Curated by the ‘In Time Of’ project by Nan Fung Group, Foreseen 2099 is co-founded by local artists Flyingpig and Kachi Chan. This initiative aims to explore the integration of art, technology, and cultural heritage conservation. An extension of the innovative efforts of Foreseen Property Agency (2023), the current iteration engages community participation and digital archival technology, transporting the audience to the Hong Kong of 75 years after. Through a creative speculation of the year 2099, it studies the current practices and future development of six restoration-related shops to reassess the historical and cultural value and significance of Hong Kong's traditional small businesses.
Since October 2024, the Foreseen team has visited and recorded six restoration-related shops in Tsuen Wan and San Po Kong, conducting on-site inspections and using digital technology to transform their spaces, objects, characters, stories, and craftsmanship into an online archive. These shops include businesses such as appliance repair, clothing alteration, jewellery, and metalwork, reminding us of an era when people preferred repairing to replacing, embodying the spirit of sustainability. In addition to the online database, physical installations are also set up at Nan Fung Place in Sheung Wan, The Mills in Tsuen Wan, and AIRSIDE in Kai Tak to showcase the vision of sustainable community development and cultural continuity.
The journey of ‘Foreseen 2099’ is divided into three stages:
Stage 1: The Launch. Participants are invited on a time travel journey from 2024 to 2099. Two space-time card machines at Nan Fung Plaza in Sheung Wan serve as portals. These coin-operated devices issue time-space key cards embedded with augmented reality (AR) codes. By activating these time-space keys through Instagram, participants enter an AR tunnel to arrive at 2099 virtually. In this time travel journey, the audience embarks on an exploration of the stories behind each community store.
Stage 2: Survey. Taking place at The Mills, this stage aims to extend the digital realm into physical interaction. With their digital devices, participants ‘excavate’ the shops’ remains, connecting the virtual and physical stories and delving deeper into the narratives behind the restored shops.
Stage 3: Excavation and Preservation. This final stage, held at AIRSIDE, immerses participants in the archaeological office of 2099. The exhibition venue replicates the archaeological site of 2099, featuring hand-drawn artworks, digital archival short films, video interviews, 3D archaeological sculptures, and interactive installations such as a detector and two archaeological excavators, created by the Foreseen team. Participants are invited to unearth forgotten cultural relics from the ‘archaeological stones,’ explore the Foreseen database, and uncover the stories behind each relic. Each unearthed exhibit includes an explanation of its origin, allowing participants to become a part of the Foreseen archaeological initiative and explore the past, present, and future of each shop.
Travel to 2099 to unearth and explore the precious cultural heritage of restored shops in Hong Kong. Through public participation and collective excavation, the project reassigns meaning and value to Hong Kong's local sustainable businesses, prompting us to reflect on the possibility and urgency of protecting cultural heritage amidst ongoing urban development, to ensure the sustainability of these cultural cornerstones, and instigate the collective spirit of community dedication and heritage preservation.