Art exhibition of Hong Kong protest scenes opens in Taiwan

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) An exhibition featuring scenes and memorabilia from the recent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong opened in Taipei on Wednesday, with displays by artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and several other countries.

Some of the 66 participating artists used posters, newspaper front pages and other collectables to recreate scenes from the yearlong Hong Kong protests that started in June 2019.

Among the 100-plus displays is a drawing by Hong Kong artist Kay Wong, which shows two photojournalists wearing helmets, on the otherwise blank front page of Apple Daily's July 4 edition in Hong Kong.

The idea for the exhibition originated from the public's response to the February edition of the Creative Comic Collection (CCC) magazine, which featured images linked to the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, according to CCC project manager Huang Guan-hua (黃冠華).

"I thought that because of Taiwan's place at the center of freedom and democracy in the Chinese-speaking world, this (exhibition) was something we could and should do," said Huang at the opening ceremony at Taipei Comic Base, which organized the exhibition jointly with the CCC.

The exhibition's curator, freelance journalist Chen Yi-ching (陳怡靜), who went to Hong Kong four times in the past year to cover the pro-democracy protests, said there were some notable differences between that campaign and the 2014 Umbrella Movement there.

In 2014, the protesters occupied Hong Kong's Central district from late September to mid-December with sit-ins, but the current demonstrations are more like an urban guerrilla action, as the protesters have been staging gatherings that resemble flash mobs, at various locations throughout the territory, she said.

Chen said the central strategy of the ongoing leaderless protests is to remain fluid, as reflected in the visual images posted on Lennon walls and the graphics shared on Instagram, Telegram and other social media sites, which helped create a bond among the protesters.

Some of the protest scenes are highlighted at the current exhibition, including the Lennon wall in an underpass at Kwai Fong railway station, and a replica of the Hong Kong Police Headquarters.

The free exhibition also offers a virtual reality experience of the protests scenes, as well as guided tours every 30 minutes between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., which are available in English and Japanese with a one-week advanced booking.

The exhibition, featuring 45 artists from Hong Kong and others from Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and elsewhere, is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday, through to July 26.