The motivation for Experimenta is to produce shows and to instigate collaborations which would otherwise not happen, not because they are not worth making, but probably difficult to fit in the current structure of the art scene.
Experimenta provides a space for young, unknown, or emerging artists to exhibit their works. It is a place where they come together for meaningful discussion of their work-in-progress projects. “Experimenta” is a platform for in-depth discussion for on-going artistic experimentations, and to promote free exchange of ideas.
As a trans-disciplinary platform, we embrace all kinds of visual and media arts, and seek input from various disciplines such as literature, critical theory, cultural studies, history, technology and sciences.
In recent years, individual small studios is formed by students or young people in various places in Hong Kong, but there are no places where their works could be shown to an interested and relevant audience. There are also few places where academics researching for their Master’s degree or Ph.D. could share their work with an interested audience. Through the experience and network of the Experimenta team, we hope to invite audiences that are different each time, depending on the subjects to be presented, to start discussion for the artists’ work.
Experimenta plans to promote its activities and call for proposal mainly through its web site.
Three main types of events held :
- OPEN FORUM: WORK-IN-PROGRESS
Work-in-progress sessions at Experimenta give the young and aspiring or merely aspiring curators and artists to tell the world about their next great ideas. We at Experimenta will invite guests from relevant fields to participate these sessions. These artists can solicit views from an interested audience before the final publication of their works, or young curators with a maturing plan may talk about their concepts and generate opportunities to realize their exhibitions. Artists and curators are given a chance to take their projects a step further.
- EXHIBITION TESTERS
These are roughly 14-day long to month long exhibitions for first time artists and curators to present their artistic ideas which otherwise would not have a chance to showcase in Hong Kong. These ideas may be lesser known in the on-going independent art space but nevertheless worth examining. Experimenta wants to become a testing ground for these artists. But Experimenta is not about just providing a physical space for them. For these young artists, the Experimenta team would invite them for a workshop to develop their curatorial statement or to talk about their ideas before the presentation or the show. So in a way, Experimenta is like an incubator for new and young artists.
- SHORT TOPICS
These are short lectures for art critics, historians and theorists to present their writings-in- progress to solicit exchange.
While more and more big and small venues are now available for publication/exhibition of works, our general sentiment is to make space for in-depth discussion, encourage dialogue across sectors of the art community, think out of the box of genre boundaries, and to turn inter-disciplinarity into realities.
