The Battle of Public Sculptures

Abstract

Along Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, there are three public sculptures that interestingly illustrate the political landscape of Hong Kong after the city’s return to China. In 1997 China gave to Hong Kong a sculpture called ‘Golden Bauhinia’, which shows consciously and subconsciously the authority and expectations of its new owner. Like an after thought, the Special Administration District government later installed a pillar as a meek and humble declaration of its loyalty. Across the harbor a sculpture was installed in earlier 1992. Entitled the ‘Flying French’ by the French artist Cesar Baldaccini, it is popularly believed that the work was originally called ‘Freedom Fighter’ in commemoration of the Beijing Students Movement in 1989. Secretly the officials forcefully retitled it. Believing in the real meaning of the sculpture, subversive actions were taken to reclaim the title ‘Freedom Fighter’ and by themselves the public resurrected it as an icon for local political struggles. The tree sculptures physically and symbolically illustrate the political tension and struggles for freedom and democracy of a people under the rule of communist China.