PORTSMOUTH.- Acclaimed Hong Kong-based artists Kingsley Ng and Stephanie Cheung have created A Sea of Words for Portsmouth, a large-scale immersive experience shaped by the voices of Portsmouth. Presented by creative producers Crying Out Loud with local artists’ organisation 432 Nomads, it is the first art of event in its kind in the Grade II-listed Boathouse 5 in the historic Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and transforms the space into a place for contemplation, connection and collective expression.
This new commission builds on Ng’s and Cheung’s acclaimed work Over the Ocean, first created for Hong Kong’s Chater Garden in 2017. Originally conceived as an artistic response to urban migration, the installation has evolved with each presentation to reflect the life stories and experiences of its participants. For Portsmouth, it becomes A Sea of Words, continuing the artists’ long-standing interest in collective storytelling, participation and poetic spatial experiences.
A powerfully atmospheric circular trail leads to the heart of the installation, a 20-metre illuminated pool, creating a shared space for reflection and connection. Together with projections, sound, and archive footage, it forms an evolving portrait of the city through stories of journey, belonging and shared experience. As the experience unfolds, visitors are welcomed by the project’s Captains who encourage them to contribute their own word and release it into a growing sea of light and sound, joining the flotilla.
Over the summer, Cheung and Ng have worked with local communities and Portsmouth residents who have contributed their own experiences of sanctuary, memory and belonging – both through a single word and their longer personal story. Ten of the stories have been carefully selected to feature more prominently within the installation, while over 100 single-word contributions gathered across the city will appear on paper boats, forming a central sea of words. Visitors will also be encouraged to contribute their own word to set sail on the pool as they experience the installation.
A Sea of Words is part of Our Sanctuary: Ocean of Voices – a seven-month, community-led arts project. It is also presented as part of In Our Words – Portsmouth’s 2025 celebration of literature and storytelling, led by Portsmouth Creates.
Creative producers Crying Out Loud are known for bringing bold, visual performance and participatory projects to unexpected places. A Sea of Words is their first major production in Portsmouth since their move from London to the Historic Dockyard in 2023.
Kingsley Ng is an interdisciplinary artist and designer whose practice centres on conceptual, site-specific and participatory projects. His works explore the invisible and intangible, often using light, sound and spatial installation to shape immersive experiences. Kingsley’s projects have been presented at major institutions including the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Rome), Art Basel Hong Kong, and the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial (Japan). He is a recipient of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council’s Best Artist Award (Media Arts) and is currently Associate Professor at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University.
Stephanie Cheung is a curator, writer and creative producer specialising in site- and context-specific, participatory projects. She approaches curating as a practice of care, often working with communities in response to social and environmental challenges. Stephanie’s work includes Hi! Hill—Art in Situ (2018), After the Deluge (2017), and Aria (2020), among others. As Lead Curator of the Make A Difference Institute in Hong Kong, she has led multi-year programmes on cultural inclusion and community resilience. She holds a PhD from University of the Arts London and was awarded an Asian Cultural Council Fellowship in 2015.
