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UABBHK 2025 Responds with TECHFORMANCE: Architecture as Performance in the Age of AI
Running from 27 November 2025 to 24 January 2026, UABBHK 2025 will take place at the Oil Street Art Space (Oi!) in North Point and the East Kowloon Cultural Centre (EKCC) in Kowloon Bay. These urban venues will be transformed into experimental stages for public imagination, civic dialogue, and participatory design — responding to the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the architecture sector.
Survey Findings Reveal Gaps in Practice and Ethics
AI is rapidly reshaping architectural practice, but the profession is facing uneven adoption, limited trust, and a lack of ethical or educational guidance. Globally, 67% of architects use AI for visualisation, but more than half fear job displacement in design and rendering roles[1]. A striking 74% believe the profession needs urgent ethical guidelines. Many practitioners describe working with tools they don’t fully understand or trust—tools that may produce compelling visuals, but often lack narrative depth, cultural context, or authorship clarity.
Curatorial Response: From Tools to Performance
Against this backdrop, the UABBHK 2025 reframes AI not as a threat but as a catalyst for civic imagination and creative reinvention. “We chose the theme TECHFORMANCE because architecture is at a pivotal moment — AI is transforming how we design, while raising urgent questions about authorship, ethics, and identity”, said Ar. Allen POON, Chairman of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Biennale Foundation. “As AI changes how we design, we must ensure it doesn’t change why we design.”
“Through TECHFORMANCE, UABBHK offers a cultural and civic response to the rise of Al in architecture. Rather than treating Al as a purely technical tool, we see it as a performative medium — a mirror that reflects our collective values, assumptions, and imaginations. Architecture is no longer a static product — it’s a civic performance”, said Dr. Jimmy HO, Lead Curator of UABBHK 2025. “We shift the focus from automation to authorship, from technology to imagination.”
At UABBHK 2025, the public will not be passive viewers but active participants — co-designing future cities and engaging directly with the possibilities and provocations of AI in architecture.
Exhibition Highlights with Three Curatorial Visions
At the heart of UABBHK 2025 are three curatorial chapters that explore how AI transforms architecture into a civic performance: real-time public co-creation, local urban narratives, and cross-border collaboration. Spanning the Oil Street Art Space (Oi!) and the East Kowloon Cultural Centre (EKCC), the exhibitions invite visitors to engage, perform, and prototype the future city.
1. Real-Time Interaction & Public Co-Creation
This chapter turns the UABBHK into a participatory lab, where AI enables live, interactive design. Installations respond to movement, touch, speech, and emotion — blurring the line between creator and audience.
At Oi!, Prompt [Pond]ering transforms keywords into speculative architecture, while AR-driven Bamboo Architecture projects full-scale holograms of bamboo structures. At EKCC, works like Sentient Mirror, Sketches in Motion, and Architecture Blind Box translate visitors’ gestures, feelings, and tactile input into dynamic spatial forms.
2. Hong Kong Urban Narratives: Community × Memory × Imagination
This chapter explores how AI can preserve, reinterpret, and reimagine the city’s collective memory.
At Oi!, installations such as LANdLine Project, Flower Market Imaginaries, and Reimagining Breeze Blocks invite the public to co-author stories of heritage and transformation. At EKCC, the Collaborative Ephemeral Pavilion—built from reused scaffolding and embedded with AI-generated narratives—becomes both a gathering space and a luminous landmark of shared memory.
3. Hong Kong – Shenzhen Collaboration
In this cross-border chapter, experimental works investigate AI’s role in shaping new urban models for the Greater Bay Area.
At EKCC, Generative Futures features real-time robotic fabrication; Think BIG – cl0udbr1dge imagines drone-constructed bridges; and Exporting Aesthetics challenges conventions of authorship and identity in AI-generated skyscrapers. Together, these projects prototype adaptive, inclusive, and technologically forward urban futures.
In parallel, the Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of UrbanismArchitecture (Shenzhen) (UABBSZ 2025) is tentatively scheduled to take place from late December 2025 to March 2026 at the Hetao Science and Technology Innovation Center. Under the theme City Theater, the exhibition expands its curatorial perspective. Curated by Zhu Tao, Shen Shaomin, and Ding Ning, it envisions urban space as a performative stage where architecture, technology, and civic life intersect. Exhibitions from Hong Kong will be showcased at the Hetao Science and Technology Innovation Center as part of UABBSZ 2025, continuing UABBHK’s legacy as the world’s first exhibition dedicated to urbanism and urbanisation—complementing Hong Kong’s focus on AI and civic performance while deepening cross-border dialogue.
Public Programmes: AI Video Competition
To engage a wider public, the curatorial teams of the 10th Bi-City Biennale of UrbanismArchitecture (Shenzhen and Hong Kong) (UABBSZ & HK) are jointly inviting creators from around the world to use artificial intelligence tools and, through innovative and forward-looking visual works, envision future scenarios for the Hetao area between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in China. Registration is now open via: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/1C9KicszFS.
For more information, please visit UABBHK 2025’s website: https://uabb2025.hkia.org.hk/en/ai-competition.
A Civic Rehearsal for AI Futures
UABBHK 2025 is not a showcase of new technologies — it is a civic rehearsal. It invites architects, the public, and students to reimagine what it means to design with machines, without losing the human voice. In this Biennale, the audience is not passive. They are co-authors of the urban narrative, performers in a shared story, and participants in shaping the ethics of emerging technologies.
For more information, please visit UABBHK 2025’s website: https://uabb2025.hkia.org.hk/en.
2025 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of UrbanismArchitecture (Hong Kong)’s Disclaimer:
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
Hashtag: #UABBHK2025
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Biennale Foundation
- To promote creativity and advance the understanding, appreciation and interest of architectural and design excellence
- To encourage cross-border and cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration between creative professionals from Hong Kong, Greater China region and overseas
- To support art, design, architectural and cultural education for students and youth, the community, and policy makers
- To create a favourable environment for study, research and experimentation of design, art and architectural works in an exhibition scale
- To energise and revitalize specific sites of interests by introduction of cultural and creative events
About the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries.. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
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Apical Strengthens Women’s Health to Support Stunting Prevention in Cilincing, North Jakarta
The initiative was launched on 15 December 2025 at the RW 03, RW 09 and RW 10 community offices within the Cilincing public housing complex. Targeting women of reproductive age, the programme was designed as a preventive effort to raise awareness and improve access to essential health services, particularly reproductive health, as a foundation for healthy families and future generations.
Apical’s CSR Manager, Sugiantoro, said the collaboration reflects the company’s long-term, preventive approach to public health. “We believe that healthy women are the pillars of strong families and a key force in shaping healthy communities. Through PT AAJ’s involvement, we aim to create tangible impact by prioritising early prevention, rather than focusing solely on treatment,” he said.
A key focus of the initiative was the early detection of cervical cancer, a serious but largely preventable disease when identified through routine screening and timely intervention. Services provided included IVA screening (visual inspection with acetic acid) and HPV (human papillomavirus) testing.
Dr Kezia Ivana from the Cilincing Community Health Centre explained that IVA and HPV screenings are effective methods for detecting cervical cancer at an early stage.
“Early detection allows us to identify the virus that causes cervical cancer sooner, significantly reducing the risk of disease progression. When detected early, the chances of recovery are very high. However, if left undetected, cervical cancer can lead to severe pain, abnormal bleeding, kidney and urinary tract disorders, swelling of the legs, and fertility problems that may prevent women from having children,” she said.
Apical’s participation in this initiative aligns with the company’s 5Cs philosophy that whatever it does must be good for the Community, Country, Climate and Customer, and only then will it be good for the Company, which underpins its commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth. Through partnerships with local stakeholders, Apical, a member of the RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto, continues to support government efforts to address stunting while contributing to improved social and women’s health outcomes, particularly in communities surrounding its operational areas.
Hashtag: #RGE #Apical #CSR #Stunting #Indonesia #Women #Health #Communities
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Apical
Apical is a leading vegetable oil processor with an expanding global footprint. Our vertically integrated mid-stream refining and value-added downstream processing makes us an integral supplier that supports the needs of various industries namely food, feed, oleochemicals and renewable fuel, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which enables a great reduction of CO2 emissions.
With integrated assets in strategic locations spanning Indonesia, China and Spain, Apical operates numerous refineries, oleochemical plants, renewable fuel plants and kernel crushing plants. Through joint ventures and strategic partnerships, Apical also has processing and distribution operations in Brazil, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Middle East, Africa, USA and Vietnam.
Apical’s growth is built on the foundations of sustainability and transparency, and motivated by our strong belief that we can contribute to a circular economy for a more meaningful impact, even as we continue to grow our business and deliver innovative solutions to our customers.
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Vingroup Signs Strategic Cooperation with The Government of Uzbekistan, Opening Large-Scale Investment Opportunities in Central Asia
Under the MOU, the two parties agreed to jointly study and develop strategic cooperation opportunities in areas such as urban development, sustainable transportation, tourism and leisure infrastructure, as well as other investment projects aligned with Uzbekistan’s development orientation, affirming the scale and capabilities of Vietnamese enterprises on the global economic map.
Specifically, in the area of urban development, Uzbekistan is ready to allocate approximately 1,000 hectares of land in a prime location of the capital Tashkent for Vingroup to study, propose, and invest in the development of a large-scale, integrated urban complex. The project would include residential areas, living infrastructure, commercial and cultural facilities, and public infrastructure facilities. The development is envisioned to form a “Vietnam Town”, creating a modern and sustainable urban landmark while enhancing cultural exchange and economic cooperation between the two countries.
In the field of sustainable transportation, Vingroup has proposed studying the deployment of electric taxi and urban mobility services using VinFast electric vehicles in Uzbekistan, together with a charging infrastructure system and support services. The project is expected to contribute to the green transition, reduce emissions, and improve the quality of urban transportation services in major Uzbek cities.
In tourism and leisure infrastructure, the two sides will explore the potential development of integrated tourism and recreational center, including entertainment facilities, hotels, golf courses and related tourism infrastructure, aiming to unlock tourism potential and enhance Uzbekistan’s attractiveness to international visitors.
In addition, this strategic cooperation also establishes a framework for the two parties to identify, assess, and select other potential investment projects that align with the development strategies and long-term priorities of each side.
On the Uzbek government’s side, the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade committed to supporting Vingroup by providing information on the investment environment, legal framework, and incentive policies, as well as coordinating with relevant authorities and local governments in project preparation, including land allocation, licensing, and access to investment support mechanisms in accordance with legislation.
On Vingroup’s side, the Group will propose conceptual proposals, technical expertise and investment plans, participate in feasibility studies and project structuring, and mobilize member companies within the Vingroup ecosystem to implement suitable projects in Uzbekistan.
Mr. Kasimov Ilzat Ablaxatovich, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, stated: “We welcome Vingroup’s interest and commitment to cooperation in Uzbekistan. With its experience in urban development, sustainable transportation, and infrastructure projects, Vingroup is considered a strategic partner to jointly explore and implement investment initiatives aligned with Uzbekistan’s socio-economic development priorities in the coming period.”
Mr. Nguyen Viet Quang, Vice Chairman and CEO of Vingroup, shared: “Uzbekistan is a market with strong potential, supported by a clear development direction and an improving investment environment. Through this Memorandum of Understanding, Vingroup aims to gradually explore suitable cooperation opportunities and work alongside the Government of Uzbekistan in developing urban areas, sustainable transportation, and sectors that bring positive contributions to local communities.”
Uzbekistan holds a strategic position in Central Asia, with a growing economy and strong potential in urban development, infrastructure, tourism, and services. The Government of Uzbekistan is actively promoting reforms and attracting foreign investment to drive sustainable economic growth and international integration.
Vingroup is Vietnam’s leading private multi-sector corporation, operating across six core pillars: Industrials & Technology, Real Estate & Services, Infrastructure, Green Energy, Culture, and Social Enterprises, with the vision “To create a better life for people”. With its proven reputation, scale and capabilities, Vingroup is steadily expanding globally, contributing to elevate the global standing of Vietnamese enterprises.
Hashtag: #Vingroup
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Vietnam Is Shining, and Can Gio Is the Hidden Jewel Awaiting Its Moment
A year later, the landscape has morphed into something far more complex, rippling with tariff shocks, persistent inflation, rising bond yields, and growth downgrades across traditional economic powerhouses. The world feels as if it is moving through a narrow channel, buffeted by waves from every direction. And yet, amid all the noise, Asia has not only held its ground but stepped forward with a clarity and confidence that few regions can match.
Why Asia Now: A New Era of Resilience, Growth, and Opportunity
The forces shaping Asia’s rise have been gathering momentum for decades. What we are witnessing now is their convergence. Asia is not simply adapting to global volatility, it is redefining the foundations of resilience and growth. Its economies are becoming wealthier, stronger, and more self-reliant, and its real estate markets are revealing layers of opportunity that long-term investors have waited years to see.
The near-term picture, though challenged, underscores this resilience. Tariffs have uneven effects, and countries with strong domestic engines such as Australia are absorbing shocks with surprising ease.
But it is the longer horizon that illuminates Asia’s true arc. The region’s working-age population and middle class have expanded at a breathtaking pace, setting the stage for decades of consumption-led dynamism. Education levels are rising, service sectors are flourishing, and manufacturing capabilities are climbing the value chain.
Meanwhile, intra-Asia trade has quietly become the backbone of global commerce, with Asia-to-Asia routes now forming the largest share of world trade. As the region turns inward, not in isolation, but in self-reinforcing collaboration, Asia ex-China is projected to contribute more to global growth than the United States and Europe combined.
Real estate, often seen as a mirror for economic sentiment, is telling a similar story. Transaction volumes across Asia have been less volatile than those in Western markets, and pricing has remained more stable, offering a predictable return profile. Supply constraints, elevated construction costs, and a decade-low pricing position relative to long-term trends are creating what can only be described as an extraordinary entry window.
Why Capital is Flowing into Vietnam
If Asia’s trajectory could be captured in a single idea, it would be the beginning of a Value Uprising, a structural rise in long-term asset worth, powered by demographics, policy, and economic integration, rather than speculation.
From this continental narrative emerges Vietnam, a nation whose ascent is increasingly impossible to ignore. Over the past decade, Vietnam has transformed from a rising star into a gravitational force for global investors. Supply chain diversification has accelerated its role as a manufacturing and logistics nexus. Even with global tariffs shifting, Vietnam’s logistics sector continues to expand in sophistication, efficiency, and international relevance. Its demographic profile, marked by a median age years younger than China, offers a demographic dividend that many Asian economies have already spent. And as Southeast Asia’s digital backbone grows, Vietnam is stepping into the spotlight as one of the region’s next major data-center markets, a signifier of future industrial depth.
Ho Chi Minh City, in particular, has entered a new chapter. Its standing among Asia-Pacific cities for investment and development has climbed steadily, reflecting not only macroeconomic resilience but the confidence of global capital. It has become a symbolic frontier, an emerging metropolis where the contours of modern Asia are being redrawn.
At the heart of Vietnam’s momentum lies another extraordinary phenomenon: The consistent and rising flow of remittances. Vietnam ranks among the world’s top recipients, and Ho Chi Minh City alone welcomed over USD 9.46 billion in 2023, USD 9.6 billion in 2024, and more than USD 5.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025.
A remarkable portion of these funds, around one-fifth, finds its way into real estate. But this is not passive investment. It is a gesture of return, of building a future homeland, of preparing for business, family, and retirement. It is long-term capital with long-term intent.
Vinhomes Green Paradise: A Hidden Gem Poised to Shine in Vietnam’s Real Estate Market
Regulatory reform is reinforcing this trust. The revised Land Law and Real Estate Business Law offer stronger protections and broader rights for Vietnamese citizens, including those living abroad. In a period where global currencies fluctuate and deposit rates decline, investors are increasingly confronting a hard truth: Holding cash is, in many cases, a slow erosion of value. As economist Can Van Luc notes, the VND has lost 3.4 percent of its value in two years, even as the USD depreciated. Real estate, therefore, is not merely an alternative, it has become one of the few asset classes capable of preserving and multiplying value in real terms.
Against this backdrop, regions entering new cycles of infrastructure development are drawing accelerated capital inflows. And among them, one name rises above all others: Can Gio.
For decades, Can Gio stood quietly at the edge of Ho Chi Minh City, an ecological jewel, admired but distant. Today, it has become the most powerful symbol of Vietnam’s coastal urban future. Massive infrastructure investment is reshaping its accessibility, and yet its real estate prices remain a fraction of central districts. Compared to Phu My Hung, Can Gio’s price base is nearly half; compared to Districts 1 and 3, just one-fifth. The gap is not a discount, it is untapped potential waiting to be realized.
The emergence of Vinhomes Green Paradise has pushed this transformation into global consciousness. As the first official participant in the New7Wonders “7 Wonders of Future Cities” campaign, the project is channeling the same catalytic energy once witnessed in iconic developments. Internationally, such recognitions do not merely elevate prestige, they accelerate valuation cycles, attract global capital, and redefine a city’s future skyline.
With its one-of-a-kind geographic formation and proximity to Can Gio’s million-year-old biosphere reserve, Vinhomes Green Paradise stands as a once-in-a-century asset. It embodies scarcity in its purest form, an asset class that cannot be replicated, reshaped, or reborn elsewhere.
And that is where the narrative converges. Asia’s rise, Vietnam’s momentum, Ho Chi Minh City’s evolution, and Can Gio’s emergence are not isolated stories. Together, they form a new investment epoch characterized by structural uplift, demographic acceleration, and a rapidly expanding middle class. It is the era of the Value Uprising, a phase in which the forces of economics, policy, population, and global capital align to propel real estate into a new price horizon.
In moments like this, markets rarely wait. History shows that investors who move early define the benchmark for everyone who follows. The question is no longer whether Asia will rise, or whether Vietnam will lead, or whether Can Gio will transform. The question, now, is whether investors will seize a moment that may not return for another generation.
Sources:
https://www.hines.com/asia-real-estate-opportunity-in-the-midst-of-uncertainty
Hashtag: #Vinhomes
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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