We appreciate them for their shortcuts, hate them for their cockroaches, but generally otherwise pay them no heed. But not everyone is as oblivious to the magic of Hong Kong’s back alleys.
Brooklyn-based photographer Daniel Greer recently got in touch with Coconuts HK to share his latest project “Hong Kong Alleys”.
Shot between June 2014 and June 2015 in Central, Sheung Wan and Mong Kok, the series focusses on the role these hidden routes play by providing a respite for the city’s overstimulated citizens.
“Hong Kong’s sea of high-rise towers makes for one of the most densely populated areas on earth. The tightly packed infrastructure inherently create a network of alleys that weave throughout the city. While these pathways mostly act as thoroughfares and shortcuts for pedestrians or a point of refuse for restaurants and residential towers, they also serve an important role to the saturated public as an intimate escape from the unrelenting energy on the streets,” Greer explains.
Whether selling phone cases, washing vegetables or simply taking a load off, the human subjects in many of Greer’s photos have activated these otherwise overlooked slip streets, giving them meaning and purpose.
“I think the most beautiful moments I came across were people utilising the alleys as a place to be alone with their thoughts. The idea that a space so densely occupied with things can be perceived as empty is a testament to the power of our mind as a sanctuary,” Greer told us.
The 27-year-old American national, who has visited Hong Kong frequently over the past five years to work on creative projects, is now hoping to secure a residency in the city and expand his project further.
We’re thinking a back alley gallery would be right up his street!
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