The White Book

After 100 years of British colonisation, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997. Now the established ‘one country, two systems’, principle appears to be shifting, with signs of censorship and rumours of more to come. In this context, what is the role of information design when information is prevented from reaching the public? This is what Yoko Wong Chor-Kiu examines in ‘The White Book’.

The book is her answer to publishing as an act of resistance in times of suppression. It is an empty dummy as a blank canvas. It is given meaning by the images projected onto it. These images are a call to action, taken from everyday life. From a shadow in a swimming pool, to a pattern of leaves, subtle and temporary messages are captured in film. Blink and they are gone. Or were they ever really there? The book is no longer a subversive object in itself, but a transient channel. The power to communicate remains in the hands of the people. They are everywhere and nowhere.