The China-U.S. Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) has officially released the 3rd U.S.-China Arts Dialogue podcast series, based on conversations recorded live during the Dialogue held on March 27, 2026, at Alisan Fine Arts in Hong Kong. Featuring leading artists, curators, and cultural leaders, and moderated by broadcaster James Chau, the three-episode series captures thoughtful exchanges on the evolving role of art in shaping cross-cultural understanding, creative responsibility, and global connection. The series is now available across major social media and streaming platforms.
Episode 1 – The Responsibility of Artistic Creation
Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ruby Yang, Director of the Future Media Academy at the University of Hong Kong, and Kingsley Ng, Artist and Associate Professor of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University, examine how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping artistic practice, and the enduring importance of truth and empathy.
“Ethics is the foundation of what we do,” Yang said. “Consent from protagonists is essential — it builds trust and connection with the people whose stories we’re telling. Without that, the work risks doing harm.” Regarding AI, she added: “Now we can use AI to re-interpret the past, but the past must be well researched, really based on fact… otherwise that will become a fiction film.”
Ng noted that ethics is contextual, stating that his role as an artist involves inviting audiences to explore sensitivities and reasoning: “As an artist, opening this kind of spectrum that goes beyond the so-called right and wrong and the reality of ethics.”
Episode 2 – The Intersection of Diplomacy and Art
Daphne King Yao, Global Director of Alisan Fine Arts, and Philip Tinari, Deputy Director and Head of Art at Tai Kwun, discuss how art can bridge divides in a polarized world.
Reflecting on Hong Kong Art Week, Yao noted: “Artists from all over the world are here. Nobody is really talking about politics; everybody is talking about the art ... In that sense, art really does break down barriers.”
Tinari said: “Art is never actually immune from the larger world, but at its best, it offers this space of ‘slight remove.’” He added: “Through the work we show, we try explicitly to expand horizons, create connections, and ultimately form new ways of relating to one another.”
Episode 3 – Hong Kong as a Hub for Cultural Futures
Alice Mong, President of Asia Society Hong Kong Center, and Alan Lo, Chair of Para Site and Global Council Member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, highlight Hong Kong’s strategic position as a crossroads of East and West and a gateway for diasporic and transnational artistic exchange.
“When people think of art hubs, they used to say London, New York, and Paris,” Mong observed. “Now Hong Kong is in that equation, as well as Beijing, Shanghai, and Singapore. It’s an ‘and,’ not an ‘either/or.’”
“When we think about diplomacy, I think part of it is a little bit like soft power,” Lo said. “I don’t want to say ‘exert influence,’ but I think we should really try to introduce and support — as a patron, or as someone who is involved in these organizations — the best talents: the best artists, the best curators — and help get them into the global institutional system.”
All three episodes are now available for streaming on The China Current website and major podcast platforms. Listen now and join the conversation.
Dialogue 1, The Responsibility of Art Creation, featuring Moderator James Chau (left), President of the China-United States Exchange Foundation; Ruby Yang (middle), Director of the School of Future Media at the University of Hong Kong and Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker; and Kingsley Ng (right), Artist and Associate Professor at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University.
Dialogue 2, Diplomacy and the Art of Connection, featuring Moderator James Chau (left); Philip Tinari (middle), Deputy Director and Head of Art at Tai Kwun Arts; and Daphne King Yao (right), Global Director of Alisan Fine Arts and Chair of the Asian Cultural Council Hong Kong.
Dialogue 3, Hong Kong as a Hub for Cultural Futures, featuring Moderator James Chau (left); Alice Mong (middle), President of Asia Society Hong Kong Center; and Alan Lo (right), Chair of Para Site and Global Council Member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles.