Aerial Quest to Photograph Hong Kong's Basketball Courts
In 2019, photographer Austin Bell embarked on an extraordinary mission to capture all 2,549 outdoor basketball courts across Hong Kong. Utilizing drone cameras and Google Maps, Bell spent 140 days shooting over 40,000 photos, offering a fresh perspective on the city's urban landscape and recreational spaces.
Uncovering Hidden Urban Gems
Bell's project began after his first visit to Hong Kong in 2017, where he was captivated by the rooftop court at the vividly colored Choi Hung estate. 'I thought it was a really cool spot, not so much because it was a basketball court, but just visually,' he recalls. As he explored further, he noticed more courts tucked between housing estates, often echoing the bright colors of their surroundings, which starkly contrasted with the bland asphalt surfaces common in his native United States.
The sheer density of Hong Kong allowed Bell to photograph upwards of 100 courts in a single day, meticulously planning routes to maximize efficiency. His work highlights how basketball, the most popular sport among young people in Hong Kong, has led to the creation of numerous 'pocket parks' and accessible recreational facilities, even in one of the world's highest-density cities.
Notable Courts and Artistic Insights
Among the many courts documented, several stand out for their unique settings and designs:
- Kwun Tong #54: A school court in Kowloon with a faded pink color scheme matching the surrounding housing estate, since repainted.
- North #77: Overlapping rain-drenched courts at a school in the Sheung Shui neighborhood, showcasing the area's weather patterns.
- Eastern #29: A court under a bridge overpass in North Point, illustrating the integration of sports spaces into urban infrastructure.
- Cheung Chau #58: A famed basketball court on the beach at the outer-lying island of Cheung Chau, later refurbished.
- Kwai Ching #20: A court framed by greenery in a park, now overgrown, reflecting natural changes over time.
Bell describes his obsession as driven by a desire to show an unseen perspective of Hong Kong and fully explore a city that captivates him. 'The insane became mundane. I had become an obsessive completist, unable to rest until I found every court in the city,' he explains.
Urban Exploration and Cultural Impact
Photo editor Catherine Phillips notes that Bell's work aligns with the concept of 'dérive,' a term coined by Guy Debord in the 1960s to describe playful and intuitive urban exploration. 'The city is Austin's playground too,' she writes, emphasizing how his project dissociates from everyday relationships with the built environment to study physical geography and psychological responses.
The project culminated in a book titled Shooting Hoops, available from Blue Lotus books, which organizes visually striking courts by district and offers reflections on urban exploration and the artistic interplay between space and sport. This collection not only celebrates design but also provides a unique snapshot of Hong Kong's diverse topography, from schools and housing estates to abandoned sites and private developments.
Bell's work underscores the accessibility of sports facilities in Hong Kong, where most residents can find recreational spaces within walking distance, contributing to the city's vibrant community life and cultural identity.
