Artists and curators stand in Hong Kong's 2019 District Council elections

In Hong Kong, artists and cultural workers are entering the political arena as candidates for the 2019 District Council elections, as reported by Art Asia Pacific. Clara Cheung, cofounder of the nonprofit C&G Artpartament, Wong Tin Yan, founder of independent art space Form Society, and Susi Law, a programmer and curator at Foo Tak Building and Art and Culture Outreach, have all been validated to run. Their candidacies come amid ongoing pro-democracy protests across the city. The elections are scheduled for 24 November, with 18 district councils overseeing public funding for community spaces and advising the Legislative Council. These individuals are running independently, without party affiliations, framing their political engagement as a natural extension of their community-focused artistic practices. Wong Tin Yan emphasized that art is an attitude, not merely objects, and that electoral participation represents a new possibility for exploration.