21-01-21
Gladys Knight & The Pips sang:
“Why does it always seem the past is better
The winters were warmer
We look back and think
The grass was greener
The skies were bluer
The smiles were brighter…
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me
Would we?
Could we?”
But, when you think of the good old days, think one word: death. Lucky that we are here but the people of the good old days have sadly all gone.
Many old buildings in Hong Kong are not protected by law although they are part of our beautiful past. Should we keep old buildings? Should history stand in the way of progress?
Happy Valley in Hong Kong is a 100-year-old tranquil district behind the bustling Causeway Bay. No.54 on Village Road is a very old, elegant and mysterious French-style house of originally about 20 rooms, inviting our mind to check the settled dust of the past on the stone slabs. The cheerful courtyard, where once boys and girls played, where the flowers bloomed under the golden sun rays, is at present just an empty enclosure where naughty pigeons fluttered. Rumour is that she has been abandoned for many years by a rich family, but waiting for a reason to become dignified again. The building developer in the 1920s was a legendary official and later a rich Eurasian mining businessman by the name of Ho Lui Hap(何侶俠). Happy Valley was first used as an army camp in 1840 by the British but a terrible epidemic fatally burst forth. There was a muddy river. It later became a cemetery area as well as a racecourse. Yet, the course caught fire in 1918 and more than 600 visitors were killed. In the 1920s, the Government settled on a plan to turn Happy Valley into a high-class European residential area of three-storey blocks and so Ho constructed the No.54 mansion(‘V54’). There have been incomplete records, due to Second World War, about the owners of the lot. Land titles show that in the 1950s, the mansion was mysteriously divided into 2 blocks and one was re-developed. The present heritage belonged to one Madam Chan Siu Sau Ying(陳蕭秀英). The former chairman of Po Leung Kuk, one of the oldest NGO in Hong Kong, Madam Angela Leong(梁安琪) bought the house in 2009 and leased it to Po Leung Kuk nominally as a community art place in 2015. V54 welcomes short-term residence at below-market rates to working artists in town. There are also regular art activities.
Dennis Chung(鍾家耀), a young curator in charge of the art activities in V54, told me more about it. He studied social work but turned over his first leaf by being a radio programmer in 2000. Later, he devoted himself to art administration and curatorship. Dennis was mild-mannered and said, “I took up the job out of 3 reasons. I love heritage buildings. V54 is nostalgic, romantic and mysterious. When I sit here, every angle at the ceiling, window, fireplace and corridor is a blessed adventure. I always wonder who lived here and how they spent their time in the house. Secondly, I do have a mission. In Hong Kong, old buildings are not getting respectable with age and this is a shame! We trash our old things and memories. We fail to realize how very much we need them. Architectural preservation can save Hong Kong’s good treasures which we once embodied and will strengthen the moral bonding of our society. Another feeling which never dies in my heart is the happiness of sharing. I believe we are responsible for each other’s happiness. Look at here: artists, neighbours, visitors and Po Leung Kuk colleagues interact mirthfully in the name of art and without any money consideration.”
I asked, “Time passes and life changes. How would you feel?” Dennis sighed, “Some people in Hong Kong tend to think demolition of old buildings is the justifiable domestic consumption of a city for a better future. I disagree. Now, when an old building is going to be torn down, people rush to go there, take photographs and write ‘How sad that is’ on social media platforms. There must be more than that? Do we give business to old shops and restaurants? Do we donate to preservation projects? Do we object to ruthless demolitions?”
I asked, “This is why you organised an exhibition for the young artist Ka Hang LAM(林嘉恒)?” Hang is in his early twenties, shy and courteous. He told me, “I was born in the 1990s. Film industry in Hong Kong was already declining. Honestly, I did not watch a lot of movies but my fondness for drawing, especially human portrait, led me to where I am. I enjoy displaying the likeness, personality and mood of a person. Having completed my graphic design studies, I created a Facebook Page which allowed people to discover what I have drawn but the responses were disappointing. One day, after I watched a Marvel movie, I painted a picture of Wonder Woman. The public reaction was suddenly overwhelming and amazing. Since then, I have kept on using films including Hong Kong productions and their posters as the focus of my artistic expression. Dennis recently discovered and asked me to do an exhibition of my work in V54.”
I was attracted by Hang’s creativity, “It is not oil or acrylic paint on the canvas. What is it?” Hang exhibited a triumphant smile, “Our generation is good at computer art. Computer plays an important role in my concept development, production and printing of each piece of my artwork. Also, I do not follow a film poster exactly. Mine are often a ‘derivative work’ which are re-creations of the original, in the form of adaptation or transformation. I shared a belief with Dennis that art does not have to be serious or complicated. Pleasurable and relevant art in the different districts of Hong Kong enhances our lives by stirring wonderful feelings and inspirations. It reminds even a man in the street that we are all creative and emotional beings.”
Giving back to our community is a good example of philanthropy. Without V54, we could not have had the benefit of beautiful art in an old and timeless architecture in Happy Valley. Thank you, Madam Angela Leong! You are great.
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