Hong Kong's 'Exhibition of Unfreedom' in Ginza, Tokyo
- Project
- EXH-010
- Location
- Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
- Date
- 27 January – 15 February 2020
Organised by the Lady Liberty HK team and funded entirely by proceeds from charity sales, "香港の不自由展" — Hong Kong's Exhibition of Unfreedom — ran for 21 days in Ginza, Tokyo, to widespread public acclaim.
The exhibition was designed to tell a complete story of Hong Kong's pro-democracy struggle to Japanese audiences. One half of the space was dedicated to 11 carefully edited video clips documenting the anti-extradition movement, each subtitled in Japanese and English with key dates marked — visitors consistently described them as clear and accessible. The other half showcased original works by Hong Kong artists, recounting the movement's most affecting moments through a more personal lens: from the solidarity of "brothers climbing the mountain together" to the grief of "9 June 2019," many Japanese visitors left the exhibition moved to tears, pledging their support for Hongkongers.
Beyond the art world, the exhibition attracted significant media attention over its 21-day run. Asahi Shimbun covered it in print, and NHK broadcast a feature during morning prime time — drawing a new wave of visitors. One Japanese attendee, Mr Hamakawa, came specifically after watching the NHK report and was overcome with emotion: "I feel deeply saddened. In Japanese news, I had never seen images this shocking. We live freely in Japan — something so ordinary, and yet for Hong Kong it is so different."
The exhibition also displayed Lady Liberty HK, bringing the statue to Ginza as a symbol of the resistance movement that had spread far beyond Hong Kong's borders.
The Lady Liberty HK team thanks the participating artists for their work, the volunteer team responsible for planning, design, production, and installation, and every visitor — from Hong Kong and overseas — who came to bear witness.
Participating artists (in no particular order): Mark Law, pon.seed, Harcourt Romanticist, Kin Fung, Childe Abaddon, Man僧, 柳廣成, Kai Lan Egg, 塵阿力, 太陽事務 Sun Office, Siubing Sun, Kinchoi Lam, Townbuilding Man.
Photo credit: E_I_A_D