Festival Community Projects

Protagonists

Lisa Park, Vvzela Kook, Sofie Zhang, Charlie Yip

Google coordinates: 22.526526,114.258243

Lai Chi Wo, Hong Kong SAR

Statement

We tasted the soil extracted underneath a 150-year-old camphor tree that stands beside a cluster of villages in Lai Chi Wo. These villages, situated in the north-eastern corner of Hong Kong, attest to the shifting circumstances of its inhabitants and how they negotiated the historical and geopolitical conditions of their times.

The villages were founded in the 17th century by two Hakka clans, a group of Han Chinese people who gradually migrated southward in the past 2000 years in search of a better life. But, while the villages once thrived as an agricultural hub under careful nurturing of its inhabitants, they became largely abandoned in the 1950s due to migration and competition. Today, initiatives to restore the agri-ecosystem, and to resettle the land are taking place in the hands of organizations and individuals.

The tree, named The Five-finger Camphor, stands today with only four fingers (branches) owing to the villagers who defended it with their lives when the Japanese army attempted to bring it down. Tasting the soil at this site, in the pouring rain, was like a cleansing ritual — so distinct from the hyper-sensationalized political affairs we are subjected to in our highly mediated lives. To our surprise, the soil had a floral woody note, like a mixture of fragrant spices, flowers, mint, and Chinese herbal medicine. The texture is creamy yet crunchy as egg yolk and sand, while the pleasant and subtle flavours transported us to an imaginary temple with burning incense, immersed in the all-forgiving sound of the pouring rain.

Experts of the Future   

Experts’ Statements

Iris, 13 years

There will be fewer trees, massive loss of arable land, and depletion of resources such as fuel and water, so we will have less water for usage. We will see more things that run on Artificial Intelligence, such as self-driving cars and Artificial Intelligence will replace the cashier in grocery stores. We must treasure our resources to avoid depleting our earth.

Oskar, 7 years

In the future, maybe the world will get polluted, maybe not. Because people throw rubbish in the ocean and they pollute the world. I kind of love the ocean, because most sea creatures live there. I see hope in the future.

CREDITS:

Taste your Soil

Concept: Charlie Yip

Concept Advisory: Lisa, PARK So Young

Chair: Maurice Benayoun

Art Direction & Editing: Charlie Yip

Artistry Consultancy: Tony Maslić

Production & Protagonists:

Lisa, PARK So Young

Charlie Yip

Vvzela Kook

Sofie Zhang

Neuro Design Lab, ACIM, SCM, City University of Hong Kong

Experts of the Future

Concept & Production: Charlie Yip

Chair: Maurice Benayoun

Protagonists: Iris Choi, Oskar Klein 

Production: Charlie Yip, Lisa, PARK So Young, Neuro Design Lab, ACIM, SCM, City University of Hong Kong