Personal Skyscraper
Name: Dr. Wong Kowk Choi, Kacey
Age: 36
Occupation: Visual Artist, Teacher
The city of Hong Kong is always physically changing. New buildings are being erected at a rapid rate and shops appear and disappear altering the sights of the city. This changes inspired me to create the Personal Skyscraper project since year 2000 which is a skyscraper costume made by foam board and adhesive tapes. It reflects the fragility of the modern skyscraper, the contemporary modern society, and its people. My intention of this project is to inspire the viewer to be more aware of the architectural environment.
Here is a real story, one day when I was dressing up as a skyscraper walking down Temple Street as an experiment testing the reaction of the people, many people noticed me but some didn't because there was so much other stuff to look at in Temple Street. Then I noticed a shop keeper nearby was looking at me for a while, suddenly as if processed he pointed at me shouted: I know! I know what it is¨ I slowly turned and look at him then he shouted real loud with a smirk on his face: it's art!! I was so proud and touched by his intuitive reply and I slowly raise my hand making a thumbs-up gesture as a reply then slowly drift away into the crowd.