Asia Art Archive (AAA) has announced its lineup of programs for March 2026, highlighting the role of art archives in documenting and reinterpreting art history as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.
Central to the program is “At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds,” a two-part exhibition that brings together eight contemporary Asian artists reflecting on their artistic beginnings at the age of 25. The first chapter of the exhibition will open at AAA’s library on 17 March.
Part I features works and archival materials by Ho Tzu Nyen, Tehching Hsieh, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, and Zhang Xiaogang. The presentation combines artworks with rare archival records to examine the personal histories of the participating artists and the cultural contexts that shaped them during their early creative years.
Drawing from artist archives, institutional records, documentary photography, film, television, radio, and other media sources, the exhibition also explores how generational shifts have influenced artistic development, including changes in access to knowledge and learning environments.
“At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds” invites visitors to reflect on their own experiences at that age, linking personal memories with broader cultural and historical narratives. The first part of the exhibition will run from 17 March to 27 June at AAA’s library, with the second installment scheduled from July to October.
AAA will also host Beijing-based artist Zhang Xiaogang for its Annual Artist’s Lecture on 26 March. Zhang gained international recognition in the 1990s for his figurative and surreal works examining Chinese history, identity and collective memory.
The artist previously collaborated with AAA in 2007 to digitize his personal archive. As part of the archive’s anniversary programme, he will participate in the exhibition and deliver a lecture reflecting on his archive and his relationship with personal history. A breakfast reception will precede the lecture at AAA’s library.
Meanwhile, AAA will introduce the publication “Hong Kong Art: A Curator’s History (1987-2004)” by curator and cultural figure Oscar Ho Hing Kay during Art Basel Hong Kong. The book is described as the first illustrated art historical study focusing on Hong Kong’s art scene between 1987 and 2004.
Published by Rizzoli International Publications, the volume presents Ho’s account as a curator, artist, critic and educator. AAA supported the project through research, archival material gathering and translation.
AAA will present the publication at its booth during Art Basel Hong Kong, where the organization is participating as a cultural partner for the 2026 edition of the international art fair.
The archive’s anniversary programs aim to highlight the value of archival work in preserving artistic histories while encouraging new perspectives on how art develops across generations.