HART Curatorship Incubation Programme at the HART HAUS

Location: Hong Kong
Format: In-person programme with online mentorship for Advanced participants
Duration: Ten sessions over approximately five to six weeks
Programme dates: Not specified
Language: Primarily English, with occasional Mandarin and Cantonese
Number of participants: Approximately 35, including up to ten Advanced participants
Basic Programme fee: HKD 5,800
Advanced Programme fee: HKD 7,800
Early-bird discount: HKD 300 for applications submitted by 18 September 2026, 23:59
Application deadline: 30 September 2026
Exhibition grant: HKD 100,000 for one selected Advanced Programme proposal

HART HAUS is accepting applications for its 2026 Curatorship Incubation Programme, designed for art enthusiasts and emerging curators seeking to deepen their understanding of contemporary curatorial practice.

Combining conceptual learning with practical insights from curators, artists and cultural practitioners, the programme examines how technological change is transforming artworks, exhibition-making and the role of the curator.

One outstanding proposal developed through the Advanced Programme will be selected for realisation at HART HAUS with an exhibition grant of HKD 100,000, supported by the Octone Foundation.

Programme Theme

Titled Curating in the Age of New Media, Post-Media, and Machine Intelligence, the programme considers technology in its broadest sense—from early electronic, interactive and new-media practices to autonomous software, machine learning and the material and environmental systems supporting them.

The programme examines the emergence of a hybrid, non-human era in which curators work with data streams, algorithms, environmental elements and physical spaces alongside artists and audiences.

It asks how curatorial practice might move beyond organising static objects towards managing evolving ecosystems, programming complex interactions and negotiating agency between human creators, non-human entities and technologically mediated audiences.

Key Modules

Curation from the Human to the Non-Human Era

This module traces the historical and philosophical development of curatorial practice in response to technological change.

Participants will explore what it means to curate exhibitions in which the artist, medium or environment may operate with a degree of autonomous agency. Examples will range from kinetic and ecological art to contemporary machine intelligence.

The module will consider how curators can maintain conceptual coherence while working with open-ended, evolving or automated artistic environments.

Materialising Technology

This module examines the history of new-media art, from video, electronics and cybernetics to the current post-media condition in which digital, physical and ecological technologies are deeply interconnected.

Participants will investigate the architectural, structural and technical requirements of presenting media art. Particular attention will be given to the curator’s role in translating code, signals, environmental inputs and physical hardware into coherent spatial narratives.

Interactivity

This module considers how technological and post-media art can transform audiences from passive viewers into active participants within larger systems.

Participants will examine relationships between human psychology, technical interfaces and public space while considering how curators can structure meaningful engagement with complex or machine-driven artworks.

Programme Structure

The programme includes:

• Six core lectures led by the principal facilitators;
• Four sessions with guest speakers;
• Curatorial foundations, practical skills and case studies;
• A combination of theory, practice and critical reflection; and
• Contributions from curators, artists and cultural practitioners.

The programme’s facilitators are Dr Vennes Cheng and Zoie Yung. Guest speakers include Dicky Yeung, Shawn Pakhin Tang, Joel Kwong and Dr Ashley Lee Wong.

Basic Programme

Basic Programme participants will receive:

• Six core lectures;
• Four guest sessions;
• An introduction to the foundations of contemporary curating;
• Practical curatorial skills; and
• Relevant case studies.

Advanced Programme

Advanced Programme participants will receive everything included in the Basic Programme, alongside:

• Two online mentorship sessions;
• One additional presentation session;
• Professional development and proposal-building support;
• A review of their exhibition proposal; and
• The opportunity to have their proposal selected for realisation at HART HAUS.

One outstanding exhibition proposal will receive an HKD 100,000 production grant from the Octone Foundation.

Eligibility

The programme is recommended for applicants who demonstrate:

• A strong interest in curatorial practice;
• Relevant experience in art and culture, media, design or museum work;
• A clear commitment to developing a career in the field;
• Curiosity, creativity and open-mindedness;
• A proactive approach to discussion and learning;
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively;
• Strong organisational skills; and
• Effective communication skills.

Approximately 35 participants will be selected, including up to ten for the Advanced Programme. Successful applicants will be contacted in early October 2026.

About HART HAUS

HART HAUS is a Hong Kong-based arts platform supporting artistic experimentation, learning and exchange.

First launched in 2021, its Curatorship Incubation Programme provides aspiring curators and art enthusiasts with theoretical knowledge, practical skills, mentorship and opportunities to develop exhibition proposals.