Anya Hindmarch’s Chubby Hearts Capture the Smile and Love of Hong Kong

Chubby Hearts Hong Kong, curated and presented by the Hong Kong Design Centre, featuring a giant inflatable red heart designed by the award-winning British designer Anya Hindmarch, was launched in the city in February with great fanfare. As Anya Hindmarch's giant chubby heart balloons fly over Hong Kong, infused a positive atmosphere, they are also spreading love throughout the urban landscape.

Following hot on the heels of Louis Vuitton Men's Pre-Fall 2024 show at Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars, the city is introducing a stellar lineup of crowd-drawing world-class art and cultural events this year. These include the "Chubby Hearts Hong Kong", Dior's global unveil of the Dior Fall 2024 men's show, world-renowned pop culture convention "ComplexCon", and the centennial celebration of late Hong Kong literary icon Jin Yong.

As part of "Chubby Hearts Hong Kong" event, giant inflatable red hearts are popping up across Hong Kong, filling the entire city with love and smiles. The Chubby Hearts project was conceived by Anya Hindmarch in 2018, and it swiftly became a global design sensation. This marks the first time that the Chubby Hearts project is being showcased outside London, UK.

'I am thrilled to be able to fly the Chubby Hearts over Hong Kong, one of my favourite cities in the world. I hope the installation brings a fun surprise to this vibrant, creative city, while spreading a little joy.' Hindmarch said. "Hong Kong has always felt like a second 'home' to me, as the site of my first store back in 1993 and as such it has a special place deep in my heart".

Chubby Hearts Hong Kong has kicked off the lineup of cultural and arts events this year, promising to charm visitors and locals alike. In the Hong Kong version, a Chubby Hearts centerpiece, the biggest in its collection with a diameter of approximately 12 meters, and surprise pop-up Chubby Hearts with a diameter of approximately 3 meters, appear at various iconic landmarks and scenic spots across the city.

The giant heart-shaped display is presented at Statue Square Gardens in Central from Valentine's Day to the Chinese Valentine's Lantern Festival (February 14 to February 24). Pop-up Chubby Hearts make surprise appearances at various landmarks and tourist spots in Hong Kong every day. For instance, they can be found in Sham Shui Po, one of the coolest neighborhoods in Hong Kong, as well as at The Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, and the Flower Market, an urban oasis in the city. The event aims to encourage visitors and locals to explore Hong Kong's hidden corners and showcase the city's romantic landscapes.

Furthermore, to foster design and cultural exchange while celebrating the city's East-meets-West heritage throughout Valentine's Day to the Chinese Valentine's Lantern Festival, Chubby Hearts Hong Kong collaborates with cross-disciplinary local creative units. The creative line-up includes composer Leon Ko, who creates original music for the project; new media designer Nelson Ng, who creates a Chubby Hearts animation for Hong Kong; award-winning photographer Dr. Victor Wong, who captures the beauty of Hong Kong with the flying Chubby Hearts; travel photographer Derek Tang, who produces a creative short reel; and artist Tommy Fung of SurrealHK, who creates his signature surreal image.

Hong Kong has long been hosting major arts events such as Art Basel Hong Kong, and bi-annual auctions by the likes of Sotheby's and Christie's, all thanks to world-class exhibition facilities. It is also home to the Hong Kong Sevens, a highly respected annual sporting event that generates tremendous economy value for the city every year.

Last month, the Hong Kong government also shared an update on its world-class event ambition – it is set to host some 80 grand events in the first half of 2024, including a host of Asian premieres, such as ComplexCon, a highly popular festival on pop culture that was originated from Los Angeles. It is believed that these mega events also bring intangible benefits, such as creating positive impressions for visitors and promoting a positive image of Hong Kong.

Below is an overview of other upcoming world-class arts and cultural events:

ComplexCon to Make its Hong Kong Debut, Breaking Out from its Home Court in the US
The world-renowned pop culture event ComplexCon will be held outside of the US for the first time this year. From March 22 to 24, "ComplexCon Hong Kong 2024" will take place at Hong Kong's AsiaWorld-Expo, featuring many exciting experiences in music, fashion, sports, art, food, and a wide range of limited-edition collaborations. The lineup for the live music performances includes 21 Savage, 3Cornerz, Simon Dominic, GRAY, Loco, Woo Won-Jae, Coogie, SHOU, Lexie Liu, and Novel Fregus.

A Global Spectacle - Dior Men's Show Lands in Hong Kong
Following the success of the Louis Vuitton fashion show late last year, Dior will also unveil its Fall 2024 men's show on March 23 in Hong Kong, marking the House's global unveil of the collection in the city.

Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial Event, Introducing Hong Kong's Cultural Classics to Young Tourists
To commemorate the centennial of the late Jin Yong (Louis Cha), the Hong Kong literary titan, the "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial" event will be held at Edinburgh Place in Central from March 15 to July 2. The exhibition will feature 10 sculptures created by famous Chinese sculptor Ren Zhe, depicting iconic characters from Jin Yong's novels. Visitors can also experience a recreation of the Mongolian yurts from Jin Yong's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". It will incorporate digital creative technology to bring to life Jin Yong's martial arts characters.

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