The five films grouped under the title, Resilient Echoes, and screening at Art Basel Hong Kong on March 30, shine a light on the acts of resilience, resistance and sometimes joy that mark our relationships, communities and memories when times are hard. These are acts that can re-contextualize realities and advocate for positive change.
“We’re living in an increasingly polarized world,” explains Billy Tang, executive director and curator at the nonprofit art space Para Site and the fair’s film curator for 2025. “Ultimately I think these films are a reminder of the need to come together, to find ways to bridge differences, and to keep remembering who we are so we can know what kind of future we want together.”
READ MORE: Fair gets better at focus on fair sex
This series brings together Shen Xin’s Grounds of Coherence #1, but this is the language we met in, an experimental video that explores the ecosystems of language — the most fundamental and powerful tool in our communication arsenal. The piece complements Daniel Otero Torres’ Green Manifesto: Transformation Through Leaves, pivoting on the artist’s ongoing interest in the intersection of rural communities, ecology and power structures. Watch out for Ensemble by Mel O’Callaghan, a hypnotic two-channel video testing the body’s physical resilience and capacity to endure; Chulayarnnon Siriphol’s ANG48, a celebration of female empowerment across Asia and the timely Good Society by Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings. The last of these revisits the contradictions of Weimar-era (1919-33) Germany, a time when gay rights and National Socialism were gaining traction side by side.
“These films are united by a central theme: how to negotiate in a rapidly changing world, where personal or collective experiences are often affected,” says Tang. “Amid change, it becomes easy to forget our identity and origins. The works feature vibrant imagery that explores memories of the past, parallels between humans and nature, and many of these resonate with the idea of finding one’s roots amid an ever-evolving environment.”
