Asia Society Hong Kong Center 5.69

Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd in New York as a not-for-profit, non-governmental educational organization, Asia Society is a leading educational institution dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context.

As one of the 12 centers of Asia Society, Asia Society Hong Kong Center (ASHK) was established in 1990 by a group of Hong Kong community leaders, led by the late Sir Q.W. Lee, honorary chairman of Hang Seng Bank. In February 2012, ASHK established its new permanent home in Admiralty, Hong Kong. Through conservation, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of a group of historic structures on a former British military site, the new ASHK premises combines heritage conservation with a distinctive modern aesthetic, complete with world-class arts, performance and conference facilities. These facilities enable ASHK to offer an even broader selection of programs in the form of lectures, performances, film screenings and art exhibitions to members of the public.

As the leading regional knowledge-based platform for furthering the understanding of the countries and cultures of Asia and global issues that impact the region, ASHK boasts extensive regional and international networks of leaders and scholars, and recognized expertise in business and policy, arts and culture, and educational programming for a wide range of audiences. Since the opening of the new building in Hong Kong close to 300 business and policy, art and culture, education and leadership programs for the public have been hosted, including lectures, forums and debates, exhibitions, performances, film screenings, conferences, school and university programs and family days.

Built between 1863 and 1868, the Chantal Miller Gallery is one of the oldest buildings in the Former Explosives Magazine, the historic fabric and features of this imposing structure have been thoughtfully restored and adapted for use as a modern exhibition space of international museum standard. A series of dynamic exhibitions have been brought to live since its inception, including Transforming Minds: Buddhism in Art, a display of masterpieces from the world-renowned Rockefeller Collection of Asian Art presented alongside contemporary works by the leading Asian and Asian-American artists Montien Boonma, Zhang Huan, Mariko Mori and Michael Joo. Subsequent exhibitions included displays about Indian jewelery, Hong Kong design and Chinese modern art from the Wuming (No Name), Xingxing (Star) and Caocao (Grass Society) artistic groups, in Light before Dawn: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974-1985, No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia, a joint collaboration with UBS and Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Presents: Light and Shadows – Caravaggio•The Italian Baroque Master, featuring Supper at Emmaus, an Italian Baroque masterpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

Asia Society Hong Kong Center was established entirely with local funding and is supported through membership dues, fundraising events, and contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations that work together to support and advance its mission.