Chow Chun-fai, Hong Kong , Election Campaign in Mixed Media, Size Variable, 2012

Last year, a notable event in Hong Kong’s art scene was Chow Chun-fai, a painter, ran for Legislative Council (LegCo) election. It was notable because in Hong Kong, one doesn’t always see artists getting involved in politics. It was notable also because it was characteristically Hong Kong, an event that would not have happened elsewhere. In a modern society, those getting into politics are more likely to be lawyers, merchants or soldiers. On relatively rare occasions when artists do run for elections, we imagine them to be eloquent critics, theatre actors or literati — thosewho know how to press the hot buttons of their audience’s. Painters normally do not go onto the political stage. They do not make their living by writing. They observe and express their thoughts with their works, made with their hands. They do have an influence on the society, but indirectly. Chow explicitly stated that “I do not buy into the concept of ‘political art’ all the way… why must artists show concern on social issues through their works? They can do so more effectively by casting their votes or joining demonstrations.” What he meant was that artists could also take the initiative to strive for changes in policies and the society they live in. Hence, on 26 July 2012, Chow entered the LegCo election at the Registration and Electoral Office. Together were his friends and supporters with one of his signature “paintings on movie”: a scene from Enter the Dragon when Bruce Lee said “To me there is no such thing as an enemy.” To Chow, there are two types of visual art practitioners, “some artists actively take part in social movements at the expense of art productions…..some, on the other hand, are totally ignorant of politics.” By saying so, Chow would probably like to find a golden mean, a middle ground between the two poles. In this opinionated era, very few want to take the middle way, which is the hard way. Therefore Chow’s running for election is an event that is worth documenting and understanding.