The scientific conference at Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary art, titled “Different Cultures – One world, were joined with nearly 100 international professionals from around the globe. It aimed at bridging localized cultures with global vision and experimental practice. Presenters included Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan, State Museum of Art of Uzbekistan under the Ministry of Culture and Sport Affaires of Uzbekistan.

The city-based Tashkent Biennale’s key organizers included Academy Art of Uzbekistan, Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation and Tashkent City Office. The Hong Kong presentation was sponsored and gratefully supported by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (「香港特別行政區政府民政事務局藝術發展基金資助」). Director of Biennale Conference and Exhibition was Professor Farrukh Usmanov and Chief Curator was Dr. Kamola Akilova. The Hong Kong and Asia pavilions/ ections were coordinated by Professor Tsoy Victoria, a renowned Tashkent-based curator. More than 15 speakers spoke in the conference with powerpoint presentation.

The Biennale Exhibition lasted from October 22 – to 27, 2013 and the key venues were Central Exhibition Hall, Tashkent House of Photography, International Caravanserai of Culture of Ikuo Hirayama, Memorial Museum of Kamoliddin Behzod of Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, Youth Creativity, etc. The Hong Kong pavilion/ section was created in The Tashkent House of Photography, next to the section of South Korea. The International Conference was held in City Place Tashkent Hotel. The Hong Kong exhibition was made by Tam Tat Keung (daDa) and it was also kindly sponsored by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (「香港特別行政區政府民政事務局藝術發展基金資助」).

Purpose and Objectives of Conference:

1.      VII Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art, is different from the past sixth biennale, and aimed to demonstrate various trends, new directions, and new names in Contemporary Art for wide range of public.

2.      Promote wide range of international cultural relations, strengthening of dialog of different cultures, traditions and achievements of different countries in the field of Fine Arts.

3.      Emancipation of creative consciousness, pluralism in the field of creative search, showing the specific situation in the different countries of the postmodern, intertextuality state of contemporary art, the preservation of national identity in the artistic culture in the era of globalization.

Andrew Lam’s speech, titled Hong Kong Contemporary Art, helped to offer an invaluable chance to the international audiences and professionals in the International Conference of Tashkent Biennale to understand the new currents of contemporary Hong Kong art and the M+ project of West Kowloon Cultural District in an in-depth dialogue and cultural exchange. The objective of mutual respect and understanding was fostered and his speech contributed to the international art world with a perspective of contemporary art unique to Hong Kong (i.e. dialogue of Glocal cultures). To the audience, The speech of Andrew Lam titled Fault Lines- Gaps in Contemporary Hong Kong Art was informative, interactive, empowering and resourceful. It created a platform of communication and discussed the situations of Hong Kong art with mainstream figures and forgotten names.

HK SPONSOR: Arts Development Fund of Home Affairs Bureau, The Government of Hong Kong SAR

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