23/05/2026
Finally got to experience the work installed in person 🥹🌿
Exhibition continues until 14 June 2026!
Where Roots Take Hold (2026)
In the past century, groups of K*k Po villagers migrated to the UK in search of a better life and to provide for their families. As Hong Kong underwent rapid urban development, the village gradually fell into abandonment. In recent years, some villagers have returned, others living between K*k Po and their homes overseas, finding ways to remain connected to their homeland.
As an outsider researching from afar, I found myself quickly drawn to a centuries-old banyan tree in K*k Po, a Pak Gong tree, long regarded as a representation of the God of Land, and a humble witness to the village’s history. In K*k Po, trees are treated with a deep sense of respect, villagers spoke of them not simply as part of the landscape, but as something to be cared for and lived with. This led me to wonder: are there banyan trees in the UK, and what might they reflect about the villagers’ way of living?
In the UK, I eventually found a banyan inside the Palm House at Kew Gardens, carefully maintained within a glasshouse environment. A horticulturist told me: “The banyan receives offerings from visitors all the time.” This stayed with me.
During my time in K*k Po, listening to villagers’ stories of growing up there, and of lives shaped by movement and diaspora, I began to understand these connections more deeply. Across distance, both people and trees take on new contexts, yet remain deeply tied to where they come from.
The work unfolds in Lo Wai, the oldest settlement in K*k Po, within Sung’s mansion, where roots and ruins have become intertwined. Beneath the shadow of the banyan, I carry a quiet hope that wherever we are, we may remain grounded, resilient, and connected to nature.
Special thanks to .vision 🙏🏼
First video by .sy ✨
