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..... In 1875 We Met At the Docks of Liverpool

..... 1875 於梨花埠遇上

..... 2 Channel of 4K Video with Audio, composite of 8 screens
........English and Traditional Chinese subtitle
........Length: 19:37
........2021

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🌿 1.5 MIN VIDEO PREVIEW (SINGLE CHANNEL):



(Above) In 1875 We Met At the Docks of Liverpool, Installation view at Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT Liverpool (2021). Photo by Rob Batters
(Above) In 1875 We Met At the Docks of Liverpool, Installation view at Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT Liverpool (2021). Photo by Drew Forsyth

關於作品 - ABOUT THE WORK

🌿 I'm interested in the layers around the 100 years of Chinese diasporas in the UK, with a focus on Liverpool’s Pitt street, the oldest 'chinatown' in Europe (or Eurasian town):

its oral stories of the community and of dual-heritage families,

how did they survive Britain’s cultural and societal challenges,

what happened to the ‘disappeared’ Chinese seafarers who were forced to separate with their partners and child in Britain with a closed border between them.

Also, what historical and personal factors triggered the desire of migration,

how colonial gaze came to place until today, such as the Western-centric way of gathering census data.

I’ve been thinking of healing grief (of lost loved ones and spaces), with an attempt to seek closure with a ‘pixel VR return’ -

If I could invite its community to virtually return to this ‘chinatown’ that doesn’t exist anymore, perhaps some body memories could be provoked, undocumented stories could be shared. And through reconnecting these ancestors’ past with younger folks, we can decode the mysteries of family tree and belonging, to solidify the relationship with the soil under our feet, asking those alternative ‘what ifs’ via furnace-hot-sweat confetti parties.


🌿 BACKDROP:

The first Britain <=> Asia Line was established in 1865. Hong Kong as a British colony - was used as a major trading port since 1841.

After the abolition of the slave trade, over 50,000 ethnic-Chinese (華人) seamen / contract labourers / coolies (豬仔契約勞工) were recruited or ‘sold’ worldwide from the late 19th century to around 1947.

Many settled in Liverpool and London. Without the presence of women of the same ethnic, the Chinese men settled with local residents and developed family at/around the heart of ‘Chinatown’ named Pitt Street.

🌿 Despite serving in the Britain's Royal and/or Merchant Navy fleet during WWI & II, the British authorities decided that repatriating these Chinese seamen was the right thing to move forward.

The local resident women who married these seafarers, also too, became “aliens” in their own countri(es), under the Alien Exclusion Act.

According to the descendants of these seamen, their father vanished over the night without explanation throughout their life time.




(Above) Installation view at Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT Liverpool (2021). Photo by Rob Battersby

(Above) Cigarette Cards - Ethnic-Chinese Seafarers in Britain 1900s, 16.5(W) x 31 (H)cm each, Watercolour, pencil, ink and gouache on 100% cotton paper, Set of 8, 2021

(Above) Installation view at Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT Liverpool (2021). Photo by Rob Battersby

(Above) Cigarette Cards - Ethnic-Chinese Seafarers in Britain 1900s, 16.5(W) x 31 (H)cm each, Watercolour, pencil, ink and gouache on 100% cotton paper, Set of 8, 2021

(Above) Dear Child, Guess Where This Is , Mixed Media: Wood, Paper, Ink, Coal, Stoneware (glazed), Cotton, Cardboard 12 L x 8 H x 6 D cm, 2021.
The dollhouse is a set with the letter titled Dear Child, Guess What I've Seen Sailing , Ink on Paper 17 W x 37.5 L cm, 2021.

(Above) In 1875 We Met At the Docks of Liverpool, Installation view at Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT Liverpool (2021). Photo by Rob Battersby



>> 📚 PRESS RELEASE + RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY: LINK HERE




CREDIT

🌿 Work by Yarli Allison

🌿 Thank you, Merseyside Anglo-Chinese Community / 🌿 Curator and Mentor: Annie Jael Kwan 🌿 Research Consultant: Dr. Lucienne Loh, English Department, University of Liverpool 🌿 Anthropology Consultant: Dr. Mariví Haro Matas 🌿 Music: Quantum Foam 🌿 Music 11:43-15:43 : The Dawn by Chloé, Lumière Noire Records 🌿 Sound Design: Quantum Foam 🌿 Video and Audio Editing : Yarli Allison 🌿 Virtual Reality Scenes : Yarli Allison 🌿 Animating: Yarli Allison 🌿 3D Modelling : Yarli Allison 🌿 CGI team: Yarli Allison, Theo Ellison, Oliver Wing Pui Lam 🌿 Camera: Yarli Allison 🌿 Performers : River Cao, Joy Chao, Wen Chen, Bettina Fung, Cyrus Hung, April Lin, Yin Lo 🌿 Audio Contributors: Yarli Allison, Winky Cheung, Chris, Ching Yi and friends, Oliver Wing Pui Lam, Lucy, Ash Sands, Spitaldust, Prudence Wang, Oi Man Yeung 🌿 Photography advisor: Joy Chao 🌿 Set assistant: Joy Chao, Yin Lo 🌿 Gaffer and Grip: Joy Chao 🌿 Costume: Yarli Allison 🌿 Calligraphy: Yarli Allison, Winky Cheung, Oliver Wing Pui Lam, Uuendy Lau, Niki Ng, Helen Ng, Hinz Pak, Sin Mei So, Man Chi Sun 🌿 Translation: Yarli Allison, Emilie Hsu, Oliver Wing Pui Lam, Yin Lo 🌿 Data Map Graphics: Wen Chen 🌿 Editors: Yarli Allison, Virginia Markson , Yin Lo 🌿 Writing: Yarli Allison 🌿 Direction: Yarli Allison 🌿 Special thanks to people who generously shared their resources, oral history, knowledge, advice, and support:: Hongwei Bao, Mukti Jain Campion, JJ Chan, Anna Chen, Yvonne Foley, Edy fung, Charlotte Horn, Kayt Hughes, Denise Kwan, National Museums Liverpool: Maritime Archives and Library, Clare Chun-yu Liu, Maitreyi Maheshwari, Dr. Rachel Marsden, Mark Murphy, Greater Manchester Police Museum, Donald Shek, Kai Syng, Lesley Taker, China Residencies Mediated Film/VR Fellowship team, Nicola Triscott, Brian Wake

🌿 Supported By:
Yarli Allison, In 1875 We Met At the Docks of Liverpool (2021) was commissioned by FACT, Liverpool with the support of public funds from Arts Council England, Liverpool City Council, and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme project Artsformation. With additional research support from CFCCA with the support of public funds from GMCA. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

SCREENING / ACTIVITY

2021 OCT - 2022 FEB [Physical Exhibition] Future Ages Will Wonder Film, Arts and Creative Technology (FACT) Liverpool, UK


2021 OCT 31 & 2022 FEB 05 [Physical Event] Alternative Heritage Walk with Yvonne Foley, Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT, Liverpool, UK
2021 NOV [Online] Podcast with Annie Jael Kwan and Boedi Widjaja, Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT, Liverpool, UK
2021 JAN 26 [Online] Heritage Walk with Dr. Lucienne Loh , Future Ages Will Wonder, FACT, Liverpool, UK
2022 APR 23-24 [Physical + Online] Asia Forum, Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Opening at the 59th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Venice
2022 JUN 23 [Cinema] Negotiating Identities - with Queer East, Migration Matters Festival, Sheffield
2022 SEP 27 [Cinema] ScousESEA x Sine Screen 弦影像, FACT, Liverpool

海員游緊水

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