Accidental Artistry

Michael Wolf, Hong Kong Assemblage Deconstructed (Berlin: Peperoni, 2015)

"Accidental Artistry" is an essay I wrote for the latest in Michael Wolf's series of books on the back alleys of Hong Kong.

"Wolf is fascinated by the way that residents find utility and function in these spaces where there appears to be none. In particular, he has often focused on the interplay between the myriad different objects that can be found in these alleys, often creating structures so complex that they seem to transcend their utilitarian function into a form of vernacular sculpture. Combining a vast number of different objects, from coat hangers to mops and soiled workers gloves to clothes pegs, these urban assemblages have become regular features of the Hong Kong back alley, everyday monuments to the activities of those that inhabit and traverse these spaces. "