If someone asks where I am from, I may hesitate - Venezuela? Chile? Guangdong? Or Hong Kong?

I am V and I am 14 years old. I was born in Venezuela and my parents are from Guangdong. We moved to foreign countries when I was small and I currently live in Chile.

From following Instagram accounts of Hong Kong artists, I started to know about the Anti-Extradition Movement in Hong Kong from their posts or stories. I shared my first post related to the Movement on 12 June. In August, after seeing the escalating use of violence of the Hong Kong Police Force, I became more aware of the developments in Hong Kong.

Live in Chile, Stand with Hong Kong.

Living outside Hong Kong, I could only read about Hong Kong’s situation through social media like Instagram or Twitter. The media here in Chile seldom make detailed reports about the protest in Hong Kong, probably due to the friendly relations between Chile and China. People here only have a brief understanding of what is happening in Hong Kong, and are generally uninterested.

Meanwhile, Chileans are also facing a social crisis. A rise in rail ticket prices led to a series of protests, which triggers strong feelings of dissatisfaction towards the unfairness of the social system.

Owing to that, it is not difficult to understand why Chile does not have a high level of awareness or support towards the Hong Kong protest, compared to other Western countries. It is indeed difficult to find fellow comrades in Chile, and I am no longer friends with someone with different political stances because of sharing protest-related materials on social platforms.

What I can do is to follow the news on the media and keep a close eye on the situation. It may be a little difficult to participate in the protest, but it is nothing compared to those fighting in and for Hong Kong.

Voice out with art, to protest with art

Even though I am in Chile, I am still able to find my spot in the protest, as a member of an art promotional group named Freetoberhk. They mainly invite artists to join some events, and help translate the materials into Spanish.



Initially, I just wanted to join the events instead of being a member of the group; but I misread the term ‘join the event’ as ‘join the team’ in the application form and such ‘misunderstanding’ was created.

My intention is to bring my talent to the stage by doing drawings to record this protest and preserve it in history.

The general public may think that art is something unrealistic, something difficult to understand, but it could be down-to-earth too. This movement is filled with different forms and types of artwork. They become a part of our daily life, bringing people from different age groups and locations together.

With art, a kid or a foreigner who does not understand Chinese could understand the meaning conveyed in an artwork. This makes information of the protest easier to reach. That’s the spirit of art - art speaks louder than words.