Founded in 2006, the Academy of Visual Arts (AVA) is a relatively young art school in Hong Kong. Free of the burden of following long traditions, AVA is capable of adjusting to new modes of art research and education while closely interacting with the contemporary art world. As an active research hub, the Academy is committed to creativity and the latest developments in visual arts research.
Defining AVA’s identity can be challenging and exploring the ways in which individuals in this community perceive themselves can be a prolonged process. To encourage self-reflection and the discovery of a sense of self, this exhibition aims to examine who we are, both as individuals and a coherent community, and what defines us. AVA faculty, students and alumni are encouraged to submit artworks that relate to the theme, such as personal explorations of self and works that survey what it means to have identity in the AVA community. The presentation of research information in the form of a paper poster is also a welcome addition. It is hoped that through the diverse methods of investigation and expressions in a wide spectrum of art forms, individuals in the AVA community can showcase the richness and complexity of our creative and research endeavours as well as challenge the idea of finding identity. Perhaps, the exhibition can be an experimental channel for understanding aspects of the collective identity of AVA.