The Timeless Plunge: The Ha Bik Chuen Archive

This chapter discusses the Ha Bik Chuen Archive, which is a repertoire of Hong Kong artist Ha Bik Chuen's works and his documentations, collages of inspirations, and collection of art-related materials in Hong Kong from the 1960s to the 2000s. The personal archive had been taken care of by Asia Art Archive (AAA) from 2013 to 2021 in accordance with the wishes of Ha's family. The author highlights the tension between personal and institutional archiving and the exceptional circumstances of art archive in Asia. The Ha Archive is a significant yet understudied first-hand material collection for writing Hong Kong art history, and Asia Art Archive (AAA) had been using it as a reflective site by initiating research, exhibition, and educational projects of historical appropriations.