Hong Kong police have arrested a 40-year-old Irish man and a 32-year-old Filipino woman earlier last week for the attempted theft of an artwork by French street artist Invader.
Allegedly worth $50,000, the mosaic of Pac-Man characters sit inside the Harbour City shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, and was reported missing on Tuesday, August 26, by on-site staff. Officers combed CCTV footage to identify the suspects, and were able to retrieve both the stolen artwork and clothing worn by the thieves during the incident.
French street artist Invader – whose real identity remains unknown – has visited Hong Kong multiple times to install his mosaic artwork. Inspired by the pixel art style that characterised 1970s and 1980s arcade and video games such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders, the artist made a name for himself through his simple but impactful creations. According to his website, the artist has come to Hong Kong seven times and put up 132 artworks in total. One of his most memorable pieces is definitely the oft-photographed mosaic mural of four colourful Pac-Man ghosts along the Harbour City promenade. His other famous public street art pieces in Hong Kong include Pac-Man chasing three ghosts in Tin Hau, several Space Invaders across town, the ‘Hong Kong Phooey’ in Happy Valley, a cartoon dog striking a martial arts pose – though you may not be able to find them all of them now, as many of his art pieces have been removed over the years.
On one visit to the city, Invader installed 18 of 32 new artworks in and around Harbour City, bringing a touch of urban creativity to the shopping centre. Considering his mosaics usually face the threat of removal – as do many unauthorised street art and graffiti – collaborating with Harbour City ensures longevity for his pixelated creations.
Allegedly, it’s not the first time that someone’s tried to make off with Invader’s public art pieces. A similar incident is said to have taken place in 2020 when a mosaic mural of a Puzzle Bobble character was pilfered in Prince Edward by a man and a woman.
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