Script for the voiceover in the video:
An alleyway is a hybrid of the hidden and the exposed. Different alleyways serve different purposes. An alleyway is also the exploration of the neglected, not just of species, but of the natural world.
In the age of modern technology following the industrial revolution, to be ignorant of your surroundings has become normal in everyday life. Not to mention pondering the importances of alleyways, we rarely even look up to see the day of light in the shadows we stand under, neglecting the beauty of nature. Perhaps only when forced to, do we look up to avoid death from vehicular manslaughter. Our subconscious has taken over our ability to think for ourselves, to the point we unknowingly do things, taking them for granted. We forget the original, until change has occurred and it becomes too late. Is it more peaceful to be engulfed by the contents of your screen, or to be mesmerised by the nature of your surroundings?
At first glance, it seems that these thin corners of spaces are to host the microcosm of the unwanted. Alleyways are a place for the animate to burrow for peace, though it may not be quiet. An alleyway is a common smoker’s spot for many as they are unwanted by the government and general public – though even the alleyways below my house are banned from smoking. The house for cockroaches and rats avoiding the footsteps of insensitive humans – though even here they fight to survive, tricked to death. Where would they reside now, if not in the hidden? Perhaps some just don’t belong, not even in the most hidden corners of the world.
Small businesses fight the feeling of being unwanted by thriving to survive in the limited space. The one time I look up at my phone, I realise the path I’ve taken as a shortcut through these alleyways below my house are more interesting than I intended. When did this barber shop open, or this Japanese-like shop?
More often than not, most would feel neglected by the rest of society, if you have not experienced this perhaps try looking out from an alleyway. Going from the exposed world into the hidden, you may get looks from passersby, questioning your intent to step into the unknown. But once engulfed, you are forgotten. A sort of depersonalization from the world occurs, as I observe the lives of my neighbours as they walk by, without them glancing an eye. This neglect is almost naive, like a child playing hide and seek, covering their eyes thinking no one else can see them. Though no matter what, you are never truly alone.
Essay:
The video’s theme and subject
In this video, I explore the concept of an alleyway being a place for the unwanted to burrow, a hybrid of the hidden and the exposed. Alleyways are constantly being transformed, to personalize a public space, but where do those who seek a place to hide in the overstimulated city reside? Alleyways are simultaneously the most hidden and exposed places which host a microcosm of the unwanted. The inside of alleyways tend to be neglected, whilst the outside world is clean and polished, preserving its facade. I had an original idea that standing inside an alleyway was like a child playing hide and seek – they cover their eyes thinking no one else can see them because they are oblivious to the outside world. This video aims to explore the theme of the difference between the hidden and the exposed, the inside versus the outside of an alleyway – this exploration coming in the form of both my perception of the world and the world’s perception of me inside the alleyway, hence a hybrid of the hidden and the exposed lie in the differing states of an alleyway. Alleyways are often associated as being dangerous, unsanitary and a place where crimes are committed – accentuated by these portrayals in movies. However, one should not judge before experiencing it themselves, hence I take myself and the audience on a journey through the alleyways of my neighbourhood in Ap Lei Chau.
Research
I began my research by investigating the uses of alleyways in Hong Kong and how it has changed over recent years. Alleyways are unique landmarks in Hong Kong, formed by back to back thin buildings accommodating for the lack of space in the 1950s and 1980s (Poon). In the 19th century, alleyways were used for workers to take smoke breaks, or even as extra closet space, or personal gardens (Matchar). However, with the worsening of the land shortage in Hong Kong, with just an average of 160 square feet per person, there has been a boom in business startups in these slithers of spaces (Matchar). Alleyway micro-economies have formed for ambitious small business owners, such as a barber shop shown in my video. The switch from purely pragmatic use of alleyways such as for waste disposal, to a place for the rebellious artist to chase their dream has become prominent, such as in a case I read with Him Lo, where he transformed a 46 square-foot space in the alleyway between Wan Chai and Causeway Bay to host the works of more than 100 Hong Kong artists (Fung). However, in another more criticised approach to transform alleyways is one launched by the government, where they hired artists in Kowloon to paint alley walls, making them less intimidating and more attractive as alleyways are perceived as being dangerous, especially by women (Jiang and Mak), though a question arises of whether this transformation would lead to a loss of character and tradition in Hong Kong. I also explored how alleyways are being transformed in other cities, such as in Seattle and Chicago.
Moreover, I explored different photographs taken by photographers of alleyways in Hong Kong, such as by American photographer Daniel Greer, where he highlighted the different uses of alleyways from being a place to wash dishes to a ladies market.
Video Production
Due to my research into the rapidly transforming nature of alleyways, I decided to film the alleyways of the street where I live. When attempting to recall these shortcuts I usually take, I found myself struggling to do so, reinforcing the unwantedness and oblivion of alleyways. Attempting to shed light towards a space of the forgotten, I use this video to take myself and the audience on an exploration of the neglected spaces of Hong Kong.
I decided not to use a tripod when filming this video to incorporate a sense of humanness, almost like a diary entry in a journal of my walk through these alleyways. The voiceover, with the background noise still being audible suggests a sense of a retrospective reflection from my walk, encouraging the audience to do the same. Furthermore, I attempted to explore different camera angles, utilising viewpoints one would not usually look from when walking down the street, thus shedding light on the uncared for. Whilst situated in the alleyways, the shots record the daily lives of my neighbours while they ignore my presence, symbolising the hidden aspects of alleyways.
Citations:
Alderton, Matt. “From Dead Space to Public Place: How Improving Alleys Can Help Make Better Cities.” ArchDaily, 15 Dec. 2016, www.archdaily.com/801568/from-dead-space-to-public-place-how-improving-alleys-can-help-make-better-cities.
Fung, Kelly. “Small Space, Big Dreams.” Young Post, South China Morning Post, www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/article/3163407/tucked-alley-hong-kong-tiny-46-sq-ft-space-plays-big-part.
Howard, Tanner. “How Chicago’s Alley System Could Be a Creative Space.” Curbed Chicago, 22 Aug. 2019, chicago.curbed.com/2019/8/22/20828633/chicago-architecture-alley-future-firm-design-ideas.
Jiang, Bin, and Cecilia Mak. “Revitalizing Alleys in High-Density Cities: How Urban and Landscape Design Interventions Impact the Sense of Safety.” Revitalizing Alleys in High-Density Cities: How Urban and Landscape Design Interventions Impact the Sense of Safety | HKU Faculty of Architecture, www.arch.hku.hk/research_project/revitalizing-alleys-in-high-density-cities-how-urban-and-landscape-design-interventions-impact-the-sense-of-safety/.
Matchar, Emily. “The Beautiful Life Hacks in Hong Kong’s Back Alleys.” Smithsonian.Com, Smithsonian Institution, 29 Jan. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/beautiful-life-hacks-hong-kongs-back-alleys-180957963/#:~:text=In%20many%20cities%2C%20the%20term,sort%20of%20extended%20living%20space.
“Michael Wolf: ‘back Alley Deconstructed’ @ Shek Kip Mei Pop-Up.” Blue Lotus Gallery, bluelotus-gallery.com/new-events/2015/3/10/back-alley-deconstructed-with-michael-wolf.
Poon, Linda. “Two Architects Explore the Microeconomy of Hong Kong’s Alleyways.” Bloomberg.Com, Bloomberg, 15 July 2016, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-15/two-architects-explore-the-microeconomy-of-hong-kong-s-alleyways.
Wilde, Crystal. “American Photographer’s Photos of Hong Kong’s Hidden Back Alleys.” Coconuts, coconuts.co/hongkong/lifestyle/american-photographer-lends-focus-hong-kongs-hidden-back-alleys/.
Full Name: Michael Man Ho Leung
UID: 3035858808
Director: Michael Man Ho Leung
I enjoyed your narration and the filming of your video, there are some nice shots and angles you have taken to depict the alleyway. There is analysis in your text on how the spaces of alleyways have transformed and became neglected and hostile, and how these spaces offer a small-scaled human percpetion of the city. I like how the ambient sound is used as a background for your narration, it adds a touch or realism to your video.