Art Basel has announced the participation of 245 of the world’s galleries for its first edition in Hong Kong, with lead partner Deutsche Bank, taking place Thursday, May 23, to Sunday, May 26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). More than 3,000 artists will be showcased – ranging from young stars to the Modern masters of the early 20th century, hailing from both Asia and the West.
The line-up encompasses a selection of galleries from 35 countries and territories across the globe: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, mainland China, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US.
Over 50 percent of the participating galleries are from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region - spanning from Turkey, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent, across Asia and encompassing Australia and New Zealand.
The first edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong will feature 28 galleries with exhibition spaces in Hong Kong and marks the first appearance at a fair in Hong Kong for 48 galleries.
The show will be presented across four sectors: Galleries, Insights, Discoveries and Encounters. Galleries, the main sector of Art Basel’s Hong Kong edition, will present 171 Modern and contemporary art galleries, selected on the strength of their overall gallery program. The Galleries sector will feature a strong presence by Modern Art galleries from Asia and the West. Significant work from the past 100 years will be featured.
Meanwhile, the Insights sector, sited at the heart of both floor levels, will present 47 galleries from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region with curatorial projects developed specifically for the show. This sector is conceived to promote a curatorial mindset and encourage contextual and thematic presentations of artists from the art scene in Asia over the last 100 years. The sector will feature strong representation from Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan, alongside galleries from India, Indonesia, Korea, and the Philippines.