Morgan Wong, That’s How I Used to Know I Have In Fact Crossed This River, 2015

Even after reunification, it is not only physical boundaries that still set apart Hong Kong and China; there is also the invisible separation between the two places through scent. Lowu Bridge is one of the most prominent connection-division junctions between Hong Kong and Shenzhen where one can immediately sense the distinction in scent beyond the border controls. 

For this new commission, Wong worked closely with a senior perfumer from International Flavors & Fragrances, a leading company in the design of synthetic scents, to create a scent of the memory of arriving onto the other side of the Lowu Bridge (including the “scent of human oil, sweat, metal, grass, fuel etc.”). 

Apart from scent, the work also includes a sculpture in the form of a pavilion referencing a historical image. The work is currently on show until 6th Sept 2015 at Para/Site Art Space, an internationally acclaimed non-profit art space in Hong Kong. You can read and see more here.