On the evening of September 26, 2014, what began as a student strike in Hong Kong evolved into the reclaiming of “Civic Square,” leading to the globally renowned “Umbrella Movement” that lasted for 79 days. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Umbrella Movement, with the street items from back then now turned into “artifacts”.
The Hong Kong-based group “We Are Hongkongers” (NGO DEI) in The Hague, Netherlands, organized the “Umbrella Chronicles: Hong Kong Protest Artifacts Exhibition”. They borrowed around 50 items related to the Umbrella Movement from the International Institute of Social History (IISH) in Amsterdam, including tents, umbrellas, giant banners, posters, Lennon Walls, helmets, umbrella origami, self-repair room signs, hand-drawn maps, flags, propaganda materials, paintings, photographs, and personal letters.
From September 26 to October 13, the exhibition showcases six main themes: Awakening, Different Paths Converging, Unheard Voices, Dead End, Neither Wither Nor Disperse, and We Shall Return. These themes revisit key moments from the Umbrella Movement in 2014 to the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) protests in 2019, displaying the unique creativity and sense of humor of the people of Hong Kong.
Over 100 visitors attended the “Umbrella Chronicles” exhibition on September 26. Notable guests present included speakers like Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, Nathan Law, Brian Leung, and Sienna Lau. Even from the United States, activist Joshua Wong participated in this historically significant event online. Discussions on “From the Umbrella Movement to the Anti-ELAB Protests – the Hong Kong Struggle Losing Its Ground” were held by the speakers. Following the forum, participants from diverse backgrounds continued to share and reflect on Hong Kong’s past decade and its future trajectory.
On October 12, during the exhibition, a book launch event titled “A Decade After – Civic Classroom” will be held, featuring professors Chang Chin-fai and Aguz Chiko as keynote speakers. Professor Chang will share his photographic works and his latest publication “A Decade After the Umbrellas: The Unfulfilled Dreams of Sha Tin Village”.
Curator Christine Chu expressed her hope that through these artifacts, audiences will gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s collective memory and become a part of passing down this history. She emphasized the use of art as a vehicle for history, fostering and preserving discussions on societal movements. The organizers, “We Are Hongkongers (NGO DEI)”, aim to ensure that persistence and hope seen in the Hong Kong protests are still visible through this exhibition. They pay tribute to all those who have fought for Hong Kong’s future and hope the lessons of the past decade will not be forgotten or overlooked.
Eef Vermeij, curator of the Asian Collection at the International Institute of Social History, remarked, “These items are from the Hong Kong people, so if you borrowed them for exhibition, of course, I agree.” Founded in 1935, IISH focuses on researching international social movements and their development, boasting a collection of over 30 miles of documents, scrolls, and manuscripts covering the history of international labor and social movements.
A month ago, Loretta Lau, founder of “We Are Hongkongers (NGO DEI)”, along with several volunteers, visited a large warehouse to “treasure hunt”, spending six hours sifting through a vast number of artifacts to select items for the exhibition. Loretta exclaimed, “It was a rush of memories! We were shouting as we unpacked the items.” She added, “Among the many artifacts, what struck me the most was a piece by a 4.5-year-old child known as SP. In their artwork, they depicted a boy and a girl with a rainbow and wrote, ‘Go, older brother, older sister!’ I couldn’t help but wonder, how is SP, now 14 or 15 years old, living?”
These artifacts, unseen for a decade, deeply moved volunteers like the one nicknamed “Chicken Feet”, who commented, “I am truly touched, as I wasn’t in Hong Kong in 2014! To participate in the unveiling this time and to touch these precious artifacts feels like a journey through time. I believe the Hong Kong people who collected these items were very clever, foreseeing the opportunity for them to be exhibited one day.”
Exhibition Details:
– Exhibition Period: September 26, 2024, to October 13, 2024
– Exhibition Venue: NGO DEI, Westeinde 25, 2512 GS, The Hague, Netherlands