Asia’s busiest and most exciting art season, Hong Kong Art Week, brings the best of the art world buzz to town. Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central are two headlining attractions going from strength to strength in their seventh and fifth Hong Kong editions, respectively.
ART BASEL
Art Basel Hong Kong, with Lead Partner UBS, runs from March 29 to 31 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) with more than 240 galleries lined up for the seventh edition of the fair, 21 of them joining for the first time.
Divided into sectors – Galleries, Insights, Discoveries, Encounters and Magazines, as well as Conversations and Salon – the 2018 show attracted an attendance of 80,000.
Galleries, the main sector of the show, features 196 of the world’s leading galleries presenting painting, sculpture, drawings, installation, photography, video and digital works. This year sees several solo presentations, such as Chinese contemporary artist Liu Xiaodong at Eslite Gallery; Christopher Wool at Luhring Augustine; a new installation by Simon Starling specifically created for the show at The Modern Institute; and works by visionary abstract painter Wu Da-Yu at Lin & Lin Gallery.
The Encounters section is dedicated to presenting large-scale sculpture and installation works in prominent locations throughout the exhibition halls. In 2019, Encounters consists of 12 institutional-scale installations. Under the title Still We Rise this year’s edition focuses on current issues of disorientation and uncertainty by looking back at the past and speculating about the future.
Alexie Glass-Kantor, the sector’s curator, comments: ‘This year’s Encounters is both a call to action and a proposition to re-energize, re-incarnate, re-innovate and rise – in the extreme: to find hope even in hopelessness. The large-scale works presented create environments for visitors to explore and discover, and to contemplate ways of dealing with today’s challenges.’ Supported by MGM Resorts Art & Culture, artists include Jose Dávila, Latifa Echakhch, Elmgreen & Dragset, Mit Jai Inn, Lee Bul, and Zhao Zhao.
The Discoveries sector, focusing on solo shows by emerging artists, sees Chinese artist Lu Yang’s serial-killer manga cartoons, online AI gossip, and neo-spiritual ephemera collide, while Czech artist Anna Hulačová’s installation entitled Pathetic Poetic offers an insight into the artist’s worldview. Discoveries this year will feature 25 galleries, such as Sabrina Amrani presenting South Korean artist Jong Oh and Indian gallery Jhaveri Contemporary showcasing new work by Lubna Chowdhary.
ART CENTRAL
Art Central returns to Hong Kong’s Central Harbour front for its fifth edition from 27 – 31 March with over 100 contemporary galleries showcasing edgier works from emerging artists alongside some of the most established galleries from across Asia and the globe.
Renowned for being more “relaxed” than Art Basel, the harbourside locale, open grass dining space, live performance art, and playful energy of Art Central makes it a firm favourite on the March Hong Kong art circuit.
Fair Director, Art Central, Shuyin Yang notes: “The exhibitor selection of Art Central 2019 is set to showcase ambitious exhibitions of exceptional quality: from booth presentations with strong curatorial premises, to solo and dual projects which incorporate progressive mediums; to artists with a strong market presence; as well as some of the most exciting emerging talent.”
Art Central 2019 welcomes 107 leading galleries from 22 countries, with over 30 exhibitors making their Art Central debut.
Artists from China and Hong Kong are prominently featured by galleries such as Contemporary by Angela Li (Hong Kong), including respected names such as Lv Shanchuan and Li Hongbo. Young experimental Hong Kong-based artists Cheuk Wing Nam and Angela Yuen will also unveil specially commissioned installations in Art Central’s PROJECTS sector, with a focus on light, sound and kinetic movement.
Over the Influence (Hong Kong) returns to Art Central with a dynamic program of street art, including powerful statements by renowned urban names such as Shepard Fairey, Cleon Peterson, Invader, VHILS, alongside works from Ron Arad, Nobuyoshi Araki, and emerging names Nydia Blas, Scott Campbell, Jonni Cheatwood, and Mike Lee.
In addition to the gallery line up, the five-day programme includes interactive installations, experimental film and cutting-edge performance, panel discussions, as well as dynamic dining options. A new pop-up restaurant created specially for Art Central: SCARPETTA di Daniele Sperindio will make its debut in 2019 and THE TERRACE will return featuring eight of Hong Kong’s most exciting eateries in an outdoor setting alongside live music and bespoke cocktails.
