Tsuen Wan The Mills｜​《Surviving Through the Cracks: Spontaneous Urban Landscapes of Hong Kong》Exhibition

Description

Along walls, between stones, and within cracks in the pavement, wild plants quietly grow. Often overlooked, these weeds form some of the smallest yet most resilient natural landscapes in the city.

Spontaneous Urban Landscapes: Surviving Through the Cracks in Hong Kong is a research and exhibition project. By documenting plants that naturally grow in these urban gaps, and observing how soil, moisture, sunlight, and the activities of people and animals affect their growth, the project identifies different types of microhabitats within the city.

The project is currently running a germination experiment in The Park, 3/F, The Mills (@themillshk). Concrete installations with simulated cracks are placed across different spots, with seeds of common roadside wild plants in Hong Kong hidden within the cracks. Over the next four months, we will continue to document how these plants grow and change, re-examining the value of spontaneous vegetation for climate resilience, urban nature, and sustainable development.

Feel free to take a walk in The Park and look for these installations. You might spot small signs of life quietly emerging. From now on, the cracks you see around the city may start to look a little different.

The project is supported by Design Trust Feature Grant @designtrust, with venue support from The Mills @themillshk.