The first edition of Art Basel Hong Kong is set to build on the fortunes of its former self and set a new standard in how the region presents, promotes and rejoices in its art.
Formerly known as Art HK, Art Basel Hong Kong is a sharper, glossier and more visible affair, such is the power of the brand and the influence its organisers have around the globe.
This is best reflected in the exalted line-up of galleries that will be present for the inaugural show. 245 of the world’s premier fine art establishments will be showing work of the highest quality and presentation, aware as they are that this expo will be sharply dissected by everyone in the industry.
Naturally, with the fair leaning towards regional art, 50 per cent of the institutions selected to take part in what should be an historic event come from the Asia-Pacific region. This takes in countries as far as Turkey, states from the Middle East, the entire Indian subcontinent, most nations in Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
Galleries participating include A Thousand Plateaus Art Space; Beck & Eggeling; Chambers Fine Art; Delhi Art Gallery; Gagosian Gallery; Hauser & Wirth; Jensen Gallery; Kukje Gallery; Lehmann Maupin Gallery; Murray White Room; Osage Gallery and Utopian Slumps.
All works of art will be delivered across four divisions to give the fair an engaging orientation that is informative, daring and capable of offering a different line of enquiry.
The Galleries section is focused on delivering a presentation of items from 170 of the world’s leading modern and contemporary establishments; Insights focuses on work commissioned for the show (must be regional); Discoveries gives new artists a space to say why they are the next big thing; and Encounters makes it possible for large-scale installations to be better experienced.
With regards to Galleries, this segment is also about new beginnings, with a discernable number of Western institutions showcasing their programmes in Hong Kong for the first time. For 303 Gallery, Andréhn-Schiptjenko, Dominique Levy Gallery, Galerie OMR, and Galeria Pedro Cera, to name but a few, this marks a new era in their respective histories. This is art in a truly global sense.
As is customary these days, there will be plenty of opportunity for visitors, aficionados, and critics to participate in and observe a diverse medley of talks, some based on the exhibitions, some on Asia’s growing influence, and general debates on the meaning of contemporary art across the ages.
Although more details are expected over the next few months, what has already emerged is a strong, professional and all-inclusive art fair that is suggestive of the greater need to include Asia in all conversations pertaining to the future of art right now, in this moment.
Art Basel Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre runs from May 23rd until May 26th 2013.
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