策展人伍小儀語：

眾多表達媒體中，攝影的影像最能保存客觀現象的真實性，所謂「最能」，只是比較而言。攝影的結像，一靠光線，二靠客觀實體，這兩者規限了攝影影像的相對客觀性或真實性。然而按下快門的瞬間，是由拍攝者的眼睛和思維作主導，為什麼要向東、而不向西拍攝，為什麼拍攝這樣、而不拍攝那樣，這都是主觀的取捨。拍攝出來的影像，實際是主觀意識和客觀實體的瞬間結合。

是次為大家策展的三輯照片，都是由香港土生土長的攝影人所操機，他們拍攝的對像，均是真人實景，沒有刻意的鋪排。《夜曲》和《香港牛頭角下村》均取材自香港，《在天堂之下》拍自菲律賓，同是紀實作品，卻予人截然不同的觀感。

 

Curator Sylvia Ng’s statement

Photography is the most effective media form to retain the originality of an object, in comparison to other expressive medium. Photography is a process of image-forming which requires amount of light and a photographic subject. The objectivity or originality of the image is determined by these two major components. Shooting angle and style are absolutely the subjective decision of the photographer when pressing the shutter. It is decided by his/her eyes and mind. The recording image, therefore, is a combination of subjective sensation and objective photographic subject.

The 3 series of photographs featured in this exhibition are the works of local photographers. The images depicted in the photos are human and nature scenes, without artificial modification. “Nocturne” and “Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate” feature photos taken in Hong Kong, while “Under the Heaven” showing images captured in Philippines. All works are social documentary, but presenting in different styles.

 

 

秦偉的《在天堂之下》，是很典型的紀實照片，畫面清楚交待了菲律賓貧民無奈地生活在城市墳地裡的記錄，這些不人道的生活境況，缺乏國家和政府的關顧支援，實教生活在富裕社會裡的我們所不能想像。

秦偉的攝影大方向是以人道主義眼光看待我們這個變動中的世界。自2000年開始，活動範圍以亞洲不同地區為主，他的鏡頭關注著不同文化及經濟背景下的地區性貧窮問題、戰爭的受害者和全球氣候變化引致的生存問題。秦的作品善於描述氣氛，構圖工整含蓄，內容沉穩。

蔡旭威是香港新一代的攝影師，他的作品《香港牛頭角下村》具體解述香港早年公共房屋的日常生活境遇。他以一年多的時間，投身到該屋村清拆前的拍攝工程。蔡運用新開發的拍攝技術，以漫畫化的紀實語調，呈現出該地的一情一景。

牛頭角下村是香港早於六十年代時期的公共房屋，亦稱為徙置區， 至今已有四十多年歷史，即將拆建。這種屋村建築外型昂大，內中設計簡陋狹小，往往一戶以6至7人為單位的家庭擠擁在十多平方米的空間中，居民日出而作日入而息。

今天我們圖片中所介紹的牛頭角下村，正是當年的香港社會發展標記，但當我們走進這外型昂大的建築物當中，昔日胼手胝足打拼生活的社會群體，如今已步入暮年。

蔡的拍攝手法新穎，構圖嚴謹中不失活潑，熱鬧不見喧嘩，細閱耐人尋味，是近年數碼技術風潮下難得一見的好作品。

高志強的《夜曲》帶有現人文的思緒。作品風格紀實中亦賦寫意，予人是另種情懷，別樣感覺。作者彷彿以詩一般的語調細述一個子夜間的故事，表白出個人心境。

《夜曲》中作者有著他獨特的觸覺和取景，畫面清冷孤絕，內藏張力，隱晦中啟示著一份對世情的焦躁。

 

 

“Under the Heaven” is a typical social documentary photo series of Chun Wai. They offer a clear picture of the inhumane living environment of the poor in Philippines, lacking of support from their country and the government, which is not easy for people living in rich countries to understand.

The focus of Chun Wai’s works is to look at the changing world with humanity. Since 2000, Chun Wai delves into different Asian countries, reflecting the regional poverty issue under different cultural and economic background, the victims of war and survival problems caused by the global climate change, with a compassionate view of mankind through his camera lens. Whether documentary images of social scenes or landscape photos, the works of Chun Wai reflect his incessant pursuit of perfection in content, spirit and presentation.

John Choy is the new generation of Hong Kong photographer. “Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate” reflects the livelihood of Hong Kong public housing estate in the early 60s. He spent about one year to live in this estate to record the historical moment before its demolition works commenced. He uses his newly-explored photographic technique and comic presentation to document the buildings and the life of their occupants.

Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate was a public housing estate built in the 1960s, which was also a resettlement estate. It has a long history of over 40 years and is scheduled for demolition soon. The estate is large in scale but its flats are small. Around 6 to 7 people living under the same roof with an area of around 10 sqm. The photographic images of Lower Ngau Tau Kok featured in the exhibition symbolize the social development of Hong Kong in the early 60s. When we walk into this estate nowadays, however, we will find that the occupants who worked double tides for living in the past are getting old.

Choy is well-equipped with innovative photo shooting techniques. His subjects are expressed by means of his unique pictorial composition with a precise yet lively style. His works are truly outstanding under the trend of digital photography.

The works of “Nocturne” presented by Alfred Ko are both documentary and emotional. The work is a poetic rendering of the photographer’s personal feeling in a silent night.

“Nocturne” is a rather unique and emotional series of works. The photographer has hidden his anxiety towards the reality in the cool visual presentation.