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PolyVerse Exhibition Concluded with Innovative AI Film Competition and Cultural Heritage Symposium

(February 27, 2025) Hong Kong - The "PolyVerse - Culture and Art Technology Exhibition" concluded with a prestigious closing ceremony and awards presentation for “The AI-Powered Legacy – 48 Hour AI Film Competition” at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Curated by Prof. Henry Duh, Associate Dean (Global and Industry Engagement) of PolyU's School of Design, the exhibition was supported by 10 prestigious art institutions across China. 25 pioneering research projects and installations were showcased using LG's ultra-fine Smart AI monitors. This extraordinary collection of digital art and cultural innovation demonstrated the dynamic intersection of traditional heritage and cutting-edge technology.    (Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, Dean of PolyU School of Design, delivers opening remark to PolyVerse – Culture and Art Tech Exhibition.) (Prof. Henry Duh, Associate Dean of PolyU School of Design (Global and Industry Engagement), delivers curator’s remark to PolyVerse – Culture and Art Tech Exhibition.) (Group photo with sponsors and judges of The AI-Powered Legacy – 48 Hours AI Filmmaking Competition. (From Left) Mr Peng Cheng, CEO of EcoPlants,  Mr Rico Wong, Senior Manager of LG Electronics HK Ltd.,  Dr Charles Cheung, Co-Director of PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre and Deputy Director of NVIDIA AI Technology Center , Prof. Henry Duh, Associate Dean of School of Design and Director of PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology and Director of PolyU- NVIDIA Joint Research Centre, Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, Dean of School of Design,  Alan Lee, Audiovisual Expert, Dr Terry Lam, Dean of the School of Film and Television, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Ms Joyce Lam, Senior Supervisor of LG Electronics HK Ltd.)     The closing ceremony was honored by distinguished guests including Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, Dean of PolyU School of Design, and senior executives from LG, NVIDIA and EcoPlants. The afternoon symposium featured an impressive lineup of seven keynote speakers from China's top art institutions, including Nanjing University, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (listed in no particular order). These experts addressed crucial topics such as digital heritage preservation, AI in artistic creation, and the future of cultural conservation. (Group photo with all the award winners of The AI-Powered Legacy – 48 Hours AI Filmmaking Competition and participating artists of PolyVerse – Culture and Art Tech Exhibition.) (Group photo with moderator and keynote speakers. (From Left) Dr Zhou Zhibin, Assistant Director of PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre,  Prof. Wu Yangbo, Associate Professor of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Prof. Yu Chunna, Professor of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Prof. Ren Hongwei, Associate Professor of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Dr Terry Lam, Dean of the School of Film and Television, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Prof. Yang Bo, Associate Professor of Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts)   "This exhibition represents a significant milestone in bridging traditional cultural heritage with cutting-edge technology," said Prof. Duh. "The scale of participation, with over 80 creators and researchers contributing their insights, demonstrates the enormous potential for technology to revolutionize cultural preservation and artistic expression."   The symposium presentations explored various aspects of digital cultural preservation, virtual reality in art, and sustainable development in cultural heritage protection. The PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology and PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre served as a collaborative platform that brought together leading academics and industry experts, showcasing their dedication to advancing the field. (The exhibition view of PolyVerse – Culture and Art Tech Exhibition.)   Explore the virtual exhibition now For media inquiries: rc.cat@polyu.edu.hk

The AI-Powered Legacy: 48 Hours AI Filmmaking Competition - Winners Announcement

The AI-Powered Legacy - 48 Hours AI Filmmaking Competition received remarkable films produced within the challenging 48-hour timeframe. 10 Poly student teams and 15 public teams have demonstrated exceptional creativity and technical proficiency in AI-generated content. We are pleased to announce that our distinguished panel of judges, in collaboration with our valued sponsor LG, has selected the following winners: Student Group Gold Award: Team: Winwin Film title: The Fortress   Silver Award: Team: Chuntianhuahuayoueryuan Film Title: The Blinds   Bronze Award:  Team: Wonder Film Title: New Utopia   Special Mention: Team: Random Noise Film Title: Black in White     Public Group Gold Award: Team: THE PLOUGH FILMS Film Title: One More Glance   Silver Award: Team: C47 Production Hong Kong Film Title: Once Upon A Time   Bronze Award:  Team: Jo Jo Ventures Film Title: Luna   Special Mention: Team: Common Sense Squad Film Title: The Greatest Taxi Dog   LG Best Immersive Award: Team: Creaite Film Title: The Last Spark   We congratulate all participants for their outstanding contributions. The films are available for viewing from 24 Jan - 27 Feb 2025 in the PolyVerse - Culture and Art Tech Exhibition. Award Winners will be contacted regarding award collection. For more information, please contact Miss Wong at rc.cat@polyu.edu.hk.

The AI-Powered Legacy: 48 Hours AI Filmmaking Competition Concludes with Groundbreaking masterpieces

PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology, in collaboration with PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre and School of Design, proudly announces the successful conclusion of "The AI-Powered Legacy," a pioneering 48-hour filmmaking competition held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) from 2 November to 4 November, 2024. This unique event brought together 25 teams of AI experts and film practitioners to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and filmmaking, resulting in a dynamic showcase of creativity and technological innovation. Participants were challenged to leverage cutting-edge AI technologies to produce compelling visual narratives, pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling.   Ahead of the event, participants had the chance to attend exclusive workshops hosted by the research centers. They learnt from a series of workshops with topics covering NVIDIA NIM, inference microservices for flexible deployment across multiple platforms; AIGC Creation class led by the founders of 32 Digital Omnimedia Co., focusing on the use of ComfyUI, LoRA, ControlNet, and more. The workshops concluded with story-telling skills and technique training, featuring insights from Director Nicolas Lesaffre of an award-winning animation studio Nikopicto. Participants were equipped with access to state-of-the-art resources, including generative video and image platforms, cloud computing extend introduction to AI creation, before embarking on their creative journeys.   The success of "The AI-Powered Legacy" underscores the transformative potential of AI in filmmaking and sets the stage for future collaborations and innovations in the field. The organizers express their gratitude to all participants, judges, and sponsors for their contributions to this landmark event.   Please stay tuned for the announcement of the winners in December! Select submissions will be featured in the upcoming Art Tech Exhibition, scheduled to run from 24 January through 27 February 2025 in School of Design, PolyU, offering further exposure to the innovative works produced during the competition.   For more information, please contact Miss Wong at rc.cat@polyu.edu.hk.

Researcher Won a Prestigious AI Film Award

PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology and PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre are proud to announce that our Research Associate, Miss Yao CHEN received the 3rd runner up in the “Dream”, an inaugural AI Film Making Contest organized by Dreamina, owned by CapCut, ByteDance. As one of the most rapidly growth GenAI video platform, the contest received almost 80 applications and demonstrated the creative and technical capabilities of AI systems in producing short films. The Research Associate’s entry, titled "Freedom or Prison?", was recognised by the judges for its creative storytelling, impressive visual effects, and technical sophistication.   "We are thrilled and honored to have our Research Associate recognized in this prestigious competition," said Prof. Henry Duh. "This achievement is a testament to our capabilities in generative AI, which is developed to master a wide range of tasks, from research and analysis to creative projects like film production."   CHEN Yao’s achievement finished in the AI Film Making Contest underscores research centres' commitment to developing innovative AI solutions that push the boundaries of what is possible. By empowering its AI technology to engage in creative endeavors, research centres aim to showcase the transformative potential of this technology and inspire others to explore new frontiers in AI-powered applications.

Art-Tech Odyssey: the Creative Possibilities at the Intersection of Art and Technology

As digitalisation continues to shape our society, the intersection of art and technology is at the forefront. The PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology (CAT) hosted the opening ceremony for its inaugural exhibition of "Researching the Future" and “The Academic Convergence of Art and Technology” Symposium on 11 December 2023.   The exhibition was held at PolyU from 11 December to 31 December 2023. It is a showcase of innovative research by scholar-artists from renowned Asian universities, highlighting the seamless integration of art and technology. Participating scholar-artists including Prof. KAN Tai-keung, SBS (PolyU), Prof. INAMI Masahiko (The University of Tokyo), Dr GAO Feng (Peking University), Dr KANG Yiyun (KAIST, South Korea), Dr KHOO Eng Tat (National University of Singapore), Dr LAI Mei-kei (Macao Polytechnic University) used computer chips, sensor devices, AI, computer vision and engineering to create captivating landscapes, surreal realms and immersive soundscapes. These creations reflect on the spiritual aspects of technology, express humanistic concern and showcase a wide range of art-tech possibilities.   On the opening event, Prof. INAMI Masahiko from The University of Tokyo presented JIZAI ARMS performance that has amazed many guests. “The Academic Convergence of Art and Technology” Symposium will be followed in the afternoon.   6 featured scholar-artists and guest speaker Prof. TAN Liang (Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts) shared their insights on artistic research in the field of cultural and art technology.   About the exhibition

PolyU Design to collaborate with Moleskine to promote local art, design and culture on the International Stage

We are delighted to announce that PolyU Design and Moleskine have established collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 1 November 2023. The MoU intends to facilitate collaboration to support art, design and cultural development, especially local designers, artists and cultural practitioners. The potential areas of collaboration include organising public exhibitions, workshops and other events to increase international exposure of local students, designers and artists’ works on Moleskine’s products and shops internationally.   Riding on the collaboration, Moleskine is hosting an exhibition of "Rediscovering Hong Kong” that is supported by MSc in Innovative Multimedia Entertainment of PolyU Design and PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology at K11 MUSEA to showcase artworks that express the creativity and new ways of presentation for culture, art and design. The Inaugural Exhibition Opening Ceremony announced the top three winners of PolyU Design x Moleskine notebook design competition. 12 shortlisted artworks from PolyU design students are showcased in the exhibition and will be published on custom-designed Moleskine notebook based on customer demand.   The MOU Signing Ceremony cum Exhibition Opening was successfully held at Moleskine pop-up shop, K11 MUSEA. The MoU was signed by Prof. Kun-pyo Lee, Dean of PolyU Design, and Mr. Merwann Younes, Global Head of Direct Channels of Moleskine with the witness of guest of honours Italian Consulate General, Mr Carmelo Ficarra.   Moleskine is, based in Milan, Italy, a global luxury brand and platform which celebrates talent, champions originality and cherishes long-term thinking and innovation. Their notebook is the heir and successor to the legendary notebook used by artists and thinkers such as Vincent Van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway and Bruce Chatwin over the past two centuries.

Asia Pacific Art and Culture Technology Forum cum the Opening of Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology Centre and PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced the establishment of the Research Centre on Cultural and Art Technology and the PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre on 24 July 2023. The Centres' Opening Ceremony, hosted by Professor Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, was held together with the Asia Pacific Art and Culture Technology Forum where renowned industry leaders shared insights on the applications of generative AI. Centre Director Professor Henry Duh announced the "Call for Global Collaboration" that targeted to support Hong Kong art and culture. The event was attended by guests from different industries, including Invest HK, the British Consulate-General, Adobe, Moleskine, Unity, Tencent Games Lightspeed Studios, and more, who are also important stakeholders of the Centre's. The Centre looks forward to partnering with institutions and funding bodies to work together and support local art community and cultural groups.