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Asia Art Archive

We make accessible materials on recent art in Asia through research, publications, and programmes.

Asia Art Archive (AAA) is an independent non-profit organisation initiated in 2000 in response to the urgent need to document and make accessible the multiple recent histories of art in the region. With one of the most valuable collections of material on art freely available from its website and onsite library, AAA builds tools and communities to collectively expand knowledge through research, residency, and educational programmes. As AAA celebrates its twentieth anniversary, we are grateful for everyone’s continued support in making a more generous art history possible.

18/09/2026

【September Digest | Engaging the Senses】

How do we archive taste or sound? How might these sensory experiences contribute to our understanding of art?

While the visual often takes centre stage when speaking of art and archives, AAA Associate Editors Judy Chiu and Jaren Ng consider the significance of taste and sound in their respective shortlists, “The Art of Eating” and “Sound Art and Its Reverberations in Hong Kong and Beyond.” This month, we invite you to delve into AAA’s Collections through these two distinctive selections that focus on the sensory experiences most familiar to us.

Read our April digest: https://www.anpasia.com/newsletterweb/41415A41784744584277454359/44425F4674494A5C427844405B43
Subscribe to our monthly digest: https://aaa.org.hk/en/newsletter

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Image 1 and 6: “Kitchen of One’s Own,” published by Goya Journal and Nivaala, 2022. Courtesy of Shruti Taneja.
Image 2: Books featured in “The Art of Eating.”
Image 3: Pages from “Image book of Nomad Papaya” by Kenneth Lin (Nomad Papaya Books, 2024). Courtesy of Kenneth Ting-yu Lin.
Image 4 (from left): May Fung, Nose Chan, Ip Yuk-yiu, Ng Tsz-kwan, and Yau Ching in a workshop titled “Video Ensemble,” organised at Videotage’s space at Oil Street, 10 July 1999. AAA Project File: Oil Street Project. Courtesy of David Clarke.
Image 5: Pages from “A Dictionary of Sensitive Sounds” by Elif Öner and Evrim Kavcar (Espas Art Theory Publications, 2021).

16/09/2026

【At 25 | Salima Hashmi】

In 1968, 25-year-old Salima Hashmi lived in London, navigating her homesickness through the unexpected scent of jasmine and Urdu newspapers that arrived three months late. This fleeting connection to her home in Lahore deeply shaped her understanding of memory and belonging.

In this reel, our Assistant Curator, Christina Bartosch, explores Hashmi’s world at 25, revealing how these early experiences inspired her newly commissioned work in our current exhibition.

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All images courtesy of Salima Hashmi.

11/09/2026

【At 25 | Writing Workshop “Age and Ache”】

Join us for “Age and Ache,” a writing workshop with Clementine Hei-man Cheung reflecting on the aches, sores, and ailments of being 25—a pivotal age of growth and self-discovery.

Building on our current exhibition, “At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II,” where writing acts as a quiet current beneath each artist’s practice, this workshop encourages participants to trace the physical and emotional markers of this age and write letters as an archive-to-be documentation, bridging personal wounds with literary echoes. Held in a respectful and tender space, this workshop invites you to juice and brew your heartbeats into ink, transform ache into magic, or simply bid pain a quiet farewell.

The programme will be conducted in English on 26 September 2026 at AAA’s library. Tap the link to register: https://aaa.org.hk/en/programmes/programmes/age-and-ache

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Image 1: Patterns healed from inked wounds, Hong Kong. Courtesy of Clementine Hei-man Cheung.
Image 2: Growth rings encircling a tree hollow, Tokyo, Japan. Courtesy of Clementine Hei-man Cheung.
Image 3: Portrait of Clementine Hei-man Cheung. Courtesy of Clementine Hei-man Cheung.

09/09/2026

【At 25 | Raqs Media Collective】

In 1993, Raqs Media Collective embarked on their first project, “Black Waters,” a 16mm documentary exploring the geopolitical and visual history of the Andaman Islands. Due to insufficient funding, the project was never finished. More than thirty years later, the collective revisits the rich archive of “Black Waters” in their newly commissioned work for AAA’s exhibition “At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II.”

In this reel, Jeebesh Bagchi, a member of Raqs Media Collective, tells us about the stories behind the film, how the project shaped the collective’s later practice, and what it is like to return to it decades later.

04/09/2026

【Library Closure Notice】

AAA’s library will close from 2pm to 6pm next Monday, 7 September, for a closed-door event. Please kindly take note and schedule your visit accordingly.

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Image: AAA Library. Courtesy of LAAB Architects.

31/08/2026

【September New Arrivals】

Browse through our latest collection of zines, exhibition catalogues, and publications on the body and climate, performativity and artistic creation, histories and modernities of port cities, and more.

📓 “My Body - 2 June to 7 July 2025, Hangzhou and Chongqing” (2025) is a zine by artist Tong Wenmin that traces how her own body responds to the weather in Hangzhou and Chongqing. Presented as a short diary, it combines simple sketches and words with personal observations.

🔖 “Mothers’ Choice #003” (2026) records the outcome of twenty co-creation workshops held in Nanjing by ceramic artist and writer Xu Yihan. Using body parts as a theme and starting point, participants reflected on their own experiences and relationships with family members.

📕 “During theater hours—when the camera turns to the audience” (2026) by Jimmie Lu continues the 2023 exhibition “My Path to Peng Chau” held at the long-closed Peng Chau Cinema. Released seasonally and designed by Kelly Ngai and Kit Chan, each volume gathers and translates five oral histories that reveal the island’s past life.

📙 “Grounded: Soghra Khurasani” (2025), published by TARQ, accompanies India-based artist Soghra Khurasani’s recent solo exhibition, which featured a new body of prints meditating on the interconnectedness of all living things. The catalogue features an essay by independent curator and critic Deeksha Nath.

📗 “Hometown: Kim Beom” (2005) is an English translation of a Korean text that was first published for the 1998 group exhibition “City and Image” held in Seoul. In it, the artist describes a town called Ungyeri, presenting it as a constructed place that does not exist in real life.

📓 “Amanda Heng: On and On” (2026), edited by Selene Yap, is published in conjunction with “A Pause,” Heng’s exhibition for the Singapore Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. It spans four decades of her practice with essays by Anca Rujoiu, Lee Weng Choy, Lilian Chee, and Souchou Yao, alongside Heng’s own voice and previously unseen visual essays.

📖 “Busan, Museum, Contemporary: Busan Museum of Contemporary Art 5th Anniversary Report: 2018-2023” (2025) introduces the museum’s b

27/08/2026

【At 25 | Bahc Yiso】

For some, 25 can be a year of transition, when leaving behind familiar surroundings opens up new experiences that shape the path ahead. “At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II” explores the formative journeys of four artists and collectives across Asia, including Bahc Yiso (1957–2004).

An artist, curator, critic, and educator, Bahc played an influential role in the development of Korean contemporary art through his conceptual practice and work as a cultural translator. In 1982, 25-year-old Bahc left Seoul to study at Pratt Institute in New York. Moving beyond the figurative and surrealist styles of his Hongik University years, he forged a new path through conceptual explorations of diverse materials.

This exhibition offers an intimate look at Bahc’s life and artistic practice during his time in New York. Tap the link to join our curator-led tours and discover stories that may resonate with your own experience of being 25: https://www.anpasia.com/public/event/RegistrationForm/4140504B764141594371

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Image 1: Bahc Yiso standing in front of his artwork “Untitled,” 1983. Courtesy of MMCA Art Research Center, gift of Yiso Sarangbang.
Image 2: Portrait of Bahc Yiso, ca. 1980s. Courtesy of MMCA Art Research Center, gift of Yiso Sarangbang.
Image 3: (left) Caroline Ladd Pratt House, n.d. Courtesy of Pratt Institute Archives; (right) Bahc Yiso’s portrait at Hongik University, n.d. Courtesy of MMCA Art Research Center.
Image 4: Minor Injury, ca. 1985. Courtesy of MMCA Art Research Center.
Image 5: Installation view of “At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II,” Asia Art Archive, 2026. Photo: South Ho.

25/08/2026

【New Conversation “Behind the Plate” on LIKE A FEVER】

In this conversation, Shruti Taneja, Young Xiao, and Tiantong Yan discuss preserving food heritage through family recipes, social structures around the kitchen, and forgotten culinary histories in China and India. Moderated by Judy Chiu and Noopur Desai.

Read the conversation on AAA’s online publishing platform LIKE A FEVER: https://aaa.org.hk/en/like-a-fever/like-a-fever/behind-the-plate/type/conversations

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Image 1: “Home Around the Table: In Search of 1000 Family Recipe Keepers,” Hangzhou, 2022. Courtesy of 1000PIECES.
Image 2: Kitchen Calls at Godrej Food Labs, 2026. Courtesy of Shruti Taneja.
Image 3: “Home Around the Table: In Search of 1000 Family Recipe Keepers,” Outland Publishing Fair, London, 2026. Courtesy of 1000PIECES.
Image 4: Family recipe record cards collected during “Home Around the Table” in Ningbo, 2025. Courtesy of 1000PIECES.
Image 5: “Kitchen of One’s Own,” published by Goya Journal and Nivaala, 2022. Courtesy of Shruti Taneja.

24/08/2026

【Library Closure Notice】

AAA’s library will close on Thursday, 27 August for filming. Please kindly take note and schedule your visit accordingly.

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Image: AAA Library. Courtesy of Moving Image Studio.

20/08/2026

【At 25 | Holly Lee】

Sometimes breaking away from security could be the first step towards shaping a lasting artistic legacy. This rings true for Holly Lee (1953–2024), the pioneering photo-based artist featured in “At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II.”

A leading figure in conceptual photography in Hong Kong, Lee carved out a distinct visual language through her creative practice encompassing photography, printmaking, and writing.

The year 1978 marked a major turning point for 25-year-old Lee. After leaving a secure bank job to pursue art, she co-founded a photography studio with her life-long partner Lee Ka-sing. Through artistic practice and commercial projects, Lee refined her voice as a photographer—particularly as a female photographer in an industry then dominated by men. The duo also launched influential projects like the contemporary photography magazine “NuNaHeDuo (Dislocation),” creating a vital incubator for the arts.

The exhibition brings to light Lee’s enduring dedication to her craft, focusing on her early artistic life before she and her partner relocated to Toronto in 1997. Sign up for our bilingual curator-led tours and learn more about Lee’s life stories: https://www.anpasia.com/public/event/RegistrationForm/4140504B764141594371

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Image 1: Holly Lee at 25, 1978. Courtesy of Lee Ka-sing.
Image 2: Portrait of Holly Lee. Photo: Lee Ka-sing.
Image 3: Moving notice and promotional materials of the artists’ studio. Courtesy of Holly Lee and Lee Ka-sing.
Image 4: Covers of “NuNaHeDuo (Dislocation),” 1993–95. Lee Ka-Sing & Holly Lee Archive, Asia Art Archive Collections.
Image 5: Installation view of “At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II,” Asia Art Archive, 2026. Photo: South Ho.

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