19 Oct 2008

Para/Site Art Space Annual Fundraising Auction

ArtMART 2008 – Annual Fundraising Event for Para/Site Art Space

Para/Site Art Space is proud to present the tenth installment of ArtMart 2008, our annual auction of artworks by emerging and established artists, featuring Joseph Kousth, Wu Shan Zhuan, Dennis Oppenheim, Terence Koh, Pak Sheung Chuen, Qiu Anxiong, Christian Jankowski, Heman Chong, Haegue Yang, Zheng Guogu, Wilson Shieh, Weng Fen and many more. The fundraising event is comprised of two parts: the Auction Preview and the Art Auction. All proceeds from this fundraising campaign will go directly to support Para/Site Art Space and the second edition of Para/Site Art Space – Hong Kong Jockey Club Curatorial Training Programme.

Auction Preview 2008

Para/Site Art Space is delighted to be collaborating with Swire Properties again to present Para/Site ArtMART Auction Preview 2008. More than 20 pieces of original artworks in various media will be on display. An exhibition catalogue will also be provided to assist viewing the works. The details are as follows:

Preview Period: 29 October – 3 November 2008
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Star Street UG Lobby, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen's Road East

Art Auction at Kee Club

Our annual signature event, Art Auction will be held at Kee Club (6/F, 32 Wellington Street, Central) on 4 November 2008. The Art Auction will begin at 6:30pm with a casual cocktail reception, bidding starts at 7:30pm and follows by a patron/sponsor dinner from 8:30. Further instructions for the auction will be included with the invitation and on our website.

Online catalogue: http://www.para-site.org.hk/auction

ABOUT ArtMART

The 10th Anniversary of ArtMART is the perfect event to view and bid on spectacular artworks from both established and emerging international artists. ArtMART was initialed 10 years ago to raise funds for Para/Site Art Space and to promote contemporary art and its practices in Hong Kong. Our aim this year is to raise 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars in order to further develop on our progresses/achievements in foresting and promoting contemporary visual arts in Hong Kong. As a leading curator-run space in the Greater China region with an ambitious outlook on high-quality contemporary art practices. All artworks featuring in the event are carefully selected and evaluated by our professional staff, and provide a unique opportunity to collect groundbreaking and highly sought-after pieces by celebrated artists at levels significantly more modest than the open market.

ABOUT PARA/SITE ART SPACE

Para/Site Art Space is an independent and non-profit art organisation based in Hong Kong. We receive funding from both the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the generous support from various patrons, friends and sponsors through our annual fund raising auction ArtMART. Our mission is to produce, exhibit and communicate high level local and international contemporary art. Our activities include presenting an ambitious programme comprising over ten exhibitions and publications of catalogues annually. Seminars, talks and workshops are regularly held to compliment our exhibitions. Para/Site Art Space is also committed to nurturing the next generation of curators in the Asian region through our Curatorial Training Programme, sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club as well as proceeds from the auction.

Established in 1996, Para/Site Art Space started as an artist-run space hoping to provide an open platform to exhibit, produce and communicate contemporary art in Hong Kong. We have further developed into a curator-run space with non-profit, charitable status committed to promoting contemporary visual arts in Hong Kong three years ago. The art space is housed in a two-floor gallery in Sheung Wan, an historical and characteristic part of town. By providing a professional exhibition space as well as creating an environment where artists at all levels can present their artworks, Para/Site Art Space is the first of its kind in Hong Kong to support the growth and development of artists and their related art practices.

Para/Site Art Space is dedicated to staging ground-breaking exhibitions, initiating education programmes and becoming a generative centre for art criticism, research and exchange, which in turn will shape and nurture contemporary art practices in Hong Kong. Para/Site Art Space also places its emphasis on the importance of cultural exchanges between local and overseas artists. In the past three years we facilitated numerous emerging and established artists' debut presentations in Hong Kong, such as Paul Chan, Lawrence Weiner, Cao Fei, Dennis Oppenheim and most recently, Franz Ackermann. We have also been involved in various international exhibitions such as the 4th Gwangju Biennale 2002, the 50th Venice Biennale 2003 and the 2nd Guangzhou Triennial 2005.We believe that such exchanges can lead to on-going dialogues between artists, art practitioners and the local community. In the past thirteen years, Para/Site Art Space has produced over 80 exhibitions that cover a wide spectrum of social, cultural and political issues.

Announcement of New Executive Director/Curator

In addition to ArtMART 2008, Para/Site Art Space is also delighted to announce the new appointment of our Executive Director/Curator Alvaro Roriguez Fominaya, who will be leading Para/Site Art Space into a brand new exciting chapter with his visionary approach and programming.