ON THE GROUND

The act of embarking on a journey involves slowly distancing oneself from the familiar environment and transforming into a stranger in a new place. This process is essential in evoking one's sense of place and sharpening one's sensibilities and power of observation, as well as recalling the natural desire to communicate with people upon first encounter. By taking advantage of the benefits that come with a break from daily routines, ‘On the Ground’ showcases Luke Ching's ongoing projects and collaborations with Mei Cheung during their one-month PF25 residency in Basel.

Through a combination of videos, installations, and workshops, the exhibition explores the experiences of language, folk arts, urban weeds, and music that connect us to a place, whether it is the artists' hometown or the city they are about to get acquainted with. ‘On the Ground’ invites viewers to reflect on their own sense of place and the relationships they form with new environments, ultimately prompting a deeper understanding and appreciation of the communities and cultures that shape our world.

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‘On the Ground’ Community Projects / Workshops 

(1) Secret Garden: Know the Weeds

Unattended, widespread, sometimes invisible but never disappeared, weeds quietlywitness the life of a place. Each place has its unique combination of weeds with thestories of people living in the neighborhood embedded in. By getting to know the weeds in a particular place, we can develop a sense of attachment to that place.

Derived from ‘Remember a Weed. Bid a Farewell’, a community art activity led by Luke Ching and Mei Cheung in Tai Po, Hong Kong in September 2022, the duo plans to introduce a selection of Hong Kong weeds to the people of Basel and engage them in a sculpture-making and installation process to learn about the unique weed combinations in Basel. Through this, they hope to create a connection between the two cities through the shared language of plants.

Interestingly enough, Bauhinia × blakeana, the flower emblem of Hong Kong, is in fact belonged to a genus named after the Bauhin brothers Gaspard and Johann, pioneering Swiss botanists in the 16 th century born and lived in Basel.

(2) Easy to Learn Cantonese: Farewell 再見

‘Easy to Learn Cantonese’ is an ongoing art project that was first conceived by Luke Ching during his artist-in-residency program at New York's P.S.1 in 1999. The project was later brought to Fukuoka Asian Arts Museum's artist-in-residence program in 2006, with Mei Cheung participating as the Cantonese tutor in both versions. Over the past twenty-four years, the project has attracted more than five hundred participants, and the artist finds it increasingly relevant today, especially given the recent wave of emigration from Hong Kong.

For this new version of the project, the artist will teach the word ‘Joy Gin’ (farewell) to new friends met during the residency. In Cantonese, the word ‘Joy Gin’ means "to meet again" and is especially poignant given the current circumstances. The class will conclude when each participant can pronounce the word perfectly, fully conveying its meaning. The learning process will be documented in a short film and screened alongside videos from the previous two versions, offering a glimpse into the evolution of the project over time.

(3) Folk Art Series: Cockroach 曱甴

Folk handicrafts are popular souvenirs to give when meeting someone for the first time. Luke Ching has developed a cockroach craft using modern urban materials since the 1990s. This unique folk art represents modern Hong Kong in a humorous way and has been introduced to people around the world through cockroach workshops in different cities such as Fukuoka, Manchester, Blackburn, Singapore, and Taipei. Ching will teach this skill to people in Basel by conducting masterclasses and workshops.

Human beings are the only animals in the world that intentionally create objects of fear for themselves. Despite being afraid of cockroaches himself, Luke Ching created them purely from his imagination. At the exhibition, a video titled ‘Panic Disorder’ will be screened, showing Ching's hands performing the cockroach-making process without holding any materials.

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The artists are supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council.