CityUHK launches art-tech festival to explore culture in digital age
City University of Hong Kong's inaugural 10AFEST runs from October 8 to 10, bringing 120 participants from 23 cities to examine how AI, extended reality and data science reshape cultural preservation and experience. The festival marks the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery's 10th anniversary.
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has launched an international art-tech festival that brings together cultural leaders, artists, scholars and innovators to explore how technology is reshaping culture. The inaugural 10AFEST, organised by the university's Indra and Harry Banga Gallery, runs from October 8 to 10 to mark the gallery's 10th anniversary. Around 120 participants from 23 cities across 13 countries and regions are taking part.
Under the theme “Asian Art-Tech & Cultural Innovations,” the three-day event examines how technologies including artificial intelligence, extended reality and data science are changing the way culture is preserved and experienced. The programme features four East-West plenary dialogues and six presentation tracks, alongside performances, exhibitions, installations and networking activities. Discussions cover topics ranging from cultural institutions adapting to changing global networks to the use of AI and extended reality in heritage conservation.
Since its establishment in 2016, the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery has served as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, translational research, cultural innovation and public engagement. Gallery director Alvin Yip, an adjunct professor in CityUHK's Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, said the gallery goes beyond displaying art by connecting academic research, creative practice and the wider public. Artists, designers and art-tech practitioners are paired with university academics and research teams to turn highly specialised research into exhibitions and interactive experiences, making complex subjects more accessible to general audiences, he said.
Yip said the gallery can also help move university research closer to real-world applications. He cited an earlier exhibition of research prototypes involving more than 10 City University professors, which drew visitors from the Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong Productivity Council and commercial organisations. One project featured a “smart sponge” capable of absorbing oil without taking in water, with potential applications in cleaning up marine oil spills and other forms of oil pollution. While the technology was moving toward commercialisation, a visitor who learned about it through the exhibition later approached the gallery seeking an introduction to the researcher to explore a potential investment, Yip said. He added that this was not an isolated case, showing how exhibitions can serve as a bridge between research teams and potential investors while supporting knowledge transfer.
CityUHK Council Treasurer Charles Chin Ying-on said the festival was intended to encourage international exchange and future partnerships. “Through intercultural dialogues and interactive networking events, I am confident that participants will forge lasting friendships and lay the groundwork for future collaboration,” he said.
