It’s 3pm on a Saturday and I’m in Hong Kong’s central business district. Fully aware that I have dozens of things to do, I take off my shoes and sit on a yoga mat in the PMQ courtyard. But I didn’t come here to do yoga.
Around me are over 70 Hong Kongers of all ages and ethnicities who have decided to spend their precious 90 minutes of their weekend doing nothing.
That’s exactly the point of the 2024 International Space Out Competition. The rules are simple. You sit and do nothing. Excessive talking, sleeping, or moving will result in disqualification.
To win, you must maintain a steady low heart rate, measured every 15 minutes, and collect enough audience votes. They choose their favorites based on the contestant’s reason for participating and their “performance” at intervals. The prize is a free flight to South Korea, where the contest began in 2014.
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Dozens of people sit for 90 minutes doing nothing at Hong Kong’s Space Out contest
Dozens of people sit for 90 minutes doing nothing at Hong Kong’s Space Out contest
This quirky contest is one of many Korean cultural exports that have gained international popularity in recent years. When the competition was first held on the grassy lawns in front of Seoul City Hall in 2014, no one could have predicted it would garner so much global attention and go on to be held in cities such as Beijing, Tokyo and Taipei. I couldn’t have done it. Rotterdam.
