US artist Patrick Amadon says work with flashing names of Hong Kong opposition activists removed from screen in busy shopping area

A US artist on Thursday accused the Hong Kong government of removing his artwork which flashed the names of opposition activists on a giant screen in the city centre a day after a pro-Beijing newspaper suggested the piece promoted violence.

The digital artwork No Rioters, 2023, by Los Angeles-based artist Patrick Amadon, which featured a panning surveillance camera on a black and red background and momentary flashes of activists’ information, was shown on the giant LED screen in Causeway Bay, one of the city’s busiest shopping areas.

On Thursday at noon, the Post observed that the artwork was not displayed on the screen built on the wall of the Sogo department store. Only commercials were shown.

A spokeswoman for the city’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said it had not contacted the department store for anything related to the art piece nor had it been involved in the incident. The Post has also reached out to the Security Bureau, Amadon and Sogo for comment.

“According to a pro-Beijing outlet, I am ‘pro-rioters’. This is correct,” Amadon wrote on his Twitter account after revealing his work had been taken down.

On Wednesday, pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po published an article saying the giant screen in Causeway Bay was displaying an art piece “supporting violence”, adding the installation also contained names of opposition activists.

It also quoted Amadon’s earlier interview with local media in which he expressed his support for the 2019 protests. He had no concerns about any legal issues that might arise from his work.

In the earlier interview, Amadon explained he “did not want the sacrifices, principles and people who participated to be forgotten”.