Hong Kong Exile

An urgent celebration of Cantonese language and culture at a critical juncture. Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement offers a window into the overwhelming political forces committed to the degradation of Cantonese ways of life and expression. Reflecting the overseas struggles are the local effects of rapid gentrification and the “historical”ization of Vancouver’s Chinatown, tempting the impending loss of an invaluable cultural space and irreplaceable knowledge. 越界/粵界 (transgression/cantosphere) transforms the delightful complexities of the Cantonese language into compelling audio, visual, and tactile experiences. Through dissection and play with Cantonese tonal structure, denoting/transforming meaning, the installation plays with exclusivity, revealing itself to people who speak the same tongue. 越界/粵界 (transgression/cantosphere) is language as a stand for Cantonese culture; Chinatown as a bastion for Cantonese people. Created by Hong Kong Exile (Natalie Tin Yin Gan, Remy Siu, and Milton Lim) in collaboration with Centre A Gallery, Zoe Lam, and Howie Tsui Linguistic Specialist: Zoe Lam Photos by Alisha Weng and Ash Tanasiychuk [VANDOCUMENT] Video documentation of performance by Daniel O'Shea Running time: 越界/粵界 (TRANSGRESSION/CANTOSPHERE) is a multi-media gallery installation that loops every 14 minutes. Commissioned and presented by the Centre A Gallery (Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art) [Vancouver, January 23rd - March 28th] http://www.hongkongexile.com/-transgressioncantosphere

3 minute recap of 越界/粵界 (transgression/cantosphere)’s opening night, including tour by linguist Zoe Lam, address by Centre A Executive Director/Curator Tyler Russell, and more. As part of a long effort to standardize language throughout China, in 2012, at the behest of authorities in Beijing, and to uproar throughout the Canto-sphere, the Guangdong local government enacted the Guangdong National Language Regulations: a set of regulations that squeezes Cantonese language off of the airwaves and removes it from use in the public sector including government offices and schools… In 越界/粵界 (transgression/cantosphere), interdisciplinary art company Hong Kong Exile (Natalie Tin Yin Gan, Milton Lim, Remy Siu), in collaboration with linguist Zoe Lam and artist Howie Tsui, grapple with local and international pressures on their mother culture. The exhibit strikes back with a potent celebratory engagement with Cantonese language coupled with a reflection on the relationship between urban planning and the multiculturalisation of “Historic Chinatown.” A hopeful assertion of the value of diversity, 越界/粵界 (transgression/cantosphere) challenges forces of homogenization and invites the public to consider what actions and invocations are called for in the quest for diverse cultural vitality in Vancouver’s urban core and around the world. For more information http://centrea.org/exhibitions/current/ 越界/粵界 (transgression/cantosphere) Hong Kong Exile in collaboration with Zoe Lam and Howie Tsui January 22 - March 28, 2015 Opening reception: Thursday, January 22 | 7-10pm Full article with written review, photos, and GIFs http://vandocument.com/2015/01/cantonese-indifference-the-language-of-chinatown/