Umbrellas and Revolutions: The Aesthetics of the Hong Kong Protests

This chapter analyses the unfolding of the Umbrella movement in Hong Kong along the conceptual lines of identity, aesthetics, and connectivity. First, the Umbrella movement of Hong Kong may look like a typical social mobilization event, one in which a clear goal—democracy—manages to unite thousands of people. A closer look reveals, however, that it is more accurate to view the movement as semi-post-identitarian, as constantly reinventing itself during the struggle. Second, aesthetics play a crucial role in this continuous process of negotiation: both a spectacular aesthetics and an aesthetics of cleanliness and proper behavior. Following Rancière, these aesthetics are read as effecting a redistribution of the sensible. Third, drawing on Bennett and Segerberg (Information, Communication & Society 15 (5): 739–768, 2012), the chapter shows how the movement combines a logic of collective action with a logic of connective action. It concludes with an attempt to counter those who claim that this movement has failed, arguing that it can be read as exploring a politics of possibility.