On the Umbrella Movement and Visual Arts: From the Occupied Areas to the Art Field and the Social World

The 79-day “Umbrella Movement” began in September 2014. The civil disobedience actions in the movement, which were never seen in Hong Kong before, started in a most unexpected way. A large number of citizens and political leaders started the long struggle by occupying the streets, which delivered an unpredictable outcome in such a mass movement, and which gave rise to this essay’s main focus: the role of the arts in the Umbrella Movement. The arts (especially visual arts) has occupied a central position in the event that will go down in history, and will be an important case study in art history for the understanding of the relationship between the arts and politics. This essay is a presentation of the perspective from an active participant and some first-hand material, which could serve as reference for other researchers. I happened to position myself in multiple roles in relation to the overlap between the Umbrella Movement and the arts, and the development of an eighteen-month long post-Umbrella Movement. Therefore, by reviewing my personal experience and thinking process, this essay gives a brief but reflexive account of the political movement.