Anya Hindmarch's Chubby Hearts takes lead in a series of mega-events to be held in Hong Kong

A giant inflatable heart will be installed at the Statue Square in Central from Valentine’s Day. The installation - Anya Hindmarch's “Chubby Hearts” will be the first of nine mega arts and cultural events to be held in Hong Kong this year.

Speaking to the press on Friday, Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, the chairman of the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Committee, said the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund will be supporting nine mega events this year, aiming to stimulate not only the economy but also the development of the cultural industry in Hong Kong. 

The three highlights include an art installation “Chubby Hearts Hong Kong,” Louis Cha Leung-yung - commonly known as Jin Yong’s centennial celebrations, and the international pop culture event “ComplexCon Hong Kong 2024.”

Cheng said "Chubby Hearts Hong Kong" - organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre, will kick off the series of mega events.

The installation, designed by English fashion accessories designer Anya Hindmarch, features a floating red heart with a diameter of approximately 12 meters at the Statue Square in Central. It will be on display from Valentine's Day until the Lantern Festival. 

Additionally, smaller floating red hearts with a diameter of around 3 meters will “pop up” daily at various landmarks and tourist attractions across Hong Kong, including the Flower Market in Mong Kok, Lam Tsuen Wishing Square, and the Ap Lei Chau Waterfront Promenade.

The event is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors, said Cheng.

As for the centennial celebrations of Chinese literary giant Jin Yong, a large-scale sculpture exhibition featuring characters from his novels, including Yang Guo and Xiao Long Nu, will be held at Edinburgh Place in Central from March 15 to July 2.

The exhibition will also showcase a Mongolian yurt from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and incorporate digital creative technology to introduce various martial arts characters from the novels. The event is expected to attract 400,000 visitors.

The "ComplexCon Hong Kong 2024," meanwhile, is a renowned international pop culture event in the United States and will be the first time for the event to be held outside of the country.

It will take place from March 22 to 24 at the AsiaWorld-Expo, and is expected to attract over 30,000 visitors.

Also speaking at the press conference, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said promoting major events is a core focus of authorities' work, in which officials will coordinate among different government departments to enable the successful holding of the events if necessary.

Yeung noted that there are several highly anticipated events in the first half of this year in Hong Kong. Apart from the visit of the football team Inter Miami, there will also be a fireworks display on the second day of the Lunar New Year, he added.