Hong Kong Photojournalist Exhibition Cancelled Days Before Opening
A retrospective exhibition celebrating 35 years of the Hong Kong Photojournalist Association, titled “Presence,” has been abruptly cancelled just days before its scheduled opening, raising concerns about artistic freedom and access to public spaces. The association received notification on Friday evening, November 21st, that the Gu Mingjun Exhibition Hall at Baptist University required urgent repairs and was no longer available for the event.
The cancellation comes as a significant blow to the association, which spent nine months preparing the exhibition. According to a statement released by the group, finding an alternative venue on short notice proved impossible given the exhibition’s scale. “Due to the many uncertainties involved and the lack of timetable for venue issues, the association finally decided to cancel this exhibition,” the association stated.
Images circulating online, reportedly provided by readers to Yahoo News, depict workers dismantling the exhibition setup in the early hours of Saturday, November 22nd. A notice posted on the exhibition hall door indicated the facility was “temporarily closed for repairs.” Scattered exhibition materials, including photographs, were left on the floor.
Among the works impacted by the cancellation was a photograph by Lin Zhendong of End Media, capturing the former headquarters of the now-defunct Apple Daily three years after its closure. This image recently won the annual picture award in the “Frontline·Focus 2024” news photography competition. The exhibition aimed to showcase pivotal moments in Hong Kong’s history, beginning in the late 1980s, and highlight the contributions of local photojournalists.
The “Presence” exhibition was intended to be more than just a display of photographs. The association hoped to educate the public about the evolution of photojournalism in Hong Kong and to celebrate the work of its members. The group expressed disappointment that the exhibition would not be accessible to the public as planned, describing it as “a great loss to the promotion of the photojournalist industry and its future development.”
Despite the setback, the Hong Kong Photojournalist Association remains committed to its mission. The association emphasized that its members will continue to document events and preserve important historical images. “Although the ‘Presence’ exhibition cannot continue, Hong Kong photojournalists will still stick to the frontline to cover events, record events for the public, and preserve important historical images for Hong Kong,” the association affirmed. They plan to share some exhibition-related records online and encourage interested parties to follow their updates.
