芒果王
策劃：梁志剛＠社區種植計劃
藝術家簡介
「社區耕種計劃」是一個社區實踐，以行動直接搜集在油麻地區內各種耕種過程與成果。這些耕種計劃發源於活化廳，繼而在油麻地落地生根，從地面發展至天台，又從天台生長到地面，隨著社區一起成長。這個計劃將它們的故事和鄰里之間的關係與互動收集起來，和大眾分享。「社區種植計劃」是活化廳藝術／行動者駐場計劃的一部份。
藝術家的話芒果王策劃： 梁志剛＠社區種植計劃自四年多前搬來香港，我對本地農產產生了濃厚的興趣。2013年8月，從油麻地德昌里一班朋友那裡得知，有位流浪漢在附近的空地耕種。然後，在一天日落時分，我們一行人在交錯的高速公路上遊走，直至走到一片荒廢空地，密密麻麻長滿了蕃薯，而在這堆農作物旁邊，放了一列裝滿清水的水瓶－顯然有人在這裡耕種。
芒果王是一位香港的遊擊農夫。
在「安居」的傳統意義底下，芒果王是無家可歸的，單靠在油麻地的政府空地上以耕種生活。我跟他第一次見面是在2013年9月9日的早上。自那次起，我常常去探望他，有時候和幾個朋友一起，數數手指也有超過二十次。
年初， 政府說要開拓馬路接駁交通到西九，要求芒果王在7月中之前撤離他的家和耕地。不止是由於馬路開拓，Christopher DeWolf最近在一篇文章
寫道：「香港政府在電視上賣的廣告都衝著非法種植而來，把這些非正式的菜地一塊塊摧毀─他們對遊擊園藝一點都不友善。」這些棄置的空地，沒有山泥傾瀉的危機，只為社區帶來種種正面影響。我們應該好好的停下來了解一下，像芒果王般的農夫和他在「無人地帶」裡所自發開拓的農地 。
是次佈展期間（2014年6月底），芒果王自知在這塊農地時日無多，遷徙的日子迫在眉睫，可是他繼續在無用之地生活，專心耕作。現時，他仍然每日抵著炎夏播種， 每天為他的植物、蔬菜、果樹澆水兩次 。
2013年8月，油麻地的獨立社區藝術空間活化廳，邀請我參與他們的藝術家駐場計劃。與天台耕種這個較難與街坊直接交流的方式完全相反，我決定在地面一層與周圍的街坊實行社區耕種。箇中的關係、故事和街坊之間的交流都一一被紀錄起來，讓公眾參考。「社區耕種計劃」亦曾於2013年12月在Kubrick Café和書店中展出。駐場計劃中的一部份以芒果王的遊擊田為中心，而這次受到「油街實現」邀請，能夠在這個名為「假如（在一起）」的展覽中進一步闡述這段關係。
芒果王現時正在栽培一棵荔枝樹、四棵香蕉樹、二十棵辣椒樹和超過四十棵木瓜樹，還有其他植物。「芒果王之農莊地圖」列出了這張詳盡的清單。 他的農務方式，十分令人欽佩，他的農地不但有機，還體現了樸門永續設計中多個原理
──芒果王會觀察並與城市觀景互動，因為是次遷徙，他利用創意的方法撤走農田，把所有的植物和樹（有些比他還要高）安置別處，他會利用自創的「海貍儲水法」來收納能源，透過節省種子增加產量，以堆肥減廢，又會利用慢和輕巧的方法像「火山種植法」，洞察不被盡用的政府官地潛能，在邊緣上耕種。大家總是不禁驚歎芒果王的農地、收成和他的隨機應變的能力。「芒果王日記」將會不斷更新，為油麻地的店舖、市區農夫、街坊和其他人物提供與這次協作有關的資訊。
芒果王和他的農場讓我反思，重新定義自己作為市區農夫、油麻地街坊，以至香港公民的角色。 有些日子當我太忙或者太累，不想到天台農場播種或澆水，我總是想起芒果王的正能量和對他的農地的投入和承擔。他的務農方式鼓勵我，更讓我認識到生命中很重要的紀律。作為油麻地街坊，我有幸能夠被許多志同道合和互相幫助的人和團體包圍著─尤其是介紹我認識芒果王的一班朋友。
這二十次以上，或長或短的拜訪經驗和內容，將會在展覽中和網上展出。當一天芒果王被趕走了，這個充滿創意的實錄將紀錄一個香港人怎樣以頑強的耐力， 在這越來越難住人的城市裡自力更生。這個城市租金不斷上升、店舖越趨同質、 社區重建計劃具破壞性，還有新界東北的農地問題。 我希望這個故事能夠鼓勵大家重新定義公共空間的使用方法，思考我們在自己社區中的角色，想清楚我們到底想要在怎樣的城市裡生活。
﹣﹣﹣
芒果王是一位油麻地的遊擊農夫。在第十一次拜訪他時，得知他熱愛芒果，因此自封芒果王此美名。
「社區耕種計劃」由2013年活化廳的藝術行動者駐場計劃開動，是一個關於市區農業、建基於社區的自發計劃，由社區和獨立策劃的展覽延續運作。
梁志剛是一位設計師、養峰人和市區農夫。他專注與香港環境和社會文化有關的計劃， 作品包括供給先人的概念物，以及市區農業計劃HK Honey、HK Farm和HK Salt 。
Mango King
By Michael Leung “Community Farming Project”
Proofread by Alexandra Tung
Since moving to Hong Kong over four years ago, I have developed a strong interest in locally produced food. In August 2013, a group of friends from Tak Cheong Lane in Yaumatei told me about an outdoor space nearby where a homeless person was growing food. At sunset and in single file, we meandered through a circuit of highways before reaching a piece of derelict land where an island of sweet potatoes thrived. Situated next to the sweet potato crop was a collection of bottles filled with water. Somebody was clearly farming here.
Mango King is a guerrilla farmer
in Hong Kong. He is without a home in the traditional sense of having stable accommodation, and lives on his farm that is located on unused government land in Yaumatei. I first met him on the morning of Monday 9 September 2013. Since then, I have visited him, sometimes with friends, over 20 times to date.
Earlier this year, Mango King was requested by the government to vacate his farm and home by mid July, due to a road extension that will connect traffic to the West Kowloon development. In addition to the road extension, Christopher DeWolf writes in a recent article
, “Hong Kong’s government is no friend of guerilla gardening, running television ads against illegal planting and tearing up informal vegetable patches”. In areas that are unused, not prone to landslides and serve the community in only positive ways, we should take a moment to understand farmers such as Mango King and what he has self-initiated in this “no man’s land”.
At the time of this exhibition setup (late July 2014), Mango King continues to farm attentively and live in this unused space, aware that his days here are numbered and that he will need to relocate imminently. Presently, he continues to sow seeds and water his plants, vegetables and fruit trees twice daily in the summer heat.
In August 2013, Wooferten, an independent community art space in Yaumatei invited me to participate in their Art Activist in Residence programme. I decided to focus on community farming on the ground floor, with the neighbourhood, as opposed to farming on the rooftop, which is often relatively inaccessible. Relationships, stories and neighbourhood interactions were documented and archived for public reference, and the “Community Farming Project” was exhibited at Kubrick Cafe and Bookshop in December 2013. One part of this residency focused on Mango King’s guerrilla farm, and I have been invited to elaborate on this relationship in this exhibition, “Can We Live Together?” at Oil Street.
To date Mango King is currently growing one lychee tree, four banana trees, 20 cayenne chilli pepper plants, over 40 papaya trees and much more. This thorough list can be seen in “Mango King’s Farm Map”. His approach to farming is impressive, organic and follows many of the Permaculture Design Principles
–Mango King observes and interacts with the urban landscape, catches and stores energy through his “Beaver Water Collection” technique, obtains a yield through seed saving, produces no waste through composting, uses small and slow solutions such as his “Volcano Planting” technique, uses edges and values the marginal in seeing the value of this under-appreciated government land, and creatively uses and responds to change in his willingness to vacate his farm and relocate all his plants and trees (some of which are even taller than him). The “Mango King Diary” updates Yaumatei shops, urban farmers, residents and other people on our collaboration. People are often impressed and surprised by Mango King’s farm, yield and resourcefulness.
Mango King and his farm allow me to reflect and define my roles as an urban farmer in Hong Kong, a neighbour in Yaumatei and a citizen in Hong Kong. On days where I am too busy or tired to sow seeds or to water our rooftop farm, I often reflect on Mango King’s positive energy and commitment to his farm. His approach to farming energises me and introduces an important level of discipline in my life. As a neighbour in Yaumatei, I am fortunate to be surrounded by many like-minded and supportive individuals and collectives, especially the group who first introduced me to Mango King’s farm.
The 20+ times that I have visited Mango King—some short, some long—are exhibited here and online. When Mango King is evicted, this creative archive will serve as testament to a Hong Kong citizen’s great lengths and efforts to sustaining himself in a city that is an increasing challenge—with unsustainable rent increases, the homogenisation of shop spaces, destructive urban renewal projects and farmland issues in the North East New Territories—to live in. Hopefully his story can encourage us to redefine how public space can be used, what role we can play in our communities and what type of city we want to live in.
“Community Farming Project” is a direct, tangible and community-based collection of urban agriculture projects rooted in Yaumatei. Initiated at Wooferten, these urban agriculture projects grew from the street level with the Yaumatei community. From the bottom up and from the rooftop down.Relationships, stories, neighbourhood interactions are documented and archived for public reference.“Community Farming Project” was part of the Wooferten Art Activist in Residence (AAiR) program.
