Zheng Mahler's artist book Psychedelics and Technics was released in 2019 by Hong Kong independent publisher Small Tune Press with support from Eaton HK and is based on a reading group that took place from April to May 2018 that looked at the interconnection between psychedelics, consciousness, artificial intelligence and death. Tai Kwun presents a discussion between contributors Professor Gordon Mathews and Royce Ng from the artist collective Zheng Mahler alongside Beatrix Pang from Small Tune Press and the books designer Mildred Cheng. Moderated by Hera Chan, the discussion will range across the relationship between psychedelics and technology, the history of ethnogenic plants in Asia and the conceptual design process that went into producing the book. 

Gordon Mathews is a professor of anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong whose books include Ghetto at the Centre of the World (2011) and The World in Guangzhou (2017).

Beatrix Pang is an artist and initiator of Small Tune Press, an independent art publishing project focusing on artists’ books and zine production, publishing, and organising exchange and education activities. She is also the founder of ZINECOOP and the Queer Reads Library. 

Royce Ng is an artist who with anthropologist Daisy Bisenieks is one half of the Hong Kong based art collective Zheng Mahler whose work looks at the intersections of transnational trade, technology and aesthetics.  

Mildred Cheng is a graphic designer based in Hong Kong who is also a painter, creator and co-organizer of the BE THERE Design Festival.

Hera Chan is associate curator of public programmes at Tai Kwun Contemporary.