Memory Palace 記憶之宮
UK / 2021 / Colour / 23 mins / In Cantonese with Chinese & English subtitles / Dir. Dorothy CHEUNG
-
2023 / 03 / 24 (FRI) - 2023 / 03 / 31 (FRI)
Vimeo BOOK NOW
“Memory Palace” is a moving image work exploring memories attached to the personal objects of ethnic Chinese people in Manchester. These objects tell extremely personal stories that reflect the complexity of living between two worlds and navigating multiple identities, not only as an ethnic Chinese person living in the UK, but also as an LGBTQ individual, senior citizen, adoptee, artist, Eurasian, or first-generation immigrant. The work challenges conventional understandings of the Chinese community, questioning what it means to be an ethnic Chinese individual in this city and highlighting the great spectrum of identities beyond nationality.
-
Dorothy Cheung (b. 1987) is a filmmaker and artist from Hong Kong. Her practice explores the notion of identities and home through a double perspective - personal and political, memory and forgetfulness. www.dorothycheung.com
-
I filmed Memory Palace during an artist-in-residency in Manchester. While I was researching the history of the Chinese community in Manchester, most material I found was about people working in restaurants – yet the individuals I met in Manchester presented a much more diverse hhistories, experiences and identities. With this work I want to problematise the stereotype, and touch on to different situations and challenges these individuals face. Inspired by the mnemonic system of loci method, the film takes personal objects as the point of departure. While the method of loci uses imagery spaces and objects to recall memories, it was very intriguing for me back then because when I was moving from the Netherlands to Hong Kong, that process of packing triggered a lot of emotions. Looking back, even though the film was made right before the pandemic, it is still relatable on many levels – especially in the wave of migration, once again many have to ask themselves, what sentimental value the objects hold? What makes a house a home?
-
SPARK Festival, Hong Kong 2021
Stories from the Periphery, bi’bak 2022
International Queer & Migrant Film Festival 2022
Hong Kong Film Festival UK 2023
