Peer to Peer: UK/HK

Inspiring arts exchange between UK and Hong Kong. Online Festival 11 – 14 November 2020

Peer to Peer: UK/HK is a programme designed to encourage meaningful cultural exchange and to forge enduring partnerships between the UK and Hong Kong’s visual arts sectors.

The programme launches publicly with an online festival of international exchange and collaboration on the 11-14 November, curated by independent curator Ying Kwok.

The Festival will include an online exhibition of digital artworks from UK and Hong Kong based artists, including 5 new commissions by artists nominated by UK and Hong Kong based partners. There will also be a series of digital residencies taking place across partner organisation’s social media channels as well as a set of curated panel discussions.

We are proud to be a Peer to Peer: UK/HK partner and have commissioned a new work by Hetain Patel, Spectrum 2, 2020, Single channel HD Video, acrylic paint.

Nominated by Skinder Hundal and co-commissioned with New Art Exchange, Nottingham, UK. Hetain Patel is a London based visual artist and performance maker. Using drawing and animation he will explore the physical manifestation of three different, cultural influences on his body and identity: Bruce Lee, Spider-Man and an Indian squatting position.

Festival Programme

Wednesday 11 November 2020

Opening session: Welcome and introductions
11.30am UKT / 7.30pm HKT
Outline of programme and launch of online commissions
Speakers: Nick McDowell (Director International, Arts Council England), Ying Kwok (Peer to Peer: UK/HK Festival Director), Sarah Fisher (Open Eye Gallery), Lindsay Taylor (University of Salford Art Collection), Zoe Dunbar (Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art)

Panel One: Local/international artistic exchange in the time of global pandemic
12pm UKT / 8pm HKT
The value of artist led practice and artistic exchange as a radical and necessary approach in responding to a changing international world.
Chair: Wing Sie Chan (a-n The Artists Information Company, UK)
Panel: Angel Leung (Videotage, HK), Dorcas Leung ( HART, HK), Jamie Wyld (videoclub, UK), Lee Wing Ki (Artist, representing 1a space, HK)

Panel Two: Working with communities
1:15pm UKT / 9:15pm HKT
How do visual arts organisations in the UK and Hong Kong connect with communities in a rapidly changing political and social world.
Chair: James Green (Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange, UK)
Panel: Charlotte Frost (Furtherfield, UK), Liz Wewiora (Open Eye Gallery, UK), Bruce Li (Centre for Heritage Arts & Textile, HK), Ivy Lin (Oil Street Art Space, HK)

Thursday 12 November 2020

Panel Three: Isn’t all art activism?
12pm UKT / 8pm HKT
Activision: The philosophy and principle of activism in art. Isn’t all art activism?
Chair: Skinder Hundal (New Art Exchange, UK)
Panel: Chantal Wong (Eaton HK, HK), Yang Yeung (1983, HK), Helen Wewiora (Castlefield Gallery, UK)

Panel Four: Placemaking: utopian vision v social experiment
1:15pm UKT / 9:15pm HKT
Challenges and barriers in face of art programming for placemaking and community building in Hong Kong and the UK.
Chair: Jeannie Wu, (HART, HK)
Panel: Fiona Venables (Milton Keynes Arts Centre, UK), Bess Chan (Hong Kong International Photo Festival, HK), Maddi Nicholson, (Artist/Art Gene, UK)

Friday 13 November 2020

Panel Five: Climate: The Defining Emergency of Our Times
12pm UKT / 8pm HKT
How can we join forces to engage and empower the public, or influence policy, towards a greener recovery?
Chair: Sarah Fisher (Open Eye Gallery, UK)
Panel: Patrick Fung (Clean Air Network, HK), Colette Bailey (Metal, UK), Richard Fitton (Energy House, University of Salford, UK), Natalie Lai Lo Lai (Artist, HK)

Panel Six: Archiving through change
1:15 pm UKT / 9:15pm HKT
A discussion of the profound changes recently affecting archives and collections; what they contain, who they represent and how they are accessed.
Chair: Paul Hermann (Redeye, the Photography Network / The Photographic Collections Network, UK)
Panel: John Tain (Asia Art Archive, HK), Joseph Chen (Videotage, HK), Stephanie Fletcher (University of Salford Art Collection, UK), Melanie Keen (Wellcome Collection, UK)

Saturday 14 November 2020

Panel Seven: Making (it) work online
11am UKT / 7pm HKT
An online exhibition or an exhibition online? Creating and curating online art as an artistic practice – not a solution.
Chair: Vennes Cheng (Academic and Curator, HK)
Panel: Jacob Bolton (Peer to Peer: UK/HK), Peter Bonnell (Derby Quad, UK), Antonio Roberts (Artist, UK), Wu Jiaru (Artist, HK)

Closing Remarks
12:30pm UKT / 8.30pm HKT
Chairs: Lindsay Taylor (University of Salford Art Collection) and Ying Kwok (Festival Director)
All partners and panelists invited to share their highlights of the Festival

Ends
1:30pm UKT / 9:30pm HKT

Peer to Peer: UK/HK is led by University of Salford Art Collection, Open Eye Gallery and Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA) and consists of a network of contemporary visual arts organisations across the UK and Hong Kong.

The project has been generously supported by funding from Arts Council England and the GREAT campaign.

Back to All Posts