Para Site

Para Site (Chinese: 藝術空間) is an independent, non-profit art space in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1996 by artists Patrick Lee, Leung Chi-wo, Phoebe Man Ching-ying, Sara Wong Chi-hang, Leung Mee-ping, Tsang Tak-ping and Lisa Cheung. It produces exhibitions, public programmes, residencies, conferences, and educational initiatives that aim to develop a critical understanding of local and international contemporary art.[1][2]

Founders of Para Site (from left to right) Patrick Lee, Leung Chi-wo, Phoebe Man Ching-ying, Sara Wong Chi-hang, Leung Mee-ping, Tsang Tak-ping (not pictured: Lisa Cheung)
Para Site
藝術空間
Established1996
Location22/F, Wing Wah Industrial Building, 677 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
TypeIndependent non-profit
FounderPatrick Lee, Leung Chi-wo, Phoebe Man Ching-ying, Sara Wong Chi-hang, Leung Mee-ping, Tsang Tak-ping, Lisa Cheung
DirectorCosmin Costinas
Websitehttp://www.para-site.art

As Hong Kong’s first artist-run art space,[3] helped bring recognition to local artists.[1] It has since grown into site of international relevance[2] with a reputation for cutting-edge programming for the visual arts.[4]

The organization is currently headed by Executive Director, Cosmin Costinas, and Deputy Director, Claire Shea.

History

Para Site was first founded in Kennedy Town in 1996. It moved to a 500-sq-ft space in Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan in 1997. In March 2015, it relocated to its current premises in North Point, a neighbourhood which had previously been a refugee camp and gathering place for mainland Chinese from the 1930s to late 1940s.[5]

The move facilitated an expansion of Para Site’s programs with upgraded exhibition amenities, such as a room dedicated to education projects. Tobias Berger, curator at M+ and Executive Director of Para Site at the time, said that the move represented ‘a big step forward for the non-profit sector’.[6]

Exhibitions

Para Site produces 8-10 exhibitions a year, engaging local and international artists and curators. These are accompanied by regular talks, screenings, performances, and guided tours.[4]

Recent exhibitions

Major travelling exhibitions

Education

Conferences

Since 2013, Para Site has hosted an annual international conference. The three-day event brings together professionals in the field from both Hong Kong and abroad in debating issues of relevance in contemporary exhibition making.[7] The conferences are free of charge and open to the public.

Emerging Curators Program

The annual emerging curators programme is an open-call process that culminates in a summer exhibition at Para Site.[7] It was initiated in 2014. Past exhibitions stemming from the program include Imagine there’s no country, Above us only our cities, by Jims Lam Chi Hang, in 2015 and That Has Been, and May be Again, by Leo Li Chen and Wu Mo, in 2016.

Workshops for Emerging Professionals

In 2015, Para Site launched a week-long series of workshops for emerging professionals in conjunction with its annual conference.[7] The curatorial mentorship program includes participants from varying professional backgrounds from across the region and the world.[8]

Residencies

The Para Site International Art Residency (PSIAR) is an invitation-only programme that brings artists, curators and writers to Hong Kong for a period of up to two months. Participants engage with the local and regional art scene through studio visits, performances, screenings and talks.[7]

Publications

Para Site published a quarterly bilingual magazine, P/S, from 1997 to 2006. It was Hong Kong’s first visual arts magazine, and provided a platform for the development of art writing.[9] It has also published numerous catalogues, such as exhibition readers for its travelling exhibitions Taiping Tianguo: A History of Possible Encounters (2012) and A Journal of the Plague Year (2013).[10]

Other Programs

Migrant domestic workers project

From July 2015 to 2016, Para Site organized a series of photography, art, education and literature programmes to engage the migrant domestic worker community. Collaborating with local grassroots organizations, these projects included “Room to Read”, an initiative that brought the writings of domestic workers into the wider community through reading groups,[11] as well as photography workshops, in partnership with Lensational.[12]

Board of Directors

Para Site is a registered charity with the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department. It is managed by a Board of Directors, co-chaired by Alan Lau Ka Ming, Mimi Chun Mei-Lor, and Jehan Pei Chung Chu.[13] Other members of the board include Bonnie Chan Woo Tak Chi, Sara Wong Chi Hang, Kurt Chan Yuk Keung, Alan Y Lo, Mina Park.[13]

Funding

Para Site receives financial support from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, private patrons, and an annual fundraising auction.[4] It also receives grants from the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation and the Foundation for Arts Initiatives.[7]

In 2014, it was awarded a consecutive Springboard Grant of HK$4.5 million from the Home Affairs Bureau, Art Capacity Development Funding Scheme.[14]

References
  1. Uttam, Payal. “Opportunity Knocks for Hong Kong’s Artists.” The Art Newspaper. May 17, 2014. Accessed July 22, 2016. http://old.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Opportunity%20knocks%20for%20Hong%20Kong’s%20artists/37304.
  2. Maunder, Tess. “Processing Disagreement: 20 Years of Para Site and the 2016 International Conference.” Ocula. July 5, 2016. Accessed July 22, 2016. https://ocula.com/magazine/reports/processing-disagreement-20-years-of-para-site-and/.
  3. HK Magazine. “Para Site.” December 14, 2015. Accessed July 22, 2016. http://hk-magazine.com/whats-on/art-galleries/1715/para-site.
  4. Asia Art Archive. “Curator Opening - Para/site Art Space.” January 1, 2003. Accessed July 22, 2016. http://www.aaa.org.hk/WorldEvents/Details/2543.
  5. Wee, Darryl. “Para Site to Move to North Point in March 2015 | Artinfo.” Blouin Artinfo, September 18, 2014. http://hk.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1054688/para-site-to-move-to-north-point-in-march-2015.
  6. Lord, Richard. “Hong Kong’s Cultural Influencers on the Trends in 2015.” South China Morning Post (South China Morning Post), January 3, 2015. http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1672939/hong-kongs-cultural-influencers-trends-2015.
  7. Style by Asia. “Para Site: 20 Years of Local Support for the Arts | Art.” March 17, 2016. Accessed July 22, 2016. http://www.stylebyasia.com/para-site-20-years/.
  8. Tsai, Sylvia. “Notes from Para Site’s Workshop for Emerging Professionals 2016.” ArtAsiaPacific. June 30, 2016. Accessed July 22, 2016. http://artasiapacific.com/Blog/NotesFromParaSiteWorkshopForEmergingProfessionals2016.
  9. artinasia.com. “PS Magazine.” 2007. Accessed July 22, 2016. http://www.artinasia.com/artServiceDetail.php?catID=1&filSM=PUBL&asID=149.
  10. e-flux. “Two New Major Publications.” Accessed July 22, 2016. http://www.e-flux.com/announcements/two-new-major-publications.
  11. Yu, Priscilla. “Hong Kong Arts and Culture Project Makes Foreign Domestic Workers the Creator and the Muse.” Coconuts Hong Kong, 24 August 2015. Accessed July 22, 2016. http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2015/08/24/hong-kong-arts-and-culture-project-makes-foreign-domestic-workers-creator-and-muse.
  12. Liu, Andrea. “Unheard Stories in Hong Kong: Dreams of Foreign Domestic Workers — Photography for Social Change.” Medium, June 17, 2016. Accessed July 22, 2016. https://medium.com/photography-for-social-changes/unheard-stories-in-hong-kong-dreams-of-foreign-domestic-workers-728b371e80#.bt9myzrp6.
  13. Para Site official website
  14. Agnew, Mary. “Para/site Gets Springboard from Hong Kong Government Grant” Blouin Artinfo, February 8, 2012. http://www.blouinartinfo.com/contemporary-arts/article/759228-parasite-gets-springboard-from-hong-kong-government-grant.
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