Magic Carpet. Re-envisioning Community Space in Hong Kong

Abstract

Magic Carpet was launched in 2013 by Hendrik Tieben of the School of Architecture and Anthony Fung of the School of Journalism and Communication at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, as an outreach program combining documentation of daily life, community engagement and urban design. The project was first held in Sai Ying Pun in 2013 and was subsequently brought to Tin Shui Wai (2014) and To Kwa Wan (2016). Magic Carpet transforms a public space into an outdoor cinema in which movies about the neighbourhood are shown. The movies are produced by local secondary school students, following a series of workshops that prepare them to conduct video-interviews with the community. At Magic Carpet, community members and the general public interact with each other, building a stronger bond between themselves while empowering them to re-envision the possibilities of public space together.