Hong Kong - Cultural desert

Do you know that Hong Kong has been nicknamed “cultural desert” because of her lack of art and culture scenes?

Yeah, this mockery is pretty well-known, so I doubt it if you said you don’t.

Most people who grow up or have lived in Hong Kong for a long time can tell you why: art and culture can’t make money. And let’s not forget the “force-fed” style education in Hong Kong, which emphasise on reciting and scores more than anything else. Almost everyone who grows up here have been bewitched by the “study well; get good grades; get a good job; make lots of money” curse. How can people be creative? How can they appreciate the products of creativity?

And even though the government has been spending money on promoting art and culture in Hong Kong, the result is disappointing because either a) people simply can’t enjoy arts and prefer something more “materialistic”; or b) people complained that the government has no understanding on arts and its “ugly art project” can’t help the culture industry.

So, are we Hongkongers going to “die from thirst” in this desert?

Well, there have been way more large scale art exhibition in the recent years; the Art Basel being held in Hong Kong is a huge breakthrough; Hongkongers got angry when the government removed the street artworks made by a famous French artist a few years back; more youngsters try to protect and promote their own culture…

All these simply suggest Hongkongers still care about this “desert”.

So let’s not be too pessimistic, it takes time for plants to grow in desert, ok?

It may not turn into a forest, but an oasis is pretty nice as well, isn’t it?