“HKACT! Act 1 BeHere by Masaki Fujihata” is an Augmented Reality (AR) public art project. New media artist Masaki Fujihata took reference to Hong Kong old photographs and oral history of local residents to “re-present” these stories by actors in the studio. Images were then captured and converted into 3D digital figures, bringing people from the past back into the present in form of AR via smartphone application. Visitors can even interact, compose and put themselves in the frame with these figures in the two realities and share to social media. Taking the latest digital media as the channeling platform, the artwork serves as a new way to preserve our intangible cultural heritage and the micro-narratives of the residents are used as building blocks for a “meta-monument” that symbolise the entire community.
As the commissioned work of Design District Hong Kong 2018/2019, BeHere connects 10 different locations from the Blue House to Dominion Garden along the old Wan Chai coastline that embodies the rich history and the development of Hong Kong society. The work redefines the meaning of “public spaces” and turns smartphones into a “pocket museum”, allowing tourists and public to experience the old Hong Kong stories and create new memories and unique travel experiences in a brand new way.
【Locations】
1. Blue House
2. Stone Nullah Lane Garden
3. Wan Chai Gap Road Playground
4. Old Wan Chai Post Office
5. Lee Tung Avenue
6. Tai Wong Street East Sitting-out Area
7. Lun Fat Street Sitting-out Area
8. Kwong Ming Street Children’s Playground
9. Sun Street
10. Dominion Garden