Island Log
MADE, Sim Shum
Landscape is not only a physical or visual entity but can also be a cultural concept. Due to different individual backgrounds, interpretations and narratives of the same landscape can vary greatly, indicating that a landscape can have multiple possible descriptions. For example, the view of a saltpan can be interpreted by different people as stories of salt production, farmland, tourist attractions, natural landscapes, wetlands, and so on.
In the artwork, a wooden pavilion is constructed in front of the salt field, aiming to create a space for ‘reading’ the landscape. The wooden tiles on the pavilion’s roof are made from the fallen Chinese Hackberry that was originally located in Yim Tin Tsai, and the wood grain bears witness to the history of this place. The bottom of the pavilion extends into a platform, interacting with the nearby trees and sunlight, allowing visitors to experience the present moment in this natural shaded area. The pavilion provides a space for visitors to rest and to read stories. The artwork records the stories of the island residents and the landscape of saltpan, landscape, while also encouraging visitors to freely create their own stories about the landscape as they gaze outward from the pavilion. This allows viewers to have their own interpretations while reading the stories of the island residents.
MADE, Sim Shum
MADE
MADE believes craft is a living art. We think, we order, we prototype, and we make it happen. With what we’ve made, you can sit down, lean on, walk in, and uphold with a touch of handcrafted warmth. We aim to transform sustainable wood into sustainable living, reviving wisdom from the past, nature, and the local community, as we MADE with craft by collaborations from sustainable sources out of joy in Hong Kong.
Sim Shum
Based in Hong Kong, Shum Kwan Yi, Sim attained her Master of Philosophy and Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts in The Hong Kong Baptist University. During her study, she spent a semester in Nagoya Zokei University of Art & Design, Japan through a university exchange programme.
Shum specialises in ink art. Her practice narrows down the gap between traditional aesthetics and daily life experience in seeking of the covert meanings embedded in landscape painting and the new definitions of the “shanshui” motifs in the context of our society.
