At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II

Asia Art Archive presents At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds, Part II as the concluding chapter of its 25th anniversary exhibition series. Building on the guiding question, “What were you doing at 25?,” this chapter features Salima Hashmi (b. 1942), Holly Lee (1953–2024), Bahc Yiso (1957–2004), and Raqs Media Collective (formed in 1992). The exhibition presents their early life trajectories and art practices through a curatorial approach that is deeply engaged with art history and archival research. The exhibition brings together rare archival materials, organised and gathered from the artists, their families, and various institutions, alongside early works and newly commissioned pieces, to recreate the artists’ intimate worlds at the age of 25. As such, Part II also highlights how artistic practices often extend beyond artmaking into areas such as education, writing, and advocacy. The exhibition shapes a multi-layered vision of art history that includes broader sociocultural contexts, as well as emotional personal recollections, stories of the departed told by loved ones, and new works born from the interplay between historical reflection and artistic inquiry. At 25: Artists’ Early Worlds showcases Asia Art Archive’s distinctive collections, research methodologies, and the evolving network of artists and institutions it has built since 2000, spanning across Asia and beyond. This exhibition is part of AAA’s 25th anniversary programme, Archive for All: Growing with Communities, which is supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, as well as Mimi Brown & Alp Erçil and Wendy Lee & Stephen Li.