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Vivienne Chow

The “Naked Man” sculptures by a world famous artist mounted on the rooftop of buildings in Central Hong Kong have sparked calls to the police from citizens who mistook them for suicide attempts.
The 31 life-sized sculptures by UK artist Antony Gormley, part of the public art installation Event Horizon, confused some passers-by who thought they were witnessing someone about to jump off a building - the most common way of committing suicide in Hong Kong.
The police received three reports from worried citizens yesterday, which generated heated discussion on internet forums.
“How would I know it was a sculpture looking from afar? It’s really scary,” one netizen wrote in discussion forum Golden.
READ MORE: Event Horizon rooftop sculpture display by British artist Antony Gormley must come with sensitivity about suicides in Hong Kong
“Seriously this has gone too far. What if it becomes ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’?” wrote another netizen.
But some web users defended the project, saying that it is art and calling the police was embarrassing.
The police said it received the calls yesterday at 9.12am, 2.20pm and 3.15pm.
“Citizens reported to the police, suspecting a person standing on the rooftop of St George’s Building attempted suicide,” the police said. “Officers were sent to inspect the site and it turned out to be a sculpture.”
Seriously this has gone too far. What if it becomes ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’?
Web user’s comment
Event Horizon is a privately-funded public art project presented by The British Council, with the K11 Art Foundation as the event’s lead partner providing programme, finance and venue "support".
Of the 31 sculptures, 27 are made of fibreglass each weighing 30kg, and mounted on rooftops, while four are made of cast iron and each weigh 630kg. These are set up at ground level.
Organisers began installing the sculptures on Wednesday on the rooftops of City Hall lower block, Hip Shing Hong Centre, New World Tower II, St. George’s Building and the Queensway Government Offices.
According to a 2011 HKU survey, 14 out of every 100,000 Hongkongers committed suicide in 2010, a higher rate than France, the US and the UK. Of those, half killed themselves by jumping off a building.
Last year, Hongkong Land reportedly withdrew sponsorship following objections from J.P. Morgan after one of the US investment bank’s Hong Kong employees plunged to his death from a Hongkong Land building in Central.
Super star Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing also killed himself by jumping off Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central in 2003.
READ MORE: On the edge: How acclaimed 'man on rooftop' sculptures nearly fell victim to fear of public criticism in Hong Kong
A spokesman for the project said organisers were looking into installing five sculptures per day across Central and Western district until November 17.
Event Horizon will be officially launched on November 19 at Statue Square in Central. The installations will remain in place until May 18.
Although Gormley will only make a short visit to Hong Kong, the spokesman said the artist had been working with the installation team remotely.
Born in 1950, Gormley is a world famous artist who was the winner of the Turner Prize in 1994. He was made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997 and a knight in last year’s New Year’s Honours list.
M+, the West Kowloon visual arts museum in the making, acquired Gormley’s 2003 work Asian Field after receiving a US$1 million donation. The installation consists of 210,000 hand-sized clay sculptures.
The artist will give a talk at the University of Hong Kong on Monday. A series of educational programmes will also start on Monday, including lectures, seminars, workshops and guided tours.
Event Horizon was first mounted in London in 2007. It travelled to New York City in 2010 and San Paulo in Brazil in 2012.


'Naked Man' sculptures on Hong Kong’s rooftops spark calls to police after they’re mistaken for suicide attempts

A 'Naked Man' sculpture on the City Hall rooftop in Hong Kong. Some Hongkongers have mistaken the art installation for suicide attempts. Photo: Felix Wong

A 'Naked Man' sculpture is seen displayed on the City Hall rooftop in Hong Kong on November 12, 2015. The statue is the first first of 31 sculptures to be mounted on some of the city's most iconic buildings as part an art project called "Event Horizon" by British sculptor Antony Gormley. AFP PHOTO / Philippe Lopez = RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE, MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION, TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION = XART

A 'Naked Man' sculpture on the City Hall rooftop in Hong Kong. Some Hongkongers have mistaken the art installation for suicide attempts. Photo: AP

Art as acupuncture: Antony Gormley on statues Hong Kong rooftops will host  

Event Horizon 2007 UK

Protesters hold umbrellas at protest site during "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" (OCLP) movement in Admiralty. 01OCT14

Event Horizon New York, 2010

Event Horizon, Hayward Gallery, London. Architects:

Event Horizon, New York, 2010

Event Horizon, Sao Paulo, 2012

Event Horizon, London, 2007

Anthony Gormley's sculptures to pay Hong Kong a visit

"Event Horizon" has been held in cities around the world since 2007, including London. 

Anthony Gormley. Photo: Nora Tam

New York has also played host to "Event Horizon"

Event Horizon in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Photo: Edouard fraipont

I spy a 'Naked Man': Antony Gormley's nude sculptures atop buildings intrigue Hong Kong

A 'Naked Man' sculpture atop the City Hall rooftop. Photos: Felix Wong

A 'Naked Man' sculpture atop the City Hall rooftop. Photo: Felix Wong

A 'Naked Man' sculpture atop the Queensway Government Offices in Admiralty.

A 'Naked Man' sculpture atop the Hip Shing Hong Center in Admiralty. 

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Hong Kong

Education

Life-sized sculptures appear on roofs throughout Central - and generate heated discussion on social media
