「共住小社區」

在「七十二家房客」的年代，香港經已出現類似「共居」的住屋方式，以50年代戰後的藍屋為例，從相片與板間房昔日的痕跡，可以想像當年緊密的鄰舍關係，流傳至今成為具浪漫色彩的「人情味」故事。現時香港出現了不少以「共居」為主題的住屋選擇，由機構推動的社會房屋、年輕人夾租、及至發展商推出的共居樓宇，都嘗試在「樓價高企、上樓困難」的景況中尋求另類的折衷方向。我們當然歡迎這些不同的居住選擇，但在香港若要達到「共居」蘊藏的公民性、開放性似乎甚為困難：當大部份市民承受著工時長、日復日積累的精神疲勞，需要的大約是私密度高、一應俱全的私人居所。

「共住小社區」的生活模式或許較符合香港現狀：將「七十二家房客」的想像拉闊至街區，在公共及私人空間之間找尋滋養公民性、開放性的縫隙。是次展覽將會以藍屋及石水渠一帶的小社區為出發點，從小社區居民的故事，了解這種生活模式在城市中的可能性，以及是否能在「人情味」以外帶來更進一步、公民性的社會改變。

A Community of Co-living
A local movie filmed in 1973, “House of 72 Tenants”, portrayed stories of the common people living in overcrowded housing -- this may be the first example of “Co-living” found in early Hong Kong. Here at the Blue House, a post-war historical building constructed in the 1950s, we look at the oral histories and photos of the residents,as well as the old remains of the partitioned rooms, and imagine such close relationships being developed in the neighborhood, passed down as heart-warming stories from generation to generation. Nowadays, the concept of “Co-living” has become an alternative for housing under the backdrop of high housing prices and inadequate public housing. While options of social housing and private co-living units have recently become available, "co-living" is still a notion that has yet to be widely accepted by the general public.

The model of "co-living community" is perhaps a more appropriate option for the current situation in Hong Kong: the idea of "co-living" is not bounded by physical construction, "civicness" and "openness" may develop in the space between public and private. Our exhibition will be sharing stories of the co-living community at the Blue House and the rest of Stone Nullah Lane, exploring the potential for co-living and community in our city, and whether social change is possible within these heartwarming stories.

展期：11/5 - 9/7/2019
開放時間：星期一至日，上午十時至六時 (逢星期三休館)
活動專頁：https://www.facebook.com/events/883420662004510/

鳴謝
棚架佈景：阿志
插圖：含蓄
資料：陳智睿
校對：黃安娜
工作小組：Bouie, Hugo, Annie

Acknowledgement

Scaffolding setup: Ah Chi
Illustration: Humchuk
Research: Cyril
Proofreading: Juliana Wong 
Working Team: Bouie, Hugo, Annie