The affective cultural commons of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and figurations of the anonymous protestor

Abstract

ABSTRACT The cultural commons which foregrounded an aesthetically pleasing and affective commitment to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement’s comprised, in addition to urban graffiti juxtaposed with posters and post-it notes on Lennon Walls, a variety of consumable artworks including food items. This work introduces the notion of visceral citizenship and discusses how, through creative art forms, the identity and ‘figure’ of the Hong Kong protestor is (re)produced through its capacity to engender raw, affective feelings and orientations towards China through sensorial embodiments. In the aftermath of a recently introduced national security legislation creating a fresh climate of fear, cultural artefacts popular with pro-democracy Hong Kongers encourage the material consumption and (re)production of a localist identity and politics of belonging to Hong Kong that engenders visceral and affective responses from viewers. Visceral forms of belonging, it is argued, have the potential to not only create creative forms of activism but provide an important substrate to Hong Konger identities in the body.