"At a time of pandemics, political tensions, I think it's the right time for luck to be back," as if "two ducks were twice as lucky," said Florentijn Hofman as he presented his floating installation consisting of two inflatable ducks 18 meters high.
It will be "twice as much pleasure, twice as much happiness," said in a statement the 46-year-old artist, who ensures that his work "emphasizes friendship and the creation of links".
During his first visit to Hong Kong in 2013, then came solo, he had caused a stir as far as Beijing, Internet users having at the time hijacked the famous photo of the "man with the tank" of Tiananmen Square by replacing the tanks... by ducks.
The cliché of this lone man trying to stop a column of tanks has become the symbol of the bloody repression of the pro-democracy demonstrations of June 4, 1989 in Beijing.
Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's "Double Ducks" yellow giant ducks in Hong Kong Bay on June 9, 2023 © ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP
For more than 30 years, thousands of people have gathered annually in Victoria Park in central Hong Kong for a candlelight vigil in memory of the more than 1,000 peaceful protesters who were shot that day.
But since Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, authorities have halted these gatherings.
On June 3, the eve of the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen events, Hong Kong police preemptively arrested several artists and performers in the bustling Causeway Bay district.
Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's "Double Ducks" yellow giant ducks in Hong Kong Bay on June 9, 2023 © ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP
As this year's anniversary approaches, authorities have repeatedly refused to confirm whether the public commemoration of the event was illegal, saying only that "everyone should act in accordance with the law."
© 2023 AFP