Asia Art Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 84 Week of 28 September 2026
(1) Chinese Artist Liu Ge Named Finalist in 21st Arte Laguna Prize for Digital Image Creation
Chinese artist Liu Ge became a finalist in the 21st Arte Laguna Prize for his digital image “Projection Illusion of the Authentic World No.19”. Out of over 10,000 global entries, his work will exhibit at Venice’s Arsenale Nord from November 6 to 29, 2026, showcasing contemporary Chinese digital art on an international stage.
(2) Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn 2026 Modern and Contemporary Evening Sales Realize HK$738.5 Million, Marking Highest Total Since Fall 2023
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn 2026 Modern & Contemporary evening sales fetched HK$738.55 million, led by Yoshitomo Nara’s Present at HK$71.66 million and a “white glove” Foujita single-owner sale. The auctions broke regional sales records for Renoir, Matisse, and Vietnamese master Vu Cao Dam.
(3) MUTEK Audiovisual & Digital Arts Festival Makes Taiwan Debut in Kaohsiung via TTXC 2026 Collaboration
Canada’s renowned MUTEK Digital Arts Festival makes its Taiwan debut at Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art Center from October 15 to 18, 2026, alongside Taiwan Technology X Culture Expo (TTXC). The festival features immersive AI performances, international audiovisual works, interactive installations, and 1-on-1 industry matchmaking sessions connecting local creators with global platforms.
(4) “Auspicious Realm” Sacred Thangka Art Exhibition Opens at PMQ Central, Showcasing Tibetan Cultural Heritage
The “Auspicious Realm” Thangka Art Exhibition at PMQ Central showcases rare Tibetan sacred paintings made with natural mineral pigments by national heritage masters. Running through October 6, 2026, the event features masterworks, live painting demonstrations, and educational workshops highlighting UNESCO-recognized Himalayan cultural heritage.
(1) Chinese Artist Liu Ge Named Finalist in 21st Arte Laguna Prize for Digital Image Creation
(Photo Credit: Liu Ge)
Chinese artist Liu Ge was named a finalist in the Digital Graphics category at the 21st Arte Laguna Prize for his digital image work, “Projection Illusion of the Authentic World No.19” (本真世界的投影幻象No.19). Selected from over 10,000 international submissions evaluated by an international jury—including Austrian curator Sara Kroe and Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Art Museum Chief Curator Wang Chunchen—Liu’s piece was chosen to represent contemporary digital art practices from China.
The finalist works will be presented at the Arsenale Nord in Venice, Italy, from November 6 to November 29, 2026. Founded in Venice in 2006 by the Cultural Association MoCA (Modern Contemporary Art), the Arte Laguna Prize is an international contemporary art competition covering visual art disciplines ranging from painting and sculpture to digital, video, and performance art. Beyond cash prizes and exhibition platforms, the award provides artists with residency programs, solo gallery shows, and cross-border commercial and institutional opportunities.
Liu’s inclusion highlights the international exposure of Chinese contemporary digital artists across European exhibition networks. His participation at Arsenale Nord underscores a broader trend of Sinophone creative talents leveraging global fine art awards and biennales to build cross-cultural dialogue and strengthen international commercial visibility within the global art market.
News Source: https://huacheng.gz-cmc.com/pages/2026/09/28/37dcde6cf98c4a45a3ad808cae781263.html
(2) Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn 2026 Modern and Contemporary Evening Sales Realize HK$738.5 Million, Marking Highest Total Since Fall 2023
(Photo Credit: Sotheby’s)
Sotheby’s Hong Kong concluded its Autumn 2026 “Modern and Contemporary Art Evening Auction” and “Foujita: The Lewis Collection” single-artist sale on September 28, 2026, achieving a combined total of HK$738.55 million (US$94.6 million). The marquee sales marked the house’s highest combined evening total since Autumn 2023 and a 35% increase compared to Spring 2026 results.
“Foujita: The Lewis Collection” achieved a 100% sell-through “white glove” result, generating HK$67.22 million across 15 lots commemorating Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita’s 140th birth anniversary. Foujita’s Rêve (Hommage à La Fontaine) led the section at HK$26.52 million. In the general evening sale, 46 of 52 lots sold (88% lot clearance), totaling HK$671.33 million. Yoshitomo Nara claimed the top two spots, led by his 1994 masterpiece Present (現在) at HK$71.66 million, followed by Crate Room/Studio in Iceland at HK$61.90 million. Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin (TWPOT) followed at HK$60.68 million, while Zao Wou-Ki’s early 1951 work Bateaux sur fond bleu achieved HK$52.57 million.
The auction achieved key benchmark records, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Paysage et figures (HK$52.14 million) and Henri Matisse’s Femme nue (HK$21.03 million) both setting regional auction records for the artists in Asia. Additionally, Vu Cao Dam’s 1939 silk painting Conversation d’élégantes au jardin realized HK$28.96 million, setting a record for Vietnamese art at auction.
News Source: https://artouch.com/art-market/art-auction/content-216568.html
(3) MUTEK Audiovisual & Digital Arts Festival Makes Taiwan Debut in Kaohsiung via TTXC 2026 Collaboration
(Photo Credit: MUTEK)
The Montreal-founded MUTEK International Festival of Digital Arts and Electronic Music will make its Taiwan debut from October 15 to 18, 2026, at the Pier-2 Art Center in Kaohsiung. Hosted in collaboration with the Taiwan Technology X Culture Expo (TTXC)—co-organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), and the Kaohsiung City Bureau of Cultural Affairs—the festival operates under the theme “Let’s Play!” and offers free public admission.
Founded in 2000, MUTEK expands its global network (which includes Tokyo, Barcelona, and Mexico City) to Taiwan, bridging local creators with international curators. The lineup features immersive audiovisual performances, AI live-generative sets, and retro-futuristic sound art. Key highlights include Canadian artist Mateo Murphy and former Cirque du Soleil visual director Jean-Sébastien Baillat showcasing their audiovisual work Dissemblance; an AI-interactive performance MOVING PLUS: The World as Prompt combining music by Jutoupi, visual artist Raintree Chan, and prompts by novelist Luo Yi-Chin; and Japan’s Open Reel Ensemble performing with repurposed reel-to-reel tape recorders. Hong Kong media artist Keith Lam and AI group Hello Edo! will also present Yomiuri Yomiuri.
Additionally, the event features Dimension Plus’s upgraded AI interactive installation VS AI Street Fighting [VJING], allowing audience members to generate VJ visuals through body movements. The festival will also host the “MUTEK x TTXC 2026 International Matchmaking Open Call,” offering one-on-one sessions for Taiwanese creators to pursue international touring and co-production opportunities.
News Source: https://artouch.com/art-news/content-217706.html
(4) “Auspicious Realm” Sacred Thangka Art Exhibition Opens at PMQ Central, Showcasing Tibetan Cultural Heritage
(Photo Credit: hket)
The “Auspicious Realm” (吉祥聖境) Thangka Art Exhibition debuted at PMQ in Central, running from late September through October 6, 2026. The exhibition highlights the profound spiritual, historical, and artistic heritage of Tibetan Thangka painting—a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage form—offering the Hong Kong public a rare opportunity to appreciate exquisite Himalayan sacred art up close.
The showcase features dozens of masterwork Thangkas created by national-level non-material cultural heritage masters and acclaimed Tibetan artists. Executed using traditional natural mineral pigments—such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, malachite, and cinnabar—on cotton or silk canvas, these works maintain their vivid colors across centuries. The narrative themes span Buddhist deities, mandalas, historical Tibetan legends, and medical/astronomical charts, reflecting the painstaking technique where a single piece can require years of dedicated labor.
Beyond static displays, the exhibition incorporates interactive educational zones, live painting demonstrations by Thangka masters, and guided tours explaining the strict proportions, iconographic rules, and spiritual meditation behind each brushstroke. Organized to foster cultural exchange between Mainland Tibetan art preservation hubs and Hong Kong, the event serves as a major cultural destination in Central during the Golden Week holiday.
