The 2022 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong will feature a strong line-up of 137 leading galleries from Hong Kong, Asia, and overseas – a notable increase from 104 last year – despite continuing pandemic-related challenges and Hong Kong travel and quarantine restrictions. The show welcomes 16 newcomers, including Galería Cayón from Madrid, Lucie Chang Fine Arts and Mine Project from Hong Kong, Mizoe Art Gallery with spaces in Tokyo and Fukuoka, rin art association with spaces in Takasaki, Gallery Vazieux from Paris, Misako & Rosen with spaces in Tokyo and Brussels, Jason Haam from Seoul, Vin Gallery from Ho Chi Minh City, Galerie Forsblom from Helsinki, Catinca Tabacaru from Bucharest, Galerie Mitterrand from Paris, Jahn und Jahn from Munich, Jan Kaps from Cologne, Maia Contemporary from Mexico City, and Kendall Koppe from Glasgow.
Bringing together Art Basel’s physical and digital platforms in full scale, Art Basel Hong Kong will embrace a hybrid format, broadcasting the vibrancy and excitement from the show floor to audiences worldwide via its digital initiative Art Basel Live. Following its launch at Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 and successful subsequent iterations in Basel and Miami Beach, Art Basel Live will feature Online Viewing Rooms, virtual walkthroughs, social media broadcasts, and livestreamed conversations among international luminaries, including prominent figures of the Asian art scene, as well as lectures extending into the realm of performance.
Adeline Ooi, Director Asia, Art Basel said: ‘The past year has been challenging but incredibly rewarding for Art Basel Hong Kong, as we work with our local and international communities and partners to develop a hybrid fair that continues to forge meaningful connections across Asia and the rest of the world. With 137 exhibitors, 82 of which are participating with satellite booths, we are deeply moved by the commitment from galleries to present curated selections of art that further deepen our understanding of Asia from a global perspective.’
‘It is inspiring to see the amazing commitment and surging number of galleries participating in our Hong Kong show, despite the current challenges and uncertainties,’ says Marc Spiegler, Global Director, Art Basel. ‘This stands as testament to the show’s continued role as a vital platform for cultural exchange in the region.’
Galleries
The main sector of the show features 103 of the world’s leading galleries presenting the highest quality of painting, sculpture, drawings, installation, photography, video, and digital works. Galleries will once again stage a unique overview of the diverse art scenes across Asia and beyond, featuring both historical work and emerging artists and galleries, creating new and unexpected encounters between pioneering 20th-century practices and cutting-edge positions. Highlights include Rossi & Rossi’s survey presentation of artist Rasheed Araeen, from his early portraiture drawings to the minimalistic sculptures for which he is widely known; new works by seminal contemporary artists Zheng Guogu and Pak Sheung Chuen presented by Vitamin Creative Space; Gladstone Gallery’s exhibition of a selection of works by Anicka Yi alongside important historical paintings by Keith Haring; David Hockney’s monumental photographic drawing ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ presented by Gray; and works by Eduardo Terrazas, Gabriel de la Mora, and Edgar Orlaineta presented by Proyectos Monclova, whereby three Mexican artists of different generations offer insight into the evolution of contemporary practices in the country. New to the Hong Kong show, Jahn und Jahn will present ‘Order and Signs,’ showcasing visual works by Henri Michaux from the 1970s and 1980s. For the full gallery list for Galleries, please visit artbasel.com/hongkong/galleries.
Insights
Bringing together 16 galleries this year, Insights presents curated presentations of works by important artists from Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Highlights include A Thousand Plateaus Art Space’s presentation by Wang Chuan, charting the artist’s creative evolution over the last 30 years, including a series of new paintings created during the pandemic lockdown in New York; James T. Hong’s dual-channel landscape film presented by Empty Gallery, juxtaposing imagery of sites from the historical Opium Wars with contemporary footage of the South China sea and Hong Kong’s skyline; and Axel Vervoordt Gallery’s presentation by Norio Imai, focusing on the artist’s multidisciplinary practice from the 1960s and 1970s up to his most recent works. For the full gallery list for Insights, please visit artbasel.com/hongkong/insights.
Discoveries
Focused on solo shows by emerging artists, Discoveries this year will feature 18 galleries, including first-time participants Maia Contemporary – presenting a new series of paintings and sculptures by Cisco Jiménez incorporating such obsolete devices as boomboxes, record players, magnetic tapes, and radio recorders to excavate the cultural debris of a seemingly lost generation – and Catinca Tabacaru, showing works by Surinamese artist Xavier Robles de Medina, known for his rigorous monochrome paintings. Other highlights include Alec Egan’s lush paintings expanding the tradition of abstraction and still life painting, presented by Anat Ebgi; Fan Xi’s ‘The Temptation’ series, an immersive work inspired by the rainforest at night, presented by CLC Gallery Venture; and Bangkok CityCity Gallery’s presentation of Dusadee Huntrakul’s ‘A Lens to See the World Through,’ a new body of work comprising unique bronze sculptures and hyperrealist drawings. For the full gallery list for Discoveries, please visit artbasel.com/hongkong/discoveries.
Museums Shows and Institutions
The Hong Kong art community will come together once again to celebrate the flourishing local art scene. Partnering with institutions, non-profit organizations, and established and emerging artists, the show will offer a series of exciting exhibitions and special projects at various prominent arts venues in town. Further details will be announced closer to the show. In addition, visitors to the show will have the opportunity to experience Hong Kong's leading museums and institutions:
? HKDI Gallery | Hong Kong Design Institute
‘Beyond 100: Transforming design & imagining futures with Lab4Living’
‘Zaha Hadid Architects: Vertical Urbanism’
‘Red Dot Exhibition: The Essence of Design – Creating Value’
? Hong Kong Museum of Art
‘Redefining Reality’
‘#popcolours: The Aesthetics of Hues in Antiquities from the HKMoA Collection’
‘New Horizons: Ways of Seeing Hong Kong Art in the 80s and 90s’
? M+ ‘Hong Kong: Here and Beyond’
‘M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation’
‘Antony Gormley: Asian Field’
‘Individuals, Networks, Expressions’
‘Things, Spaces, Interactions’
‘The Dream of the Museum’
? Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
‘Enchanting Expeditions: Chinese Trade Porcelains across the Globe’
Courtesy of Art Basel.
