Press Release
HKBU presents Art Basel Hong Kong parallel exhibition “Paperscape”
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
The Academy of Visual Arts (AVA) under the School of Creative Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) unveils the intrinsic characteristics and diversity of paper in the digital age by presenting an Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 parallel exhibition at the HKBU campus from 20 March to 9 April. Titled “Paperscape”, the exhibition will feature a diverse range of paper artworks created by 15 contemporary artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, including eight HKBU staff members and alumni.
The exhibition delves into the multifaceted nature of paper, a material that is both flexible and affordable. It is commonly used as tissue paper, currency, books, letters and receipts, while also carrying profound cultural and spiritual significance. However, in the digital age, its traditional functions have gradually diminished or been replaced. This exhibition aims to foster a trans-cultural and trans-historical discourse centred on the materiality of paper during March, the art month in Hong Kong.
Reconnecting the diverse meanings of paper
Co-curated by Dr Wang Yizhou, Research Assistant Professor of AVA and alumna Ms Yang Tong, the exhibition showcases contemporary paper art, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking and encouraging a reconnection with the cultural, intellectual, and spiritual significance that paper embodies.
The participating artists use materials such as toilet paper, white paper, receipt and paper offerings to create multi-sensory media installations, painting installations, ink on paper, paper mache sculptures, installation art, video and multimedia works. These creations present paper as a three-dimensional, multisensory and affective “paperscape” that both resonates with and contrasts against the simple and pure form of paper, triggering a resonance with the audience’s initial perceptions and memories of paper, and evoking a deep connection with the individual or the collective stories it carries.
AVA has been named one of the Cultural Partners of Art Basel Hong Kong for the third consecutive year. AVA will also host an HKBU Representative Booth at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from 28 to 30 March.
Event details
Event: | Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 parallel exhibition “Paperscape” |
Exhibition period: | 20 March - 9 April 2025 (Tuesday to Sunday, including public holidays) |
Opening hours: | 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm |
Venue: | Koo Ming Kown Exhibition Gallery, Lee Shau Kee Communication and Visual Arts Building, HKBU, 5 Hereford Road, Kowloon Tong |
Artists: |
|
Registration: | Free admission by online registration |
In addition, HKBU will also host two panel discussions at the Exchange Circle at the HKCEC during Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, where the artists from “Paperscape” and HKBU representatives will share their insights on “The Future of Immersive Experience” and “Paper Transcendence” respectively. An artist talk and a guided tour of the Visualization Research Centre will be organsied on HKBU campus. For more details, please visit AVA’s website.
