Editorial | Events can ill-afford to leave Hong Kong deflated
- Controversy over display of blow-up global landmarks risks damaging image of city as mega events capital
Events involving art displays have never been easy to handle. They sometimes even develop into full-blown public controversies when there are differences involving conceptualisation, curation and perception.
This is reflected in a city row over inflatable replicas of global landmarks, inspired by artificial intelligence (AI)-generated artworks.
Whether the waterfront carnival featuring miniatures of Stonehenge, the pyramids and other sites appeals is a matter of judgment. The magnificent Victoria Harbour is arguably such an attraction in itself that it will take something truly inspiring and extraordinary to beat it.
But that did not deter the organiser of the SummerFest@Central from taking the bold step of showing the inflatables for people’s enjoyment.
Unlike the beloved giant rubber duck installation that returned to the harbour last year to cheers and excitement, “Inflatable Wonders” has been nothing short of a disaster, with critics comparing the plastic Stonehenge to blow-up gravestones.
