In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, Prof. Benny Lim Kok Wai, Associate Professor of Practice in Cultural Management at CUHK, shared valuable insights on the leadership transitions at Para Site and Asia Art Archive.
(Published by South China Morning Post: 10 June 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Para Site and Asia Art Archive are both looking for new executive directors during a volatile period for Hong Kong\u2019s art scene<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Enid Tsui
Published: 11:16am, 10 Jun 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Para Site and Asia Art Archive (AAA), two long-standing independent cultural institutions in Hong Kong, are simultaneously seeking new executive directors at a pivotal moment for the city\u2019s cultural scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On June 2, Para Site in Quarry Bay announced that Billy Tang had stepped down as executive director and curator after concluding his three-year contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The British-born former senior curator of Shanghai\u2019s Rockbund Art Museum took over from Cosmin Costinas \u2013 who had run Para Site for 11 years \u2013 in May 2022, just as Hong Kong lifted its Covid-19 pandemic ban on non-residents entering the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, the non-profit art space founded in 1996 has undergone major changes, such as embracing more environmentally friendly and longer-running exhibitions, and opening an additional exhibition space on the 10th floor of the building where it is based which has given emerging artists the chance to undertake more site-specific and interactive projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, AAA in Sheung Wan, which maintains an extensive art archive and runs regular public programmes and a well-used library, put up a job posting for a successor to Christopher K. Ho, who joined AAA as executive director in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ho, a Hong Kong-born artist raised in the United States, also took over from a long-serving predecessor \u2013 in this case Claire Hsu, who co-founded AAA in 2000 and stepped down after 21 years as executive director to become chairwoman of its board.
During Ho\u2019s tenure, AAA made significant additions to its archives, redesigned and expanded its free public library and developed a digitisation lab where media can be converted into digital format, which will open on July 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AAA said Ho\u2019s departure would only be officially announced when a successor had been identified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ho will stay on until then and continue to oversee the organisation\u2019s 25th anniversary programmes, and will remain in Hong Kong as an AAA board member after stepping down from his current role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tang, the former executive director of Para Site, was not available for interview but indicated in an email that it was his decision to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn a personal capacity, I remain as passionate and committed to furthering contemporary art in the region and will share more about my next chapter in due course [\u2026] While this decision wasn\u2019t easy, I believe in the importance of growth and embracing new directions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Businessman and collector Alan Lo Yeung-kit, the chairman of Para Site\u2019s board since February, said there was no plan to change the organisation\u2019s focus on contemporary art in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said Tang did a fantastic job from a curatorial standpoint and the board would continue to refrain from intervening in curatorial matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lo also said that with the rapid growth of Asia\u2019s art scene \u2013 much busier now than in 1996, with many new venues opening and institutions being set up in cities near Hong Kong \u2013 Para Site had to be adaptable and focus on how it could stand out in an increasingly crowded field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is important now for these two institutions is appointing leaders who can forge meaningful cultural relations, not only internationally, but also with mainland China
Benny Lim Kok-wai, associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two job vacancies come at a time when Hong Kong cultural institutions have to balance the need to stay relevant during a period of great geopolitical turmoil with complications introduced by the 2020 National Security Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, the lawmaker representing Hong Kong\u2019s Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication functional constituency and chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, is not concerned about Hong Kong\u2019s ability to attract cultural leaders from anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the support of the government and the new cultural blueprint (a plan released by the government in 2024), I am sure there are plenty of opportunities for those interested in advancing in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn terms of attracting talents, Hong Kong has a vibrant art landscape. With our open-arms attitude, I believe this has attracted many talents from overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEqually important, though, we need to focus more on opportunities for local art administrators’ talent development to ensure that our local practitioners also get the opportunity to advance their knowledge and careers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benny Lim Kok-wai, associate professor of practice in cultural management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, noted that the tenures of Tang and Ho were shorter than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat said, I believe every leadership change brings opportunities for renewal [\u2026] In this current global and local landscape, what is important now for these two institutions is appointing leaders who can forge meaningful cultural relations, not only internationally, but also with mainland China,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHong Kong has always been rather unique and complex. The new [executive directors] should understand how to navigate different cultural expectations and political sensitivities, while still holding on to the values that are important to Hong Kong\u2019s arts ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vicky Wong, founder of an art industry executive-recruitment firm, said the two job openings were nothing extraordinary in a city with a \u201cvolatile, free-flow talent pool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are a lot of even more dramatic cases of restructuring and drastic [moves] in the commercial art arena,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to searching for Tang\u2019s replacement, Lo said the Para Site board would continue its search for a new home for the art space, which moved into the Wing Wah Industrial Building, next to the Hong Kong Funeral Home in Quarry Bay, in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019d like to take advantage of the soft property market to find somewhere bigger,\u201d he said, adding that the 10th-floor annex had worked well as a concept and Para Site was likely to retain a separate space for solo experimentation even if it did move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deputy director Junni Chen will oversee Para Site\u2019s operation in the interim, while the final exhibition Tang curated there \u2013 a solo exhibition by Bangkok-based conceptual artist Pratchaya Phinthong \u2013 will be unveiled in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n