Talks
Hong Kong Art Now
Speakers: Ho Sin Tung, OrangeTerry, Olga Au, Natalie Chu, Liv Tsim, Lewis Lee, and Nobody Here.
Moderator: Enoch Cheng (Art Central 2024 Curatorial Director)
The Art Central 2024 Talks programme kicks off with a panel discussion by established and emerging Hong Kong artists in conversation with Art Central 2024 Curatorial Director Enoch Cheng. With a focus on their current projects, the artists reflect on recent developments in contemporary art practices in Hong Kong.
Wednesday 27 March 2024, 4pm
Asia Society: Arts and Culture on a Global Network
Presented by Asia Society Hong Kong Center
Speakers: Yasufumi Nakamori (Vice President of Arts and Culture and Director, Asia Society Museum), Owen Duffy (Nancy C. Allen Curator and Director of Exhibitions, Asia Society Texas)
Moderator: S. Alice Mong (President, Asia Society Hong Kong Center)
Join us to explore Asia Society’s global vision in the arts and culture space as representatives from the New York, Houston and Hong Kong Asia Society Centers discuss their past and future collaborations, what it means to be part of the Asia Society Global Network and the changes and developments of Asian and Asian American artists since Asia Society’s establishment in 1956.
Thursday 28 March 2024, 2pm
Curating as Collaborative Practice: Presenting South East Asia and beyond in the context of the Middle East
Presented by Asia Society Hong Kong Center
Speakers: Alia Swastika and Amal Khalaf, co-curators of Sharjah Biennial 2025
This talk will be bringing Alia and Amal’s experience, as co-curators of the Sharjah Biennial, in initiating conversation with artists from different contexts and geopolitical situations, focusing on the practice of collaboration and working together, especially for trans-national connection that involves Southeast Asian artists to be engaged within the broader landscape, especially in the Middle east.
Thursday 28 March 2024, 4pm
Homecoming: Wifredo Lam and His Chinese Heritage
Presented by Asia Society Hong Kong Center
Speaker: Stéphane Lam (Founder and Director of Le Pavillon Rouge des Arts Hong Kong (PRAHK))
Moderator: Hain Yoon (Assistant Curator at Asia Society Hong Kong Center)
Born in Cuba in 1902, Wifredo Lam represents both the synergy and conflict born out of the merging of multiple cultural traditions: his mother was of Afro-Spanish heritage and his father, of Cantonese roots. Homecoming at Asia Society Hong Kong Center marks Wifredo Lam’s first major solo retrospective in Hong Kong and also the pivotal return of Lam to Asia – tracing his Chinese father’s lineage and studying the significance of the Chinese diaspora. In this talk, Stéphane Lam, Founder and Director of Le Pavillon Rouge des Arts Hong Kong will be joined by Hain Yoon, Assistant Curator of Asia Society Hong Kong Center to discuss Wifredo Lam’s exhibited paintings and prints at ASHK.
Thursday 28 March 2024, 6pm
Fresh Connections: Art Central 2024 Yi Tai Sculpture & Installation Projects Artists in Conversation with the Curator
Speakers: Andrea Samory, Wataru Yamakami, Sangsun Bae, Rony Plesl, and Sam Shendi
Moderator: Enoch Cheng (Art Central 2024 Curatorial Director)
Participating artists of the Fair’s acclaimed Yi Tai Sculpture & Installation Project sector join Art Central 2024 Curatorial Director Enoch Cheng in an insightful discussion about their projects presented at the Fair. This is a unique occasion and a first-hand account of the conceptual development and artistic inspiration behind the works.
Soft Power in Textile
Presented by CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile)
Speakers: Bi Rongrong (Artist), Hsieh Feng-Rong (Curator, New Taipei City Art Museum), Yuki Kobayashi (Artist), Chris Wan (Independent curator)
Moderator: Wang Weiwei (Curator, CHAT)
Artist Bi Rongrong from Shanghai, curator Hsieh Feng-Rong from New Taipei City Art Museum, artist Yuki Kobayashi from Tokyo and independent curator Chris Wan from Hong Kong will discuss their experiences and practices while exploring the potentials of textile culture in contemporary art creation through Asian cultural studies, diaspora research, action-based performance as well as the integration of old and new technologies.
Friday 29 March 2024, 4pm
Cultural Exchange
Presented by Asian Cultural Council Hong Kong
Speakers: Kenneth HC Fung (Honorary Chairman, Asian Cultural Council Hong Kong), Eunice Tsang (Curator and Founder, Current Plans), Vera Lam (Director, Hart Haus)
Moderator: Alexandra A. Seno (Director, Asian Cultural Council Hong Kong)
Cultural exchange expands the understanding of the world, enabling new perspectives.
What can residencies and fellowships hope to offer to Hong Kong’s creative communities? Why support cultural exchange opportunities? Is applying for a fellowship for you?
The Asian Cultural Council, which has supported residencies since 1963, convenes a discussion between individuals who have initiated or benefitted from cultural exchange programs.
Saturday 30 March 2024, 2pm
Opportunities & Challenges in the HK Art Scene
Presented by Hong Kong Arts Centre
Speakers: Shirky Chan (Independent Curator and Art Columnist), Makkie Tang (Artist and Co-Founder, Mooroom), Lee Suet-Ying (Artist), Kenneth Yuen (Artist and Co-Founder, Mooroom)
Moderator: Rebecca Ip, Executive Director, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Join Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) in an insightful discourse at Art Central, featuring the journey of four distinguished artists and curators hailing from Hong Kong. The discussion aims to shed light on their challenges, lessons, and experiences, encompassing the intricate balance of managing established careers whilst pursuing their passion for art, as well as the profound impact of Hong Kong’s distinctive environment on their artistic expression.
Saturday 30 March 2024, 4pm
Bridging Boundaries: Ink Art as a Catalyst for Community Connections
Presented by UOB
Speakers: Kwok Kian Chow (Senior Director, Singapore Art Museum and Senior Advisor, National Gallery Singapore) and S. Alice Mong (President, Asia Society Hong Kong Center)
Art has the power to inspire and ignite, transcending boundaries to unite people. Beyond a communication tool, art is about building connections, fostering understanding and creating visions of our shared future. This fireside chat will explore the ways in which humanistic and artistic exchanges play a crucial role in promoting collaboration and cooperation between China and ASEAN, particularly through the medium of ink art. Contemporary ink works, from calligraphy and painting to photography and video, embody the vast history of Chinese culture and its continuation in meaningful expressions for society today. Advancements in thinking and technology have provided momentum for change in Chinese paintings, allowing artists to break through the limitations of forms and media, and opening up new versatility in art making. In an increasingly globalised world, this session will explore how ink art can serve as a cultural conduit between different Asian communities, and as an important intersection between culture, civilisation and shared experiences. Join us for an engaging talk between esteemed speakers who will offer unique insights into the enduring and vibrant legacies of ink art, witnessing how it has shaped cultural identities and fostered mutual understanding, in the past, present and future.