The Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) is set to reimagine the traditional art viewing experience with its upcoming flagship exhibition, “Collaboration in Collision."
Running from August 26 to September 20, 2026, the event will invite the public and seven established artistic groups to transform the venue from a conventional static gallery into an organic, interactive space.
Janet Fong
Redefining the boundaries of art and space
The exhibition’s core philosophy revolves around three interconnected concepts: the physical field of the venue, the collision of different creative minds, and the resulting collaboration.
Exhibition curator Janet Fong envisions the event as an experimental departure from standard art displays.
Instead of simply presenting finished pieces for passive viewing, the exhibition is designed to spark an ongoing dialogue between the artists, their work, the physical architecture of the center, and the visitors themselves.
The goal is to encourage audiences to actively participate and forge personal connections with the creative process.
Fang Lijun
Four unique artistic partnerships
The event features four distinct collaborative pairings bringing together creators from Hong Kong, mainland China, and overseas. One of the major highlights is the pairing of renowned Chinese contemporary artist Fang Lijun with the general public. Making its Hong Kong debut in the center's atrium, Fang’s Ocean Ecology Series utilizes recycled debris to highlight environmental awareness.
Marking his return to the venue thirty-three years after his first exhibition there in 1993, this showcase also invites residents to become co-creators.
Through guided workshops, locals will join upcycling designers for a beach cleanup at Big Wave Bay, transforming the collected plastic waste into a massive installation that will be displayed alongside Fang's marine-themed artwork.
Kurt Chan Yuk-keung
Shiro Matsui
Other prominent pairings include Hong Kong's Kurt Chan Yuk-keung and Japan's Shiro Matsui, who use materials ranging from ceramics to 3D printing and water to explore the relationship between human existence and the cosmos.
Although they share a deep conceptual similarity, the two artists had only met once before the exhibition's conception.
Raymond Fung Wing-kee
PRS
Meanwhile, architect and ink painter Raymond Fung Wing-kee joins forces with multidisciplinary group PRS to create an immersive, three-part narrative.
Their work spans architecture, digital media, and stage design to explore the history, nature, and future morphologies of Hong Kong's urban spaces.
Juri Hwang
Andreas Kratky
Finally, artist couple Juri Hwang and Andreas Kratky blend technology, spatial perception, and personal memory to examine the concepts of belonging and roots in a world where geography is in constant flux.
A venue with a history of cross-cultural dialogue
Rather than acting merely as a blank backdrop, the architecture of the Hong Kong Arts Centre plays a vital role in the overall experience.
The curatorial path leads visitors from the vertical circulation of the entrance atrium up to the Pao Galleries, with each artwork responding and adapting to its specific spatial environment.
This site-specific approach builds upon the institution's long-standing history of fostering regional artistic exchange. Since 2009, the center's flagship exhibitions have consistently brought together diverse curators and artists to explore the contemporary cultural landscape of Asia.
By making the public the final participating artist, “Collaboration in Collision” promises to push this tradition of cultural exchange into dynamic new territory.
