{"id":561843,"date":"2026-03-24T20:31:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T20:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/561843\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T20:31:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T20:31:12","slug":"austin-bell-chronicles-every-single-one-of-hong-kongs-2549-basketball-courts-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/561843\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Bell Chronicles Every Single One of Hong Kong’s 2,549 Basketball Courts \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Austin Bell<\/a> first visited Hong Kong in 2017, he was struck by the chromatic vibrancy of its public basketball courts. Coming from the U.S., where these surfaces are often the neutral and uninteresting textures of asphalt and other materials, he was compelled to document the range of vivid color combinations, especially within the context of high-rise neighborhoods and urban infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Bell set out to capture 2,549 outdoor basketball courts around Hong Kong\u2014every single one there is in the region. The resulting series, SHOOTING HOOPS, not only highlights the physical courts but conveys a unique portrait of the region and the spaces where people can mingle. \u201cTo me, basketball courts are one of the most interesting subjects for aerial photography because they look so different from above than the ground,\u201d Bell tells Colossal. \u201cTheir flatness and geometric design become an almost extraterrestrial tableau\u2014like concrete crop
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For such a densely populated place, Bell\u2019s images are often devoid of people, giving the colorful scenes a subtle ghostly feel. Looking closely, though, you can often see passersby out and about, illustrating the abiding popularity of these urban recreation parks. \u201cOne of the newest ones is at a playground called Chung Sing, which is so named for the sound a bell makes, so the designers stylized the surrounding area with audio waveforms,\u201d Bell says.<\/p>\n

Bell captured the photos in 2019, trawling Google Maps\u2019 satellite imagery and using his drone to explore spaces between buildings and trees. Over the course of 140 days of shooting during multiple visits, he took more than 40,000 photos. He often photographed from dawn to dusk, and it wasn\u2019t unusual for him to shoot upwards of 100 courts in a day. Once, he meticulously planned a route and captured a mind-boggling 475 courts in a single day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe insane became mundane,\u201d Bell says in a statement. \u201cI had become an obsessive completist, unable to rest until I found every court in the city. My obsession was fueled by two desires: to show an unseen perspective of Hong Kong and to fully explore a city that I feel so captivated by.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find more on Bell\u2019s Instagram<\/a>, and purchase the photo book from his webshop<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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