Hidden within one of San Francisco Chinatown’s many narrow alleyways, 41 Ross is a small creative oasis that hosts interactive artist residencies and community programs. From now through Oct. 31, the studio is inviting visitors to tinker with various handcrafted sound devices, listen to ambient sound transported from Hong Kong, and explore self-guided sound tours based on stories submitted by Chinatown residents — all created by current 41 Ross’ resident artists, the Hong Kong-based Andio Lai, Hoi-yu Tsang and soundpocket.
Soundpocket program leaders Mandy Chan and Vanessa Lai have long been fascinated with the ways sound is replicated and transformed across the world. On their walks around the neighborhood, they listened to the rush of cable cars on Powell and Kearny Streets, along with the high voices of hawkers selling produce on Stockton Street — all reminiscent of the sounds of trams and street markets in their native Hong Kong. Turning corners, they could hear the shuffling of mahjong tiles and the chatter of elderly residents echoing from nearby parks. “And usually you cannot see them — you can only hear the sound,” says Lai. “That’s what interests us. It’s actually the same in Hong Kong.”
Soundpocket was formed in 2008 to provide education and resources dedicated to the ways sound can enrich and shape art and culture. In 2012, the organization launched The Library by soundpocket, an online sound database featuring ambient noise collected by Hong Kong residents. The library has since expanded to include an adjacent project titled Sound Scoop, which includes sounds gathered both locally and overseas. By collecting sounds and making them accessible for all, Chan and Lai hope to encourage people to be more present in their daily lives: to take in what is around them sonically and think about how these sounds can bring about a different kind of correspondence and reflection.
“We wanted people to try to stop for a little while and listen to what sounds you could hear,” says Chan. “Is an airplane flying around? Is a train passing by somewhere in a few blocks? Is there someone playing mahjong or listening to the radio at home? This is how we can observe our community and the people living in it.”
Chan and Lai will present various sounds from Hong Kong and Chinatown at a listening station in 41 Ross. Attendees will also be able to view a corresponding map on the wall as they listen. Keeping in mind the interactiveness of the space, Chan and Lai also hope that attendees will then seek the sounds themselves when they leave the building — or perhaps keep their ears open for new ones.
