What to expect at Art Basel Hong Kong 2019

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The seventh Art Basel Hong Kong will open on March 31, 2019. The international art fair will feature 242 top galleries from 36 countries and regions, presenting a diverse artistic atmosphere in Asia and around the world.

A total of 12 museum-scale installations will be presented at the "Encounters" section in 2019, eight of which will be exhibited for the first time in Hong Kong, according to an official announcement from Art Basel on January 15.

The theme of the exhibition is "Still We Rise," curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor, executive director of Artspace in Sydney.

Art Basel Hong Kong fair on its first day in Hong Kong, March 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

This exhibition will bring the work of Tony Albert, Joel Andrianomearisoa, Jose Davila, Latifa Echakhch, Elmgreen & Dragset, Gerasimos Floratos, Mit Jai Inn, Pinaree Sanpitak, Chiharu Shiota, and Simon Starling to Asian art-goers.

Know the fair

Six years ago, Art Basel, the world's most iconic art fair, took over Art HK and turned it into Art Basel HK.

Previously, Art Basel was held only once a year in two locations, including Basel, Switzerland, and Miami, the United States, and later added Hong Kong as the third location.

The first day of Art Basel Hong Kong in Hong Kong, March 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

According to the official schedule, Art Basel HK is open to the public for three days, with tickets currently on sale. Before that, there are typically two days of a "VIP preview."

Explore the fair

The exhibition will draw artists from different backgrounds and generations, who will recombine unremarkable materials to show the complexity of today's world.

Alexie Glass-Kantor, the sector's curator, said that referencing the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou, this year's "Encounters" is both a call to action and a proposition to re-energize, reincarnate, re-innovate and rise – in the extreme: to find hope even in hopelessness.

"The large-scale works showcased create environments for visitors to explore and discover, and to contemplate ways of dealing with today's challenges," she said.

An artwork on display, Art Basel Hong Kong, March 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

The first work in the gallery passage is "Willing To Be Vulnerable – Metalized Balloon" by Lee Bul.

The work borrows from science fiction and modernist forms, and presents a replica of a 10-meter Zeppelin, for Lee Bul's exploration of the utopian idea.

Jose Davila's "Homage to The Square" is a part of its ongoing series, reflects The Josef Albers theory of influence on the later generations. Represented by Sean Kelly, the installation includes a dynamically moving sculpture that moves slightly and refracts color as the viewer moves through it.

In 2019, the "Encounters" section will also showcase artists who are well known in their field but are little known to the broader audience.

Art Basel aims at connecting collectors, galleries, and artists, and is now considered to be a driving force in supporting the role galleries play in nurturing the careers of artists.

(Top image: The preview of Art Basel Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China, March 27, 2018. /VCG Photo)