The Handshake 302 “Village Hack” residency program invites artists, writers, scholars, and curious citizens to explore Baishizhou, a large, centrally located urban village in Shenzhen.

We’re calling this program “Village Hack” because we hope to encourage a fresh group of artists and scholars to take a new look at how Baishizhou lives and works and even plays.

Each resident asks and answers a simple question over the course of their one- or two-week stay in Handshake 302. For example, a Village Hacker might ask the question, “What do my neighbors do for fun?” or “Can I live in Baishizhou without air conditioning?” Each day, the “village hacker” post the results of their experiment on the group blog “白鼠笔记 / Village Hack”. The last day of their stay, the resident holds an open house, when friends and guests can learn see, hear, smell, touch and perhaps taste the results of hacking Baishizhou. The findings might be a series of photographs, a poem, or a reading of a stream of consciousness free write.

The initial period of the experiment is May through June. If you are interested in signing up for a one or two week residency, please contact me to discuss your particular hack.

We look forward to learning what your hack reveals about everyday life in Baishizhou!