‘What were you doing at 25?’
The evocative question guides Asia Art Archive (AAA)’s 25th anniversary program series, with its concluding chapter on view at the AAA library in Hong Kong, featuring established artists and an enduring art collective.
AAA is an independent, non-profit organization co-founded by arts leaders Claire Hsu and Johnson Chang in Hong Kong. Anchored on the idea that ‘art is knowledge,’ the group serves as ‘a catalyst for new ideas that enrich our understanding of the world through the collection, creation, and sharing of knowledge around recent art in Asia.’ It has built a valuable growing collection of materials on the recent history of art from Asia, freely available from its website (www.aaa.org.hk) and onsite library.
In celebration of AAA’s 25th anniversary, the organization launched a two-part program series, titled At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds. The exhibition centers on the introspective premise of what the region’s most respected artists were doing at that age when ‘life and career are usually just beginning,’ reads the exhibit note.
‘Whether that year was exceptionally meaningful or seemingly ordinary, we see it as a moment worth close observation, a unique point in both history and life,’ the note continues. ‘Using rare archival materials and original artworks as its warp and weft, this exhibition weaves together intimate personal narratives and wider cultural contexts, presenting an unusual perspective on some of Asia’s leading contemporary artists and their early worlds.’
The first part of AAA’s At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds ran from March to June this year. The show explored how foundational practices shaped the creative identities of four renowned Asian artists: Ho Tzu Nyen of Singapore, Tehching Hsieh of Taiwan, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook of Thailand, and Zhang Xiaogang of China.
For its second run, ongoing until October, the show once again applies a curatorial approach deeply engaged with art history and archival research. At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds: Part II features Salima Hashmi of Pakistan, Holly Lee of Hong Kong, Bahc Yiso of South Korea, and Raqs Media Collective, which was formed in India in 1992.
Hashmi (b. 1942) is a Pakistani artist who has played a significant role in Pakistan’s art ecology since the 1960s, wearing multiple hats as a photographer, performer, educator, curator, and writer. Meanwhile, Lee (1953 – 2024) was a Hong Kong photographer with a background in literature and visual arts. Her works are held in the collections of M+ and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, among other institutions.
Bahc (1957 – 2004) was an artist, curator, critic, and educator who carved out a distinctive position in the Korean contemporary art scene through his conceptual practice and role as a cultural translator. Lastly, Raqs Media Collective was formed in 1992 by Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula, and Shuddhabrata Sengupta, with its members living and working in Delhi, India, and London, the UK. The collective has curated numerous exhibitions, including Hungry for Time (Paintings Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, 2022) and Afterglow (Yokohama Triennale, 2020), among many others.
At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds: Part II presents the early life trajectories and art practices of the featured artists, bringing together ‘rare archival materials, organized and gathered from [them], their families, and various institutions, alongside early works and newly commissioned pieces, to recreate [their] intimate worlds at the age of 25.’
Part II also macros on how artistic practices, in general, often extend beyond artmaking into areas such as education, writing, and advocacy. According to the exhibit note, the show ‘shapes a multi-layered vision of art history that includes broader sociocultural contexts, as well as emotional personal recollections, stories of the departed told by loved ones, and new works born from the interplay between historical reflection and artistic inquiry.’
‘[The exhibit also] showcases Asia Art Archive’s distinctive collections, research methodologies, and the evolving network of artists and institutions it has built since 2000, spanning across Asia and beyond.’
At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds: Part II is on view at the CCG Library, Asia Art Archive, 11/F Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan in Hong Kong. A series of curator-led tours will begin tomorrow, August 19, and run until October 21. The events are free and open to the public with registration.