Taming Weathers: A Modern History of Hong Kong and Typhoon

Typhoon accompanies Hong Kong throughout the city’s history. This proposal looks at the history of the typhoon, as both natural and cultural phenomenon, in relation to the architectural and urban transformation of the city. It delves into three aspects: scientific means of cognition, media documents of personal and collective experience, and the changing architecture and urban territory — from dwellings to infrastructures. Stating each aspect within its unique context while mobilizing its scope, the project intends to understand the nexuses and therefore question whether our relationship with nature has really adapted under the presumed “modern” city.

Typhoon accompanies Hong Kong throughout the city’s history. This proposal looks at the history of the typhoon, as both natural and cultural phenomenon, in relation to the architectural and urban transformation of the city. It delves into three aspects: scientific means of cognition, media documents of personal and collective experience, and the changing architecture and urban territory — from dwellings to infrastructures. Stating each aspect within its unique context while mobilizing its scope, the project intends to understand the nexuses and therefore question whether our relationship with nature has really adapted under the presumed “modern” city.

About Yujia Bian and Ruishi Ge

Yujia is a researcher in landscape, architecture, and art. Her work is situated in between
criticism, history, and theory, with a focus on environment and nation-building in Southeast
Asia and the Himalayas. Yujia holds a BA in Landscape Architecture at Beijing Forestry
University, was a visiting student at the University of Hong Kong, and holds a MS in Critical,
Conceptual, and Curatorial Practices in Architecture from Columbia University GSAPP. She
currently works as an Archive Fellow at the Storefront for Art and Architecture, New York.

Ruishi Ge is a researcher, writer, and designer with a focus on contemporary art and history
of art and architecture. She is currently working at Artforum in Shanghai. Previously she has
worked at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Arthur Ross Architecture
Gallery in New York, and DiverseWorks in Houston. Ruishi holds a Master in Critical,
Curatorial and Conceptual Practices in Architecture from the Columbia University Graduate
School of Architecture.

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2018
Grantee: Yujia Bian, Ruishi Ge