Moderated by Anthony Yung, Head of Research and Archive at Asia Art Archive, this forum brings together art critic and photography historian Chang Shih-Lun and arts administration manager Li-an Chu to explore how artists’ works, documents, and archives are preserved, organized, and reinterpreted from practical perspective. The discussion will address the importance of archiving during an artist’s lifetime, as well as strategies for posthumous archival preservation. It will also examine the collaborative roles of families, institutions, and public sectors, reflecting on how artistic value and cultural memory can be sustained. The Forum aims to offer concrete references and practical insights for researchers and practitioners in related fields.

Shih-Lun Chang

Shih-Lun Chang is an art critic and historian of photography. He previously worked in museums and magazine journalism, and curated An Open Ending: Huang Hua-Cheng (2020, Taipei Fine Arts Museum). He is the author of Reclaiming Reality: On the Historical Formation of Taiwanese Photography (2021). His translations include Understanding a Photograph and Another Way of Telling by John Berger, and Photography as Contemporary Art by Charlotte Cotton. His research interests include the history of photography, art archives, music criticism, film studies, aesthetic modernity, and Cold War history. He is currently engaged in research and writing on the history of photography and visual criticism in Taiwan, while organizing the Chang Chao-Tang archive.

Li-an Chu

Li-an Chu is an arts administrator manager dedicated to building comprehensive administrative support systems for artists, including archival development, website design, and career strategy planning. With extensive experience in international management, she has collaborated with artists such as Wu Chi-Tsung, Tsai & Yoshikawa, Wang Ya-Hui, Tung Cheng-Lien, and Su Meng-Hung, and has been involved in planning and executing major international solo exhibitions in cities including New York, San Francisco, Basel, Hong Kong, and Ho Chi Minh City. She previously served as Director of the Taiwan Office of the Asian Cultural Council.

Anthony Yung

Anthony Yung is the Head of Research and Archives at the Asia Art Archive, where he focuses on research and archival initiatives related to contemporary art in Asia. He manages research projects include “Materials of the Future: Documenting Contemporary Chinese Art from 1980 to 1990,” “Independent Art Spaces in Taiwan Research Project,” and “Recalling Disappearance: Hong Kong Contemporary Art.” He led publication projects include Hong Kong Art: A Curator’s History (1987–2004) and Stay Connected: Art and China after 2008, among others.

Asia Art Archive (AAA)

Asia Art Archive is an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving and promoting the recent histories of art in Asia, and to facilitating the circulation and exchange of knowledge. Through its website and onsite library in Hong Kong, AAA provides access to its continually expanding collection, supporting research and knowledge production. AAA develops cross-regional knowledge networks through research projects, residencies, and educational programmes, with a focus on art writing, transnational contexts, the relationship between tradition and contemporary practice, and ephemeral forms such as performance art, while also addressing gaps within art history. Its collection includes artists’ archives, exhibition documentation, and a wide range of publications, and continues to grow through research and digitisation. AAA also engages artists, scholars, and the public through talks, workshops, and research initiatives, fostering exchange and contributing to a more diverse and inclusive understanding of art.