Our

Mission 

For years, the HKSAR Government has formulated various initiatives, including funding programmes to promote the arts and cultural industry. However, such policies have always been heavily inclined towards arts organizations and groups, leaving individual artists, event organizers, curators, and art educators on the back burner. A case in point is the latest “Support Scheme for Arts & Cultural Sector,” put forward by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. This scheme provided potential beneficiaries compensation for revenues lost due to cancellation of “performance venues for arts groups.” Unlike performance artists who are typically affiliated with an organisation, visual artists often operate independently and therefore do not qualify for the subsidies. 

Despite art communities raising concerns throughout the years, independent visual artists do not receive the support they so rightly deserve. Moreover, the government denies their right to voice their concerns and present their ideas to the Legislative Council - the government ironically has been using “a track record of having received government funding” as one key criterion for artists or art groups to qualify as a functional constituency member.  

Art Next Power believes it is time for change. For the Hong Kong visual arts industry to continue to thrive, the government must abandon their rigid bureaucratic thinking that is deeply ingrained in their policy-making processes. Our power may seem insignificant, but we are determined to speak up for Hong Kong independent visual artists, making government and industry leaders understand the hardship they face. This is especially critical now as artists’ livelihoods are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

We endeavor to bring together artists, curators, art educators, and critics, and representatives from art museums, galleries, cultural organizations, media, and other stakeholders to create a platform of regular exchange. We aim to do this to form a common voice to give suggestions to the government, seek co-operation opportunities with the business and academic sectors, and actively promote Hong Kong visual artists on a global scale.