Having just returned from the Armory Show in New York City, we look forward to the next major art fair: Art Basel Hong Kong. Art Basel Hong Kong opens March 23rd and runs through March 31st.
Art Basel has been taking over Hong Kong since 2013. Art Basel Hong Kong took over the fair Art HK and has turned Hong Kong into a destination for international collectors at the end of March. Image courtesy of The New York Times.
In this seventh edition of Art Basel Hong Kong, 242 top galleries from 36 countries will exhibit works known masters of Modern art to emerging artists. China is the third leading art market in the world and a report issued found that 39% of Hong Kong collectors are from the millennial generation.
Julio Le Parc (Argentinian, b. 1928), Alchimie 382, 2017. Acrylic on canvas. Image and details courtesy of Galeria Nara Roesler.
Owing to the incredible market demand, organizers must limit the exhibiting galleries from the West to half of the available booths. This ensures the fair keeps some Asian character of its host city.
Exhibiting American and European galleries must also have a strategy in place to ensure success. These rules are slightly more strict than usual but greatly contribute to the authenticity of the fair.
Yu Hong (Chinese, b. 1966), Spontaneous Motion 1, 2010. Gold leaf foil and acrylic on canvas. 98.4″ H X 118.1″ W. Exhibited at Long March Space’s booth in 2018. Image courtesy of Art Basel.
Art Basel has very curated programming. Aside from the main exhibiting Galleries, visitors can also look forward to Insights. Insights features artists from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region — Turkey to New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.
The Discoveries platform features emerging contemporary artists. Participating galleries will have new works created specifically for Art Basel on view.
Anna Hulačová (Czech, b. 1984), Untitled, 2018 (left), and Untitled, 2019 (right). Concrete sculptures. Image and details courtesy of hunt kastner.
Most exciting is the Encounters platform. Encounters is devoted to presenting large-scale sculpture and installations by the world’s leading artists.
Visitors can experience the installations and sculptures in prominent locations throughout the fair. Best of all, this will be the first time the installations are exhibited. City in the Sky by Elmgreen & Dragset is our favorite installation previewed and will surely receive lots of acclaim.
Elmgreen & Dragset (Danish, b. 1961 / Norwegian b. 1969), City in the Sky, 2019. Kukje Gallery, Massimo De Carlo. Image and details courtesy of Perrotin.
This has become a magnet fair for collectors and exhibitors alike. The past two editions of the fair welcomed over 80,000 visitors in over five days and this year over 100,000 visitors are anticipated. Details to attend are below and we look forward to seeing what sold!
KAWS, Holiday Companion. This floating art installation is travelling to Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong. Image and details courtesy of HypeBeast.
Art Basel Hong Kong
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
VIP Preview Wednesday, March 27th, and Thursday, March 28th
Open to Public Friday, March 29th, ending Sunday, March 31st