Civic Visuals on Instagram : A subtle form of civic engagement in Hong Kong

This thesis challenges the assumption that expressions that do not actively seek attention is less significant in the research of civic engagement, by foregrounding the arts of subtle resistance in contexts of social movement abeyance, heightened media censorship and digital surveillance. Drawing upon the empirical case of Hong Kong, where a National Security Law was enacted in 2020 to discourage expressions of dissident voices, this thesis examines the evolvement of pro-democracy visual protest culture in recent years and explores the social significances of engagement surrounding this evolving form of visual civic talk on Instagram. By introducing the concept of civic visuals—artwork (primarily digital) that are characterised by their ambiguity, cultural nuance, playfulness, and emotional resonance rather than overt political expressions—this thesis explores how political discussions and remembrance of social movements can be sustained by—and help sustain—civic cultures. Drawing on Dahlgren’s (2003; 2005; 2009) framework of civic cultures and Dewey’s (1934) aesthetic theories, this thesis approaches civic visuals as meaningful expressions that are cultivated and sustained in the everyday life. Using a visually-driven multimethod approach, this qualitative study investigates the engagement and meanings of civic visuals and their appropriated symbols with an aim to underline their subtlety and aesthetics nuances. On the one hand, the ambiguity embedded in civic visuals suggests that these expressions seek little attention from the wider audience. On the other hand, it highlights the exclusiveness of the engagement, in which only informed and like-minded individuals within the communities are likely to participate. This thesis argues that the power of civic visuals lies not only in confrontation, but in their capacity to navigate repression creatively and unobtrusively. The findings indicate how ordinary aesthetics, personal memories, collective nostalgia, humour, and play are key to invite and sustain discussions of contentious topics and remembrance of silenced voices within online civic communities in times of uncertainty and precarity. Through contextualising and conceptualising civic visuals, this thesis contributes to the scholarly discussions on latent form of civic engagement by shifting empirical focus from direct and explicit expressions of contention and dissent, to those that appear to be ambiguous and seemingly mundane.