Ho Tam, Vase with mobile phones, pagers and butterflies (FC-009) (2025)

Ho Tam  
Vase with mobile phones, pagers and butterflies (FC-009) 
2025  
inkjet on glossy photo paper  
edition of 5  
22 x 17 inches
unframed
 
 
Butterflies are symbols of transformation through the process of metamorphosis. In a way, it can be compared with the story of telecommunication in China.
 
Although telephone communication was introduced in Shanghai since the 1880s, telephones remained the instruments of the privileged for most part of the 20th Century China. Most people had to use public telephone booths. From the 1950s to 1970s, there were very few places where one could find a telephone besides the government offices. 
 
In the 1990s, the introduction of more affordable and accessible mobile phone and pager network began to change the landscape of telecommunication. With the opening up of telecommunication market and progress of technology, the nation now ranks first in the world in numbers of mobile telephones, and first in the number of internet users.
 
However, internet censorship continues to affect both publishing and viewing online material. Many sensitive and controversial events are censored from news coverage, preventing many Chinese citizens from knowing and discussing the actions of their government.