After two years, since the political unrest and then the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the quieted art world in Hong Kong steadily began to regain its former velocity. It has not been easy for artists and makers, as many of them are looking anxiously to the growing interventions and disruptions in their autonomy, both personal and social, caused by the pandemic and the imposition of an austere National Security Law. Artist Siu Wai Hang captured the perturbed spirit of the times, and hinted at the use of big bio-data for mass surveillance, through his installation Hot Shots (2021), a collage of headshots taken with a thermal gun—now a regular feature of our daily lives—showcased in the exhibition “Can’t Touch This!” (3/9–5/23) held at the nonprofit WMA Space.

Many more artists attempted to bring up the elephant in the room by showing their works abroad, especially in Taiwan. Some even emigrated there, notably performance artist Kacey Wong and comic artist Tony Lau. Photographer South Ho Siu Nam metaphorizes the tension between the government and the people by capturing the abstract blocks of gray paint superimposed over protest slogans and posters from