The Art Future Awards in Hong Kong marked a significant milestone in recognizing and celebrating emerging Asian artistic talent. The inaugural edition saw a remarkable victory for Erina Yoshimura from Kyoto City University of Arts. Her winning entry, “There is our horizon,” captured the essence of community effort through a captivating live performance video. It depicted a group in Japan collaboratively maneuvering a water-filled plastic tube down a challenging mountain path, symbolizing the collective effort and mutual understanding needed to overcome obstacles.
Close behind in the competition were Xiong Zheng from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music and Lau Jin-ki from the Hong Kong Art School. Xiong’s “Wish of pebble” installation mesmerized viewers with its electrically powered rotating pebbles, while Lau’s “Chronicles of distortion” combined stoneware and porcelain with overlapping, distorted photographs to create a unique visual experience.
The event showcased the works of all six shortlisted artists at Hong Kong Baptist University’s Kai Tak campus, providing a vibrant platform for these young artists to display their creativity and innovation. The Art Future Awards, a collaborative effort between HKBU’s Academy of Visual Arts and International Art Exchange, was designed to offer young artists from Asia an international stage to exhibit their work.
The awards attracted wide attention, with over 70 major art institutions from across Asia nominating up to two final-year students or recent graduates. The result was an impressive collection of 119 submissions from a diverse range of countries, including China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
A prestigious panel, including renowned Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, esteemed curators Hou Hanru and Zoe Butt, and artist-educator Kurt Chan, judged the final round. Their expertise brought significant credibility and insight to the evaluation process.
Janet Fong, an assistant professor at HKBU’s Academy of Visual Arts and a driving force behind the awards, highlighted the significance of the Art Future Awards in enriching Asia’s art scene. She emphasized Hong Kong’s potential as a hub for Asian contemporary arts, noting the city’s international reputation bolstered by events like Art Basel and major auctions. Fong pointed out that what was missing was a dedicated platform for emerging artists who needed support and opportunities to showcase their work.
Hou Hanru, a veteran curator, reflected on the evolving landscape of young artists’ careers. He noted a shift from galleries as incubators of talent to more commercially driven spaces, likening the art world to a competitive football league. Hou stressed the importance of artists maintaining faith in their work amidst this challenging environment.
Fong further elaborated on the awards’ broader objectives, aiming to offer young artists opportunities to experience and connect with their peers from different parts of Asia. She shared her personal experience of how a year abroad significantly impacted her perspective, expressing a desire to provide similar opportunities for young artists. Fong envisioned these experiences as a means for artists to build collective identities and broaden their horizons.
The Art Future Awards, therefore, stands not just as a competition but as a beacon of hope and a catalyst for growth and connection among the diverse and talented artists of Asia. It promises to be a significant contributor to the development and recognition of emerging artistic voices in the region.
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