Hong Kong Pandemic Resistance Art Exhibition

The Hong Kong Pandemic Resistance Art Exhibition (香港抗疫美術作品展) was jointly organized by Hong Kong Art, Hong Kong Golden Bauhinia Art Research Institute, The Hong Kong Artists Association, and Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, among other groups in May of 2022. It exhibited 150 pieces of artwork by Hong Kong or Mainland China-based artists depicting scenes of frontline healthcare workers and aid from the Central Government to control the spread of the virus in Hong Kong. Fighting the Pandemic Together, Smooth Transport of Cargo by Xiaoliang Chen, Conviction under the Lion Rock by Ping Sam, and Time Is Life by Ximan Xie were among the pieces shown in the exhibition.

Fighting the Pandemic Together, Smooth Transport of Cargo depicts groups of masked Mainland Chinese volunteers wearing “Pandemic Resistance Volunteer” armbands, loading bags of supplies onto trucks with the slogan, “Aid from the Central Government / Fighting the Pandemic Together” printed on them, before they cross the border into Hong Kong. A man carries a fish representing “有魚 (having a fish)”, which in Chinese is a homophone for “有餘 (having more than enough),” symbolizing the bountiful donations of resources from Mainland China, and could also imply that Hong Kong relied strongly on Mainland China for fresh produce, meat, and necessities amid export restrictions around the world.

Conviction under the Lion Rock is a portrait of a healthcare worker wearing a surgical mask, cap, and scrubs, with his gaze turned upwards showing his steadfast resolve. In the background on the left is the Lion Rock, a geographical landmark symbolic of the “Hong Kong spirit,” characterized by hard work, flexibility, and perseverance. Originally coined in the 1970s to describe the work ethic and attitude of grassroots workers, the painting imbues the “Lion Rock spirit” with new meaning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic by praising the efforts of healthcare staff in treating COVID-19 patients. On the right are notable buildings from Hong Kong’s skyline, such as the Bank of China Tower and the International Commerce Center. The healthcare worker standing in front of iconic Hong Kong locations represents the protection of the healthcare sector over Hong Kong during the pandemic.

Time Is Life depicts three masked workers on a construction site of mobile cabin hospitals, or temporary hospitals consisting of many separate pre-furnished mobile cabin units, in Hong Kong. A crane in the background unloads a mobile cabin unit on the ground, which will provide several wards for the mobile cabin hospital. These hospitals housed COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms and later quarantined close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Hong Kong received supplies such as the mobile units and manpower from the Central Government to aid in the construction of mobile cabin hospitals.

This art exhibition was notable because of its relatively large scale, and its endorsement by then Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam. As such, the content and sentiments featured in the artwork generally aligned with the government’s narratives of the pandemic, particularly its pro-China stance. The selected artworks feature a fusion of traditional Chinese art styles and contemporary Hong Kong subjects, such as mobile hospitals and medical staff in personal protective gear. They showcase visual narratives that depict medical staff as defenders of Hong Kong and emphasize the bond between mainland China and Hong Kong, using Chinese painting and calligraphy. They also represent two main directions that narratives of COVID-19 control efforts promoted by the Hong Kong government: locally, appreciation for the efforts of medical staff to protect the public and externally, gratitude towards the Central Government for its support towards Hong Kong during the pandemic.