“Candle and Its Shadow” features rare and powerful images taken by two photographers during the June 4th candlelight vigils held in Victoria Park in 2009, 2020, and 2021. Once the site of a sea of candlelight in Hong Kong, the park has fallen silent under political suppression. But Hongkongers in exile continue this remembrance and resistance in the UK and beyond.A 4-meter replica of the Pillar of Shame will also be erected in Manchester for the first time and exhibited at the Harbour Bonham gallery, hosted by Bonham Tree Aid. Created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, the Pillar of Shame is a global symbol of resistance against authoritarianism. First brought to Hong Kong in 1997 to honor the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, it was forcibly removed in 2021, marking a profound loss of freedom in the city.
Photographers: Vincent Poon, Prof. Cheung Chan-fai
Featured Artist: vawongsir, Mei-yuk Wong
Guest Speakers include:
Tsui Hon-kwong — veteran figure in Hong Kong’s democracy movement (HKASPDMC)
Jens Galschiøt (video message) — creator of the Pillar of Shame
Zhou Fengsuo (video message) — Tiananmen student leader
Organised by: NGO DEI, Bonham Tree Aid & Gallery Galschiøt
Supported by: Amnesty International , Hong Kong Watch, Index on Censorship, Art for Human Rights and Human rights in China