Your Guide to Hong Kong Art Week

Art week returns to Hong Kong this March with a bang. Both Art Basel and Art Central are back with significantly more exhibitors than last year.

Check out The Artling's handpicked recommendations for must-attend events at Hong Kong Art Week 2024.

Wanchai and Eastern District

Sounding Lines by Aki Sasamoto

Sounding Lines marks the debut solo exhibition of New York-based artist Aki Sasamoto in Hong Kong. The showcase includes a newly commissioned installation that will dominate the exhibition space. This installation comprises waves transmitted through a network of metal springs suspended throughout the gallery, triggering a sequence of movements. Sasamoto's aimed to investigate the boundaries and interactions between individuals and their physical environment, emphasizing notions of intimacy and distance. Also, the exhibition will present Sasamoto's recent video work, Point Reflection (2023), where she interacts with various objects on a table. This piece exemplifies her experimental approach, which delves into the relationships between the body and its surrounding space. The artist will also perform during the exhibition's opening day as a special highlight.

When: 16 March – 28 July 2024
Where: Para Site, 22/F, Wing Wah Industrial Building, 677 King’s Road, Quarry Bay

Soft Breath by Trevor Yeung

Soft Breath represents a continuation of an itinerant exhibition, co-commissioned by Gasworks, London, and Aranya Art Center, Qinhuangdao. This iteration builds upon Yeung's earlier exhibition, Soft Ground, at Gasworks. Central to Soft Breath is a large-scale replica of the "fuck tree," a renowned gay cruising location in London. Yeung meticulously crafted this sculpture from soap, employing light and aromas as guiding elements to evoke fleeting memories of the now-historic site.

When: 16 March – 26 May 2024
Where: Para Site, 22/F, Wing Wah Industrial Building, 677 King’s Road, Quarry Bay

anus whisper by Wong Ping

Wong Ping is a Hong Kong-based artist that is known for his deliberately low-grade aesthetic in animation videos, blending satire and eroticism with political and social critique. This season, Ping returns with a solo exhibition titled "anus whisper" at Kiang Malingue's Wan Chai space. The exhibition draws inspiration Georges Bataille's existential short text " The Solar Anus." Ping's own creation "Crumbling Earwax" (an artwork that explores the concept of ears absorbing reasonable statements while rejecting nonsensical ones, symbolized by earwax) and a chance encounter with a stranger in bed one afternoon.

When: 25 March – 5 May 2024
Where: Kiang Malingue, 10 Sik On Street, 10 Sik On St, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

“Objecting Reality” Wedhar Riyadi; “Everyday” Keita Shirayama

Curated by Saša Bogojev, Objecting Reality is a group exhibition that coincides with Hong Kong Art Month. The exhibition will be featuring recent works by 10 distinguished international artists: Niklas Asker, Jennifer Carvalho, Ginny Casey, Suzuki Hidetaka, Quinten Ingelaere, Heesoo Kim, Damien Meade, Filip Mirazović, Ken Nurenberg, and Wedhar Riyadi. The exhibition focuses on the artists' paintings capability to petrify anything into a still image by making the painted flat surface into an illusion of a lifeless object within a 3-D scene.

Osaka-based artist Keita Shirayama is having his debut solo exhibition entitled " Everyday." The exhibit will be featuring paintings that depicts imaginary scenes that was inspired by the artist's childhood memories of a nature-rich environment. Shirayama's works are infused with his deep-rooted memories and experiences of growing up in Asago city, surrounded by towering mountains and stunning seasonal landscapes. His early life was marked by the continual renewal of seasons and the enduring cycle of nature in his hometown.

When: 27 March – 26 April 2024
Where: WOAW Gallery, 3 Sun Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Admiralty, Central and Western District

Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China

This groundbreaking exhibition is the world's first museum exhibition dedicated to the legendary Song Huai-Kuei, an iconic figure in Chinese art, film, music, and fashion from the 1980s to the 2000s. The exhibition offers insights into Madame Song's captivating array of identities and professional endeavors, showcasing over 320 objects, including rare archival materials, clothing by renowned fashion designers, movie costumes and footage, artworks, and large-scale tapestry installations. Spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s, the exhibition chronicles Song's life and career, highlighting her previously overlooked and underestimated impact on China's transformation during the Reform and Opening-up era of the 1980s, which helped shape the cosmopolitan and culturally diverse society that exists today.

When: 29 July 2023 – 14 April 2024
Where: West Gallery, M+ Museum, 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon, Hong Kong

M+ Sigg Collection: Another Story

M+ Sigg Collection: Another Story takes a visual approach to examining the styles and practices of contemporary Chinese art from the 1990s to the present day. Unlike the socio-political interpretative framework or the chronological narrative of the inaugural exhibition of the M+ Sigg Collection—From Revolution to Globalisation—Another Story surveys how artists reconsider their cultural identities and express their uncertain state of being during China's rapid modernisation in the 1990s. The exhibition brings together a multitude of works that exhibit qualities of overflowing visuals, ambiguous meanings, obsessions with transiency, and traditional interpretation. Another Story is the second of three planned exhibitions of the M+ Sigg Collection. It offers a different perspective on understanding contemporary Chinese art and foregrounds its unique visual language through the lens of artists who strive for self-presence.

When: 22 September 2023 – 1 June 2025
Where: West Gallery, M+ Museum, 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon, Hong Kong

Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London

Organized by the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the National Gallery, London, Botticelli to Van Gogh marks the first exhibition of the Gallery's prestigious painting collection in Hong Kong. The showcase features 52 of the world's finest masterpieces by 50 influential artists, spanning more than 400 years of Western art history. These masterpieces encompass significant turning points in art history, from the Renaissance to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and include works by revered artists such as Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Goya, Turner, Constable, Monet, and Van Gogh.

When: 22 November 2023 – 11 April 2024
Where: Gallery 9, Hong Kong Palace Museum, 8 Museum Drive West Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Green Snake: women-centred ecologies

Green Snake: women-centred ecologies is an exhibition that highlights the connections between art and broader ecological themes in the face of escalating temperatures and extreme weather events. Featuring over 30 artists and collectives from 20 countries, the exhibition showcases more than 60 works. These pieces draw on mythologies and worldviews that place women at their core, offering insights into alternative ecological relationships and envisioning different futures.

When: 20 December 2023 - 31 May 2024
Where: 1/F JC Contemporary & F Hall, Prison Yard 10 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong

Shanshui: Echoes and Signals

Shanshui: Echoes and Signals is a thematic exhibition featuring works from the M+ Collections. It delves into the intricate connections between landscape and humanity in our post-industrial and increasingly virtual world. "Shanshui," which translates to "mountain and water," is a cultural legacy deeply rooted in Chinese philosophical thought and poetic imagination. It has been a driving force behind a millennium-old tradition of ink painting across East Asia. While often understood as "landscape," shanshui can transport us beyond the realm of observable reality. It embodies invisible resonances—between stillness and motion, vision and imagination, the fleeting immediacy of experience, and the enduring presence of history and memory.

When: 3 February - 31 October 2024
Where: M+, West Kowloon Cultural District, 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon, Hong Kong

Water Thoughts and Mountain Visions by Wucius Wong

Alisan Fine Arts presents Wucius Wong's solo exhibition, a renowned figure in contemporary Chinese ink painting. Wong skillfully transforms tranquil natural landscapes into striking geometric compositions. His artistic process involves a meticulous deconstruction of conventional landscape motifs, revealing the intricate geometric frameworks hidden beneath their surface.

This unique approach is deeply influenced by his delicate use of dots and lines, a technique he learned from his mentor, Lui Shou-Kwan. Wong's profound artistic techniques was enhanced by his early exposure to Western art and his achievements in the design realm, enables him to push the boundaries of traditional ink art. Through his work, he not only challenges artistic norms but also offers a glimpse into his inner psychological landscape and personal journey. The exhibition will showcase sixteen paintings and examine Wong's four different series of work from 1985 to 2023.

When: 21 March - 16 May 2024
Where: Alisan Fine Arts, 21/F Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Wang Keping

Franco-Chinese master sculptor Wang Keping releases his solo exhibition featuring his works at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery during Art Basel Hong Kong.

It coincides with The French May and the 60th anniversary celebration of France and China's cultural collaboration. The showcase will highlight a selection of Wang Keping's most significant works, celebrating his more than 45 years of sculptural practice.

When: 22 March - 11 May 2024
Where: 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, 10 Chancery Ln, Central, Hong Kong

HKWALLS Street Art Festival

The HKWALLS Street Art Festival is set to return for its 9th edition, inviting international and local artists to create large murals across the dynamic streets of Hong Kong from March 23 to March 31, 2024. Held in the bustling heart of the city, the festival provides a platform for artists to turn ordinary walls into extraordinary works of art in the Central and Western District. In addition to mural painting, HKWALLS offers workshops, guided tours, and artist talks throughout the event, enriching the cultural experience for participants and visitors alike.

When: 23 - 31 March 2024
Where: Various Venues

Celestial Mechanics: Form and Future in the Work of Gerhard Richter and Sean Scully

Ben Brown Fine Arts proudly presents "Celestial Mechanics: Form and Future in the Work of Gerhard Richter and Sean Scully," an exceptional exhibition honoring two of the most significant European painters of our time. This new exhibition is curated by esteemed art historian Joachim Pissarro and will also unfold coinciding with Art Basel Hong Kong across two venues: The Asia Society and Ben Brown Fine Arts, both in Hong Kong.

The exhibition of Sean Scully will showcase his superb selection of paintings and works on paper, meticulously chosen from his studio to engage in a dialogue with the legacy of Gerhard Richter's oeuvre. It will feature stellar examples from Richter's diverse body of work, including abstract and photo paintings, overpainted photographs, and works on paper. Together, these visionary artists will spark a previously uncharted dialogue that explores their unique biographies and the artistic, political, and ideological influences that have made them two of the most influential and incomparable artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

When: 23 March - 29 June 2024 (Ben Brown Fine Arts)
24 March - 12 April 2024 (Asia Society)
Where: Ben Brown Fine Arts Hong Kong, 201, The Factory, 1 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
Asia Society Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Hall, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Unruly Edges by Naiza Khan

Hailing from Karachi, Pakistani artist Naiza Khan is renowned for her cartographic explorations across various media. Her upcoming solo exhibition, Unruly Edges, marks her fourth collaboration with Rossi & Rossi. The exhibition will showcase drawings, sculptures, and paintings that delve into the impact of colonialism on maritime landscapes throughout history. Khan specifically examines hydro-infrastructure, such as harbors, dams, canal colonies, and port cities, and how these developments have shaped both people and landscapes. Through her work, Khan delves into migration histories and their relationship with the ocean, exploring issues of displacement and the formation of urban spaces. Khan's art has been featured in exhibitions and institutions worldwide, including a prominent showing at the 58th Venice Biennale, where it was displayed in Pakistan's inaugural pavilion.

When: 23 March - 11 May 2024
Where: Rossi & Rossi, 11/F, M Place, 54 Wong Chuk Hang Rd, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

Traces of Life: Global Figuration, Onfinitive Foundation

Onfinitive Art Foundation from Hong Kong and Veta by Fer Francés from Madrid are collaborating on an exhibition of contemporary figurative paintings by 14 acclaimed and emerging artists from various generations and global locations. The exhibition features works that are particularly eye-catching, such as Yoshitomo Nara's vibrant painted characters; Devan Shimoyama's exploration of African American identity and anime; Alex Becerra's play with excess and the grotesque; contemporary interpretations of historical moments by Liu Bin and Adrian Ghenie; as well as an early self-portrait by Yayoi Kusama. If you're interested in exploring how humanity is depicted in art around the world, this exhibition is a must-see.

When: 25 - 30 March 2024
Where: H Queen’s, 9/F, 80 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

Sea Change by Kylie Manning

Kylie Manning's exhibition "Sea Change," which premiered last year at Beijing's X Museum, marks the artist's first show in Asia and will open at Pace Gallery during Hong Kong Art Week. Manning, an American painter, is recognized for her large, abstract-figurative works characterized by a blend of turbulence and serenity. Her visuals are influenced by the atmospheres and colors of Alaska and Mexico, where she spent her childhood.

When: 25 March - 9 May 2024
Where: Pace Gallery, H Queen's, 80, 12/F Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Glenn Ligon Solo Exhibition

Renowned American conceptual artist Glenn Ligon, best known for his text-based paintings, is presenting his first solo exhibition in Greater China. The exhibition includes new works such as a continuation of his Stranger paintings, a new abstract painting series titled Static, and a series of untitled drawings on Kozo paper. These works all feature excerpts from James Baldwin's seminal essay 'Stranger in the Village' (1953), showcasing Ligon's innovative use of text to delve into the politics of culture and identity.

Accompanying the exhibition is a new publication titled "Glenn Ligon: Distinguishing Piss from Rain; Writings and Interviews," edited by James Hoff, which will be released by Hauser & Wirth Publishers on 25 June 2024.

Ligon's solo exhibition 'Glenn Ligon: All Over The Place' will be hosted at the Fitzwilliam Museum, the principal museum of the University of Cambridge, from 20 September 2024 to 2 March 2025. Alongside his paintings, sculptures, and prints, the artist will curate a series of site-specific interventions throughout the museum, aiming to peel the layers of its exhibition history.

When: 25 March - 11 May 2024
Where: Hauser and Wirth, G/F, 8 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

The Point is Matter by Wolfgang Tillmans

The Point is Matter is set to open in Hong Kong on March 25. This marks the artist's fifth solo exhibition with David Zwirner and his second in Hong Kong. Guided by a profound sense of curiosity and care toward his subjects, Tillmans aims to expand the poetic and formal possibilities of photography. The exhibition will feature a wide range of subjects and themes that have long interested the artist, presented across both floors of the gallery. The works on view will include depictions of various, changing forms of atmosphere and elusive natural phenomena; images exploring notions of time and temporality; and works engaging with Tillmans' expansive conceptions of still life and portraiture. Additionally, the exhibition will feature a new video work by the artist. Throughout the show, Tillmans will intersperse works shot in locations such as Addis Ababa, Berlin, Lagos, and Mongolia with those taken in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, sensitively evoking resonant connections between the local and the global, while advocating for an experience of connectedness rooted in the process of looking.

When: 25 March - 11 May 2024
Where: David Zwirner, 5-6/F H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong

Here on Earth by Louise Giovanelli

Louise Giovanelli's paintings are luminous, rich in color, and often ambiguous, immediately captivating viewers. Based in Manchester, the artist uses painting as a means to understand and challenge our perception of the world. She draws from a diverse array of found images to isolate specific moments on canvas, frequently reworking and closely cropping details from paintings, photographs, classical sculptures, architecture, and theatre.

Her upcoming show in Hong Kong will showcase a new body of work featuring a central female protagonist depicted in multiple pieces, captured in a moment of ecstasy.

When: 26 March - 18 May 2024
Where: White Cube, 50 Connaught Rd Central, Central, Hong Kong

Art Basel Hong Kong

As the largest international art fair in Hong Kong, Art Basel showcases premier galleries from Asia and beyond, offering a comprehensive overview of the astonishing diversity of the Asia Pacific region through modern and contemporary works by established and emerging artists.

This year, Art Basel Hong Kong is returning to full scale, featuring 243 premier international galleries presenting artworks of the highest quality across all market segments. From 20th-century masters to established contemporary artists and today's most exciting emerging voices, the fair offers a comprehensive view of the art world. Key highlights include the expanded show sectors Encounters and Kabinett, as well as an ambitious on-site and citywide programme.

When: 28 – 30 March 2024
Where: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Dr, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Art Central

Art Central, an annual international art fair in Hong Kong, is renowned for showcasing the next generation of talent from Asia's most innovative galleries alongside distinguished artists from around the world.

In its 2024 edition, the fair presents an extraordinary convergence of 95 galleries from Hong Kong, Asia, and beyond, showcasing the work of innovative artists shaping contemporary art. The fair also features its largest creative programme to date, including installations, talks, video art, and performances. The upcoming edition boasts over 30 solo projects across four exhibitor sectors: Central Galleries, Solo Presentations, Parallel Booths, and Neo, a new initiative for first-year exhibitors.

When: 28 – 31 March 2024
Where: Central Harbourfront, 9 Lung Wo Rd, Central, Hong Kong

Kowloon and New Territories

Factory of Tomorrow by CHAT

The Centre for Heritage Art and Textile (CHAT) is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a special exhibition entitled "Factory of Tomorrow," which traces the genealogy of the former textile mill-turned-art institution. The exhibition features works by 19 Asian artists and reflects on the role of textiles in Hong Kong's industrial past. Showcasing a variety of mediums, including textile art, sculptures, immersive installations, and videos, the artworks explore diverse perspectives on textile technology, materials, and climate change. Participating artists include Ei Arakawa-Nash, Movana Chen, Ade Darmawan, Rui An Ho, Yin Xiuzhen, and Song Dong. The exhibition will kick off with a special performance by renowned Hong Kong artist Frog King.

When: 16 March - 14 July 2024
Where: The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par St, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong

The Enigmatic World of Izumi Kato

Japanese artist Izumi Kato’s iconic humanoid figures will be featured at Perrotin's Hong Kong gallery this month. While Kato has exhibited in Hong Kong before, at institutions like Tai Kwun and CHAT, his new works for this exhibition signify a recent evolution in his practice. He introduces animal figures and emphasizes their anatomical connections. In his earlier works, animals were depicted in a more human-like manner, but in these new pieces, they appear in more evolved forms, co-existing with his emblematic humanoid figures—lying beneath them, whispering in their ears, or swimming alongside them in the ocean. The work is particularly timely as it seeks to decenter humans from their central position in the ecosystem, engaging with the ongoing discourse on climate change.

When: 24 March - 18 May 2024
Where: Perrotin, K11, Atelier, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

South Island

ARTS . TECH Exhibition 2.0: Beyond the Singularity

ARTS．TECH Exhibition 2.0 presents innovative interactive arts experiences that bridge the realms of arts, technology, and community in both physical and virtual spaces. Three distinct exhibitions are hosted at prominent locations, including the Sino LuminArt Façade in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Tai Kwun in Central, and SHOWCASE in Landmark South, Wong Chuk Hang.

The first exhibition in the series, 'Fill in the Blanks,' encourages audiences to explore the meaning within the 'blanks' between two large digital LED walls and fill them with their imagination. 'Make & Believe' expands the theatrical aesthetic into a gallery setting, creating a Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art). The final exhibition, 'Beyond the Singularity,' aims to stimulate discussions on how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the arts and the intricate interplay between technology and creativity.

Text from: Hong Kong Tourism Board

When: 16 March – 7 April 2024
Where: SHOWCASE, UG/F, Landmark South, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

Butterfly Dream by Xiyadie

Blindspot Gallery is excited to announce Xiyadie: Butterfly Dream, the debut solo exhibition of Xiyadie at the gallery. Featuring over 30 works, including unseen pieces from the early 1980s to the present, this exhibition is the most extensive presentation of Xiyadie's work to date.

Xiyadie is a self-taught traditional Chinese papercut artist. He utilizes a medium with roots dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 CE) to tell his story of emerging from rural China as a homosexual individual. His autobiographical papercuts document his journey through an environment that does not afford political agency to queer individuals, while also reflecting the struggle of a marginalized person as a migrant worker in a metropolitan area.

The exhibition's title, "Butterfly Dream," references the artist's pseudonym, Xiyadie, which means the Siberian Butterfly. This symbolizes resilience and vibrant beauty, embodying the artist's unwavering pursuit of freedom and perseverance in challenging circumstances.

When: 23 March - 11 May 2024
Where: Blindspot Gallery, 15/F, Po Chai Industrial Building, 28 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang

Concealment and Disclosure by Renato Nicolodi

Axel Vervoordt's space is always worth a visit, but this season, it's hosting an exhibition featuring sculptures, videos, and paintings by Belgian visual artist Renato Nicolodi. Nicolodi's work explores meditations on architecture and space, focusing on how we perceive our heritage and collective history through these elements. His art illustrates the contrasting effects of light and darkness, particularly in depictions of architectural elements like staircases, corridors, and columns, emphasizing the void that surrounds them.

One notable aspect of the exhibition is the inclusion of new sculptural reliefs made from paper. These pieces contrast the delicate nature of the material with the rigid structures of architecture, adding another layer to Nicolodi's exploration of space and form.

When: 23 March - 18 May 2024
Where: Axel Vervoordt, 21/F, Coda Designer Building, 62 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang

Le Contre-Ciel

Le Contre-Ciel is an exhibition that delves into spirituality and mysticism spcurated by New York-based art curator Olivia Shao. The exhibition derived its title from René Daumal's book "Le Contre-Ciel," which can be translated as "Against The Heavens" or "The Counter Heaven." It brings together artworks by a diverse group of local and international artists, including Francis Alÿs, Kong Chun Hei, Wucius Wong, and Richard Hawkins. While these artists have seemingly different practices, they share a common thread in their appreciation for chance.

The exhibition aims to recontextualize traditional Chinese aesthetics within modern art history while also challenging its historical and contemporary associations with power. The exhibition provides a platform for contemplation on these themes through the lens of contemporary art.

When: 24 March - 25 May 2024
Where: Empty Gallery, 19/F, Grand Marine Center, 3 Yue Fung Street, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

The Star Ferry Tale by Stephen Wong Chun Hei

The exhibition begins with The Star Ferry Tale, a series of 11-panel large-scale panoramic oil paintings inspired by space documentaries. Against a backdrop of galaxies, the perspective extends into outer space, providing an overview of Hong Kong from above planet Earth. Filled with imaginative elements, the work reflects the artist's personal response to the grandeur and infinity of the universe. Through the lens of a telescope, the past of the universe exists in parallel with our present. Similarly, the work adopts a non-linear narrative, where different temporal and spatial planes intersect, creating a Hong Kong space epic that documents the transition of eras.

When: 23 March - 20 April 2024
Where: Gallery Exit, April 3/F, 25 Hing Wo Street, Tin Wan, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Everything is Unreal Until It’s Not by Lov-Lov

De Sarthe is pleased to present "Everything is Unreal Until It’s Not," a solo exhibition by New York-based artist Lov-Lov, featuring a piercing, semi-organic installation alongside a new body of videos and works on canvas. The exhibition initiates a dialogue through a stark contrast of the idyllic and the unsettling, exploring comforts and catastrophes in the technological era. The artworks speculate on the authenticity of a virtual mirage while alluding to the intricate illusions of reality, where everything is unreal until it is not.

Lov-Lov is a fictitious artist identity created by Lin Jingjing as an amorphous vessel for art creation. Inspired by the versatility and fluidity of artificial intelligence, Lov-Lov is a self-defined entity free of physical indicators and binary definitions such as age, gender, or ethnicity. Reflecting the transhumanist capabilities enabled by contemporary technology, Lov-Lov aims to be a noumenal mimesis of consciousness, offering a glimpse behind the veil of empirical reality.

Text from: Press release from De Sarthe

When: 23 March - 27 April 2024
Where: De Sarthe, 26/F, M Place, 54 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang

The 2024 edition of Hong Kong Art Week promises a variety of art experiences across the island, making art accessible to all. Hong Kong Art Week 2024 will creatively transform spaces, inviting visitors to explore their personal connection to the environment through spontaneous interactions.