Sculpture stolen from Hong Kong City Hall ahead of art festival opening
Police investigate the suspected theft of a sculpture from an exhibition hall at Hong Kong City Hall in Central, discovered missing on 30 October during preparations for the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival 2026.
Police have launched an investigation into the suspected theft of a sculpture from an exhibition hall at Hong Kong City Hall in Central, after venue workers discovered the artwork missing during preparations for an upcoming media art festival on Friday afternoon, 30 October.
Officers were alerted shortly after 2pm when staff members noticed the display item had vanished and reported the matter on suspicion of theft. The Exhibition Hall was hosting the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival 2026, themed The Science of Materiality, which features works by various local Hong Kong media artists.
The exhibition had held private viewings between 27 and 29 October without public admission, and was scheduled to open to the general public from 31 October through 8 November. Venue organisers and crew were arranging displays and finalising the venue setup ahead of the planned public opening when they realised the sculpture was unaccounted for.
Police officers were dispatched to the scene to conduct preliminary inquiries and inspect the exhibition hall. Investigators are scrutinising security camera recordings from the surrounding premises to trace the movements of the missing artwork and identify any individuals who may have been involved.
Authorities confirmed that no arrests have been made in connection with the incident so far, and inquiries into the case remain ongoing.
