April Zhang

Opinion | ‘Chubby Hearts’ and foreign stars won’t make Hong Kong an arts and culture hub

Rather than look towards foreign artists and celebrities, the government must ditch its shortsighted, utilitarian view of the arts and culture, and instead nurture genuine local aspirations

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A “Chubby Heart” floats in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok district on February 14. Photo: Elson Li

April Zhang

Published: 5:30am, 21 Feb 2024

Those giant, red, heart-shaped balloons that popped up around Hong Kong on Valentine’s Day made me think of the Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas. Both displays said exactly nothing about their host cities.

The Super Bowl show was too much like previous ones. Even a small Vegas tribute would have made it stand out: perhaps a hologram of Elvis performing for a few seconds? It would have added cultural and historical dimensions to the game.

Hong Kong’s giant “Chubby Hearts” balloons are even more generic. I walked past the one at Statue Square. It looked replicable, like a red heart emoji blown up – not much of a novelty, and not so different from a WhatsApp emoticon.

It is therefore astonishing to learn that the Hong Kong government is considering giving HK$7.8 million (US$997,000) to the organiser for installing these balloons, thinking they will attract tourists and promote the city as an arts and cultural hub.

Neither objective will be achieved by these floating emojis.

While I was at Statue Square, I saw a dozen or so people and a lukewarm response to the balloon. Later, I saw tourists interviewed on TV saying they would not make a special trip just to see the balloons because “It’s just a balloon”. Don’t criticise the tourists; I wouldn’t either.