Hong Kong

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Mary Poppins Dreams /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Mary Poppins' Dreams - Umbrella Revolution - Hong Kong - 2014

 

For a week now, a whole generation, and even more, of protestants occupies the main roads of Hong Kong, fighting for the democracy they are entitled to. The remarkable movement, started by students and called Occupy Central, shows to the world an exemplary organisation, distributing food and drinks to its participants, collecting and sorting the trash to keep the streets clean, broadcasting a peaceful message without any act of violence or degradation.

The protest remained peaceful until the police started to use tear gas on the students, last Sunday. The riot forces have obviously over-reacted, awaking a great support of the public and international opinion. The Chinese National Day festivities of October 1st have been completely eclipsed by the calm reaction of the protestants and the number of people who got behind during the two days holidays.

But yesterday, groups of men, hiding their faces behind hygiene masks, have attacked the students, turning the peace to a violent altercation. The police, in that case, reacted very lately and weakly. Only a few counter-demonstrators have been arrested. If no link between these groups and Hong Kong government can be yet proved, these fights are obviously trying to make up a public unrest and insecurity with unbearable methods.

Get the latest news with the hashtags #UmbrellaRevolution and #OccupyCentral. Spread the word and show your support. The people of Hong Kong needs it !

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Mockery /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Mockery - Economics is fun - Hong Kong - 2013

 

For the past 2 months, the West Kowloon Cultural District welcomed some strange inflated mobiles on its site, for the exhibition Mobile M+: Inflation! . Among them, a famous giant lotus blossom by Choi Jeong Hwa, and the polemical 15 meters-high "Complex Pile" by Paul McCarthy...

Beside the artworks, some concrete cubes have been displayed to remind the title of the exhibition. I shot this kid while he was posing for his mum's high-tech mobile phone. To me, he looked like making fun of the word "inflation", as if this notion was far away from his concerns. And by extension, far away from the Asian world ones ?

||||||||||||ON.THE.STREET||| Waiting Goal /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Waiting Goal - Keep still - Hong Kong - 2013

 

Shopping is one of the favorite activities of Hongkongers. The city is unsurprisingly packed with malls, that take an important place in the everyday life. Some of them even offer special equipments, such as this ice rink at Elements. That day, kids were playing a hockey match.

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||ART||| Surreal /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Surreal - Fisherman's friends - Hong Kong - 2012

 

I shot this surreal painting at the Hong Kong Art Fair 2012. This is the work of the Korean artist Yongbaek LEE, who performs in all fields of contemporary art, from media art, sculpture, and photography, to painting. The realism and flashy colours of this one instantly caught my eye.

Some other Yongbaek LEE's artworks are available on Google Art Project.

||||||||||||||||||URBAN.LIFE||| Hanging Bar-Fish /  by Ashley O'Mahony

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Hanging Bar-Fish - Ocean metropolis - Hong Kong - 2013

 

Since always, the Chinese use to preserve fish by drying it under the sun. It is a good way to keep the catch surplus and expensive fishes for more appropriate days. Moreover, it is believed that eating certain food  such as oysters during Chinese New Year celebrations will bring good luck. Each year, this tradition makes all sorts of fishes popping-up all over China. And a maritime city like Hong Kong is not an exception.

Zomppa published a nice article about dried fish in Hong Kong and its outlying islands.