AI (Artificial Islands)

The Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands, part of the Lantau Tomorrow Vision reclamation plan, are marketed as a utopian project that will simultaneously ignite economic prosperity, embrace environmental conservation, and support sustainable development. An achievable dream or merely a fleeting hallucination? 

‘AI (Artificial Islands)’ is an exploration of what happens when you detach vision from context. Looking through the eye of generative AI image software, the hypothetical islands begin to take shape, inviting the viewer to contemplate the potential implications of this monumental construction and their own desires for modernity. What symbols of progress will the algorithm reproduce when fed official descriptions of the project? What flaws will show through? And how are we ultimately able to navigate the surreal path laid before us without heading toward catastrophe?

About the organisers:

Preston Hartwick is a multidisciplinary artist who grew up in Hong Kong and has lived on Cheung Chau Island since 2014. He is an active member of the local art scene and has exhibited photographic work and sculptural installations in various exhibitions on the island. In 2021, he published his first photobook, documenting the passage of time on an ever-changing beach landscape below the window of his flat in the infamous neighbourhood of Bela Vista. He is currently working on an ongoing project, Hong Kong Aesthetic, documenting the colours and textures woven into the underlying visual fabric of Hong Kong's built environment.   

Brian Wong @ Liber Research Community  Brian is a researcher at Liber Research Community since 2017. Studied geography and public policy, Brian is interested in research projects that can help advocate for a more just and equitable urban and rural development of Hong Kong.  

Since 2018, Liber Research Community, together with many other NGOs and green groups in Hong Kong, invited the community of Hong Kong to rethink the impacts of the Tomorrow Lantau Vision through rigorous and engaging research, as the Government pushed forward this highly controversial project. In early 2023, Liber, together with Greenpeace East Asia, published the research report “Uncertain fates- A study of problems faced by reclamation megaprojects worldwide”. The report has documented many failed artificial island projects overseas that have similarities to the Tomorrow Lantau Project. The rosy pictures about the failed project before commencement, as documented in the report, has helped to inspire the current project.