Dr. MAK Sau Wa2025-11-202025-11-202025Mak, S. W. (2025). From trash to art: Crowdsourcing and the bBottom-up heritagisation of neon signs in Hong Kong. In Shim, H., Choi, S., Lee, W., Rii, H., & Kim, S. (Eds.). The international archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences, volume XLVIII-M-9-2025. 30th CIPA Symposium “Heritage Conservation from Bits: From Digital Documentation to Data-driven Heritage Conservation”, Seoul, Republic of Korea (pp. 957- 964). The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/26089Open access<jats:p>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. </jats:p>enCrowdsourcingNeon SignsHeritagisationSocial MediaEmotionPost-Colonial IdentityConference Paper10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-M-9-2025-957-2025