A historic building is a legend of one’s own time. A trace of it is left and gets exposed on an instant photo. Each frame is a monument to be discovered and preserved. A photo in hand is a ticket to ride on a time machine. Travelling between different points along the timeline, we re-witness moments in history. When the past and present are juxtaposed, humans cannot help but respond with contemplations and a sense of nostalgia.
Now and Then is a personal documentary on occidental colonial-style buildings in Hong Kong. Each place, may it be a barracks, a court house or a church, exudes its own lasting charm. What if we slow down and listen to the stories of these timeless aesthetics.
These architectural heritage sites live through time and have now become a part of our everyday life in Hong Kong. Sometimes, we slow down, in awe of the aesthetic wonders of architecture defined by detailed space planning, highly skilled craft and creative structural design. Occidental colonial-style buildings put down roots in the Pearl of the Orient. Each place, may it be a barracks, a court house or a church, exudes its own lasting charm.
The Polaroid used to be a professional tool for Chris Wong. Now it becomes his sanctuary away from work. The unpredictability of its images highlights the purism of his artistic pursuit. Living in a digital world when you can undo, modify or delete, it is a mindful training when you press the button knowing you have to accept the imperfection.
Chris Wong is a commercial photographer from Hong Kong with a background in graphic design. He has been focused on developing themes on everyday life with a special interest in the aesthetics of polaroid. Since 1998, Wong has been participating in numerous exhibitions, including Wonder Foto Day in Taipei (2019) and ‘Now and Then’, a Hong Kong International Photography Festival Satellite Exhibition (2018). Between 2016 and 2018, Wong received the International Photography Awards. He was also nominated in Fine Art Photography Awards in 2018.
