“Fold and Tell” is a response to the recent social and political turmoil of my hometown, Hong Kong. On June 2, 2015 I began making origami umbrellas, something that protesters and supporters of the Umbrella Movement often made during the 79 days of the Occupy, before the performance officially started. I did that for about five hours. I then shared my story with the audience about how the relationships with my friends and family in Hong Kong changed due to our similarities and differences in our views towards the movement. I felt that I gained more respect from some, while I felt alienated by others. When I was done talking, I put all the origami umbrellas inside my tucked-in shirt and crushed all the umbrellas by pushing my body against the wall. I took all the crushed umbrellas out and left the gallery.

I was living in the US while the Umbrella Movement happened and I was not able to participate in it other than reading about it and watching it online a couple hours every day. “Fold and Tell” is about longing for my hometown, and at the same time, being an outsider from my hometown. It is also an investigation of the therapeutic effects of making and storytelling.