Elegy to Hong Kong Protest Movement Takes Prize

On May 12, the nonprofit human rights organization Justice Centre Hong Kong announced the winner of this year’s Human Rights Arts Prize (HKHRAP) as Kam Wa Magus Yuen, who will be awarded a cash prize of HKD 35,000 (USD 4,520).

Yuen, whose work focuses mainly on minority groups, wins with an inkjet print titled Hong Kong Symposium 2019 (2019), portraying a vanitas still life of dry leaves in a tear gas canister on a white table cloth. The work calls to mind the ongoing civil unrest in Hong Kong—which began in mid-2019 over a now-withdrawn extradition bill—during which tear gas has been repeatedly fired by the police to disperse crowds of protestors. In 2017, the artist won a Director’s Choice award from HKHRAP for his photography work Closet (2017).

The runner-up works also reference the city’s social movement. Benson Koo’s three-minute video Dream Criminal (2019) depicts a dystopian future where young people are being prosecuted for pursuing their dreams. Chan Kiu Hong’s mixed-media sculpture of a candle enclosed by a faceless porcelain female figure, Mo Soeng (2019), alludes to memories of the events that unfolded in the city. The artists will be awarded a cash prize of HKD 7,500 (USD 968) and HKD 5,000 (USD 645), respectively.

There are three new categories this year, sponsored by private donors. The Justice Centre Award, which recognizes the artist whose work best resonates with the organization’s mission, is conferred to Ben Kostrzewa for The Portrait Project (2019), a series of 12 photographs of people of different ages and ethnicities. Kostrzewa will receive HKD 2,500 (USD 322). The Student Award for secondary school students goes to Cristiana Papadopolous, who wins with her watercolor painting of a skyscraper, Perpetual Climb (2019), visualizing Hong Kong’s wealth disparity. Meanwhile, Armechan (Man Chi Loy), the winner of the “45 Seconds for Human Rights” Award presented in partnership with Goethe-Institut Hong Kong, will embark on a one-week paid trip to Berlin once the threat of Covid-19 recedes, to experience the city’s cultural scene. Man’s winning work is the stop motion video Popo Dragon (2019), featuring Hong Kong children during the protests.

Founded in 2013, the HKHRAP supports Hong Kong-based artists in their journey of exploring and interpreting the states of human rights at home and abroad. The sixth edition of the prize was judged by a panel consisting of artist and 2017 HKHRAP winner Christy Chow; artist and 2004 Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller; writer and former associate director of Galerie Perrotin Peter Augustus Owen; photographer and 2014 HKHRAP winner Katie Vajda; director of culture at Eaton Workshop Hong Kong, Chantal Wong; and artist Dr. Kacey Wong. Jury members judged the prizes based purely on the artworks, with artists’ identities kept anonymous during the process.

An awards ceremony will be streamed live today at 7 pm (GMT+8) via Facebook. All 35 shortlisted artworks, including the winning pieces, will be featured in an online exhibition until June 6. Curated by local artist and writer KY Wong, the exhibition is supported by Goethe-Institut Hong Kong and the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macau. Interested viewers can bid for the artworks in an online auction until June 6. The proceeds will go toward the prizes for the winning artists as well as to the operation of the Justice Centre Hong Kong.

Ashlyn Chak is an editorial intern of ArtAsiaPacific.

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