天水營造記Tin Shui Collaborative - Book 1

天水營造記 Tin Shui Collaborative

I.

天水營造記 Tin Shui Collaborative

2014年夏天，MaD Team與一班做藝術的朋友、都市農夫和幾十 位參加者，走到天水圍天秀墟。 這個地方本意扶助區內經濟，可是在各種因素下，效果事與願違。 我們想辦個為期一個月的「天水營造社」 ： 造一批讓大家隨便坐的摺凳 幫檔主做改善小工程 用當地食材煮煮小食 拍屬於街坊的KTV 研發在地小遊戲 家家種植一盆青綠 看看可不可以為這個地方，帶來新的可能性。 3

Together with young art practitioners, urban farmers and dozens of participants, MaD ventured into Tin Shau Bazaar in Tin Shui Wai in the summer of 2014.

The small market aims to support local economy by giving room to humble businesses, but good intentions are met with all sorts of challenges.

“Tin Shui Collaborative,” originally a month-long programme, was conceived to explore creative possibilities.

創藝同行和參加者畫好草圖 汗流浹背地開木方做燒 焊 準備做一批有性格的摺凳

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鐵木珍－成身出汗製作體驗 工作坊主持：創藝同行 Cling-Clang Sweat Workshop Facilitators: artwalker

Power tools on hand, artwalker and participants gave folding stools an ingenious spin.

擔泥小隊到附近收集舊物 打算為天秀墟做些公共傢 俬 看到檔主的需要 第一天就替布檔修補了地台

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公共傢俬製作 工作坊主持：擔泥 Let’s Make Public Furnture Facilitators: MUDwork

The MUDwork team dumpster dived for materials. Seeing a tenant’s need, they fixed a platform for a store on the first day.

一眾社區廚師 墟外墟內找地道食材 弄了彩色pizza、美味冷麵和西瓜涼粉 請大家過來「五臟廟」分享

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五臟廟－天水圍的煮與食 工作坊主持：方韻芝、飛圖 Community Kitchen Project Facilitators: Vangi Fong, Fato

Community chefs looked for local ingredients. Colourful piazzas, chilled noodles and grass jelly dessert were served to all.

在沒有卡拉OK的天水圍 拍攝的朋友 選了 《一人有一個夢想》做MV 寄寓檔主們各自開舖的願望

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街坊MTV台 工作坊主持：林森 Kaifong MTV Station Facilitator: Lam Sum

For those who missed karaoke in Tin Shui Wai, Lam Sum and the video team shot in situ. On the song list was “Everyone Has a Dream,” a note on what was behind every little store.

拓撲學員四出考察 搜集資料 準備提出對這個地方 規劃上的觀點

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天水圍拓撲學 工作坊主持：城市創作實驗室 Tin Shui Wai Topography Facilitators: Hong Kong Urban Laboratory

Topographers scouted for raw data. They planned to map out the stakes in the place’s making.

都市農夫設了苗圃 檔主們天天澆水 種籽開始發芽

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家家種植 工作坊主持：好家庭菜園、香港永續栽培學苑 Growing Neighbourhood Facilitators: Good Family Farm, Hong Kong Permaculture Institute

Urban farmers set up planters. Seeds sprouted.

變陣 Sometimes Naïve

意願良好的連繫美學（connective aesthetics），是不是真的可以 為酷熱侷促的天氣，帶來一點清涼，為天水圍營造些甚麼？ 當親身體會到天秀墟有多熱、人流多少、在困難環境中，人與人之 間的張力……我們清楚自己的局限。 炎炎盛夏也天雨連連，我們的進度和成效都不如所料。烏雲密 佈，天氣預報風雷雨打不斷，原定於月尾進行的總結活動「天水納 涼祭」，需要延期。 連串應變之後，天水營造社」突然多了兩個月，願意花更多時間慢 慢營造的朋友，再找藝術的位置。

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Can we change the game with good intentions and connective aesthetics?

When we found ourselves in oppressive summer heat,and tension way beyond our imagination, for the first time, we realized that the principles of a creative civil society could not be taken for granted.

Our progress was dampened further by incessant rains. On a stormy day, we decided on postponement – “A Midsummer’s Night Fair,” the planned finale, would take place much later, after mid-autumn.

In the two additional months, we got our heads together and looked into the interstices.

對很多人來說，天秀墟是扶貧項目。 三元兩塊後色彩斑爛， 小生意賺不到大錢也刻苦經營── 這個城市最貧窮的， 是自以為是的單一價 值 ，是不留餘地的空間壓抑。 檔主們開檔自力更生，同時──可能他們不以為意──也在實踐 一種「工程進行中」。在冷氣商場連鎖壟斷以外，如果在地小型經 濟可以存在，這個城市就多開一道平實安樂的罅縫。 在 這 個 地 方 生 活 的 檔 主 和 顧 客 們 ，才 是「 天 水 營 造 社 」的 主 體 。 我 們 可 以 做 的 ，不 過 是出幾 個 主 意 ，或 者用美 學 思 維 ，試 驗 各 種 想像。 23

Many see Tin Shau Bazaar as a project for poverty alleviation.

Seeing the room for humble lives here – the worst poverty lies in monopolizing value systems and an oppressive lack of space for pluralism.

These small merchants do not just strive for themselves. They contribute to an alternative small economy beyond air-conditioned, globalized chain operations.

The tenants and shoppers are key stakeholders of Tin Shui Collaborative. All we can do is to offer our imagination.

中途加入的Leo，看見小檔招牌、拉閘都一式一樣，沒有甚麼個性， 就想到與檔主們一起造些能代表他們的獨家招牌。 檔主們拿起環保的卡板木，用心造型、雕刻、上色、打磨，加入他們 各自引以為傲的細節。 在臨時的工作檯，檔主們多了傾談，看見彼此作品，說的都是欣賞 的話；參與的檔主越來越多， 「 師傅」們忙得不可開交，大家耐心 等 候 ，或 者自發 互 相 幫 忙 。握 着 工 具 畫 筆 ，面 上 都 是 祥 和 滿 足 的 微笑。

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招牌製作工作坊 工作坊主持：黃振欽、姚君豪、溫桂文、王嘉星 Signboard Making Workshop Facilitators: Leo Wong, Boy Yiu, Vincent Wan, Wong Ka Sing

Getting on board in the middle of the process, Leo was struck by the homogeneity of the standardized shopfronts.He then decided work with tenants on their own signs.

The temporary workbench became a social spot. Tenants were appreciative of one another’s work, and more and more got interested. When “si fu” did not have a spare moment, they helped one another out.

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木招牌為天秀墟添加色彩，與此同時，美寶和阿健把工作室的工 具都搬了過來，替檔主們做免費維修。 工程都是創意協作：珍惜資源的檔主們拾來舊物，和「師傅」談一 談，就想出小改變大改善的好方法，實用無華的upcycling有機地 發生。

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At the same time as the signs added colour to Tin Shau Bazaar, Meipo and Kin brought their studio gears over and helped tenants with repairs. The projects were all creative collaborations. Together with resourceful tenants, they turned found materials into useful fixtures and handy devices.

擔泥的朋友也把拾荒而來的物料，改裝成公共街具／玩具，讓墟 裡面多點閒暇和情趣。途經的孩子看見敲擊組合鼓槌之下，有幾 條繩子，就蹲下把它們塗成鮮明的藍色。

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Public furniture and toys got into shape at the MUDwork station. As if inspired by the percussion sticks, a kid picked up a brush and painted the strings.

檔主們對我們的理解好像是來修維的「師傅」，或者： 「你們是不是 學生做功課？」 大家在檔和檔之間交朋友 每天好幾次，總有檔主說： 「有東西喝」 「五臟廟」也得到檔主們支持，貢獻食材與菜譜。 一個太陽和煦的下午，郎叔叔教大家包正宗北京餃子。

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The tenants called some of us “si fu,” and asked the others: “Are you here for a school project?”

We made friends.

Everyday, someone offered, “Have a drink – help yourselves!”

Tenants shared recipes and ingredients with our community kitchen. One sunny afternoon, Uncle Long made dumplings.

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《貝貝雜貨圖》 攝影：林磊剛、馬紹禮 Pui Pui Sale Brochure Photography: Lam Lui-kong Roy, Alky Ma

天水秋涼祭 An Autumn’s Night Fair

「天水秋涼祭」是「天水營造社」的小結。 構思很簡單，由檔主們當主角，辦個夜墟，希望讓多些朋友知道這 個 地 方 ，其 實 可 以 滿 足 基 本 生 活 需 要 ，在 地 消 費 ，支 持 地 方 小 經 濟。 35,000份「雜貨圖」派到了鄰近六條邨。 當天來了多少人，我們沒刻意統計。

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天水秋涼祭 An Autumn’s Night Fair 27.9.2014

“An Autumn Night’s Fair” was our finale.

Tenants took centre stage and mounted a night fair. We hoped people in the neighbourhood could see that this was a place for basic daily needs, and we could help sustain it by supporting local economy.

35,000 copies of sale brochures were sent to 6 nearby estates.

We did not do headcount on the event day.

我們開了間「貝貝雜貨」，大家支持了小店，就可以來抽獎換禮品、 小食。 神秘禮品包來自我為人人的二十八檔。 很多好朋友都來了幫忙，那晚我們有： 活化蘇的健康沙律 餘果 • 菜的發酵飲品 經典爆谷、棉花糖 除了郎叔叔的餃子， 「 五臟廟」還有葉小姐的海燕窩、上海婆的醉 雞翼。 不消費的小朋友，可以造隻小鱷魚，送給想要支持的檔主。 41

We set up “Pui Pui Department Store.” Basically it was a lucky draw. We treated visitors with gifts and free food after they supported the local stores.

The gifts sourced from 28 generous tenants. Many friends helped out with the food. We had wholesome salad from Woofer-so, enzyme drinks from Perhaps…Food, and fair classics – cotton candy and popcorn…

At our community kitchen, there were Uncle Lang’s dumplings, and Miss Yip’s seaweed jelly and drunken chicken wings from Aunt Shanghai.

For children who did not have money to spend, they could make little crocodiles as an alternative currency.

快樂墟還有： 自製陀螺、小木凳 用舊報紙造栽種生活的小盆栽 聽綠腳丫親子讀書會說「世界的市集」

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左上至右上：齊齊趁墟玩陀螺、鐵木珍、栽種生活 下：世界的市集 Top left to right: Spinning Top Workshop, Cling and Clang, Grow Greens Bottom: Markets of the World

In the happy bazaar, one could also make a spinning top, assemble a chair, plant in a newspaper pot and listen to tales about fairs around the world.

屬於這個地方的有： 透過創作和遊戲 換個方法用空間、改變角度看墟市的 天水旅行社

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Uniquely here: Tin Shui Travel – guided tours for seeing the bazaar and its surroundings in fresh eyes

有關 天水圍 天秀墟 天水營造社 土製老歌卡拉OK

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Karaoke featuring Tin Shui Wai Tin Shau Bazaar Tin Shui Collaborative

在留白的刨冰 想像圍城以外 山外青山

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山水刨冰 節目伙伴：三分一事務所 Landscape Floats Programme Partner: a room of 1/3

An imaginative journey Through mountains and floats

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後記 PS

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－黃英琦（Convenor of MaD）

When I visited Tin Shui Wai many years ago I learnt that the kaifong liked to sing by the river Because there were no entertainment facilities in the area People were alienated Eventually there were too many complaints Song-singing by the river became pressure *** September 27. I sang in Tin Shau Bazaar Singing in Tin Shau Bazaar, in Tin Shui Wai Together with tenants, kaifong, strangers...

A Thousand Suns, Everyone Has a Dream…

Everyone was elated. That night, Tin Shui Wai finally felt like a “community”.

– Ada Wong (Convenor of MaD)

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Our first workshop in Tin Shau Bazaar was “Growing Neighbourhood.” That day, I walked past a store. An elderly gentleman was cleaning a computer’s circuit board. He stopped me and asked, “What are those people doing there?”

I told him that some tenants were planting with young people. He did not seem to be particularly fun loving, and worried that planting gave people the feeling that the tenants had nothing else to do. “The government is not spending so much money for people to enjoy lives.” I began to understand the pressure on this place. Stakeholders have different expectations. The gaps and failure in communication led to all kinds of impasses...

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－陳慧君（MaD team）

...But there is no turning back, and we could only reset our goals and move forward. We were especially careful with communication. We tried to use a language accessible to the kaifong, and our promotional copies became “come play and eat.” The food and games at “An Autumn’s Night Fair” were hardly different from those in kaifong parties. But we were conscious of the difference in curating. We kept asking ourselves, why, and for whom, are we doing this? I haven’t talked again with that elderly gentleman afterwards. At the night of the fair, I saw him at the lucky draw. His prize was petty, but it brought a smile to his face. Perhaps it was the only instance. But at least on the last day of these three months, he took part.

– Crystal Chan (MaD team)

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As a member of the MaD Team, I have been organizing all kinds of cultural activities in different places in Hong Kong over the past year. We dealt with bureaucracy and harsh weather, but the results rarely fell short of our expectations. This time, we ventured into terra incognito: Tin Shau Bazaar operated by TWHGs. When we were face to face with the kaifong and tenants, I finally realized that we were in an utterly different environment – a real space belonging to the tenants and kaifong, but not a temporary art venue. What can we leave behind after momentary conviviality? How can we make sure that our good intentions would not turn into a burden for those living there? Met with an extremely different culture, shall we give up trust and our principles?...

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－樊樂怡（MaD team）

...When we were in the toughest moment, the typhoon came. We are however thankful for the bad weather. Postponement gave us two more months to reconsider our direction. Since then, every now and then our colleagues would be there to communicate with the tenants. At the end, most of them felt that we were not there to “organize an event,” but to experiment on the place’s possibilities together with them. “Tin Shui Collaborative” was a challenging learning process for me, giving me lots of thoughts on in-situ/community building projects in the future. I am especially happy to learn that the tenants would like to continue planting and make the bazaar a more beautiful place!

– Helen Fan (MaD team)

－鄭穎茵（MaD team） “We can make signboards even when it rains? Let me come back after lunch.”

“It’s so hot! Get a drink!”

“We follow the rules. But some don’t. It won’t work.”

“I have loads of stuffs for the lucky draw!” (Showing a handful of pencils, paper clips and transformer magic sticks) “One of my eyes is smaller in this picture! How can you give this to me?”

“Is this really for me? I always want to make a stamp!”

We spent so much time chatting with the tenants, and eventually got to know one another. Instead of emailing, we got back to face-to-face exchange.

Messages were repeated to different tenants. No matter what we said, you still thought we didn’t understand the situation here. All we wanted to do was to create bite-size change. We were demoralized by your frustrations. Did you really think so? We were touched by your enthusiasm. You were so lovable.

Conflicting values, mixed feelings... Our new relationships stirred up the stale air. Other than transactions, there were also empathy, trust and a sense of belonging. When the colourful signs were put up, creativity flowed into life and things started to change.

Forgive us for not being able to stay. Hope this short process opened doors for you, and may the memories stay.

– Winki Cheng (MaD team)

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In the process, I discovered that there was a delicate ecosystem and unique conventions in Tin Shau Bazaar. There were histories and memories, friends and enemies, bosses and the ruled, regulations, expectations and many tenants. We had to be careful with people’s feelings and respect existing systems, and at the same time stick to our purpose and open up space for creativity. All that guided us through was a kind heart and serendipitous trialand-error. We had many long meetings (How to make the tenants understand?

How can we win their trust when they are not particularly optimistic?) ...

－甄卉露（MaD team）

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...Both our team and colleagues at TWHGs have been accommodating and empathetic, and were willing to step out of our comfort zones. We learnt in the process. It was a little like stretching. One gets used to it through practice.

– Rachel Yan (MaD team)

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－鄭銘柔（MaD team）

As we worked on Pui Pui sale brochure, I got to know 107 Tin Shui Wai residents (tenants). This really expanded my network here.

I live in Tin Shui Wai. This project is closely connected to my everyday life.

Once when I went to buy something in a shopping mall, I saw Shing Kee riding by on a bike. Every night, when I passed by Tin Shau Bazaar, I see Ying turning into the park’s security guard. This project was not only work for me.

It reconnected me with my community. When the sale brochure was finally published, a question popped up: why was it, something so basic, printed only just now?

– Taylor Cheng (MaD team)

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－詹昫嵐（MaD team）

Although my home is not far away from Tin Shau Bazaar, honestly I had never visited the place before this project. I used to worry that the kaifong and tenants might not be interested in what we did. In fact, every soon the tenants, who started out saying yes to us shyly, became active collaborators. When you see their excitement and satisfaction, you would be touched by the community interaction and real human ties.

– Liv Tsim (MaD team)

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－何嘉妍（研究員）

Through artistic actions, Tin Shui Collaborative created small but substantial change on the lives of the tenants in Tin Shau Bazaar. Through conversations with the tenants, I learnt more about how they worked and what this place needed. When we made public furniture, I felt the interpersonal dynamics and saw how participants struck a balance when conflicts arose. When everyone contributed their talents, I realized how public furniture and architecture did not only change our perceptions of space, but also connected people. I got a better understanding of artistic intervention into society.

– Loretta Ho (researcher)

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－張慧婷（MaD team） Meipo said, “As artists, we are not making our own art, nor insisting on personal style.”

Well, yes and no. For instance, Landscape Floats deliberately downplays its literati connotations. When participants dipped their spoons into the kiwi sauce, savoured the ice and complemented on the ingenuity of the instant prints, I saw the blank space in this scroll in a new light.

It’s all about space for people. This is what we insist on when we make art.

– Stephanie Cheung (MaD team)

天水營造社、家家種植及天水秋涼祭

Tin Shui Collaborative, Growing Neighbourhood and An Autumn Night’s Fair

節目伙伴

活動助理

鳴謝

策劃團隊

三分一事務所 a room of 1/3 方韻芝 Vangi Fong 好家庭菜園 Good Family Farm 池哥 Che Gor 林森 Lam Sum 城市創作實驗室 Hong Kong Urban Laboratory 活化蘇 Woofer-so 飛圖 Fato 香港永續栽培學苑 Hong Kong Permaculture Institute 創藝同行 artwalker 黃振欽 Leo Wong 綠腳丫親子讀書會 Little Green Feet Parent-Child Reading Club 餘果 • 菜 Perhaps... Food 擔泥 MUDwork

岑展榕 何啟正 林兆祥 周青妤 林泳淇 林道聖 袁 正 徐海瑤 陳芷希 陳希駿 許沛婷 陳思菀 黃啟儀 張 誠 楊浩汶 鄭志鵬 鄭祉愉 盧映庭 鄺嘉穎 蘇紫盈

Feature Arts Stage Technology Risk Production 天水圍社區發展陣線 Tin Shui Wai Community Development Alliance 天秀墟檔主 Tenants of Tin Sau Bazaar 王思薇 Wong Sze-mei 朱凱濙 Chu Hoi-ying 何嘉妍 Loretta Ho 余榮基 Yu Wing-kei Rik 李雪盈 Lee Suet-ying 東華三院天秀墟辦事處 TWGHs Tin Sau Bazaar Office 林磊剛 Lam Lui-kong Roy 邱雅雪 Yau Nga-suet 哈哈哈概念樂團 Hahaha Concept Band 香港青年藝術協會 Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation 馬紹禮 Alky Ma 張偉樂 Cheung Wai-lok 曹騏寶 Veronica Tso 梁凱淇 Kristo Leung 陳怡君 Sardonna Chan 陳昱文 Timothy Chan 陳惠嫺 Chan Wai-han 陳嘉盈 May Chan 馮晧欣 Chloe Fung 黃嘉遜 Jim Wong 黃曉芙 Wong Hiu-fu 楊天帥 Yeung Tin-shui 詹昫嵐 Liv Tsim 雷子興 Anthony Lui 甄文軒 Bryan Yan 談肇峯 Tam Shiu-fung 謝家喬 Tse Ka-kiu Jackiu 蘇育賢 Su Yu-hsien 蘇敏怡 So Man-yee

黃英琦 黃嘉燕 張慧婷 陳慧君 鄭穎茵 鄭銘柔 樊樂怡 陸愷堯 邵樂婷 甄卉露 葉志輝

Programme partners

Programme assistants Shum Chin-yung Ho Kai-ching Lam Siu-cheung Chow Ching-yue Lam Wing-kei Lam To-shing Yuen Ching Chui Hoi-you Chan Tsz-hei Chan Hei-chun Hui Pui-ting Sally Chan Sze-jyun Wong Kai-yee Cheung Shing Yeung Ho-man Cheng Chi-pang Cheng Tsz-yu Lo Ying-ting, Ariel Kwong Ka-wing Agnes So Rosanna Tse-ying

Special thanks

Project team Ada Wong Susanne Wong Stephanie Cheung Crystal Chan Winki Cheng Taylor Cheng Helen Fan Flavian Luk Joey Shiu Rachel Yan Franky Yip

MaD創不同

MaD (Make a Difference)