Hong Kong Public Sculpture and the Cityscape

The writer starts by explaining the connotations of “public art”, suggesting that public sculpture has been the art form that receives most resources deployed for public art in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s public sculptures were first promoted by commercial corporations, such as the property projects by Hongkong Land Limited and Swire Properties Limited, and further supported by the public art projects of Government departments, including the Sculpture Walk and Sculpture Garden in Kowloon Park, the outdoor sculptures of the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and the artworks in the public facilities of the new towns and public housing estates. The writer also mentions the community projects launched by the District Councils and the feedback they received, elaborating on the impact of the number of public artworks and their display in the local cityscape. In addition, this essay touches on temporary public art projects and looks at their advantages by taking “Mobile M+: Inflation” as an example. It deals with integration between public art and the everyday life of the public. Successful examples include the High Line Park in New York and the “Tamar Development Project” in Hong Kong. Finally, the writer expresses his hopes for the development of public art in the future.