Hong Kong 2021: FriendsWithYou spreads love and fun across Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Neighbourhood

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has teamed up with art duo FriendsWithYou in a fun and imaginative partnership to promote the “Hong Kong Neighbourhoods – West Kowloon” programme. Through a series of online flash mob videos, AR interactive experiences, and gigantic art installations, the happy characters are taking international audiences on a virtual journey across Hong Kong and its world-beating attractions, highlighting the incredible diversity of artistic elements in West Kowloon and encouraging people to explore Hong Kong from an artistic and cultural perspective.

This collection features a family of brightly-coloured characters, including the collection’s lead character, Little Cloud, who will be transformed into a huge inflatable sculpture and greet the public in Art Park in the West Kowloon Cultural District, and other characters including Rainbow Worm, Jelly, Hug Bug, and Peanut Butter. Brightly-coloured and radiating love, harmony, and peace, the FriendsWithYou family members are caring and fun-loving, connecting with everyone they meet and spreading happiness and compassion.

The characters by FriendsWithYou have already made their mark in a host of Hong Kong’s best-known landmarks and attractions. From visiting the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), to appearing on the Sky Corridor of the High Speed Rail Hong Kong West Kowloon Station; visited the Avenue of Stars and hopped on Hong Kong’s trams, even shopping at Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market and sailing on the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour.

Every step of the way, the HKTB has followed along with them, and recorded their adventures in a collection of fun-packed videos which have been uploaded here, giving people who are unable to visit Hong Kong for the time being the chance to share in the excitement of its world-class attractions.

After their tour of Hong Kong, 12 giant inflatable installations of the characters will take up temporary residence from 23rd September to 14th October in the Art Park of the WKCD, where Hong Kong people can create their own photo memories with them. The most eye-catching of the characters, Little Cloud, will be more than three storeys high and longer than a bus, while Rainbow will be larger than a minibus. New family members Jelly and Rainbow Worm will also make their global debut in the Art Park. Get ready to see these larger-than-life characters in person as they enjoy their stay in the WKDC Art Park, and bounce around from time to time.

The Hong Kong Space Museum will also be displaying the iconic smiley face of the FriendsWithYou characters on its exterior wall, radiating energy and optimism to passers-by. Be sure to catch the delightful scenes and share them on Instagram. 

As well as their very public appearances, the FriendsWithYou characters will appear virtually from 23rd September at six landmark locations: The WKCD Arts Park, the Xiqu Centre, the Yau Ma Tei Tin Hau Temple, the Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market, Temple Street Night Market, and the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Visitors can scan QR codes displayed at these locations with their phones, and the FriendsWithYou characters will magically appear to take them on an in-depth tour of West Kowloon and introduce its arts and cultural highlights. The characters will even pose for selfies with visitors.

“We are thrilled to put our latest art collection, Happy World, on show in Hong Kong, which is the first event of such a remarkable scale for our works in Asia,” said FriendWithYou founders Samuel and Arturo. “We hope our collection can spread a message of harmony and joy – the ingredients of life needed in every corner of the world right now. We sincerely hope to bring positive and hopeful vibes to everyone as they spread the vision of Happy World.”

FriendsWithYou will take up temporary residence from 23rd September to 14th October in the Art Park of the WKCD. More information on the FriendsWithYou programme here