The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with the Center for Metaverse and Computational Creativity at HKUST(Guangzhou), has unveiled the SURREALITY Mixed Reality (MR) × Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Art Cross-City Exhibition. As part of HKUST's 35th-anniversary celebrations, the world's first large-scale, cross-regional MR × AI digital art exhibition premiered at the Clear Water Bay campus, showcasing selected works by international and Chinese Mainland digital artists, as well as faculty and students from both campuses.
The exhibition integrates creativity with Virtual Reality (VR), MR, and AI technologies, transforming the campus into a global hub for arts innovation and technological excellence. It will open at HKUST(GZ) tomorrow and run through July 31, 2026, before returning to Hong Kong for public engagement. This event exemplifies HKUST's commitment to driving cultural mobility and fostering international exchange through innovative technologies, aligning with the national 15th Five-Year Plan and the HKSAR Government's Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development.
Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, emphasized that the exhibition marks a major milestone in integrating technology, humanities, and cross-regional innovation. She noted that HKUST's Strategic Plan 2031 identifies the integration of innovation and the humanities as a key direction, leading to the establishment of Hong Kong's first Division of Arts and Machine Creativity. Prof. Lionel NI Ming-Shuan, President of HKUST(GZ), highlighted that SURREALITY showcases the strengths of both campuses in interdisciplinary studies and computational creativity, with artists and young creators from 23 countries and regions redefining the boundaries of knowledge production and artistic expression.
The exhibition features nearly 50 works by over 70 digital artists from the United States, Germany, Russia, Australia, Bolivia, Singapore, Korea, the Chinese Mainland, and Hong Kong. At the Clear Water Bay campus, 19 selected works premiered, with MR-enhanced creations turning the campus into an immersive art space. Visitors can explore three exhibition areas: Living Currents, Future Fables, and Beyond Mind. Highlights include The Gate, a metaverse concept that allows visitors to traverse virtual spaces of both campuses; Kunpeng, a giant fish leaping from Port Shelter and transforming into a soaring roc; and The Twinworld Tree, a dynamic living system symbolizing interdependence.
Other notable works include an MR recreation of GFP Bunny by Prof. Eduardo KAC, which sparks reflection on genetic modification and bioethics. Echoes of Earth 2.0 by PhD student ZHANG Yishuai offers a forward-looking perspective on AI and interstellar civilizations. VR pieces include Astra by Eliza MCNITT, a Venice Immersive Grand Prize winner, and Mother's Body Remembers by Benedict YU, which uses LiDAR to capture movements. The HKUST XRIM Lab's Unfolding Touch enables a soft-robot-mediated handshake between campuses, integrating sensing and tactile replication across distance.
Prof. Pan HUI, Chair Professor of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas at HKUST and Director of the Center for Metaverse and Computational Creativity at HKUST(GZ), introduced the core concept of SURREALITY, explaining that as AI, spatial computing, and MR evolve, digital worlds are transcending screens into real spaces. The exhibition explores a new form of reality where the virtual and physical are no longer separate, prompting reflection on how technology reshapes humanity's understanding of reality.
