In 2001, it moved from its original location, an old government warehouse at Oil Street, North Point, to its current location at Cattle Depot Artist Village. 1a space aims to promote the making, experimentation, exchange and dissemination of contemporary art both in Hong Kong and in the internationally.
Over two decades, 1a space has developed into one of Hong Kong’s leading contemporary art organisations. It has produced various exhibitions and activities, and has been active in international exchanges, cultural festivals, participatory community art, art education, and publication. Grants and donations have supported the operation funding of 1a space, while the Hong Kong Arts Development Council partially supports its administration cost.
Incubator for experiments in art
-
Offers physical and conceptual space that encourages experimentation in artistic mediums, curation, research, and criticism
-
Establishes solid and organic collaborative relations with artists and arts organisations of different generations, to develop our experimental art programmes in the long run
-
Cultivates a great diversity of contemporary art practices and continuously reexamines alternative art spaces' position in the local art ecology, aiming to fill the gap between public art institutions and commercial ventures.
Platform for multi-disciplinary & multi-regional exchanges
-
Connects visual art and other creative disciplines, including literature, performance, architecture, and crafts, and allows for an environment for sparks to fly from cross-disciplinary collaborations
-
Encourages and participates in cross-regional exchanges, such as seminars, artist residencies, and co-organised projects
-
Constructs a site for critical cultural thinking and dialogue, through organizing public talks and seminars, commission art criticism, etc.
Laboratory for learning & community engagement
-
Widens the scope of our projects to encompass not just Cattle Depot but also To Kwa Wan and even Hong Kong, linking up various groups and communities in the process
-
Organises workshops, guided tours, discussion sessions, etc. to accompany exhibitions and significant cultural events in the local calendar to stimulate the contemplation and discussion of social and cultural phenomena among and between different groups
-
Links up with schools and other organisations in an attempt to explore new possibilities in learning and knowledge exchange
-
Emphasises on participatory conception, curation, and creation, to invigorate collective community building and embed creativity and criticality into everyday life