各種關係和故事以及人的來來去去,我想安娜的記憶印象和我的大概一定會有出入吧。她喜歡和希望的也一定和我有所出入,但我也決定看看能和她撞出些甚麼來,作爲我們之間的一種記錄,而拍攝她對我來説也算是和她的一種遊戲玩樂。現實總摻雜碎石和刺痛,但希望她最後還是能被朦朧的快樂包裹著。
Lorna has been in Hong Kong for more than 30 years. She has stayed in Hong Kong longer than I have; but that’s very reasonable. I exist in the world because she came to Hong Kong and encountered different things. She likes singing and talking, and could be too noisy to me sometimes. Overtime, she has gradually found her place in Hong Kong where she could run a small business and hold parties for her own happiness. She would make a trip back to the Philippines once a year and often brought me with her when I was a kid. But as I grew older, I went less often.
𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂’𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 is my attempt, through multiple video installations, to portray those parties and gatherings Lorna has organized, both in Hong Kong and in the Philippines, which I sometimes volunteered or passively joined. Indeed, I have witnessed the different relationships among a lot of people around her as much as their come-and-go since I was young, but her memories and impressions must have differed from mine, and so would what we like and aspire. I am still curious about what we could mashup or where we would crash. So, this event is itself a record between the two of us in interaction. It should be a game full of fun between us to be captured. Reality is always mixed with gravel and twinges, but I am all out for her to be surrounded by hazy blissfulness.
State of Mind, Winsome Wong
Notes:
This graph (above) shows my state of mind when creating the works. I can’t help thinking about the correlations among the different moments I experienced and witnessed with Lorna. Doing something about my family in the Philippines and Lorna’s place which I frequently visit in Hong Kong, I find it hard to pin down my representation on something of clean and focused linear structure. Elements scatter around; they intertwine, and snatch diverse memories of mine.
I went back to visit my family in the Philippines with Lorna in 2019, which was nine years after my previous visit in 2010. And later on I accidentally found images and videos of the 2010 visit taken by the digital camera Lorna bought. When I saw my family in the Philippines in those pictures, I couldn’t help recalling them like I was a kid, which was my most direct linkage with them. But after 9 years, a lot of things in the family are still very similar. There would always be complicated issues in a big family, while a family gathering is an occasion to forget about the harsh reality for a while to have some fun. I needed time to adapt, while seeing Lorna going back to the place where she would feel like home.
I would always go to visit Lorna in her shop in HK located in an alley. Whereas I used to refuse to attend her parties before. in recent years I tried to celebrate with her more often. They do have fun at the parties. But, after all, people come and go their own ways. Hong Kong is not a destination. The party visitors come to Hong Kong for different reasons, and they carry a different role during the week but another identity over the weekends. Sometimes, people there talk to me about their daily lives but I seldom ask. Sometimes I feel like leaving spaces to be unstated would be better for them to survive in their own ways in Hong Kong with pride.
Deciding the use of footages, images and words was difficult for me. I still don’t think I can tell you about the parties. But you can take a look at my observations in the video documents. At this stage, the installation is rather like an exercise of note-taking or categorization. And what visitors get depends how much time they could spend around at a party and look at the people and places and listen, and perhaps one could get something very different each time. No matter what, I still hope this could be a fun space for you to walk around, and I hope Lorna enjoys this space about my experience with her. One day, like how she once left her homeland, we may eventually head for different destinations. At least now we are having some fun together.
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[postscript 1] Seldom do I have the feeling to make things fun and happy, but there’s often this urge when I’m doing things with her. Everyone there may have gone through different things, like normal people do, but there’re times to put those aside in their own way. I struggled a lot about what are to be shown or to be left unsaid. But this time I thought maybe I can leave the struggles or pain unsaid this time, we know they exist but we may not need to know exactly what they are. So eventually I hope this is a place for her, her friends and visitors to enjoy a bit! Let me know if you’re coming and I will try to be there!
[postscript 2] 4 October 2022. It’s the final week of 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂’𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 2022, two more happenings to come … It’s a pleasure to see Lorna and her friends to directly have some shared moments with friends who came, talk about themselves or simply have fun together. With these shared moments and spaces happening, maybe some blanks in those representation left in the show could be filled in?
They looked at the pictures or simply gazed at the monitors from time to time, captured and shared the moments being shown, or video called their family. During Karaoke, a person might cry, recalling some significance of a song, or stay silent, be shy or be enthusiastic and hyper, and it’s a happy night.
The final events:
8.10 | 3pm-4:30pm Teatime with Lorna
🥂9.10 | 8pm See You Next Time Party !
— Winsome