Description

1aspace is an independant, non-profit making contemporary visual art organization founded and operated by a collective of Hong Kong artworkers. Its aim is to promote the critical dissemination of contemporary visual art practices and affiliated artforms through the 1a programm of works dawn from Hong Kong and the international arena. The art space is known for its experimental curatorial approach and creative interaction with the public. 1aspace is operated by the Program Committee and augmented by an Advisory Panel of local and international artworkers.

Between 1998 and 2000, 1aspace was located in the former Govrenment Supplies Department, in Oil Street,the first art village in Hong Kong. In 1998, the old Government warehouse complex in Oil Steet, North Point, was open to the public short-term lease. The low rental rate immediately attracted a lot of art groups and individual artists (among them 1aspace), giving birth to the first community-initiated “ art-village ” in Hong Kong.

In late 1999, Hong Kong Government decided to retrieve the old warehouse. The Oil Street community started a campaign to negociate with the authority for a substitute. The artworkers succeded in acquiring the former Cattle Depot in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, as replacement. New programs of 1aspace started in the new venue, Cattle Depot Artist Village, in August 2001.

Former use : former cattle depot
Surface of the site : 200 square meter
Architect of the rehabilitation : government architect
Foundation year of the building : approximately 1908
Type of occupation : rental
Owner of the building : the government

Infrastructures

Art gallery/exhibition places
Library/documentation centre (soon to establish)

Social and artistic disciplines

Visual art : Residencies / Creation / Production / Diffusion / Training Workshop / Debates / Lecture / Conferences / Festivals

Other structures settled on the site

1aspace is one of the art groups and artists based in the former Cattle Depot. Also housed in the site are 20 community-driven organisations and individual artists from the “Oil street” art village. These include:

 Artist Commune
A place for Hong Kong youth artists to exchange ideas, learn and development, create and implement. Artist Commune provide with a place for running exhibition, workshop and a reference library. In addition, it conducts exhibition, seminar, and training course; encourage idea exchange between Hong Kong youth artists and between difference institution and countries. (www.hk-artistcommune.net)

 Videotage
Founded in 1985, Videotage is an interdisciplinary artist collective that focuses on the development of new media in Hong Kong. Videotage is an operation dedicated to the production, development and study of film, video and other alternative time-based media arts. Since 1996, Videotage invites internationally renowned artists/curators to conduct talks, seminars and workshops in Hong Kong for the Microwave Festival, the only international media art festival in Hong Kong every year. (www.videotage.org.hk)

 On and On Theatre
A theatre group dedicated to education through theatre. They run a rehearsal space in Cattle Depot.

 Z+ Z+
It is an extension of Zuni Icosahedron, an independent, non-profit making, cross-discipline cultural organization founded in 1982. Z+ carries out its multi-functional direction after the resettlement in Cattle Depot under the management of Zuni and The Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture. One of the major projects in Cattle Depot is "Ngau Pang Sue Yuen (Cattle Depot College), an education lab which runs a series of courses on contemporary thoughts. (www.zuni.org.hk)

Financial support

1aspace is currently support by the year-grant scheme of Hong Kong Arts Development Council and donation from private sector.

Networks

1aspace initiated IN-BETWEEN: International Conference-Exhibit on Independent Art Space in November 2001. Art organizations and art workers from 15 cities worldwide met in Hong Kong to discuss issues facing community art groups and new possibilities of creative exchange. An informal network was formed with annual meeting. The network is open to not-for-profit non-government art organizations. For more details, please refer to website (www.oneaspace.org.hk) or contact 1aspace.