Hong Kong and Japanese Artists Exchange Programme

'Project Overview'

 

Takaaki SOGA

 

The 'Japan-Hong Kong International Exchange Project: Strangers' is a unique exchange programme realized through the collaboration of artists, curators, and alternative spaces from both sides, aiming to promote international exchange at the grassroots level between Japan and Hong Kong. Each side sent out four artists to participate in an artist-in-residence programme lasting approximately one month, followed by an exhibition showcasing the outcomes of their residency, alongside lectures conducted by representatives from both sides during the exhibition period. This project was also a bold experiment regarding the creative potential of short-term artist residencies. By setting a brief stay, the perspective of the artists living as 'strangers' in an unfamiliar land was instead sharpened, and the works produced there illuminated the gaps between people and between cultures from unexpected angles, fostering mutual understanding. For this exchange, four Hong Kong artists — Amy CHENG, KWAN Sheung-chi, TAM Wai-ping, and Tozer PAK — traveled to Japan and developed their highly unique projects. It was also a deeply rewarding achievement that through the creation of these artworks, a subtle, nuanced, and delightful interaction was fostered between the artists and the local residents surrounding the Contemporary Art Factory.