Take a Look at Hong Kong's Ingenious Outdoor Storage Solutions

Having lived in Hong Kong since 1994, photographer Michael Wolf has continually provided the world with a keenly perceptive and particular view of the city, as well as catching native Hong Kongers off-guard with a surprising representation of their own hometown, most notably in his photo series “Architecture of Density.” In “Back Door,” Wolf instead chooses a more human-scaled subject in the form of people’s personal belongings spilling out into public view, given the densely-packed urban configurations of the city and the cramped living spaces that this gives rise to — oftentimes, residents are forced to appropriate the back alleys behind their homes, fences and drains, among other things, in highly creative ways of storing their possessions. “The premise for the project is that Hong Kong’s back alleys are of cultural importance, that they reveal something about the character of the Hong Kong people,” says Wolf. “Everything has meaning — a bunch of gloves hung to dry on some coat hangers is more than just a bunch of gloves hung out to dry. They are part of the narrative of the city and its people.”