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華師傅 Master WA, 木工組 Carpenter team
June 25, 2025
Today I went to the Carpenter Team, found a nice spot to sit beside a big fan. This small workshop isn’t one people linger in much — their main job is replacing the wooden frames on the trams. The timber wears out over time, so sometimes the sifus (masters) will sand it down, but more often they just craft new strips to replace the old ones. One of the carpentry sifus, who used to work in renovation, told me he actually prefers it here — the pressure is far less than in his previous job. Jokingly, I asked if anyone would be willing to help put up a wall in my new studio. Back at the office for our temporary R&D department, I bumped into a few colleagues, including Leung sifu. I offered to do free portrait sketches for them and invited them outside for photos. Each of them chose their favourite tram as a backdrop and struck their favourite pose. Man sifu even insisted on taking me back to his own department to find the perfect spot for the photo. He told me that before, on the Mainland, he worked in the field of 3D software and knew digital tools inside out. But life took a different turn, and he eventually joined the tram company as a blue‑collar worker. He was incredibly passionate, and introduced me to every one of his colleagues, one by one.
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今日我去咗木工部,喺部大風扇隔離搵咗個靚位坐低。呢個工場嘅師傅馬不停蹄咁工作,主要係負責換電車嘅木框──因爲啲木用耐咗會耗損,師傅間中會打磨一下,但主要都係整新木條換走舊嘅。 位木工師傅本身有裝修嘅經驗,但就話反而鍾意喺度做,覺得比起以前嗰份工冇咁大壓力。我順勢同佢講笑,話我新工作室要裝幅牆,問佢哋有冇人肯幫手。 返到「Ding Lab」研發部嘅臨時辦公室之後,我見到幾個同事,其中有良師傅。我主動提出同佢哋免費畫人像畫,仲邀請佢哋去辦公室外面影相。個個都揀咗自己最鍾意嘅電車做背景,擺出最鍾意嘅姿勢嚟影。 其中文師傅仲特登帶我返去佢個部門度,搵個最靚位嚟影。佢同我講,佢以前其實喺大陸係做3D軟件,好熟數碼工具,不過後來因為生活轉咗軌道,嚟咗電車公司做藍領。佢好熱情,逐一介紹晒所有同事畀我識。
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About
DING LAB: The Birth of the City Cyborg

A City resembles an organism. It is always in a state of flux, moulded by interplays of preservation and abolition, nostalgia and transformation, as well as identification and alienation.


The tram is the city’s vessel. Herald as one of the earliest forms of public transportation in Hong Kong, trams have been circulating the city's lifeblood— it’s people—since the dawn of the 20th century. They cultivate and nourish stories that have arisen from every corner of the streets, fuelling the city’s relentless development. For over a century, this organic network developed into an urban ecosystem, bearing witness to the city's kaleidoscopic transformation.

Foreseen Agency, an artist duo comprising Pat Wong Wing-shan (Flyingpig) and Kachi Chan, employs a field research-driven anthropological approach to craft speculative institutional narratives that challenge social norms in relation to nostalgia and urban development. In October 2024, the duo created the fictional R&D Department “Ding Lab” – at the Tram Depot to connect with the community of workers at the Hong Kong Tramways. By visiting and learning about various departments in the Tram Depot, they explore the philosophies behind each industrial process of tram construction and its associated structural community, driving a reimagination of tram’s future. In turn, the duo developed their prototype, Tram0, a cyborg integrating biotechnology with biomechanical structures and systems.


This art project manifests a tram journey exploring Tram0. It examines the dynamics of heritage transformation and sustainability while navigating the tension between historical roots and future aspirations. This journey invites viewers to reflect on the delicate balance between critical engagement with the past and forward visions.
主辦 Presented by
節目伙伴 Programme Partner
DING LAB:城市賽博格的誕生


城市,猶如一個擁有自主意識的個體。保存與消弭、記憶與更迭、認同與差異碰撞交匯,勾勒出一座城市獨一無二的風景。


電車是城市的載體,作為香港歷史上最悠久的公共交通工具之一,電車自上世紀初開始勾勒城市的生命線,輸送她的「血液」——人們滋養每個街角萌生的故事與記憶。一個多世紀以來,這個活躍的網絡漸漸建構出一套完整的生態系統,見證這個都市永無休止的變遷。


「Foreseen Agency」由藝術家組合黃詠珊(飛天豬)和陳家智創立,他們憑藉實地考察與人類學研究方法,建構出富思辨價值的結構敘事,挑戰有關保育與發展的社會規範。2024年10月,兩位藝術家於電車廠創造虛構研發部門「Ding Lab」,以此與香港電車的師傅和車長群體緊密連結。透過走訪電車廠不同部門,藝術家深入探討電車工業的製作流程,了解其背後哲學及社群結構,藉此重新想像電車的未來,並結合生物技術與生物力學結構系統,開發未來仿生電車原型《Tram0》。


本藝術計劃借《Tram0》的探索之旅,探討文物保育與可持續發展的交錯互動,並探索過去與未來願景之間的張力。是次旅程邀請觀者深思——一座城市如何在安置自身的過去與未來之間取得微妙平衡?
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