10AFEST to Spotlight Asian Art-Tech & Cultural Innovations in Hong Kong This October

Marking the Gallery's 10th anniversary, the inaugural conference focuses on "Asian Art-Tech & Cultural Innovations," convening museum leaders, artists, scholars, and innovators to explore cross-disciplinary collaboration and the real-world impact of Art-Tech on Asian culture.

The three-day festival will welcome around 120 participants from 23 cities across 13 countries and regions. The programme features four East–West Plenary Dialogues and six Network Presentation tracks, alongside performances, installations, exhibitions, and networking activities across CityUHK and local partner venues.

Connecting Knowledge, Art, and Technology

Across Asia, technologies like artificial intelligence, extended reality, and data science are transforming how culture is preserved and experienced. Art-Tech is shifting rapidly beyond conventional gallery walls into education, research, entrepreneurship, conservation, and direct community engagement.

Mr Charles Chin Ying-on, Council Treasurer of CityUHK, said, "International collaboration lies at the heart of our mission to address global challenges. For this inaugural edition of 10AFEST, we are honoured to bring together participants from 13 countries and regions and 23 cities. Through intercultural dialogues and interactive networking events, I am confident that participants will forge lasting friendships and lay the groundwork for future collaboration. As CityUHK continues to advance its mission of innovating into the future, 10AFEST exemplifies how art and technology can come together to inspire new ideas and create a positive impact on society."

Building on this vision, 10AFEST connects established cultural leaders with a new generation of practitioners to share perspectives, showcase emerging practices and develop relationships across disciplines and borders. 10AFEST aims to inspire new ideas and lasting partnerships that will contribute to the continued development of Art-Tech and cultural innovation in Asia.

Four East–West Dialogues on Culture and Innovation

The sessions pair distinguished global cultural leaders from contrasting institutional and geographic backgrounds to explore how organisations navigate technological shifts and evolving public expectations.

The four key plenary sessions will focus on:

• (De)globalisation and (Re)connectivity: Explore how cultural institutions navigate shifting geopolitical landscapes and changing global networks. Professor Kyong Park (Seoul/Store Front Gallery New York) and Professor Matthias Böttger (Basel Academy of Art and Design) will examine the changing impact of globalisation and cross-border engagement, focusing on how institutions can stay relevant to a new generation of digital natives while considering whether traditional intercultural diplomacy remains vital today.
• Legacy, Diversity, and Interdisciplinarity: Focusing on the evolution of historical collections, this panel highlights the intersection of diverse cultural narratives and multi-disciplinary research. Professor Lu Xiaobo (Tsinghua University) and Monsignor Alberto Rocca (Pinacoteca Ambrosiana) will discuss how institutional structures and traditions both support and limit the pursuit of new knowledge, offering insights on bridging curation with contemporary practices.
• University Museums and Experiential Learning: Centering on the evolving role of academic museums as active spaces for immersive learning, Professor Jin Jun (Central Academy of Fine Arts) and Doctor Luke Syson (Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge) will look at the changing role of university galleries, and its contribution to campus living and whole-person education at large.
• Digital Museology and Intangible Collection: Addressing the digital transformation of heritage, this session investigates the future use of advanced technologies like XR and AI in conservation. Mr Hing Chao (Hong Kong Cultural Festival) and Ms Cora Würmell (State Art Collections Dresden) will explore the relationship between physical artifacts and living archives, looking at new methods to bridge the traditional museum divides between science, art, and history.

Celebrating a Decade of Interdisciplinary Exchange

Since its inception in 2016, the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery has served as a dynamic platform for bridging the humanities and sciences through transformative exhibitions.

Mrs Indra Banga, Founding Patron and Honorary Chairperson of the Gallery's Advisory Committee, concluded: "Over the past decade, Harry and I shared a vision with CityUHK to support a pioneering platform that brings together art, culture, technology and research. Today, the Gallery has grown into a vibrant hub for learning and discovery, connecting talent and ideas from Hong Kong and around the world. We are delighted to reaffirm our continued support for the Gallery and the University.

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About 10AFEST

10AFEST is an Asian interdisciplinary platform for Art-Tech and Cultural Innovation, bringing together participants from 13 countries/regions and 23 cities to exchange ideas, present projects and build future collaborations.

10AFEST Programme

• 10APLENARY — Plenary Dialogues of Cultural Leaders
• 10ANETWORK — Network Presentations of Emerging Talents
  • TRACK 1A — Translational Research in Art-Tech
  • TRACK 1B — Cultural Entrepreneurship
  • TRACK 2A — Deep Engagement & Interactive Learning
  • TRACK 2B — Inter-Cultural Collaboration
  • TRACK 3A — Asian Heritage & Digital Museology
  • TRACK 3B — Art for Social / Environmental Impact
• 10ADEMO — Performances and Exhibitions
• 10AGALA — Networking and Matching for Future Collaboration

Participating countries include China, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, the UK and Vietnam.

Participating cities include Bangkok, Basel, Beijing, Cambridge, Cavite, Dresden, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jinan, Macao, Makati City, Manila, Milan, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Tianjin, Ulaanbaatar, Yangon and Yogyakarta.

About the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery

Located on the CityUHK campus, the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery serves as a vibrant platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural innovation, translational research, and community education since its inception in 2016. The Gallery has garnered recognition for its distinctive exhibitions, including Leonardo da Vinci: Art & Science, The Atlas of Maritime Buddhism, Central African Art – Invocation of an Unseen World, Zodiac Heads from the Yuanmingyuan and Important Treasures, On the Road: Young Media Artists in China, Prototyping: , The Power of Play, and more.

Information and photographs of past exhibitions are available on the Gallery's official website: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/bg/