Building on a multiyear project that deepens understanding of Tai Kwun’s heritage, the new exhibition presents historical research alongside community-driven public art, offering insights into migration and displacement.
Tai Kwun is proud to announce the launch of Victoria Prison F Hall: Finding a Place to Call Home, a new permanent heritage exhibition opening 1 Oct 2025.
From the early 1980s until its closure in 2005, a section of Victoria Prison was used as the Victoria Immigration Centre to process the repatriation of Vietnamese boat people and unauthorised immigrants from different countries.
In this heritage exhibition, rarely seen historical photos provide context for this chapter of the prison’s history, illuminating forgotten histories such as the perilous journeys of swimmers attempting to cross the border by sea, and the arrival of vessels carrying Vietnamese boat people. There are also images revealing the site’s function as a detention centre and some of the struggles of those held there, including rooftop protests by Vietnamese detainees in D Hall and demonstrations staged atop a tree in the Prison Yard.
A highlight of the exhibition is the mural Resilience created by Eric Okdeh, a U.S. based artist with more than 20 years of experience in community-driven public art. Resilience is a collaboration between the artist and community members: a culmination of workshops and individual interviews with former Vietnamese refugees, migrants, people seeking asylum, former staff of Victoria Prison, and a former Hong Kong marine police officer who oversaw the rescue of Vietnamese refugees. Inspired by their experiences, and artworks from the workshops, Okdeh created a powerful piece that weaves together a diversity of narratives and voices, ultimately expressing a universal quest for hope, peace, and belonging.
This project affirms Tai Kwun’s commitment to inclusion and cultural participation for all.
Associated Public Programme
In conjunction with the launch of Tai Kwun’s new permanent heritage exhibition, a special edition of Tai Kwun Conversations will explore the Vietnamese refugee experience through a compelling dialogue. Tai Kwun Conversations: Revisiting Hong Kong’s Vietnamese Refugee History invites two speakers from markedly different backgrounds, a Vietnamese refugee-turned-scholar and a former Marine Police commander who participated in rescue operations during the crisis, to revisit a pivotal moment in history, offering personal and collective insights into the challenges faced and the resilience shown. This programme not only brings historical memory into contemporary relevance but also encourages reflection on global migration and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Programme
Tai Kwun Conversations: Revisiting Hong Kong’s Vietnamese Refugee History
Schedule
Date: 13 Oct 2025 (Mon) Time: 7pm – 8:30pm Venue: JC Cube, Tai Kwun Speakers: Les Bird (Former Marine Police commander and Author), and Dr Carina Hoang (Author and Ambassador for Australia for UNHCR)
*The conversation will be conducted in English with English-Cantonese simultaneous interpretation.
New Permanent Heritage Exhibition
Victoria Prison F Hall: Finding a Place to Call Home
From 1 Oct 2025 11am to 7pm
G/F, F Hall, Tai Kwun
https://www.taikwun.hk/en/programme/detail/victoria-prison-f-hall/1635
About Eric Okdeh
Philadelphia based muralist and glass artist Eric Okdeh began creating public art in 1998. After receiving his BFA in painting from the Tyler School of Art, he chose to focus on socially engaged public art exclusively. He came to that decision after comparing the experience of his first solo exhibition as a painter with what he knew to be true about the process of creating inclusive large scale public works and the impact that process has on communities.
Community driven public art can provide a voice to those who feel disenfranchised and powerless. Eric Okdeh has created multimedia projects tackling difficult subject matters such as addiction, mass incarceration, and overcoming the stigma of mental illness. Central to the process is conducting interviews in communities.
Eric Okdeh has over 150 public art commissions throughout the northeast United States as well as murals in Hawaii, Spain, Jordan, and Norway.
