Hong Kong's Digital Art Scene Explores Technology, Heritage, and Obsolescence
The urban environment of Hong Kong, characterized by both construction and the preservation of heritage, serves as a muse for artists delving into the facets of technology. At Oi!, Nadim Abbas's 2023 piece 'Ventriloquist's Stone' included sculptural components and live performers, drawing inspiration from Chinese scholars' rocks. In 2021, Andrew Luk and Samuel Swope turned DE SARTHE gallery into a drone racing venue, integrating feng shui concepts. Luk's previous works, 'Horizon Scan' (2018) and 'Autosave: Redoubt' (2018), reflect on military technology. Zheng Mahler's creations, such as 'The Master Algorithm' (2019), utilize affordable materials and holography. Lin Yilin's 2017 VR project revisited his 1995 performance. The M+ Museum's commissions, including Ellen Pau's 'The Shape of Light' (2022), investigate the intersection of digital cinema, art, and technology.
Key facts
- Nadim Abbas's 'Ventriloquist's Stone' was exhibited at Oi! (Oil Street Art Space) in Hong Kong from 1 March to 30 July 2023.
- Andrew Luk and Samuel Swope's 'Ready\Set\Fulfill' transformed DE SARTHE gallery into a drone racecourse in 2021.
- Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong's Kowloon Peninsula was historically an electronics manufacturing hub before gentrification.
- Zheng Mahler's 'The Master Algorithm' (2019) uses cheap fans to present holographic imagery.
- Lin Yilin collaborated with Nonny de la Peña on a VR experience in 2017 recreating a 1995 performance in Guangzhou.
- M+ Museum in Hong Kong launched facade commissions with Ellen Pau's 'The Shape of Light' in 2022.
- Jon Kessler's 'The Web' was exhibited at Swiss Institute in New York in 2013, using obsolete technology.
- The essay is part of Afterall Issue 58 'Geo-Imaginaries of Technology', published on 06 October 2025.
Entities
Artists
- Nadim Abbas
- Andrew Luk
- Samuel Swope
- Royce Ng
- Daisy Bisenieks
- Lin Yilin
- Nonny de la Peña
- Ellen Pau
- Jon Kessler
- Yan Lei
- Cao Fei
- Lu Yang
- Lee Bul
- Hugh Davies
- Janice Chen
- Alexis Mailles
- Peter Nelson
- Emily Verla Bovino
- Silke Schmickl
- Ellen Ullman
- Roland Barthes
- Michael Fried
- Wong Kar Wai
- Tyler Coburn
- Zhang Ga
- Gianni Jetzer
Institutions
- Oi! (Oil Street Art Space)
- DE SARTHE gallery
- Tai Kwun Contemporary
- Asia Society
- M+ Museum
- Chronus Art Center
- Swiss Institute
- Museum Tinguely
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Tate
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- ZKM | Center for Art and Media
- Videotage
- Emblematic Group
- Microwave International New Media Arts Festival
- Digital Art Fair
- CRUMB: The Curatorial Resource for Upstart Media Bliss
- Eyebeam
- Rhizome
- Thing.net
- Kramlich Collection
- Valve
- Hidden Path Entertainment
- Métamatic Research Initiative
- Afterall
- Zolima City Mag
- Frieze
Locations
- Hong Kong
- Sheung Wan
- Sham Shui Po
- Kowloon Peninsula
- Victoria Harbour
- New Territories
- China
- Guangzhou
- New York
- Beijing
- Tokyo
- Shanghai
- Hangzhou
- Switzerland
- Basel
- Karlsruhe
- London
- Napa Valley
- San Francisco
- Amsterdam
- South Korea
Sources
- Afterall —