ENG-2006 — Page 447

Recreation, Sport and the Arts 379

Artist Commune

Since its establishment in July 1997, Artist Commune as a non-profit arts group, has committed itself to the development of community art. It set up its first workshop in Cheung Fat Industrial Building in Shek Tong Tsui from where it moved to Oil Street Artist Village in North Point and to 'Slaughter House' in Cheung Sha Wan, finally settling down in 'Cattle Depot Artist Village' in To Kwa Wan where it has been since 2001.

Its major projects in 2006 included: 'Contemporary Ink Series' which involved merging traditional ink painting and modern materials and concepts, activities such as 'Meditation and Narration - Contemporary Ink Exhibition'; 'Projects to Respond Social Issues' as an aesthetic angle, virtual political creation and first-hand involvement in the society, activities such as 'Art Depot - Development Research of Cattle Depot Artist Village'; 'Artist-In-Residency Programme', which invited notable. international artists to exchange their experiences and ideas with local artists and audience, activities such as 'd'Asie d'Afrique' and '>1M Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macao Modern Sculpture Exhibition'; and various arts promotion activities in association with tertiary education institutions which were organised to nurture new talents, under programmes such as 'New Trend 2006'.

Asia Art Archive

Founded in 2000, as a direct response to the increasing number of Asian contemporary arts exhibitions and events worldwide, the Asia Art Archive (AAA), a Hong Kong-registered charity, is the first public research centre of its kind dedicated to documenting and making the recent history of visual arts from the region accessible to the public. Through the AAA's website and references in AAA archives, over 18 000 items can be viewed by the public - from museums and collectors to specialists and students. In addition to a static collection of materials, the AAA is actively involved in organising workshops, symposia, talks and publications for exchanging ideas.

With a board of directors and an academic advisory board made up of noted curators and critics, and research posts in Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo, the AAA acts not only as a valuable information. centre, but as a conduit through which people in the contemporary Asian arts field may get in touch with each other. By attending and participating in important Asian- related exhibitions held worldwide, the AAA also plays an active role in recording events as they take place.

In 2006, the AAA organised lectures entitled 'Saying/Unsaying: The Emergence of the Chinese Avant-garde' and 'On top of a Skyscraper in an Earthquake Zone: the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, its position, policy and funding', and a symposium and workshop on 'Cultural Ecologies: Communicating Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, and published 'From Reality to Fantasy: The Art of Luis Chan'.

Hong Kong Society for Education in Art

The Hong Kong Society for Education in Art was established in 1982. It promotes the development of visual arts education in schools and in the community.