Digital Waves | Asia Society

Hanging jpegs on the blockchain has become the norm and creating through digital tech the common wave, not just new. Pass the NFT revolution, how has technology changed the way we perceive art? Digital art has given power to new levels of expression outside the physical into physics defying worlds. This focused conversation between an artist Sui Wai Hang, curator Joel Kwong, former MTV Asia executive Henry Middleton, and journalist Denise Tsui is a 360 look into how creative platforms, expressions and technology have changed from Baby Boomers to Zoomers.

Siu Wai Hang primarily engages with photography. His work makes use of different methods and photographic principles to express Siu’s solicitude for society and his contemplation on the medium. Siu was the recipient of the First Price of Hong Kong Photobook Dummy Award 2021, the Hong Kong Human Rights Art Prize (2018) and the WYNG Masters Award (2014 and 2016). He was also named ifva Emerging Talent in 2016. His works were exhibited in New York, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China. Siu currently lives and works in Hong Kong, and holds teaching positions at various universities and art institutions.

Joel Kwong is an international media art curator, writer, producer and educator basedin Hong Kong. She is currently the Programme Director for Microwave International New Media Arts Festival, as well as the founder of SIBYLS – a creative Arts x Tech consultation and production agency. Joel has a strong belief in the power of art and technology, and her curated projects have been shown in many different cities around the globe. 

Motivated more by tackling the challenge not faced beforethan pursuing promotion, Henry has compiled a body of work emphasisingcreation, change, crisis/chaos, complexity,spanning most sectors and crossing most continents.Military, corporate, entrepreneurialroles are combined withtaking time out to invest in personal projects, culminatingin a career he describesas“consisting of many pieces of Jigsaw, but not from the same puzzle”. Alarge part of his work has been in TV& Media, navigating organisations including MTV, Discovery, BBC, Animal Planet, Mediacorp, throughcable-satellite, multichannel, digital,streaming developments. A graduate of Imperial College, London, recognition of his achievements includeappointment in the UK National Honoursaged 26, and winning a national business award. His personal projects range from designing and building a house and several renovations, to researching andstudyingchild development, youth sub-cultures, and dementia. Henry livesin Hong Kong,currentlybuilding financing for a new venture.

Denise Tsui is the Managing Editor of CoBo Social. A Hong Kong-born Aussie, Denise’s research interests are primarily in the dynamics of the art market, post-war art history and the study of exhibition models. Denise holds a BA in Fine Arts from the Victorian College of the Arts and a MA in Art Curatorship from the University of Melbourne. Previously she has worked as an editor for ArtAsiaPacific and the curator for a private collection of Australian and New Zealand art. 

The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and participants and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not reflect the opinion, position or official policy of Asia Society Hong Kong, its members, or its committees. Asia Society Hong Kong does not endorse or approve, and assumes no responsibility for the content of the information presented.