Threshold Infrastructure - From Land to Labor

Threshold Infrastructures

from land to labor

The cultural attachments and habitations of dwellings have deep impacts on the way of thinking of design. This approach is not new; however, is sometimes almost forgotten. This survey is part of the research “Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone”, which is an attempt to start understand the delta ontology of Pear River Delta sea. Furthermore, the survey also invests in the local manual design practice especially based on female labour and everyday life in fishing villages of the sea culture of PRD.

Most studies and research in and around Pearl River Delta often based on a larger narrative of the relation between rapid urbanization of the cities around the delta, its relation to free zone Hong Kong and the dispossession of land or privatization as a outcome of the post-industrialization. The dichotomy between rural and urban areas, the dynamics between them is a popular topic in research in the areas of PRD. Moreover, the large infrastructure project like bridges or using islands as infrastructure itself is phenomenon in PRD Sea. Politically and legally, the defined sea and water area of Pearl River Delta is an invisible borderline. However, it is also a space where activities of thresholds are happening.

There are not many studies from the sea or sea culture perspectives on the Pear River Delta Sea. With the influences of the previous works/research of designers and artists, my aim was to understand how the sea culture exists  - if it is exist – in what ways. The liquid land is as much in power and influential as the concrete land. Fishing villages and their enclaved everyday life and sea activities or Islands from an infrastructural perspective create a cosmology of zones. The delta ontology of Pear River Delta sea might contains autonomous zones.

This research aims to map both the legal infrastructures and the thresholds of the territorial sea of Pearl River Delta. The sea transportation, border infrastructures, islands&archipelago, everyday life of sea communities and resources of sea are the main topics. Infrastructure is a system of network that is beyond a single physical entity and is a process (rather than a product). The research based on two discursive paths; one is the discussion on the concept of “infrastructure”. Secondly, PRD Sea as a resource territory and the impact of sea zone in the era of anthropocene.

Presentation: Printed fanzine (limited copies) and video.


Hong Kong Design Trust