Capturing hearts and minds through art

The "Chubby Hearts" art installation created by British designer Anya Hindmarch aims to attract 100,000 people during its display in various spots in Hong Kong until next Saturday, a member of the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Committee said.

The massive floating red heart measuring about three meters in diameter can be seen floating in the air outside the Hong Kong Maritime Museum in Central yesterday.

Another bigger floating red heart 12 meters in diameter has been on display at Central's Statue Square since Wednesday and will be there until February 24.

Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting, a member of the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Committee under the government's Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, spoke on a radio program yesterday about the committee's key performance index of attracting 100,000 people. But it will be hard to calculate how many of them are tourists.

"The number of tourists is more difficult to estimate than in events requiring tickets but we can refer to big data, such as the flow of people in various districts where the Chubby Hearts pop up," she said.

Ng believes Anya Hindmarch's reputation, with "Chubby Hearts" being her first installation in Asia, will convince travelers to make a special trip to Hong Kong. Aside from boosting the economy and tourism, the displays bring a joyful atmosphere to the city, she said.

"In addition to the number of people attracted, the cultural and artistic characteristics of the event is also a factor we attach importance to," Ng added.

Kevin Tsui Ka-kin, chief economist of research firm Orientis, said the searchability of the project could reflect its popularity.

"The search rate may not transform into money in the short term, but with more people paying attention [to events], Hong Kong can be branded as an interesting city filled with creativity," Tsui said.

But local in-depth tour company Walk in Hong Kong's co-founder Paul Chan Chi-yuen said the SAR needs to enrich its cultural atmosphere to maintain its attractiveness to visitors and relying on "check-in" projects is not enough.

These check-in projects can be set up anywhere and relying on tourists coming to take pictures will not be a sustainable plan, he said.

"We have to connect tourists with the cultural elements of this place and work on bringing in the community experience and interesting bits of local lives to them," Chan added.

Chan also urged the government to organize interdepartmental collaboration and discuss with industry leaders on how best to promote the uniqueness of the city and benefit more community businesses when hosting the next mega event.

Wholesale and retail sector lawmaker Peter Shiu Ka-fai said high touring costs in Hong Kong make it difficult to compete with nearby regions.

Shiu said more countries are granting visa-free access to mainland visitors and suggested that the SAR government should resume multiple-entry permits to attract more visitors from the Greater Bay Area.