Police probe suspected theft of sculpture from Hong Kong City Hall ahead of art festival

Police have launched an investigation into the suspected theft of a sculpture from an exhibition hall at Hong Kong City Hall in Central after venue workers discovered the artwork missing during preparations for an upcoming media art festival on Friday afternoon.

Officers were alerted shortly after 2pm today when staff members noticed that the display item had vanished from the venue and reported the matter to law enforcement on suspicion of theft.

The Exhibition Hall at City Hall was hosting the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival 2026, themed around media arts under the title The Science of Materiality.

The exhibition features works by various local Hong Kong media artists and had held private viewings between October 27 and 29 without public admission.

The exhibition had been scheduled to open its doors to the general public from October 31 through November 8.

Venue organizers and crew were in the process of arranging displays and finalizing the venue setup today ahead of the planned public opening tomorrow when they realized the sculpture was unaccounted for.

Police officers were dispatched to the scene to conduct preliminary inquiries and inspect the exhibition hall. Investigators are currently scrutinizing security camera recordings from the surrounding premises to trace the movements of the missing artwork and identify any individuals who may have been involved.

Authorities confirmed that no arrests have been made in connection with the incident so far, and inquiries into the case remain ongoing.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓