Residents angry at 'rear window' photographer
Inhabitants of a Sai Ying Pun apartment block say German artist Michael Wolf's voyeuristic - and telephoto - images violate their privacy
Angry residents of an apartment complex claim a well-known photographer may have invaded their privacy - taking pictures of people in their homes with a telephoto lens - without their approval.
"If I see the photos on a gallery wall, I'll rip them down," said resident Clinton Mack, 33. "I don't care if he's some renowned artist. He can't profit from anyone's image without their consent."
"If I see the photos on a gallery wall, I'll rip them down. I don't care if he's some renowned artist. He can't profit from anyone's image without their consent
The photos, taken through windows, capture moments such as a woman helping a child with homework, a girl lying on her bed talking on the phone and a man doing push-ups in his living room. In a few of the sample photographs, which Wolf published on his website, the subjects' faces are visible. In others, they are blurred or obscured.
Each of the more than two dozen residents who spoke to the South China Morning Post, and two security guards, have identified the apartments in the website photos as their building in Sai Ying Pun. A spokesman for the building's management office, however, said they could not identify the building from the photos.
Wolf, an internationally exhibited photographer who lives in Hong Kong, has told the South China Morning Post that the series is not yet complete, and that he plans to publish a book featuring the photographs. He refused to respond to questions about legal concerns and complaints from residents.