The visual and material culture of Hong Kong protests

Abstract

The deliverables constitutes a series of photographic and panoramic documentation of the Hong Kong "Umbrella/ Occupy Movement" in 2014. It constitutes a sequel of work, relating to the "material culture of protests" the author has been studying since the It employs visual research methods, such as "photo stocktaking" (an approach developed by the author's art collective, the Community Museum Project), "visual anatomizing" and information design to make detailed documentation of the makeshift facilities and barricades constructed by the protestors during the Umbrella Movement; The extensive and detailed images collection of the occupy facilities is developed into a series of visual anatomy of the place making features in situ. This series of work also attempted to archive the "manifestations of political expressions" or banners and handbills posted on the public arenas during the Umbrella Movement; The series of work is exhibited in the Objection! Protest by Design Exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany (26-29 May 2016) The panoramic videos were subsequently loaned to the German Institute for international andSecurity Affairs ( Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik ) for further research use. A visual essay of the exhibit details is to be published in Jilly Traganou (Ed.) (in press) Design and Political Dissent: Space, Objects, Materiality. Routledge. This body of work becomes part of the author's long term research endeavour in documenting and analysing the visual and material cultures of political protests in Hong Kong.