10. Vincent Yu, "Shek Kip Mei 1954-2006" series of photographs, by wing li/Map Lau

Lau Mei Ting, Map 1136648

Vincent Yu

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Vincent Yu has worked as a photojournalist covering major news events across the Asia-Pacific region since 1985. As a close observer of Hong Kong’s rapid development, Yu has acquired a special sensitivity towards its ever-changing cityscape.
So, the work that I am going to introduce to you can be said as a documentary photo collection made by Yu to record the disappearing heritage and architecture in the old district of Hong Kong, Shek Kip Mei.

Background information of Shek Kip Mei

Shek Kip Mei was the first public housing estate development built by the British colonial government in 1954.
A resettlement project was an immediate response to the need for temporary relief as a result of the massive fire that destroyed the Shek Kip Mei squatter area on Christmas Eve 1953

The oldest blocks were finally torn down in November 2006 because of urban renewal.

Our Home: Shek Kip Mei 1954-2006

In, this work, Vincent Yu captured life on Shek Kip Mei Estate through his lens during its last phase of existence, before the oldest blocks were demolished. His images document some elderly residents and their ‘homes’ before they were resettled to modern high-rises, many having inhabited the crumbling estate for over five decades.

Issues raised by the work

This work recall the collective memories of people who lived in Shek Kip Mei, and those who concerns about city preservation. As Vincent Yu brings us this striking collection of Shek Kip Mei marks the end of an era. His insightful photographs carry such a strong sense of preservation, as though he was using every second to make a detailed record of place, time and people. Through looking at the photographs, we may get the boundless sense of bittersweet nostalgia.
In addition, the decoration of each flat, like the poster hanging on the wall, the setting of the room also recall the old memories which is shared by the older generation, or even us.

Life on the Shek Kip Mei Estate can, in many ways, be interpreted as a microcosm of wider society. The estate buildings were essentially concrete bunkers lacking the basics of doors and windows, let alone the relative luxury of electricity and running water. A family of five to eight persons was crammed into a cubicle of about 120 - 200 square feet (11 - 18 square metres), with over 10 households sharing a public toilet/bathroom on the same floor, it shows the bygone days of communal living.
Besides, an informal sense of living has grown out of the empty spaces between the seven-floor apartment blocks of the SKM Housing Estate. The space has brought people together, consolidating their sense of neighbourhood and the concomitant emotional networks. All activities inside this estate bear witness to the humanity and unself-conscious sense of place of the area.

Discussion

1.What other issues can you think of in Yu’s Work, for example, aging problem and urban

renewal etc?
2.What are the differences of work being exhibited site-specifically and at the museum?