Kowloon Walled City Heterotopia in a Space of Disappearance
"The Walled City was predominantly a Space of Illusion where it fulfilled the actions that the government suppressed and provided for demands that were considered incompatible with society."
This is how humans adapt to harsh environments propagated by colonialism, while isolated from the resources necessary for survival. The result of crisis may create an environment of deviance that challenges the status quo. [The] "'Dark Twin' to Hong Kong, providing a shadow economy to fulfill the needs that a formal economy cannot meet. This shadow economy was in obvious conflict with the Hong Kong government yet it was also a place that provided products and services that were in demand. The idealized illusion of Hong Kong as a perfect place the government endeavored to create, could only have been plausible if there was another place which represented all that the administration stood against. The Walled City was therefore portrayed as self-sufficient and isolated, able to represent the moral shortcomings of the colony."
Kowloon Walled City is an intricate urban sanctuary that has evolved a distinct way of life; put into historical context, Matthew Hung and Greg Girard deliver a narrative of survival and transformation in the face of opposition.