Catalog

Apliu Wind Chime 鴨記風鈴
HKTDC Designinspire Crossover Project 2021
街坊街里 Streets & Stories

2021

9/F Urban Sky, Hysan Place, Hong Kong

Project Description:

Apliu Street Market – Well known for electronics and gadgets, Apliu Street is known as the Men’s Street. From latest products to recycled used objects, SIM cards and industrial tools. Nowhere else in Hong Kong can one find components sorted out in such a precise yet diverse manner, with gadgets broken down into the smallest units possible.

Wind Chime of Gadgets – Assembled by gadgets and objects collected from Apliu Street, the interactive installation embodies the vibe and energy of Apliu Street, expressing the character of the objects. The installation also tries to demonstrate how components can be deconstructed and upcycled, celebrating the vigorous metabolism of the city. Arranging the objects in the form of a wind chime, it shows how the products and recycled objects are displayed at Apliu Street, where they are hung on metal frames to attract buyers.

Music and Reflections – Wind chimes generate music when objects collide through air movement. The collision of metallic objects from Apliu Street recreates the soundscape of the street, also symbolizes the potential upcycling and reconfiguration of objects, creating new compositions that give new meanings to the objects. Suspended by wires with reflective metallic finishes, the ever-moving objects reflect light in multivarious angles, revealing complex patterns and forming a compact spectacle of Apliu Street.

Description how the project contributes with humanity:

Honouring the Local Flexible Mentality – The Apliu Wind Chime aims to celebrate the pragmatism and flexibility of the Apliu Street Market, which is often overlooked due to its vernacular rawness and down-to-earth nature, but it reflects the spirit that made Hong Kong a successful international city. Selling disassembled ironmongery and recovered materials, it is the go-to place for locals to search for replacements if some parts are worn out, instead of replacing the entire device. Such a mentality is economical and contributes to sustainability by reducing waste. By assembling objects from Apliu Street, the installation deconstructs and upcycles the components to create novel yet elegant possibilities.

Celebration of Daily Objects – The Apliu Wind Chime consists of objects often seen in daily lives at street markets and ironmongery shops that are essential objects for practical use. Their potential beauty, such as the reflective finishes and metallic sounds when they collide, are often overshadowed by their functionality. The installation intends to showcase these daily objects in an interactive and artistic way to showcase the vibe and energy of Apliu Street.

Invitation for Contemplation and Interaction – With the exhibition venue situated in a high-end shopping mall in Causeway Bay, the introduction of local and modest objects creates a stark contrast with its surroundings. The Apliu Wind Chime invites the audience to contemplate by experiencing the beauty of daily functional objects through light and sound; and the particular way of display as inspired by the Apliu Street Market. The interplay between pragmatic assembly and flexible deconstruction celebrates the creative spirit that has steered the success of Hong Kong and the progression of humanity.