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Swire Properties Dialogue Series

Art-partners curated Swire Properties’ Dialogue Series at Art Basel Hong Kong, 2017. A number of eminent speakers, each a leader in the art world, exchanged views about a diverse range of subjects such as the future of art funding, technology, collecting and the role of public art in creating better places.

Talk 1 : Art and Technology
Moderator: Amira Gad, Exhibition Curator, Serpentine Galleries
Speaker: Peter Boris, Executive Vice President, Pace Gallery;
Takashi Kudo, Communication Director, teamLab;
Freya Murray, Program Manager and Creative Lead, Google Arts and Culture Lab

Technology has always provided artists with new ways to express themselves, but how is that affecting the production, appreciation and perception of art today? The digital revolution makes it easier to create and share art, but with new tools and techniques available are we in danger of losing our ability to distinguish between what is great art with enduring value and what is merely trivial entertainment?

Talk 2 : The Future of Funding the Arts
Moderator: Yana Peel, CEO, Serpentine Galleries
Speaker: Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community, Hong Kong Jockey Club;
Jenny Moore, Director, Chinati Foundation;
Philip Tinari, Director, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art

Hong Kong has seen the rapid development of the arts and culture supported by institutional infrastructure spending but the costs of running art organisations and the daily production of art has outpaced any increases in public funding. Individual artists and arts organisations have had to focus on raising private funds to meet their own artistic and financial needs and sustain their growth. Are other alternatives available?

Talk 3 : Art and Soul of the City
Moderator: Jan Dalley, Arts Editor, Financial Times
Speaker: Brendan Cormier, Lead Curator, V&A Gallery, Shekou at Design Society;
Hugh Dutton, Architect, Hugh Dutton Associes;
Lu Xun, Founder, Sifang Art Museum;
Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries

Cities have cosmopolitan vitality and a critical mass of people that can both enliven the urban experience and lead to dissent and social problems. Can art, architecture and design be a catalyst for social transformation? Can they contribute directly to economic and social development and create a better and more empowered city for everyone or are they only window dressing?

Talk 4 : Public Art and the City
Moderator: Tim Marlow, Artistic Director, Royal Academy of Arts
Speaker: Michael Lin, Artist;
Andrew Mead, Chief Architect, Mass Transit Railway (MTR), Hong Kong;
Julius Popp, Artist;
Mathias Rastorfer, CEO and Co-Owner, Galerie Gmurzynska

Creative cities are made up of individual neighbourhoods that all offer a diverse range of structures, open spaces and community places, and a diverse range of living, working and recreational activities at different times of the day and night. These things are what make the best cities truly liveable. Good public art is an important part of this creative diversity but what is good and how do we get it?

Talk 5 : From Private Collecting to Public Institution
Moderator: Charlotte Appleyard, Director of Development, Royal Academy of Arts
Speaker: Budi Tek, Founder of Yuz Foundation and Yuz Museum

Unlike national art collecting institutions that are generally mandated to reflect a national culture and thus need to somehow be broadly representative of styles, schools and disciplines, private collections have no such limitations. Private collections are a reflection of the personal preferences of the individual whose collection it is. What happens when these collections become part of the public realm? What role do they play in making taste?

Talk 6 : Art X Brand
Moderator: Rosalind Chin, Reporter, Bloomerg Television
Speaker: Axelle De Buffévent, Style Director, Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët;
CJ Hendry, Artist;
Elsa Rameau, Managing Director, Hong Kong and Macau, Hermès

Luxury brands have conquered large parts of the world and like many empires before them memorialise themselves with spectacular landmark buildings and stunning interior designs, but are art and luxury businesses truly compatible? Do wealth and the global marketing power of a brand result in a positive influence on art and culture? Does a brand’s involvement in art boost their cultural clout in the long term or is art-based brand integration just a trend?