PORFOLIO MINGHUI MAI
1.THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF SHADOW
The Hustle And Bustle Of Shadow
Mixed Media: Neon Light Strips, Nylon Ties,grid netting
Form: Installation, 2017
PROCESS
When I began conceptualizing this video project, a keyword came to mind: "gap." This word emerged during my brainstorming process, and to me, "gap" felt like it perfectly aligned with the theme of my work. When I thought of Hong Kong, the idea of "gap" became even more vivid.
I often found myself weaving through crowds in bustling cities, especially Hong Kong. My grandparents and many other relatives lived there—almost half of my family was based in Hong Kong. During that time, Hong Kong, as the one of the "Four Asian Tigers," was known as the "Pearl of the Orient" and the financial center of Asia. Many people moved to Hong Kong, chasing dreams in a city that symbolized prosperity. As a child from Guangdong, I was captivated by Hong Kong’s allure, often receiving gifts from relatives who would bring me imported foods and trendy fashion items. Even before I ever visited, I already had an impression of Hong Kong as a place of wealth and prosperity.
As I grew older and began to visit Hong Kong, I would see relatives and explore the city. We often went to places like Disneyland, Ocean Park, Victoria Peak, and Temple Street. The neon-lit made me feel as if I had entered a surreal world—familiar yet strange, real yet somehow unreal.
This is my childhood impression of Hong Kong: a wealthy, prosperous city. Perhaps it’s these memories that make "gap" feel like the perfect way to describe Hong Kong. The city’s buildings are dense, streets are narrow, and every space seems filled with neon lights, leaving no room for gaps. I want to use neon lights as a way to recreate my childhood memories of Hong Kong, capturing that surreal yet thriving energy.
Even though years have passed, my feelings about Hong Kong remain unchanged. I still see it as a prosperous city, yet it also gives me a sense of "falseness." This "falseness" doesn’t imply issues with its economy, environment, or people; rather, it’s a feeling of being there yet not truly belonging. It makes me feel a sense of detachment from the world, as if I’m part of it yet separated from its true essence, in a real but unreachable world.
In this project which i want to express a feeling of loneliness and the feeling of isolation in a busy city.There was a feeling of being left out, as if everything at this moment was not mine.Not interest in all people ,things and objects and uncertainty and confusion in the future. I am through the bright neon, the sound of the street, the restaurant and cars, and a pair of eyes after the iron net to represent the shadow of the virtual and the reality.