Plug pulled on Pac-Man again
Artists say that although Frenchman's creations have been blotted out, his message of challenging the establishment is etched on city's memory
The resurrected Pac-Man has been gobbled up again. But the spirit of challenging the establishment - as intended by the artwork's original creator - lives on, the local arts community says.
With its latest removal from the same Tin Hau wall, the street art of tiles featuring characters from the iconic arcade game Pac-Man has fallen victim twice to the government's efforts to "keep the streets safe".
The authorities first moved in on the creation, by French street artist Invader, in February. Members of the public responded to artists' calls to fight back and put up a second version less than a month later - only to have their efforts defeated.
Invader's creations at many other sites, including a Hong Kong Phooey Dog in Happy Valley and another work near the Central ferry piers, were also no more, readers told the South China Morning Post.
"But the moment of the impact of these artworks and the public's restoration has touched the hearts of many," artist Kacey Wong, who was among the group calling for a "Space Invaders Restoration Scheme", said yesterday. "This moment lives on forever in the people of Hong Kong."