the toronto thrill: where creativity lands leaving the arts desert

by Wyn Kon

Back in Hong Kong, I rarely got in touch with the arts. No, it’s not because I am not interested in the arts, but it’s because I don’t get the chances to. Hong Kong Museum of Arts? Been there. done that. M+ Museum? I’ve been there thrice. There aren’t a lot of places where I can just sit back and enjoy the arts. Why does this happen? People list various arguments: the land is limited, logistics and trading industries have a huge importance, there’s not enough funding… But is this truly the case?

Landing in the Pearson Airport, I was embraced by the arts. When I lifted my head up, I was welcomed by I Dreamed I Could Fly. The tinted Lexan reflecting in the daylight, the colors blending into one another, swaying around the skylight, creating a sense of weightlessness. When I was grabbing my baggage, As One… illuminated above me, the neon light against the red glass at the International Baggage Hall was so stunning. Just in a short span of 10 minutes, I was immediately indulged into two magnificent art pieces at a public space.

Throughout these four months in Toronto, I have engaged with the arts more than in Hong Kong. What interests me the most is that each art museum can cover works from various fields of the arts. The Gardiner Museum displays ceramics ranging from the East to the West, Arts Gallery Ontario exhibits art from the prehistoric times to contemporary arts, Royal Ontario Museum covers arts from different countries, ranging from Asia to Europe, Textile Museum of Canada displays indigenous textiles to modern textiles. It is impressive to me that the city of Toronto has opened the audience to opportunities to see all types of arts.

What about Hong Kong? The arts are barely appreciated by the government. The government gives minimal to no funding to artistic development, instead, the trading and logistics development is strongly cared for. Though the government is slowly looking into cultural development within the city, the financial power it provides is thin, and only a small number of arts organizations can work on small-scaled projects. The government has to think about other stakeholders of different sectors. There isn’t enough machinery to engineer interactive sculptures for the public and facilities to support creative industries development compared to Canada.

Then it strikes me. Most people in Hong Kong don’t want to care about the arts. Growing up, everyone has a strong motive of “making money”. A lot of Hong Kong artists face pessimistic feedback from others, “You want to be an artist? You can’t make money with that. How will you even survive?”. Yes, because how will you even make money when no one appreciates your art? The city is strong about the four big pillars: trading and logistics, financial services, profession and producer services and tourism. These pillars can help businessmen to make money fast, a cost-effective return, but in arts one needs to be patient.

What people fail to realize in Hong Kong is that the art market is growing, but the supply for the arts is low. There are various contemporary art auctions in Hong Kong which drive a high price, but investors and local artists are not willing to take the next step in engaging with arts auctioning because it takes time to generate profits. The people of Hong Kong should stop undermining the arts–if only local Hong Kong artists start to discover the public’s growing appreciation of arts and ignore the pragmatic expectations from the public, then maybe investors and the government will awaken to the case that the arts has the same level of importance as the other profitable sectors.

In a completely different geography, in Canada, the arts are highly pursued. The arts have an important role in education, and unlike in Hong Kong, being an artist is more widely considered as an occupation. There are more arts programs in the universities of Canada than in Hong Kong. And most importantly, there is little to no judgment in Canada. Want to start an arts project? Go for it, because unlike people in Hong Kong, people here are reckless. Reckless in a way where they won’t calculate further about profit. Artists here aren’t afraid to take risks, they express what they want to instead of being oppressed by the pessimistic views of the future of an artist. The mentality of “if you like it, then do it” moves me. I think the arts are flourishing here in Canada, because artists follow their dreams, people strongly believe in the arts, and both public and private organizations support it.

This shows that arts in Hong Kong also need private funding and public support to succeed. Hong Kong’s bustling arts scene has reached a new level of worldliness. The opening of M+, a world-class museum, along with international art fairs and trade events attract enthusiasts and collectors globally. When I visited Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now at M+, I lined up for 30 minutes just to be in the mirrored polka-spot room for 3 seconds. This proves the public’s enthusiasm towards art. So what are the private corporations scared of? They should start investing in the arts, maybe provide grants or funding for art galleries or museums. Not only will this promote the arts locally, but also attract foreigners and boost tourism.

As a Hong Konger, I just want to point out that the lack of government support may be one of the reasons behind the lack of artistic development in the city, but we can’t keep blaming the government. If only we cared a little more about the arts, if only we were more willing to put our trust of arts out in society, then maybe the arts in Hong Kong will start to blossom.