‘Funeral vibe’: HK$500,000 light art installation in Hong Kong’s East Kowloon slammed for poor taste and cost
- Images of LED roses display at East Kowloon Cultural Centre in Kowloon Bay went viral on social media
- Artwork has since been covered up and cordoned off by police, while the organiser says it will delay launch of installation until end of March
A low-cost light art installation in Hong Kong’s East Kowloon has ignited a wave of criticism online for its “funeral vibe” and perceived unnecessary cost, with its organiser saying it will delay the launch of the showcase until the end of March.
Images of the sea of light-emitting diode (LED) roses displayed at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre in Kowloon Bay went viral on social media from Wednesday, with users commenting that the area resembled a funeral parlour.
The flower bed, white in the daytime and blue at night, was covered up on Thursday and cordoned off by police.
Kwun Tong district councillor Cheung Ki-tang on Thursday revealed that the project cost more than HK$500,000 (US$64,000) and was planned as a photo-taking hotspot for young people.
Cheung said the committee members switched to LED flowers rather than the fresh ones because the latter “took too much effort in watering”.
“I do not feel like [the installation looks like a funeral house]. But apparently everyone has different opinions on the installation art,” the committee’s president told a radio programme.
Cheung added that the colour and design of the flowers and its display were not discussed in the meetings because these were “minor details”.
Councillors and members planned in January to spruce up the landscape of three locations in Kwun Tong district – the pier, city centre and the staircase outside the cultural centre – with decorations and the installation, according to the district council’s meeting notes.
Planting fresh flowers for the staircase installation was first brainstormed in the same meeting. But it was not until earlier this month that the proposal was dismissed, after an interdepartmental meeting and an inspection of the venue.
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“Due to technical concerns and budget limitation, the original proposal on planting flowers failed to execute,” according to the district council’s document on March 7.
The Home Affairs Department, which is in charge of the installation, said the project’s opening would be postponed until the end of March for adjustments on the design.
Some residents who had an early peek of the display criticised the budget spent on LED lights as a “waste”, while some on social media quipped sarcastically that it was a “fair deal” to spend HK$500,000 on a “mourning hall”.
Cheung said the council had been in touch with the contractor to make “small adjustment” to the lighting.
A three-month exhibition period is expected to attract mainly residents. Cheung added that an extension of the show could be possible if more positive feedback came in.
