Para Site

Para Site
Name	Para Site
Established	1996
Location	Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Type	Contemporary art space
Director	Magnus Corell (Executive Director)

Para Site Para Site is an independent contemporary art institution based in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, founded in 1996 as a curatorial collective and later institutionalized to host exhibitions, publications, and research projects. The organization engages with artists, curators, writers, and institutions across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania, contributing to discourses around visual art, social practice, and transregional networks. Para Site operates within a field populated by biennales, museums, and alternative spaces, collaborating with peers to produce exhibitions, public programs, and critical publications.

History

Para Site was founded amid the 1990s Hong Kong art scene alongside entities such as the Hong Kong Arts Centre, Osage Gallery, and 1a space, responding to local transformations after the 1997 handover. Early activities connected with collectives like Twin Palms Press and exchanges with curators from institutions such as the Asia Society and the Tate Modern. Over time Para Site developed institutional relationships with international festivals like the Venice Biennale, the Gwangju Biennale, and the Singapore Biennale, while maintaining links to regional hubs including Shanghai Biennale, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and Asia Art Archive.

Mission and Activities

Para Site's mission emphasizes contemporary visual culture and critical inquiry, aligning with practices championed by organizations like Documenta, Serpentine Galleries, and M+ Museum. Activities encompass curatorial research, commissioning new works, and fostering dialogue with scholars from universities such as The Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, and Goldsmiths, University of London. The institution situates its programming in relation to policy and law debates referenced at forums like the World Economic Forum and conferences hosted by the International Association of Art Critics.

Exhibitions and Programs

Para Site organizes exhibitions featuring artists who have exhibited at venues including the Museum of Modern Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Centre Pompidou, and National Gallery of Victoria. Past shows involved collaborations with curators linked to Hayward Gallery, Tate Liverpool, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Programs include public talks with participants from New Museum, SFMOMA, and Frieze Foundation, as well as film screenings similar to festivals like the Hong Kong International Film Festival and workshops akin to those held by Nanjing Biennale organizers.

Publications and Research

Para Site publishes catalogues and critical texts echoing scholarly work produced by publishers such as Sternberg Press, MIT Press, and Afterall. Research projects have engaged historians and theorists who have contributed to journals like Artforum, Third Text, and e-flux Journal. Collaborative research networks include partnerships with the Getty Research Institute, British Council, and the Asia Art Archive, and contributions from academics affiliated with Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, and The Courtauld Institute of Art.

Education and Community Engagement

Educational initiatives at Para Site parallel programs run by TATE Modern Learning, MoMA Learning, and Walker Art Center; workshops and mentorships have involved participants from Hong Kong Baptist University, City University of Hong Kong, and Chinese University of Hong Kong. Community projects have connected with non-profit organizations such as Oxfam Hong Kong, Amnesty International, and local arts collectives like Art in Hospital and Breadline-style community organizers. Youth outreach and residency exchanges reference models from Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and Residency Unlimited.

Governance and Funding

Governance structures at Para Site include a board and executive leadership interacting with funders such as the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, the British Council, and private foundations like the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and the Siu Wo Foundation (example philanthropic donors). Financial oversight and grant-making align with standards used by institutions such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Asia-Europe Foundation, and corporate arts programs like the HSBC Hong Kong Arts Programme.

Notable Collaborations and Partnerships

Para Site has collaborated with international institutions and projects including Tate Modern, M+ Museum, Asia Art Archive, Frieze Art Fair, K11 Art Foundation, Art Basel Hong Kong, Osage Gallery, Sotheby's Institute of Art, Christie's Education, The Photographers' Gallery, Hanart TZ Gallery, UCLA Hammer Museum, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Kunsthalle Zurich, Fondazione Prada, National Gallery of Canada, Queensland Art Gallery, Mori Art Museum, and The Japan Foundation.

Category:Contemporary art organizations in Hong Kong