ENG-2008 — Page 452

376 | Recreation, Sport and the Arts

Zuni Icosahedron

Zuni Icosahedron is a multimedia experimental theatre group founded in 1982 since when it has made creative attempts in the various aspects of theatre and participated in arts education, arts criticism, arts policy research and international cultural exchange.

In 2008, Zuni presented productions including a newly-commissioned Kunqu opera, Tang Xianzu's Dream on Dreams, and the plays God Came to China (co-commissioned by 2008 New Vision Arts Festival), East Wing West Wing 7: The Hong Kong Civil Servant Death Note, and Tears of Barren Hill (co-commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival 2008). The latter production won an award in the international Music Theatre NOW 2008 competition.

Visual Arts Groups

1a space

1a space is an independent non-profit-making visual arts organisation founded by a group of Hong Kong arts workers in 1998. It operates an open platform intended to cultivate and nurture local artistic talent with the aim of promoting contemporary visual arts and affiliated art forms.

Highlights of 1a space's programmes in 2008 included the collaborative art event Cattle Depot in March: Arts and Community Online and participation in a number of exhibitions.

Artist Commune

Artist Commune was established as a non-profit-making arts group in July 1997 and has committed itself mainly to building up dialogue between the arts and the community. It first set up studio in the Cheung Fat Industrial Building in Shek Tong Tsui, from where it moved to Oil Street Artist Village in North Point, and then to 'Slaughter House' in Cheung Sha Wan. It finally settled down in 'Cattle Depot Artist Village' in To Kwa Wan in 2001.

In 2008, Artist Commune organised 13 visual arts programmes, some of which were responses to current social issues such as city development and the Sichuan earthquake

Asia Art Archive

Founded in 2000, the Asia Art Archive (AAA), a Hong Kong-registered charity, is dedicated to documenting the recent history of visual arts in the region and making it accessible to the public.

More than 23 000 items are available to the public on the AAA's website and in its archives. In addition, it organises workshops, symposia, talks and publications promoting a free flow of ideas.

With researchers based in Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo, the AAA acts as an important conduit through which people in the contemporary Asian arts field may get in touch with each other.