When The Basketball Court Becomes A Temple
Not far away, not long ago
But close and here and now
The fragrant city shows it’s village
Please the ghosts, send them away
Full from the feasts of our offerings
Humming tunes of our world
Flames carry money
Flames carry homes and cars and maids
Fire heats the summer
According to traditional Chinese belief, the seventh month in the lunar calendar is when restless spirits roam the earth. Many Chinese people make efforts to appease these transient ghosts, while ‘feeding’ their own ancestors — particularly on the 15th day, which is the Yu Lan or Hungry Ghost Festival. During the month the basketball court in Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Hong Kong was transformed into a temple and bamboo opera. The troop of builders, performers and holy men inhabited the basketball court duration of the festival.
These are my impressions, collected in a series of scrolls. Inspired by ritualistic practices the images are repeated to the sounds of a buddhist chant.
This series was shown at Slide luck in Hong Kong and Prague, November 2016.
