樹上樹下魚兒們

Fish in the Tree draws from over a decade of Chiyung Wong’s life in Hong Kong, Paris, and Finland. Through years of encountering, studying, and creating light‑based artworks and installations, he gradually realised that every person carries an instinctive, almost primal sensitivity toward light. 

Wong once dived into the deep sea in search of bioluminescent creatures glowing in darkness, hoping to discover new imaginations within a broader spectrum of light. That experience led him to a quiet understanding: “Humans cannot know the joy of fish.” The completeness and generosity of an ecosystem far exceed any system invented by humankind. Before speaking of innovation, perhaps we must first acknowledge that the world has never been governed by humans, but by nature itself. 

As one of the participating works in the Hong Kong Architecture Biennale, Fish in the Tree responds to the theme “Tri‑City: Time, Space, Humanity” and to ongoing reflections on sustainable development. In an era obsessed with the faster, the brighter, and the newer, Wong turns instead to the sign bulbs popular from the 1930s to the 1970s—energy‑saving, long‑lasting, and quietly resilient. Using traditional lamp‑making techniques, he hand‑crafted 100 “fish bulbs,” constructing an allegorical scene that poses a metaphorical question: 

“If one day fish were to live in the trees, what would they do?” 

Would they reshape and dominate their surroundings to suit themselves, or would they find a way to coexist with the environment? Fish in the sea live simply and sufficiently, lacking nothing. Yet we humans constantly speak of pollution and sustainability. Looking back now, one cannot help but wonder—has our moment for reflection already come too late.