Cool Hunting

Shek Kip Mei Estate, Hong Kong's oldest public housing estate, is composed of 100 rooms, each closet-like in size at only 100 square feet and built in response to a devastating fire in the 1950s that left thousands homeless. In a new series of photographs called "100 x 100," Michael Wolf captures the residents of this housing complex who are almost enveloped by the diminishing space around them, their belongings stacked to the ceiling.

As in Wolf's earlier images of Hong Kong called "Architecture of Density," this series presents an alternate and more human perspective on the socio-economic state of Hong Kong. The repetition of each resident's expression mirrors the repetition of the building and the city itself, where people struggle for space in an overpopulated urban environment and redefine the notion of "modern living." An interesting view for those of us living in large cities that require residents to live in smaller and smaller spaces.

More images here.

100 x 100
30 June 2007
Robert Koch Gallery
49 Geary Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108 map
tel. +1 415 421 0122

Also on Cool Hunting: Hong Kong: front door / back door