Tina Cheung: (Cantonese) We stayed in Venice for 45 days. M+ staff was there for the first two weeks. They taught us how to lead tours and how to maintain the exhibition. At the beginning right after the M+ staff left, I was super nervous. I thought if I just remembered (what they taught us), I could preserve the artworks beautifully and keep them in good condition. But later I found that plants and water are hard to control. I realised that Trevor and the curator (Olivia) were happy to see the changes and different possibilities that come with the artworks. I have to keep an open mindset to accept that different things would happen during this period.

(Tiffany, hello)

Tiffany Law: (Cantonese) Hello

(Today is your first time cleaning the pool, how do you feel?)

Don’t make me talk, or else the water will splash into my mouth.

Because the whole exhibition is a living one. Even with photos or previous procedures (as reference) still changes with the seasons. When everything is changing, it makes me feel like every situation is a new one. For example, when we arrived, the lotus plant looked grey. Slowly we noticed a small bud starting to grow, and then we witnessed the whole blooming process.

Sami Lee: (Cantonese) We are the fourth pair (of interns) that arrived during the hotter parts of summer. Then suddenly autumn came and the lotuses started to wilt visibly.

Vivian Chan: (Cantonese) There are actually many small animals near the venue, which became our unexpected guests. That added another type of ‘attachment’ to the place. Not only did we interact with tourists or our neighbours, we also interacted with small animals that lived here longer than me, that was very memorable to me.

Yanny Chau: (Cantonese) My feet are a bit cold.

Wing Cheung: (Cantonese) Same here.

Yanny Chau: (Cantonese) The reason I remember ‘Two Unwanted Lovers’ the most is because I witnessed the cloudy water turned clear. When I cleaned the front glass, I would sometimes accidentally stir up the algae, and had to wait patiently to see how many days it would take for the water to become clear again. The so-called ‘attachment’ is this waiting. You would have many expectations for it.

Rachel Tse: (Cantonese) Even when doing maintenance or facing visitors. How can we take a step forward to communicate and exchange our thoughts?

Kitty Leung: (Cantonese) Because Trevor told us at the beginning that maintaining the exhibition as an intern is also part of the exhibition. At first, I thought that it was as if we were roleplaying like caretakers of fish in a pet fish shop. But during my time working there, I found myself being placed in the fish tank by Trevor. Being placed in the exhibition, I never thought that besides learning and working, I would develop this kind of ‘attachment’.