‘A new view of the city’: US artist Sarah Morris’ film of Hong Kong, star of M+ facade, offers an outsider’s depiction

She’s made films about New York, Beijing and more. Now Sarah Morris talks about capturing the aura of Hong Kong in her latest piece, ETC

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American filmmaker Sarah Morris talks to the Post about her unique artistic language, and giving a fresh perspective on Hong Kong in her latest film, ETC. Photo: Sarah Morris

Fionnuala McHugh

Published: 11:15am, 25 Feb 2024

On January 26, two depictions of life in Hong Kong had their global premieres.

One was Expats, a six-part Amazon television series starring Nicole Kidman, based on the 2016 novel The Expatriates, by Janice Y.K. Lee. The outside world has given it mixed reviews but as no one inside Hong Kong is (legally) able to watch it, no further analysis is possible here.

The other was ETC, the latest film by the British-born American artist Sarah Morris, which is being screened on the facade of M+ every night and is therefore theoretically accessible to Hong Kong’s population until March 17. After that, it can be seen at Tai Kwun Contemporary until April 14.

For that first evening, M+ chartered a Star Ferry so that museum friends and invited media could watch from the water.

A screening of Sarah Morris’ ETC seen from Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. Photo: M+/Tai Kwun Contemporary

Morris, who wasn’t present, has been making films about cities since 1998. Her first, Midtown, was shot in New York on a single day and is nine minutes, 36 seconds long.

From the beginning, her fascination with shiny architecture, anonymous humans, urban transport and corporate power was evident; since then, she’s shifted her gaze further afield – to Washington, Miami, Paris – and the work has become longer.