Curatorial concept: Art Party for Chinese people who are part of the “Hybrid”
I want to bring together all Chinese people who are part of former colonies of the British Empire as well as those who are a Republic in an art party to celebrate our unique identities and culture to showcase why all Chinese are not alike even though the stereotype may be that all Chinese (Asians) look alike and behave the same.
This is an invitation to be yourself and to show those who may not know who you are and to tell China the PRC and the world that Chinese people are not homogenous as the western world and other nations may think.
Exhibit A:
Identity of the Chinese nationals through a Hongkonger /Canadian Hybrid A specimen
The disappearance of the Hongkonger is now a fact of life, as most people from the west do not remember its former colonial past. Hong Kong was a former British Colony never its own country but somewhere in-between. In 1997 Hong Kong became the SAR (Special Administrative Region) that is allowed to function like a separate country from Mainland China for 50 years after the Handover, which is an oxymoron in itself. People who were born in the 90s do not remember Hong Kong as a former British colony so my nostalgia and desire to inform those who don’t remember history are to re-enact the best years of my youth for a 2nd party with the significance of the 21st birthday in the USA as a rite of passage with hope for the future that Hong Kong will remain an independent spirit even after 1947 when the 50 year lease expires.
I want to commemorate the anniversary of the coming of age of Hong Kong into its 21st birthday as the S.A.R., so we can celebrate the old Hong Kong and culture that existed prior to the Handover in an art party so that we will never forget what Hong Kong was.
It has been more than 21 years since old Hong Kong as remember celebrating
The handover of Hong Kong on July 1 1997 to the PRC or the last breathe of air for the British Colonial Empire. My friends were a mixture of local Hong Kongers and expats as they were called from all over the world. I was a “Hybrid” part Hongkonger and part CBC (Canadian born Chinese) although I was born in Hong Kong on Hong Kong island so I am a real Hong Kong girl with a British name, Vera, picked from a British baby book of names.
I went to the best party ever of my entire life in the 90s as it was like a New Year’s Eve party that repeated itself over and over until the eve of June 30th, 1997. I didn’t know at the time that I had been part of an essential mix show called “Unity, The Great Handover party” hosted by Pete Tong who I still follow today on his BBC Radio 1 essential mix every Friday as I still long for that night and feel comforted by Pete Tong’s voice. I danced all night with everyone I knew and didn’t right in front of the dance floor with Grace Jones and Boy George and Pete Tong and Paul Oakenfold.
I being also CBC or a Canadian Hongkonger makes me cherish and honor the history of Hong Kong even more as Canada has the largest Hong Kong population outside of Hong Kong and has sought to preserve its culture even in a foreign country as Canada is a multicultural country that celebrates individuality of each place where individuals come from.
R.I.P. dance party of 1997:
Boy George, Pete Tong & Paul Oakenfold Live At Hong Kong Handover Party, 06.07.1997. Essential Mix
Exhibit B: Singapore, Republic of Singapore and independence from Malaysia
Exhibit C: Taiwan, ROC (Republic of China) it’s own country
Taiwan was called Nationalist China on the Mainland before and during WWI.
Both the ROC and the PRC claim to be the legitimate government of China. Taiwan is a de facto independent country but is not a member of the United Nations since being replaced in 1971 by the PRC.
Exhibit D: Malaysia, Malaysian Chinese the largest overseas Chinese population after Thailand. Predominant are Chinese after Malay. Malaysia was a former Portuguese, Dutch and British colony.
Exhibit E: Thailand, Thai Chinese the largest overseas Chinese. Thailand is the only country in South East Asia to be independent from Western colonization.
Exhibit F: Indonesia, Indonesian Chinese as former Dutch colony