Yun Kwan (Michelle) Lin

Fragments of a City: Layers of Memory and Voice 

qoowithmi

This project is an exploration of Hong Kong’s shifting identity, told through the voices of its people. Using the concept of palimpsest—the layering of histories, spaces, and memories—I collect personal stories tied to specific places in the city. These stories are then transformed into physical signs, each one made of three layers: typography to represent the voice, textures from the environment to reflect the physical space, and engraved memories to hold the emotional trace. 
The stories, gathered from 30 interviews across different generations, reveal not only the emotional attachment to place but also the cultural shifts in how people live, work, and remember. Older generations speak of building their lives from scratch, while younger voices reflect a desire for security and belonging. Many of the locations mentioned no longer exist or are under threat due to constant urban redevelopment. 
By preserving these fragments, the work becomes both archive and artwork—a quiet act of resistance against forgetting. It invites the audience to see Hong Kong not as a single narrative but as a city made of overlapping memories, voices, and textures. A city constantly rewritten, yet still deeply remembered.