From Trash to Art: Crowdsourcing and the Bottom-up Heritagisation of Neon Signs in Hong Kong

Abstract. Despite growing interest, there is a lack of research on the impact of crowdsourcing and social media on heritage-making and conservation in post-colonial societies. To fill this gap, this article uses neon signs in Hong Kong as a case. It discusses the build-up of the artistic and heritage value of neon signs, which were formerly treated as ‘trash’ by the Hong Kong government, through a museum’s use of crowdsourcing to complement its existing collection and through local citizens’ social media networking activities. The article reveals a tension between the government, professions and local activists regarding the artistic and heritage value of neon signs and contributes to the debate on the meaning of heritage.