Sign City: A Fresh Take on Hong Kong’s Disappearing Signscape

Description

Is a signboard simply an advertisement or a piece of art? Is it a potential safety hazard or part of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage? What would it mean to our city if all signboards are gone? 

The exhibition PLAY to Proliferate: Sign City, which sheds light on how how signboards shape Hong Kong’s urban streetscape, aims to provoke and answer these questions through an installation.

Entitled “Proliferate”, the installation includes rescued pieces of Chinese characters from actual abandoned signboards. Lighting and a series of mirror walls and floor are used to recreate a seemingly infinite amount of signboards, akin to old street photos of Hong Kong, taken back when signboards filled up the sky.

The exhibition also encourages visitors to add to the exhibit by selecting their favourite signboard in Hong Kong and projecting it onto the installation.