Shanghai, September 25, 2015 – Rockbund Art Museum (RAM) and HUGO BOSS are excited to announce the Home City Conversations, as part of the research and education efforts of HUGO BOSS ASIA ART: Award for Emerging Asian Artists, a biannual award aims to honour emerging contemporary artists who are in the early stages of their artistic creation and exhibition practices.

The Home City Conversation consist of public talks and studio visits organised by RAM, in collaboration with one renowned local art institution and one art professional in Beijing, Manila, Yangon and Taipei respectively. The series of events will take place between September and November 2015, prior to and during the group exhibition at RAM in Shanghai, which opens on 30 October, 2015.

HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award is a platform and an on-going process of investigation into the concept of Asia and the transformation of art in this region. Through education and exhibition programmes, each edition explores into new territories toward mapping contemporary art in Asia in multiple facets and layers. Following the success of the first edition focusing on Greater China, the 2015 Award goes on to look at Southeast Asia and on Greater China, which represents a response to the shifting geo-political situations in this area and a further move of the Award towards its mission.

Larys Frogier, RAM Director and Chair of the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART jury, states, “As part of the 2015 HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award education programme, Home City Conversations attempts to look at the immediate contexts for the shortlisted artists’ works – from the cities they live and work in – through studio visits and public conversations.” The conversations aim to engage with the public and art community in each of the cities, and to shed new light on the artists’ work as well as on the regions for an international audience.

The six shortlisted artists for the second edition of the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award are; Guan Xiao (China), Huang Po-Chih (Taiwan, China), Moe Satt (Myanmar), Maria Taniguchi (Philippines), Vandy Rattana (Cambodia), and Yang Xinguang (China), selected by an art jury which comprises a strong mix of independent and institutional members who have a deep knowledge of artists and projects in Asia. Their insights into the development of the contemporary art scene in Asia today, and their clear visions of the challenges and opportunities of the future, will stimulate a strong contribution to the evolution of contemporary art in Asia, through the Award.

Conceived and curated by RAM, the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART group exhibition will be shown from 30 October 2015 to 3 January 2016, with newly commissioned artworks that are currently being created by the artists, and will be unveiled specifically for the Award. The winner of the Award will be announced in November, and will be chosen based on the exhibition, receiving a stipend of ¥300,000 to further develop the artist’s practice.

Home City Conversations

BEIJING

Public Talk: 25 September 2015

Time: 19:30 - 21:00

Venue: Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA)

Speakers: Guan Xiao (artist), Yang Xinguang (artist)

Guest speakers: Robin Peckham (Chief Editor, LEAP), Li Qi (Senior Curator, Rockbund Art Museum)

Language: Mandarin Chinese

MANILA

Public Talk: 6 November 2015

Time: 14:30 – 16:00

Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), Manila

Speaker: Maria Taniguchi (artist)

Guest speakers: Joselina Cruz (Curator, MCAD), Liu Yingjiu (Deputy Director, Rockbund Art Museum)

Language: English

YANGON

Public Talk: 13 November 2015

Time: 19:30 - 21:00

Venue: To be confirmed

Speaker: Moe Satt (artist)

Guest speaker: Larys Frogier (Director, Rockbund Art Museum)

Language: English

TAIPEI

Public Talk: 22 November 2015

Time: 15:00 - 17:00

Venue: MOCA TAIPEI

Speakers: Huang Po-Chih (artist), Vandy Rattana (artist)

Guest speaker:  Li Qi (RAM senior curator)

Language: English