27% fewer galleries than its last regular edition in 2019
Hong Kong's art season is back in full swing after three long years with no Covid policies. It is led by Art Basel in Hong Kong (ABHK), which has 177 galleries this year, which is 27% less than its last regular edition in 2019. It also has a full schedule of gallery, museum, and auction events. Angelle Siyang-Le, the new director of the fair, says that the city as a whole is pulling out all the stops for Hong Kong Arts Month and to welcome back international guests. Siyang-Le says it's impossible to say if the international art world will come back this year, but she has "seen a surge in interest" since December when most Covid restrictions were lifted in the city. She also says that political interference from mainland China has not been the biggest problem in recent years. Instead, pandemic travel and quarantine rules have been the biggest problem. "We haven't had any problems with censorship in the past, and we haven't had any problems planning our show this year, either."
China is the main market for the growth of the world's art trade
Two-thirds of this year's participating galleries are in Asia, and 33 of them are in Hong Kong. Among the 22 new galleries are the Gallery Vacancy in Shanghai and the Whistle gallery in Seoul. The Encounters section is back with 13 large installation pieces by artists like Gimhongsok and Jaffa Lam. When long hotel quarantines were needed to get into the city in 2022 and 2021, the number of participants dropped from 242 in 2019 to 137 in 2022 and 104 in 2021. Before taking over as fair director this year, Siyang-Le was in charge of Art Basel's Asia gallery relations and greater China development. She says that the peak Covid editions are "a testament to the strength and resilience of the local market," which, along with mainland China, is a big reason why the global art trade is growing. During this time, many big market players like Phillips auction houses have grown their business in Hong Kong. On March 18, they will open a new 50,000 sq. ft. headquarters in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Art Basel is also developing in Singapore and Japan
In recent years, Art Basel's parent company, MCH, has invested in a number of other East Asian businesses, such as the Art SG Singapore fair and Tokyo Art Week. This has led to rumors that the company might leave Hong Kong. Siyang-Le, unsurprisingly, disagrees. He says that Hong Kong's status as East Asia's most important market hub has been hurt by restrictions on travel, not by the rise of art events in other Asian cities. She also says that Art Basel's help with the events in Singapore and Tokyo has helped bring more people from the region to ABHK. "Hong Kong is in an unbeatable position because it is in the middle of Asia, is a major financial center, is tax-free, has a lively cultural scene, and has a growing number of people who are interested in the arts." Since ABHK started in 2013, she says, "the art scene has grown by leaps and bounds, with new museums like M+ and a lively mix of commercial and non-profit galleries and artist-run spaces." Our show has not only become the best place to see Modern and contemporary art in the area, but it has also become an important part of the culture of a city whose art scene keeps getting better and better.
Art Basel it is also events in museums and throughout the city
This year, ABHK will show a commission by Pipilotti Rist on the M+ facade. This is one of a number of projects done in partnership with local organizations like Para Site and Asia Art Archive. It also has special screenings from two non-profits that focus on video art: Videotage in Hong Kong and Ghost 2565 in Thailand. During fair week, there have been about 50 independent art events all over the city, as well as a number of large exhibitions. One of these, at Tai Kwun Contemporary, is Asia's largest LGBTQ+ art survey. Integration with Hong Kong's larger art scene has always been important to ABHK, says Siyang-Le, "but the pandemic really brought a renewed sense of collegiality and solidarity." Hong Kong has a strong sense of community, and having to depend on each other over the past three years has brought us even closer together.
Jean Dubreil