ULTIMEDIA and ULTILAND have launched meme@HK, a call for Hong Kong-themed meme works backed by the Federation of Hong Kong Design and Creative Industries.
In the article, author Stark argues that Hong Kong’s voice is not defined only by landmarks or slogans, but also by the tone, humor and self-mockery found in everyday life. Phrases such as 「搵食啫」 are presented as sounding casual while carrying the weight of a full day’s hustle. A line like 「唔紧要」 does not always mean nothing is wrong; sometimes it is simply a way to settle oneself before moving on. That habit of joking through difficulty while leaving room for others, the piece says, sits closer to the city’s character than any postcard image.
The article traces that character to Hong Kong’s history as a port city. Waves of people arrived from different places, and after the war, migrants, capital and craft found room in tong lau buildings, factories and industrial blocks. Garments, plastic flowers, toys and watches were among the goods labeled "Made in Hong Kong" that moved from cramped spaces into the wider world. In that telling, history reached ordinary people through work, rent, family obligations, improvisation and the need to keep finding a way forward. Creativity, the article says, often grew out of that kind of life.
More than one Hong Kong story
Stark points to the 1972 television series "Below the Lion Rock," which set its lens on the resettlement estate in Wang Tau Hom and used one family’s daily life to reflect society. The article says the phrase "Lion Rock spirit" can lose its meaning if it is reduced to a motivational slogan, because that leaves out the people under the hill who had tempers, troubles and warmth.
It also cites Liu Yichang’s serialized novel "Intersection," which began publication in the same year. In that work, two characters move through similar streets while one looks back and the other imagines the future. The point, as framed in the article, is that the same Hong Kong can hold very different senses of time and very different ways of being told.
Nostalgia is not the only route
The piece says nostalgia has its place, but creation does not need to stop there. Old shop signs, painted film billboards and classic songs are worth preserving and revisiting, yet the situations people face today also deserve to be drawn, sung and written into new works. If creators only replay the signature scenes of an earlier generation, the current generation’s own voice becomes harder to hear.
That is where meme@HK places its focus. The project is described as handing narrative space to today’s creators. Hong Kong’s strength, the article says, lies not only in its classics but also in its ability to give those classics a new twist. A Cantonese phrase can become a pun, a familiar scene can be reframed, and a serious slice of life can suddenly turn playful.
Formats accepted and the role of AI
According to the article, meme@HK accepts works in the form of images, music, short videos, text and original characters. Creators can choose the format that suits them. AI tools may be used, but they are not required. What matters more is whether the work carries the creator’s own point of view.
The article adds that people who understand Hong Kong will recognize the shared references in the work, while those less familiar with the city can use the pieces as a starting point to learn how those references took shape.
Meme Gallery and on-chain issuance
A planned Meme Gallery, described as a city culture on-chain archive, will organize creative references drawn from urban history, street life and pop culture. The idea is to give new works a sense of where they come from and a place where they can remain.
Participants will be able to issue ARTmeme works through ULTILAND and link their creations to on-chain issuance records. Commemorative NFTs will provide another route for discovering and collecting works based on interest. The article puts it plainly: recording something on-chain is one part, and leaving meaning through the work is the other. Both need to stand together.
Support from FHKDCI
The Federation of Hong Kong Design and Creative Industries, or FHKDCI, has become an important supporting partner of meme@HK. The two sides plan to work together on culture-themed creation, provenance for works, training for young creators, and activities including salons and physical exhibitions.
The article says people in design, filmmaking and illustration may not speak the same language at first as those who are more familiar with internet culture and on-chain creation. Still, once a work is placed in front of them, there is something to discuss. A single sharing session or exchange could open the door to collaborations that were not obvious at the start.
How to take part
Those interested can visit ULTILAND’s official Discord or the meme@HK channel on Telegram to learn more about the plan and its rules. The article closes by saying there is no need to rush to define Hong Kong as a whole. A small memory, a tone of voice someone can still hear, or a story that still feels worth telling can each serve as a starting point.
