Reexamining Hong Kong Identity: An Exploration of Post-Colonial Situation through the Photographic Lens of Local Artists
Autor
Datum obhajoby
2024-09-11 00:00:00.0
Fakulta
Akademie múzických umění v Praze.Filmová a televizní fakulta
Katedra
Katedra fotografie
Typ práce
Bakalářská práce
Vedoucí
Oponent
Podnázev
Abstrakt
This thesis seeks to critically examine the construction of Hong Kong's identity through the photographic lens, focusing on the post-colonial era and its relation to the colonial gaze in photography of the region by dissecting the colonial representation of British Hong Kong within the medium of photography and its impact and the decolonising strategies as manifested through the photographic lens of local contemporary artist photographers.
Hong Kong's history, deeply influenced by British colonialism, has resulted in a narrative that often neglects the true impact of colonialism and imperialism, fostering a distorted or romanticised view of the past. In present, the reverting of British Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty results in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) strategically employing sophisticated propaganda machinery to shape narratives surrounding Hong Kong and fortifying the vision of Chinese reunification under its governance in the city, marking a complex interplay between historical legacies and contemporary influences on the portrayal of the region.
Photography undoubtedly serves as a mighty tool in the propaganda machinery of colonists and authoritarian governments. If the understanding of history in Hong Kong is never straightforward but rather shaped by extensive networks of geo-culturally specific power dynamics, ongoing socio-political conflicts, and entrenched historical biases, then it becomes necessary to challenge the inherent assumptions in conventional historical accounts of Hong Kong by means of a critical-historical interrogation of those narratives which today persist in hindering individuals from realising their full potential and constructing their own identities.
Thus, in this thesis, I will examine the role of photography in decolonisation in post-colonial Hong Kong through two approaches. Firstly, I will scrutinise collections of photography archives which inherit a sense of colonial gaze from British Hong Kong owned by several higher authoritative museums, for instance, the Imperial War Museum of London and The National Archives. This analysis will involve a comparative study with the photographic works of a select few prominent local photographers from the same era (40s-70s). The goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how narratives in photographs were shaped under British rule. Secondly, I will investigate how contemporary local artists employ photography to confront the enduring legacies of colonialism, focusing on efforts to repair and reconfigure relationships with self, family, oppressors, and the community. Through analysing their works, the thesis will address the potentials and challenges of "reframing" Hong Kong's identity within the context of decolonising practice.
Popis
Klíčová slova
hongkongská fotografie, národní identita, propaganda, postkolonialismus, dekolonizace, dějiny fotografie, Velká Británie