Hong Kong, 12-14 October 2026 – The UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia brought two young artists from the Republic of Korea to the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Conference 2026 (CU:SU 2026), showcasing how visual art can connect climate action, community participation and cultural heritage. Their participation highlighted the work of Art for Earth: Climate Creativity Lab, a regional initiative under the project Je Create: Culture and Innovation for a Sustainable Future, jointly launched by UNESCO and Jeju Self-Governing Province in 2026.
Held on 12–13 October under the theme “Alliance for Action,” CU:SU 2026 explored how international alliances and cross-disciplinary collaboration can translate ideas into action through culture. Co-presented and co-organized by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre, the conference brought together artists and cultural practitioners to exchange experiences and explore how culture can foster sustainable communities, strengthen social connections and encourage public participation.
Connecting visual art, climate action and sustainability
UNESCO’s participation contributed to the discussions around Panel 7 – Visual Arts Practices, which examined how art museums, art fairs and galleries respond to growing sustainability concerns and how practices from different places, including Hong Kong, can inform the sector’s future. Complementing these institutional and curatorial perspectives, UNESCO brought an artist-led and regional dimension to the conversation, highlighting how creative practice can engage directly with environmental challenges and social concerns.
The participation formed part of Je Create: Culture and Innovation for a Sustainable Future, through which UNESCO and Jeju seek to strengthen the role of culture and creativity in addressing shared sustainable development challenges. Within this broader framework, the Art for Earth: Climate Creativity Lab supports young artists across Asia and the Pacific working at the intersection of arts and climate action. Following a regional open call and selection process, the Artist Exchange Series facilitates cross-border mobility, peer learning and collaboration, connecting artists with new audiences, practitioners and cultural contexts.
On 13 October, two selected artists from the Republic of Korea presented their projects in the poster presentation “From Ocean to City: How Art Reimagines Climate Action.” Their work demonstrated how visual art can make environmental issues more tangible, prompt reflection on everyday practices and create opportunities for community engagement. The session also explored how culture and the arts can contribute to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Lee Ho Gyeong’s Upcycled Traces of Urban Consumption transforms everyday discarded materials—including receipts, packaging, paper, wood and fabric—into visual archives. Through upcycling and visual storytelling, her work reveals the material traces of urban consumption and invites audiences to reconsider everyday habits and their environmental implications.
