The Satellite Exhibitions has evolved since its conception in 2018. Initially our response to the lack of exhibition spaces was to invite image makers to utilise everyday space to create photographic encounters. In recent years, we have also placed equal focus in nurturing local creative forces. From public and private venues in different corners of our hometown, the creative “satellites” branch out further this year, into the Asia Pacific, and we are continuing to build connections with photography organisations and image makers around the world.

Apart from extending our overseas network, we are also linking with a range of local communities through photography. Through an open call for ‘Satellite Exhibitions 2022’, we selected six bodies of work that present distinctive perspectives on Hong Kong’s past and present, including a cross-generation dialogue between father and son, observations of a nursing student during the pandemic, and a second-generation emigrant’s re-envisage of home and land inspired by objects retrieved from demolished villages in the Northeast New Territories. The image makers of Satellite Exhibitions 2022 are Michelle Chan Wan Chee; Itit Cheung; Jessica Fu; Justin Hui; Dion Leung; and Yu Pak Lin, Albert Yu Ka Ho.

Since the launch of the project, we have worked with over 60 image makers and collectives. Our role has expanded from providing venue matching and publicity to offering guidance and support in exhibition curation, design, and production. In addition to mentorship by established artists, we also encourage image makers to grow through critical discussions among peers. This is all part of our mission to create a platform for mutual support and an environment for free expression.

Satellite Exhibitions 2023

An international exchange programme

The drastic changes and turbulence we have experienced in Hong Kong has had a profound impact on the city’s next generation. The challenge remains: how can we discern different paths amidst uncertainty? In a bid to carve out new trajectories for collaboration, we have selected seven emerging artists from Hong Kong who were recommended by our fellow industry practitioners earlier this year. Each of them are invited to pair up with an image maker from abroad, and over the course of one year, they will draw on their experiences and viewpoints to inspire each other to observe, examine, and reflect on different meanings and values in their search for new directions.

The six overseas image makers have been nominated by six photography organisations from the Asia Pacific, including Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops (Cambodia), Lightbox Photo Library (Taiwan), Matca (Vietnam), Objectifs (Singapore), Photo Australia (Australia) and PhotoBangkok (Thailand). In a time of isolation and distancing, we hope to deepen connections and foster future possibilities through the sharing of ideas and resources. The programme began in June 2022. We can look forward to seeing the collision of thoughts throughout the process and the 2023 Satellite Exhibitions they will present.