ART021 HIGHLIGHTS | 崔洁艺术家海报

The Victoria Peak in Hong Kong symbolizes power, authority and privileges in the colonial period, as it was where the former residence of the Governor of Hong Kong located. In the beginning of the 20th century, the first viewing pavilion appeared on the mountain was a pavilion in traditional Chinese style. It remains unknown who built the pavilion, and it was destroyed during the Second World War. The second generation Peak Tower – also known as “Lou Can Ting” – was designed and built by Hong Kong architect Chung Wah-nan in 1972. In the 1990s, in order to meet the increasing demand of booming tourism, the “Lou Can Ting” was demolished and replaced by the third generation Peak Tower, designed by British architect Terry Farrell who won the bidding. The construction was completed in 1992. 

From the humble, anonymous pavilion to “Lou Can Ting” and eventually the Peak Tower, the Victoria Peak has been adorned over the years with versions of historical perspectives, fused with different notions of views and landscapes. Cui Jie calls such mix Plural Pupils: multiple pupils shutting and opening in turn, in different times. From her perspective, the landscape available to us is not merely a site of collective identity; it is also closely linked to the rapidly developing tourism and the diversified visions of different groups of people in the public realm.