Quarantine Archipelago (2019)
Far Away, Too Close
Tai Kwun Contemporary
Hong Kong
25 January - 29 April 2019
Curated by Ying Kwok
Contagious Cities
Wellcome
Read Gayle Chong Kwan's research in developing the work
![Low res Gayle Chong Kwan Quarantine Archipelago Contagious Cities 2019](/media/low-res-Gayle-Chong-Kwan-Quarantine-Archipelago-Contagious-Cities-2019_2023-01-15-154534_elxb.jpg?v=1673797534)
![Low res Contagious Cities 32](/media/low-res-Contagious-Cities-32.jpg?v=1673798370)
I was interested in the way in which the expansion in photography coincided with the advent of the third global bubonic plague which spread from south-west China to Hong Kong in 1894, which went on to kill 12 million people. This was the first time a global epidemic had been communicated to the public through photographs. I was struck by the way in which islands have been used at different times as sites of quarantine, but also for keeping immigrants at bay, and as penal colonies. I created an archipelago of eight historical quarantine islands, each surrounded by a 'sea' of close-up images and illustrations of the diseases from which they sought sanctuary and protection, preserved in sea salt.
![Low res Small Canada Grosse Ile](/media/low-res-Small-Canada-Grosse-Ile.jpg?v=1673798394)
Canada, Grosse Isle
![Low res Small Crete Spinalonga](/media/low-res-Small-Crete-Spinalonga.jpg?v=1673798416)
Crete, Spinalonga
![Low res Small Hong Kong Hei Ling Chau](/media/low-res-Small-Hong-Kong-Hei-Ling-Chau.jpg?v=1673798431)
Hong Kwan, Hei Ling Chau
![Low res Small Mauritius Flat Island](/media/low-res-Small-Mauritius-Flat-Island.jpg?v=1673798444)
Mauritius, Flat Island
![Low res Small New York Bedloes Island](/media/low-res-Small-New-York-Bedloes-Island.jpg?v=1673798459)
New York, Bedlow's Island
![Low res Small New Zealand Kamau Taurua](/media/low-res-Small-New-Zealand-Kamau-Taurua.jpg?v=1673798476)
New Zealand, Kamau Taurua
![Low res Small Venice Lazaretto Nuovo](/media/low-res-Small-Venice-Lazaretto-Nuovo.jpg?v=1673798512)
Venice, Lazaretto Nuovo
![Low res Small Venice Lazaretto Vecchio](/media/low-res-Small-Venice-Lazaretto-Vecchio.jpg?v=1673798527)
Venice, Lazaretto Vecchio
![15527e49 1841 47f5 b920 c2286b73f9d1](/media/15527e49-1841-47f5-b920-c2286b73f9d1.jpg?v=1673799423)
![D76bc3f8 4207 4e6f afba e0c023e88e90](/media/d76bc3f8-4207-4e6f-afba-e0c023e88e90.jpg?v=1673799444)