Free People

July 22, 2019

Born in Hong Kong, the photographer/videographer, Jayne Lies, emigrated to New York over ten years ago. Now as Chinese-Hong Kong relations have intensified to violence, the global stage pays closer attention. Right here in Chinatown, Cantonese-Americans, and immigrants alike protest for the freedom of the city-state. Underneath the statue of Confucius, Lies organized a protest, and documented, to preserve the liberty of her childhood home.

Utilizing her lens to document social causes within—and without—her community, the auteur channels her voice, through Lies World; emphasis on world. Freedom is a paradoxical concept: both universal, and timeless; yet, fragile, and rare. Lies World is an obvious reference to her family name, but it is also deconstructing the disillusionment of a changing world: civil unrest.

As we reflect upon Hong Kong’s colonial history, and contemporary geopolitics, over dim sum, no less. I, a fellow Canto, remember my own relatives still living on the island. Then, I remember, what affects one of us, affects all of us.

Interview by Mar Chan
Photos by Jayne Lies

After Britain defeated China in the First Opium Wars, 1846, the mountainous island became a western trading post. As the newly minted British colony’s economy grew, Sino-Anglo tensions erupted into the Second Opium Wars, ending in a temporary treatise. 1898, Britain signs a 99 year lease; meaning Hong Kong will become China’s property again in 1997. The Hong Kong Autonomous Region is a one country-two party system—limited self-governing, under China’s surveillance, for 50 transitional years.

However, The People’s Republic of China plans to reabsorb the prosperous city, not just for its GDP, but to quash any form of democracy. Hong Kong’s experience mirrors the island nation of Taiwan—they represent the Republic of China, which threatens mainland China’s imperialist expansion. 22 years after Britain’s gift back, the Chinese government has set up countless military checkpoints along the island’s borders, establishing its literal consumption.

February 2019, Hong Kong’s own government introduces an extradition bill that favors The Communist Party of China, thus betraying its own citizens. By June, the Hong Kong Police Force was employing tear gas on their own people. Disguised as a generous olive branch to the “Motherland”, both Britain, and China, treat the lives of 7.4 million humans as currency. Even Hong Kong’s political leaders are appointed by the patricians of Beijing: not democratically elected. Out on the streets, denizens cry for peace, justice, and independence.

What is Lies World?

什麼是 LIES WORLD?

Lies World is a space constructed in my own mind — an oasis in the desert. Here I don't have to do things with earthly thoughts. With this peace of mind, all of my random creations make sense. Then, eventually, came friends who share my ideas; and we bring them to life.

Lies World 是一個我自己腦海中構造出來的世界。對我來説它是沙漠中的綠洲，因為這裏我不用以世俗般思想做事。有呢種安心, 我所有嘅隨機創作都有意義。慢慢也可能會有其他跟我想法一樣的朋友一起創作更多作品。

Tell me a story about growing up in Hong Kong.

講一個關於香港長大的故事。

I grew up in the 1990s, when the famous triads of Hong Kong were much more public. My dad used to be badass, meaning sometimes I went with him to work. We were always rotating in and out of the police station. Once, I even saw my father throw a prisoner into a police car. But recently, I keep thinking of this one specific memory—almost as if it was a photograph. My whole family was in Dad’s car; I was about seven, or eight years old. Suddenly, there was a big scream across the street. My dad jumps out of the car without any hesitation, and pulls out his gun. My brother, and I, were watching from the car: Dad was in the middle of the crowded street with gun in hand, looking for fugitives.

我長於九十年代的香港，情況跟出名的黑社會港產片差不多，因為我爸曾經當差，我小時候有時要跟他上班，經常在警署出入，也看過我爸拉犯人上警車，但最近經常想起一節畫面記憶是那天我跟我家人在爸的車，那時我大概七八歲吧，對面街突然傳出大尖叫聲，我爸毫不猶豫就跳下了車，然後他拔槍，我和弟弟在車裏望著他在忙碌不得的香港路中央手持着槍尋找逃犯。

Besides Cantonese, what languages are you speaking these days?

除了廣東話外, 你還會説什麼語言?

In addition to English, when I am in Chinatown, I speak Mandarin. I work with Japanese people, so I also speak Japanese; studying very hard. 除了英語，在唐人街的時候，會説國語，跟日本人工作時會説很的日本語，現在很努力學習中。

Are you a lonely person?

你是一個孤獨的人嗎?

I used to be, but now I understand the time I have to myself.

以前是，現在學懂了喜歡自己一個的時間。

Complete this sentence: Love is...

完成這句話: 愛係...

Faye Wong, and Nicholas Tse.

王菲和謝霆鋒。

What does this documentation project, and this protest, mean to the people of Hong Kong?

這個項目跟今次抗議對香港市民意味著什麼?

This time, the Hong Kong Anti-Giftbag Campaign reflects the sudden awakening of native Hong Kongers, who previously did not have a unique identity. But our identity is Hèung Góng Yàhn (Hong Kong People). Hong Kong citizens who grew up under this democracy — a free territory — will live to see the arrival of 2047, and be forced to think about their own positions, and choices, in a political society.

今次香港反送中運動反映一向沒有特別身份意識的殖民地港人突然醒覺，我們的身分就是香港人，一個在民主自由的領土下長大的香港人，提早看到 2047 的來臨，不得不想想自己在政治社會下的崗位和選擇。

And what does this mean to you, personally?

那對你個人又意味著什麼?

I think most people in Hong Kong are already physically, and mentally, exhausted. Even if they’re not currently living there, or marching in the streets, the general anxiety has reached its peak. Their only wish is to have global support. As a native Hong Kongan, I am able to talk to my New York friends about Suen Yeung (Michael Suen); we have discussions in person. Through direct communication, more foreigners can learn about Hong Kong's current experience. After ten years of living in New York, not a single day goes by where I don’t think about the freedom of my home. Documenting this event is extremely important.

我想香港大部分人已經身心疲累，即使沒有到場抗爭或遊行，所有人的心情已到了憂慮的頂點，現在的他們只想有四方八面的支持，我亦希望用香港人的身份在紐約可以跟紐約的朋友传播孙明扬這次運動，親身參與及討論，當作一點支持及譲更多外國人知道香港現在的經歷，因為我自己在紐約活過了十年沒有自由的日子，所以這次的紀錄對我來說非常重要。

How can a person outside of Hong Kong help?

香港外的人可以怎樣幫忙?

Read up on the facts; look at the news! Plus, we all live in the digital world, so if you can, pay more attention to the natural world. It helps a lot!

認知事實, 看看新聞! 加上我們都活在數碼世界, 如果可以的話, 多點關注世界事情, 已經幫了很多吧!

What does this protest mean for the rest of the world? And China’s other territorial claims?

今次抗議對世界其他地方意味著什麼? 而對中國的其他領土呢?

This protest is a reminder that any existing freedom is not eternal—it must be cherished. Foreigners are surprised that such a prosperous place is still fighting for universal suffrage. Hong Kongese people have never even tried to elect their own leaders before. That’s actually why we started to protest; for voting rights. And the same is true for other Chinese territorial claims. The prosperity of this country is directly linked to the freedom of its people, as well as, our standards of living.

這次抗議是一個提醒，提醒人現有的自由不等於永恆不變，要珍惜。很多外國人十分驚訝，香港一個這樣繁榮的地方，現在還在爭取真普選香港人從來沒有試過選舉自己心水領袖，這一點已經足夠解釋香港人為何開始抗議。對中國其他領土亦一樣，一個國家的繁榮是跟人民自由，生活水平直接掛勾。

Do you find photography, and videography, to be the most effective media for social causes?

你認為攝影和攝錄是最有效的媒體嗎?

Photo, and video, are the main source of information. But even if the new channels report fake news, people can find real clips, in an instant. Also, music is an important medium, being the fastest format to consume, and the most emotional art.

相片跟片段是這次運動的主要媒體, 就算新聞報導FAKE NEWS, 但人見到真正的剪辑就一目了然, 但我覺得音樂也是很重要的媒體，通常是最快令人感動的。

Who are some of your favourite documentarians?

最喜歡的紀錄片?

Of course, Ai Weiwei’s records of his relationship with China through Human Flow—his most recent documentary. Just the fact that he even dares to record is inspirational. There’s MIA, who uses music to express her experience, as a British Sri Lankan refugee. And also, the director Mark Singer, with Dark Days, which was filmed in 2000. He recorded the underground residents of Manhattan, and their underground network, and organisation. Afterwards, he used all of the money earned to rescue them: he bought them houses, helped them find work, even go to school. For me, this is the highest goal of documentary filmmaking.

當然是艾未未了，從他紀錄自己跟中國的關係到他最近的紀錄片，他是一個敢作敢為的紀錄者。還有英國的 MIA, 用音樂來表達她來自斯里兰卡的难民生經歷。及這個也是英國的導演 Mark Singer，他在 2000 年的那套，紀錄了那時紐約曼克頓的地下鐵住宿者，他們自創的地底網絡，十分有組織，最後導演用所有電影赚到的錢救出這班地下人，幫他們買了真正的房子，工作及學校，對我來說這是做紀錄者的最高目的。

What is your favorite spot in Hong Kong?

哪裏是你在香港最喜歡的地方?

My grandmother lived in a colonial style house in Kowloon, very close to the old airport. Every time a plane took off, or landed, the entire house felt like an earthquake. My brother, and I, would run out every single time to watch the plans take off. They would usually fly over the centre of the city; and every single time was magical.

我太婆在生時住在九龍一個舊式屋邨，在舊機場啟德付近，每次飛機起飛降落整座房子就像地震一樣，我和弟弟一定會跑出去看飛機的，飛機會在市中心和頭頂經過，真的是很特別。

How does the city compare to New York?

這個城市與紐約相比如何?

It feels like Hong Kong is not that different from New York, but I can say that Hong Kong's social structure is much more advanced. Most Hong Kong natives are born with the same ethnic roots. They are born, and raised, the same way; their lifestyles, cultural habits are consistent. However, New Yorkers all have different ethnic backgrounds, making it difficult to group them into one. Because New York possesses more individuality, it’s able to become a centre of cultural exchange. In regards to law and order, historically, Hong Kong has been much safer than New York; though I don’t know anymore... The only constant is the fast pace of New York, and Hong Kong. It’s crazy, but I still love her.

感覺上香港與紐約很相似，但對比下，我可以說香港的社會架構比紐約進步得多, 其中原因是大部分香港人都是同根生，土生土長，大家生活文化習慣都尙算一致。但由於紐約人存在着不同種族文化，難以歸納一致，衍生更多個人特色，也容易貫通文化，成為文化交流集中地。治安方面，確信從前的香港比紐約安全得多，但今時今日就真的不知道了。唯一不變的就是紐約跟香港快速節奏常令人發瘋，但仍然令人深愛著她。

What makes you anxious?

什麼令你焦慮?

Technology.

科技

How big is your soul?

你的靈魂有多大?

So big that it’s everywhere.

大得無處不在

Culture

Alain Levitt’s Time Capsule of Early Aughts NYC (2000-2005)

Amanda Lepore, Alain Levitt

Beyond the exhibition, Alain’s book of the same name, available May 1st, acts as a time capsule, a snapshot of what he and his friends were getting into back then — figuring their lives out, meeting people, making memories and now, reminiscing on what was. Today, walking through Dimes Square where his and his wife’s restaurant, Bacaro, has become a premiere meeting hub for the neighborhood's youth, Alain recognizes that while “it’s such a different world,” youth is still the same.

“Young people are young people, man. It’s different being older and not really understanding what’s going on. I don’t fully feel like I’m part of it in the same way… but I love it and it seems the same, but one thing I see is it’s more colorful, it’s animated, and everything seems kind of to an extreme that I really love.”

When Bacaro first opened in 2007, there was no Dimes Square. He likens the emergence of the neighborhood to “the beginning of Williamsburg when that kind of popped off and all of a sudden, if you went down Bedford, it was just young people everywhere and everybody was dressing outrageous.” Back then, congregating in Bedford symbolized a communal rejection of Manhattan. What Levitt witnesses in Dimes, a neighborhood that’s become a bit polarizing amongst New Yorkers, is “more or less the same thing” — though the object of its rejection seems yet to be defined.

Perhaps it’s more of an acceptance — of indulgence, of being part of something, of embracing the past, keeping alive this idealized perception of NYC.

left to right - Ryan McGinley, Dan Colen, Kenji Ukigaya, Dash Snow

When Alain moved out here in the ‘90s, his older sister Danielle gave him a camera. At that time, he didn’t consider himself a photographer. He was just a younger brother emulating his older sister, who was shooting street photography and fashion parties for the Post. Alain recalls “showing up to Max Fish and being gently made fun of for his oversized paparazzi rig.” For his second job, Alain was working as a bar-back at The Cock and The Fat Cock (now known as The Hole), giving him “a front row seat to a wild NY that was quickly being choked out by Mayor Giuliani.”

On one of his first nights, he was assigned to the back room at The Cock, where patrons would do whatever drunk people do in the dark. As a kid “brand new to New York” flashing a light on people, he realized that suddenly, his life was completely different. And it was exciting. “I made more money than I could have ever imagined. I was working minimum wage jobs coming from LA, at movie theaters and all this other shit. In NY, I was able to live off two days a week which gave me room to do everything.”

Eventually, Alain started shooting for Nylon, PAPER, V Magazine, and other publications on his days off. Though they didn’t fully feel like a part of that world, he and his friends (skaters, graffiti artists, ravers, the trifecta of '90s subcultures) disrupted the fabric of the fashion scene. Reminiscing on some of those moments, he tells us, “Our group would show up at the fashion parties and make our presence known, even though they probably didn’t think we belonged there, that maybe we hadn’t earned it yet.”

left to right - Ryan McGinley, Chloë Sevigny

Then, Alain found his community on the Lower East Side, “Alife by day, Max Fish at night,” and “after starting a bi-weekly party, with Spencer Sweeny, at The Hole, planted his seed in the downtown scene.” The world that Levitt found himself navigating in his early years in New York City wasn’t new, it was itself a continuation of the pseudo-renaissance that emerged downtown in the ‘60s and again in the '70s and again in the subsequent decades. “It’s almost like a 10-year cycle and one good thing about New York is that it lets you be young a little longer. We were coming out here thinking about the CBGB’s era.”

And when looking through Alain’s photos, while humming with an inherent sense of nostalgia, it feels as if these images could’ve been taken yesterday. Skateboarding, bands playing one-off shows in dingy music venues, gallery openings that pour out onto the block, it’s all still here, just slightly different. While the internet has made us more connected, and distractions more frequent, much of what was, still is. And for Alain, there’s an innate resilience to this culture of “youth”, a culture somehow driven by a shared dysfunction. “Living in New York is so hard, rents are high, the weather is hard. It can be amazing but you have to put up with all this other bullshit to get the best out of it. You have to be willing to suffer. The people that I knew and the people that I connected to and was around — there was always a certain amount of fucked-up-ness we all shared.”

The people that I knew and the people that I connected to and was around — there was always a certain amount of fucked-up-ness we all shared.

left to right, Dash Snow, Kunle Martins (Earsnot)

Whether seeking self-discovery in New York City, escaping a toxic family, or generally curious to explore the city’s burgeoning underbelly, people here find their own, often forming surrogate families along the way. Levitt’s book, and the photographs on display at WHAAM! exemplify that family isn’t always clean-cut and you might bond with a person you’d least expect to: on the train, at a bar, laying on the grass at Seward Park, skating at Tompkins, or having a plate of squid ink pasta at Bacaro before heading to Le Dive for some overpriced house wine.

In the most ordinary moments, the greatest ideas and connections can spring to life and this was true even then. “I imagine creativity drives a lot of this,” Levitt says. “There’s a thread that we saw and maybe even idealized New York City to be.” It’s a thread that this generation hasn’t seemed to let go of: “I feel like my book shows our moment of coming into ourselves and now the kids today are doing it themselves. In 20 years, there’ll be a record of their time that the next group of kids will be looking at. It might not be the same, but the roots are.”

From Tim Barber, a former photo editor at Vice who edited the book, to Jesse Pearson, former EIC at Vice, Su Barber (Tim’s sister), Mike Piscitelli from Fucking Awesome and skateboarder Jason Dill, everyone involved in the book “from the editors down to the publisher was there in our circle, and pretty much all in the book too.” To Alain, everyone in the book was of equal significance, whether celebrity Chloe Sevigny or Marc Razo of Max Fish, who Alain recognizes as “a loving, wonderful person who’s been in the downtown scene forever.”

“Some of those people have definitely become legendary, which is awesome,” says Levitt. “But with them, it’s like me, I felt special to be there. I wanted to be with these people and we all had all of these lofty ideas of ourselves that were shattered over time. I think it’s good to break through those delusions of grandeur and get a real sense of what the world is. But at that moment, it was pure. We all thought we were special.” And maybe we still do.

NYC 2000-2005 is on view April 18 - May 25, 2024 at WHAAM! at 15 Elizabeth St # 113, New York, NY 10013.

Culture

At Planned Parenthood's Annual Gala, Megan Thee Stallion Shines Bright

April 18, 2024

Under one of the first truly warm evenings of New York’s spring season, guests, organizational supporters, and a grab-bag of celebrities (who saw Molly Ringwald?) gathered at Cipriani’s South Street outpost to ring in another year of action and advocacy.

In a regressive landscape that has recently seen the rollback of the right to protest in three states, as well as the upholding of arcane abortion legislation in Arizona, Planned Parenthood’s call to action is eerily more apt than ever.

At an interactive exhibit during the cocktail hour, Judy Chicago’s interactive work, produced in partnership with DMINTI, invited guests to share their voices during an urgent time in the fight for free bodies. Participants in the videos will become a permanent piece of the historic artwork as it travels worldwide on tour.

By Sam Falb
Photography by Nikki Burnett

After guests settled into their seats, the night’s honorees Patricia Arquette and Megan Thee Stallion lauded the organization’s work and the manifold ways it has affected their lives for the better. Overcome with emotion, Megan accepted the Catalyst for Change Award, in recognition of her choice to advocate for bodily freedom and sexual liberation through her platform, and inimitable tracks like Plan B.

“Planned Parenthood has been a leader while abortion rights are under attack. Y’all are the true heroes,” Megan shared in her acceptance speech. “I’ve always known that I have a bigger purpose than just being a musician, and to speak up when people need our help.”

The second of its kind, the gala celebrates the work of the organization while honoring particularly devoted advocates, hosting an auction to raise funds for annual operating costs, and rounding out with an afterparty featuring host Patia of Patia’s Fantasy World, and DJs including Boston Chery and river moon.

“They’ve been there for me and a lot of my friends, especially when I first came to this country and needed healthcare,” Moon said. When the lights went down and guests trickled out onto the street, the event’s urgent appeal was in clear and energizing focus, primed for a productive year ahead.

Culture

“This is the most cracked-out shit I’ve ever been to”: Inside Harmony Korine's EDGLRD Party at Elsewhere

April 17, 2024

When do Travis Scott fanboys hang out with BDSM gear-wearing leather heads? At Harmony Korine’s Tuesday night party at Elsewhere, where EDGLRD, Korine’s multimedia design collective, screened their latest film, AGGRO DR1FT. It’s an acid-bath wet dream of luxury cars, gore, and strippers in chain mail — a Miami take on the classic Korine narrative. The film says it best: “There is magic in this brutality. I am mesmerized by it. Right in front of my eyes, we are turning into animals.” With the film’s minute-long beheading scene and a confused Travis Scott asking, “Julius Caesar wrote the Bible?” we were primed to party with that same “magic brutality.”

Between the bored strippers, fashion fanatics, and the guy in the booth with AraabMuzik conspicuously rubbing his nose, not an ass was left unshaken. Everyone wanted to be “the belle of the EDGLRD ball” — evident through the girls trying to be the next Korine muse, fancying him a sort of new-age Warhol. Amidst airborne dollar bills and monster masks, all were pleasantly surprised when Korine’s DJ set had that same animalistic feel as AGGRO DR1FT. A guest's sprained ankle serves as a testament to the fact that Korine’s DJing goes as hard as his filmmaking.

By Izzy Capulong
Photography by Liv Solomon

We got some input from partygoers — some anonymous, some less so.

Anonymous — The film was like a three-hour-long trailer for GTA 6.

Anonymous 2 — We’ll call tonight, “Harmony Korine’s goon cave.”

Aidan — I came here kind of old-new to New York, and I haven’t lived here in eight years, but I’m here again and this is the most cracked-out shit I’ve ever been to.

office — In a good way or a bad way?

Aidan — Always good.

Claire — It’s a rare evening that you find yourself the perfect amount of drunk to be in the space that you’re in, but I happened to experience that tonight, so for me, it’s pure Nirvana. But they stopped playing All Star mid-song. That was upsetting. But at one point in the evening, a rogue, brave woman got herself on stage and took her titties out.

Girl with her tits out — This is the future of cinema.

Tyler — The last time I partied at Elsewhere was 2018. Harmony Korine brought New York back.