These floating emojis accomplish neither purpose.
When I was at the statue square, I saw more than a dozen people having a lukewarm reaction to the balloon. Later, I saw a tourist in a TV interview say, “I’m not going to travel all the way just to see a balloon because it’s just a balloon.” Don’t criticize tourists. Neither do I.
There’s nothing particularly special about this installation, and given the fickle nature of social media, these balloons have done little to make Hong Kong an arts and culture hub. What they instead revealed was where the government went wrong.
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Messi incident in Hong Kong
Messi incident in Hong Kong
Governments view arts and culture from a utilitarian perspective, using these events as marketing tools to attract tourists and promote economic growth. This short-sighted approach will narrow the arts and culture space where people chase trends and the few “big” options offered by businessmen.
Building a true arts and cultural hub requires self-understanding and long-term nurturing. We need to build from the bottom up, taking advantage of Hong Kong’s unique characteristics. We are far from there.
What Hong Kong needs to become a truly world-class cultural hub
What Hong Kong needs to become a truly world-class cultural hub
This suggests that he had a desire for artistic expression and wanted to find beauty in life. It is a non-utilitarian exploration of the human spirit. This is where art begins and thrives. Unfortunately, his desires were not directed in the right place.
Both career creative workers and aspiring artists may be able to take advantage of government assistance. But first, our country’s officials must recognize the true artistic aspirations of our people, balance them with the need for economic development, and provide the necessary space for the creation and appreciation of art.
Such efforts may not be measurable from a social media perspective, but they will transform Hong Kong into a true arts and culture hub.
April Zhang is the founder of MSL Master and author of the Mandarin Express textbook series and the Chinese reading and writing textbook series.