The new heritage exhibition Finding a Place to Call Home in F Hall, Victoria Prison. HONG KONG.- Tai Kwun announced the launch of Victoria Prison F Hall: Finding a Place to Call Home, a new permanent heritage exhibition.
From the early 1980s until its closure in 2005, a section of Victoria Prison was used as the Victoria Immigration Centre to process the repatriation of Vietnamese boat people and unauthorised immigrants from different countries.
In this heritage exhibition, rarely seen historical photos provide context for this chapter of the prison’s history, illuminating forgotten histories such as the perilous journeys of swimmers attempting to cross the border by sea, and the arrival of vessels carrying Vietnamese boat people. There are also images revealing the site’s function as a detention centre and some of the struggles of those held there, including rooftop protests by Vietnamese detainees in D Hall and demonstrations staged atop a tree in the Prison Yard.
A highlight of the exhibition is the mural Resilience created by Eric Okdeh, a U.S. based artist with more than 20 years of experience in community-driven public art. Resilience is a collaboration between the artist and community members: a culmination of workshops and individual interviews with former Vietnamese refugees, migrants, people seeking asylum, former staff of Victoria Prison, and a former Hong Kong marine police officer who oversaw the rescue of Vietnamese refugees. Inspired by their experiences, and artworks from the workshops, Okdeh created a powerful piece that weaves together a diversity of narratives and voices, ultimately expressing a universal quest for hope, peace, and belonging.
This project affirms Tai Kwun’s commitment to inclusion and cultural participation for all.
“We combine heritage, art, and community to create meaning and relevance of our site, giving heritage a function in the life of the community,” said Dr Anita Chung, Head of Heritage at Tai Kwun.
“Tai Kwun’s heritage exhibitions at Victoria Prison, including B Hall & D Hall, and our new F Hall exhibition, ask us to deeply engage with the site’s complex and often painful history. Our aim is to honour the experiences of those who lived through this past while transforming the space into a platform for creative expression and healing. By reflecting on history, we also amplify underrepresented voices in Hong Kong, in helping to shape a more inclusive and forward-looking future,” said Ms Chin Chin Teoh, Director of JCCPS.
“I must say, in my 27 years of creative experiences, I’ve never been a part of a project that has brought together so many people from such a wide variety of places into one room to talk about a project and create a work of public art,” said Mr Eric Okdeh, exhibition artist.
