About Rabbit Travelogue

Rabbit Travelogue was originally initiated by Rita Hui and Edwin Lo. This project is an on-going dialogues and travelogues between the two artist (Rita on visual; Edwin on sound) about the changes and happenings in Hong Kong. Through the fictional character in the project, Rabbit, witnessing happenings and locating different scenes in Hong Kong, this project tries to articulate the two artists’ discussion about the changes in cityscape, soundscape as well as questioning and exploring the essence of memories about the environments that we have been. Past and present; absent and present; the artists are still in adventure among these.

About Rabbit Travelogue: Central Region

Central Region is a side project coming up with Rabbit Travelogue which focus on the travelogues of soundscape in Central and Sheung Wan produced by Edwin Lo. This project to certain extend is the artist’s personal records and diary of his wanderings in different spaces and occasions which try to reflect a different perspective on examining a place as well as articulate certain emotions towards one place.

The project is supported by Hong Kong Art development Council (HKADC) under Emerging Artist Scheme. It will be associated with one sound performance and a CD publication.

Synopsis

Rehabilitation, demolition, collective memories, public spaces.....with no doubt, these words can be considered as most frequent words appearing in the discussion of urban planning in Hong Kong. Streets, spaces, the aura of daily life, landscape and soundscape are undergoing the rapid changes in recent years. Behind these changes, what is the mechanism or ideology indeed? Taiwanese essayist and cultural critic, Lung Ying-tai, articulates the term “central value” which describes the domination and limitation of the perspective in observing Hong Kong as well as main and absolute value in determining the urban development of the city. Wandering in different places or spaces and collection of soundscape in Central and Sheung Wan, what Rabbit Travelogue: Central Region trying to articulate is to observe, correspond, questioning the central value by using sound and its archival and creative practice. By continuously recording and observation of the places around the areas, this project aims at portraying different possibilities on understanding, constituting and examining the places where the artists had been over Central and Sheung Wan. Through the attentive listening about places, events and happening of the areas, how do the artist and listeners go deeper in searching for the other side of certain memories and emotions which confronting the central value?

http://rabbit-travelogue.com/centralregion/

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CD Publication:

Rabbit Travelogue: Central Region

46'45

Field recordings are recorded between July, 2007 - January, 2010 in Sheung Wan and Central.
Composed by Edwin Lo.
Cover design by Jimmy Lo.

A Rabbit Travelogue Production

© 2010 Rabbit Travelogue Edition
All right reserved

For the places, moments and memories.
Special thanks to Rita Hui, Ip Yuk Yiu, Cedric Maridet, Haze Tsui, May Fung, Eno Yim, Anthony Yeung, Yeung Yang, HKADC, Videotage, Dennis Wong, Alok Leung, Bjorn Ho, KWC, HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity.

You can purchase this CD through paypal (emo.edwin at gmail.com). For HK listeners, The price is HK$100 included postal charge; For overseas listeners, the price is US$14 included postal charge.

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Review:

EDWIN LO - RABBIT TRAVELOGUE: CENTRAL REGION (CD by Rabbit Travelogue Edition)
The name Edwin Lo doesn't sound exactly Chinese, but he send his CD from that country, where he recorded the field recordings over a three year period in Sheung Wan and Central. The Rabbit mentioned refers to a fictional character in this story, traveling about. It starts out with a rather low end hum but soon enough the field recordings come in which he is "trying to articulate is to observe, correspond, questioning the central value by using sound and its archival and creative practice". We hear street sounds, the activity of people (at one point they seem to be arguing, which is fascinating to hear), and even a sort of talk is picked up, in English, about what seems to be a demonstration - I might be wrong here. Maybe its a political edge to the work? I am not sure. But throughout this is quite a fascinating work, even if one (like me) has never visited the region. Lo rather does a clever mix of sounds and atmospheres, which are all quite evocative. Otherwise there is not much to say, other than this work of field recordings is very nice. (FdW)

From Vital Weekly: http://www.vitalweekly.net/726.html

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Performance:

Live quadraphonic sound performance in HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity.