The curator spearheads Para Site, one of the most influential art institutions in the city
The executive director and curator of art space Para Site, Billy Tang has one of the most influential jobs in Hong Kong’s cultural scene. He took on the role in 2022, replacing the long-serving Cosmin Costinas.
Hailing from the UK, where his parents emigrated from Vietnam in the 1970s, briefly staying in Hong Kong on the way, he originally worked in the art world in London, including at MOT International and Camden Arts Centre. In 2013, he took on the job of curatorial director at the artist-run Magician Space in Beijing’s 798 Art Zone. Five years later, he moved onto Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai, where he was senior curator, overseeing major exhibitions by artists including solo shows by German sculptor Tobias Rehberger and eclectic Swiss performance artist John Armleder.
He has also written for publications including ArtAsiaPacific, Leap, Terremoto and Mousse. Para Site, one of Asia’s most important independent art institutions, has long been an important component of Hong Kong’s contemporary art scene, becoming the city’s first artist-run space when it was established in 1996, long before the start of the city’s subsequent art boom.
Credits
Photography
Affa Chan