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Dipping into a swirl of gentle colours, Sylvia So loses herself in a canvas of tint, sensation and memory. Inspired by the mystical work of established contemporary artist Christopher Ku, she prepares for her first solo exhibition in two years. After a tumultuous period of disruption, the homegrown artist is eager to showcase her distinct abstract works that leave interpretation to eye of the beholder. In a city rife with powerful art-world players, elite collectors and snooty aficionados, it is routine for emerging artists from Europe and the United States to clinch multimillion-dollar sales at exhibitions, while only a handful of galleries promote true local talent like Sylvia So.
<figure id="attachment_63818" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-63818" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-63818 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3.png" alt="Vibrant City_ Hong Kong's growing art scene gafencu (3)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-3-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-63818" class="wp-caption-text">(In this photo: Artist Sylvia So)</figcaption></figure>
Hong Kong’s reputation as the capital of kitsch has faded, but until a few decades ago there was a dearth of culture. The city was never known for art. Luxury shopping, cheap and delicious food, a raging night life – yes, but art? No. Not unless you count the antiques pedalled in dilapidated shops as art. With intermittent fairs, just the occasional show-stopping cultural event and galleries few and far between, artists didn’t really have a strong presence or say. Having historically existed in the artistic shadows of New York, London and Paris, the Hong Kong art scene has expanded and evolved since Art Basel’s arrival in 2013.&nbsp;
<figure id="attachment_63820" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-63820" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-63820 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5.png" alt="Vibrant City_ Hong Kong's growing art scene gafencu (5)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-5-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-63820" class="wp-caption-text">(Image courtesy of Art Basel 2021)</figcaption></figure>
Art Fairs Roster
The past two years have been rough for the art sector – jolted first by pro-democracy protests, then Covid-19 – with shuttered galleries, wiped-out cultural fairs and calamitous sales tolling the bells of impending gloom. However, the diverse roster of blockbuster fairs gracing the city last summer – Art Basel, Affordable Art, Unscheduled, Fine Art Asia, Art Next Expo – was a resounding endorsement of the market’s commanding return.
<figure id="attachment_63826" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-63826" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-63826 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu.png" alt="Vibrant City_ Hong Kong's growing art scene gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-63826" class="wp-caption-text">(Image courtesy of Art Basel 2021)</figcaption></figure>
Traditionally, art follows money and with Hong Kong home to the world’s highest concentration of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, an eastward shift in the global cultural axis is apparent. The findings of London-based art market-research firm ArtTactic are telling: Hong Kong now sits atop London as the second-biggest contemporary art-auction market in the world, tailing right behind New York. Even when the world was hurting from the pandemic during the first eight months of 2020, Hong Kong’s art-market share spiked to 26-percent from 20-percent in 2019, with US$314.6 million in sales, compared to London’s US$303.5 million. Kevin Ching, who served as Sotheby Asia’s CEO for 15 years before stepping down last April, feels there is “so much pent-up yearning and hunger for art in Hong Kong”.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/fine-art-asia-returns-to-hong-kong/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fine Art Asia returns to Hong Kong with NFTs</a>
<figure id="attachment_63824" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-63824" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-63824 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9.png" alt="Vibrant City_ Hong Kong's growing art scene gafencu (9)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-9-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-63824" class="wp-caption-text">(Image courtesy of M+ Museum)</figcaption></figure>
Changing the Conversation
From Tai Kwun in the heart of the city to the fringes of new hub for creativity Wong Chuk Hang, galleries are flourishing. The growing interest is most visibly manifested by the high-ceilinged presence of art behemoths Gagosian Gallery, White Cube and Lehmann Maupin in the city. Their goal of mounting “museum-quality exhibitions” is a fortuitous sign that Hong Kong is clearly worth the investment.
Until a few years ago, the museum scene was woefully lacking, but here too the tide has turned. The opening of M+ is a big stride towards making the city a cultural heavyweight and remedying its reputation in art circles as being overly commercial. At 700,000 square feet, the West Kowloon stronghold is one of the largest contemporary art museums in the world, double the size of London’s Tate Modern and rivalling New York’s Museum of Modern Art – a place where you can go and see great art without someone putting a price tag to it.
<figure id="attachment_63825" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-63825" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-63825 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10.png" alt="Vibrant City_ Hong Kong's growing art scene gafencu (10)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-10-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-63825" class="wp-caption-text">(Image courtesy of M+ Museum)</figcaption></figure>
One of the main restraints on homegrown talent has been the astronomical gallery rentals in a notoriously space-squeezed city. But with the opening of art-dedicated areas like the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts, H Queen’s, PMQ, West Kowloon Cultural District and even the newly repurposed Central Market allow the burgeoning local art scene to breathe. Their diverse programme and local-artist-only exhibitions are helping the city shed its status of cultural sterility.
Excitement is high, artists like Sylvia So are optimistic. “There is a lot of potential here,” she affirms. Hong Kong is one of the few global cities in the world that is pumping in money for cultural development. “Undeniably the new art environment and government policies will greatly nurture homegrown talent.”&nbsp;
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“There is so much pent-up yearning and hunger for art in Hong Kong”
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Local Laurels
While the blight of Covid has been cataclysmic, it has spurred a refreshing change. Travel restrictions and long quarantine meant that a majority of global artists were absent from this year’s fairs. Art Basel and Affordable Art Fair chose to shine a spotlight on local artists instead. The latter’s director, Regina Zhang Minzi, observed, “Contrary to the previous seven years when 80-percent of [participating] galleries were from oversees, in 2021 it was the other way round.”
As a result, budding artists like young graduate Chau Chung-man and 24-year-old Mandy Ma, winner of the Fresh Trends Art Graduates Joint Exhibition award in 2019, enjoyed a pivotal year, showcasing their work in the same venue as celebrated Western talent like David Farrant.&nbsp;
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-63821 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6.png" alt="Vibrant City_ Hong Kong's growing art scene gafencu (6)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Vibrant-City_-Hong-Kongs-growing-art-scene-gafencu-6-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Street Scene
Visual noise or genius born in the streets – no matter which side of the graffiti debate you are on, there is no denying the pedigree of street art. Non-profits like HKwalls, co-founded by former architect Jason Dembski in 2014, are driving forces encouraging the growth of murals through annual street-art festivals and competitions. An increasing number of graffiti artists like Bao Ho, Xeme and Catherine Grossrieder are taking to the walls to pour out their creativity and, in so doing, breathe new life into drab districts. Sometimes inspiring, often enigmatic and undoubtedly challenging, Hong Kong art is coming alive like never before.
Compared to established masters like Paris, Venice, London or New York, we may be just dabbing our brushes, but art world mainstays agree that a city often critiqued for being a superficial, commercial jungle is taking conscious steps to develop cultural depth. And it’s an exciting sight to behold.&nbsp;
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/artspace-k-spotlighting-contemporary-artists/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Artspace K: Celebrating and spotlighting contemporary artists in style</a>
(Text: Nikita Mishra)

Vibrant City Hong Kong's growing art scene gafencu

Vibrant City: Hong Kong’s growing art scene

It&#8217;s been an enormously exciting season of art in Hong Kong – right from <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiv64KZ3bzzAhWPMN4KHU0QBIUQFnoECAYQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.igafencu.com%2Fr%2Fart-basel-hong-kong-2021%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw12GfucnyIrxTi3pjZI1k1b">Art Basel </a>in May to the Affordable Art Fair, Unscheduled,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjOpqWQ3bzzAhWWad4KHVA7B4QQFnoECAMQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.igafencu.com%2Fr%2Fdigital-art-fair-opens-to-public-highlights-ahead%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw2iCN0z9ynMEUW77-SIWnCY">Digital Art Fair Asia Edition</a>, the K11 Art Mall Design Fest to Happy Hours – there’s been an art fair for every collector and every budget in the SAR. With the return of the Fine Art Asia, one of the continent&#8217;s leading international art shows, it&#8217;s clear the Hong Kong art market is going strong despite the lack of international investors.
Check out the details of the latest, Fine Art Asia, for your weekend cultural fix.&nbsp;
Art and Antiques from East and West
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-61512 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-40-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
This year&#8217;s Fine Art Asia is running from October 8–11, 2021 at its usual Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai location. An art and antique collector&#8217;s dream playground, this year the galleries – both local and from afar – are showcasing museum-quality fine art spanning 5,000 years of cultural history.
Despite the challenges presented by Covid, Fine Art Asia aims to deliver a tighter, younger, homegrown fair with a focus on&nbsp;contemporary artworks by Asian artists, masterpieces by UK photographer Emily Allchurch and 13th-century Yuan dynasty lacquer dishes amongst others. With travel and quarantine restrictions still in effect, overseas gallerists and collectors will largely be amiss. The fair has liaised with some international galleries to participate remotely with the help of trained local staff. The fair&#8217;s founder and director, Andy Hei firmly remains optimistic on the potential of the 66 Hong Kong-based artisanal talent to draw in both traffic and sales. More than 3,000 visitors turned up on day one, stormy weather not withstanding.&nbsp;
<div class="embedded-ad ">Also Read: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjOuKi69LzzAhXF_WEKHZCdBU0QFnoECBAQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.igafencu.com%2Fr%2Fdigital-art-fair-opens-to-public-highlights-ahead%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw2iCN0z9ynMEUW77-SIWnCY">Hong Kong&#8217;s creative scene is exploding &#8211; witness it at the Digital art Fair Asia Edition</a></div>
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<div class="embedded-ad ">Standout Galleries</div>
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<div><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-61511 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-39-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></div>
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<div>The number of galleries stand around one-third less than during pre-Covid times, but that brings a much crisp, fresh energy to the event – an increasing number of local and modern artists are getting the opportunity to make a mark in one of the most prestigious art markets of the world. At the same time, online activities are vying for the interest of oversees collectors and aficionados.&nbsp;</div>
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Hong Kong&#8217;s <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjCj_ra8rzzAhVaPHAKHb8UBjIQFnoECAMQAQ&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hk-aga.org%2Fgallery%2Fgalerie-ora-ora%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw2N3enFjBkn-flXPdPxr3nQ">Ora-Ora </a>at booth&nbsp;C3, known as a&nbsp;catalyst for innovation and openness of expression, has already sold a few opulent, key sculptures by Spanish figurative artist&nbsp;Cristóbal Gabarrón. Crafted in polychromed fibreglass, the figurines are an artist&#8217;s interpretation of history and philosophy bringing a fresh outlook and bridging the cultural divide between the East and the West.&nbsp;
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-61513 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-41-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
A visit to booth A8, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjxp73Q8rzzAhXMfXAKHYx6BYUQFnoECA0QAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftanyabaxtercontemporary.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw1gd_lUHsz37OJwQzFh87Oo">Tanya Baxter Contemporary</a>&nbsp;is a must for any collector or enthusiast. With established galleries in both London and Hong Kong since the last 25 years, Baxter&#8217;s post-war modern and contemporary art collection is eclectic, featuring global icons from Anish Kapoor to Andy Warhol, Ai Weiwei, Frank Auerbach, Mark Rothko, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Banksy, Marc Quinn, Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst. Emin’s You Were Everything,&nbsp;Damien Hirst&#8217;s beautiful work of art, the&nbsp;Cherry Blossoms series, a powerful take on the&nbsp;beauty of life and death are few highlight pieces. &#8220;Our gallery showcases some of the finest international contemporary works from art&nbsp;from New York to Monaco, Hong Kong and Paris&#8221;, says Tanya Baxter Contemporary, and we couldn&#8217;t agree more!
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<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjC66fn77zzAhXWc94KHcxLAEwQFnoECAsQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Frastichineseart.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw1MpJXK4WDkUwlscqSCTOul"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-61510 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-38-1.png" alt="" width="600" height="337" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-38-1.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-38-1-200x112.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-38-1-499x280.png 499w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-38-1-120x67.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-38-1-500x281.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Untitled-design-38-1-400x225.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a>
<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjC66fn77zzAhXWc94KHcxLAEwQFnoECAsQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Frastichineseart.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw1MpJXK4WDkUwlscqSCTOul">Rasti Chinese Art&nbsp;</a>dedicated to inspiring audiences with their classical&nbsp;Asian antiquities and contemporary artwork on China&#8217;s past is&nbsp;at booth C10 for your artistic perusal.&nbsp;
Like most fairs of the season, Art Asia is going blockchain, offering a series of works from ancient Chinese bronze sculptures to modern works of art to a wider audience through NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Witness limited-edition collectors items in the flesh at the fair and bid for them online at&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/fineartasia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OpenSea.&nbsp;</a>
Fine Art Asia runs until Monday, October 11.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjso6XG9LzzAhXXa94KHS-cDBQQFnoECAUQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.igafencu.com%2Fr%2Fart-basel-hong-kong-2021%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw12GfucnyIrxTi3pjZI1k1b">Summer crushing on art fairs in Hong Kong</a>

Fine Art Asia returns to Hong Kong in a smaller edition but with NFTs

While Hong Kong is known as an unsentimental global financial centre, recent years have seen a huge effort go into foisting a new image of the city – that of an international art hub – onto the sensibilities of the global public. At the forefront of this movement is Art Basel, the international art fair that has been an annual fixture in the city since 2013. As the only Asian iteration of this long-established Western art event, Art Basel Hong Kong attracts wide international attendance and participation from the world’s leading art galleries. This year, the event hit a new high, with 242 globally prestigious galleries taking part and a footfall in excess of 88,000.
<figure id="attachment_45550" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-45550" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-45550" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019.jpg" alt="Hong Kong art " width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-Basel-Hong-Kong-2019-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-45550" class="wp-caption-text">Art Basel Hong Kong 2019</figcaption></figure>
Looking to capitalise on this success, a slew of other prestigious annual art events are now also using Hong Kong as a platform from which to jostle for their own share of the Asian art dollar, including Art Central, the Asia Contemporary Art Show and the Affordable Art Fair.
Running in parallel with this has been the city’s booming art auction scene – led by such luminaries as Sotheby’s and Bonhams – as well as its burgeoning number of blue-chip art galleries, notably Opera Gallery, K11 Art Foundation, Hanart TZ Gallery, Gagosian and White Cube. Among the more recent additions are H Queen’s in Central, an entire 24-storey building, and the South Island Cultural District, a whole urban zone – both dedicated to art and lifestyle.
<figure id="attachment_45549" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-45549" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-45549" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong.jpg" alt="Hong Kong art " width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Art-auction-at-Sothebys-Hong-Kong-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-45549" class="wp-caption-text">Art auction at Sotheby&#8217;s Hong Kong</figcaption></figure>
Giving her own take on what is driving the local art boom, Adeline Ooi, the Asia Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, said: “What do you buy after your car and your Birkins and your LVs? The next thing was always going to be wine or art or – more likely – wine and art.”
But while Hong Kong has become a lucrative destination for those in the business of buying or selling art, those creating art don’t necessarily seem to be getting their share of the related profits. Their problems are, of course, only exacerbated by the burden of history. While the Post-Cultural Revolution period of the ’80s and ’90s triggered a renaissance of the mainland’s art scene – with the works of such artists as Zhang Xiaogang, Zeng Fanzhi and Yue Minjun becoming globally in demand – this also acted as a catalyst to eclipse the artistic endeavours of several generations of Hong Kong creatives.
<figure id="attachment_45553" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-45553" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-45553" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Summer-Mountain-by-Kan-Chi-Hung.jpg" alt="Hong Kong art " width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Summer-Mountain-by-Kan-Chi-Hung.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Summer-Mountain-by-Kan-Chi-Hung-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Summer-Mountain-by-Kan-Chi-Hung-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Summer-Mountain-by-Kan-Chi-Hung-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Summer-Mountain-by-Kan-Chi-Hung-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-45553" class="wp-caption-text">Summer Mountain by Kan Chi Hung</figcaption></figure>
Although some local artists (notably Lui Shou-kwan and Wucius Wong, founders of the New Ink Movement) did achieve international recognition from the ’70s onwards, most of their contemporaries have remained all but unknown. It’s a problem that continues to this day, with only one or two notable exceptions. So, while some high-profile figures – such as Lee Kit, who represented Hong Kong at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013 – do get their due recognition, those who fail to secure the backing of the more affluent galleries still struggle to get by, with many of them obliged to move abroad.
One such struggling artist is Mona Choo, an artist who migrated to Singapore to boost her career. She says: “I was in a great exhibition in Hong Kong in 2016 – the One Belt, One Road Visual Arts Exhibition at Sotheby’s – and I made some great contacts. Despite that, I couldn’t find any Hong Kong gallery willing to work with me on a long-term basis.”
<figure id="attachment_45552" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-45552" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-45552" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios.jpg" alt="Hong Kong art " width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artists-Jackie-Chung-and-Ray-Chow-in-their-subdivided-flat-which-they-use-as-their-studios-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-45552" class="wp-caption-text">Artists Jackie Chung and Ray Chow in their subdivided flat which they use as their studios</figcaption></figure>
Many artists also complain that they have been driven out of the city by its exorbitant rents. One to fall victim to such a problem was Deniau, a French painter who tried to make a go of it in Hong Kong between 2014 and 2017. Ultimately despairing of finding an affordable place to work, she too quit the SAR in favour of Singapore. Comparing her current situation with her difficult Hong Kong years, she says: “Having a viable studio has made a huge difference to me. I am now far more productive than I ever was in Hong Kong.”
But there are others like French visual artist Ophelia Jacarini who, despite the many challenges, feel that Hong Kong&#8217;s burgeoning art scene may still have much to offer to budding artists. Says she: &#8220;Living here means being flexible. Though my studio is really small compared to the price I am paying, I feel like it&#8217;s still worth it as the art scene is growing here and I want to be part of it. Yes, If I compare it to Paris, I cannot spend time in a different museum every day to learn about various artists. Then there are such disappointments like shows or commission projects getting cancelled. But even then, I feel like I get more opportunity to share my work here than I did in Paris.&#8221;
<figure id="attachment_45551" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-45551" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-45551" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks.jpg" alt="Hong Kong art " width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Artist-Ophelia-Jacarini-with-her-artworks-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-45551" class="wp-caption-text">Artist Ophelia Jacarini with her artworks</figcaption></figure>
This scope of &#8220;opportunity&#8221; is seemingly set to increase with Hong Kong’s 2018-2019 budget seeing a whopping HK$20 billion earmarked for artistic and cultural endeavours. Despite this apparent good news, though, some cynics have pointed out that only a small percentage of this figure will go towards supporting artists, with the lion’s share going towards building new cultural facilities and expanding existing ones.
This may seem a strange dichotomy but, in reality, it sums up just how art truly is perceived in Hong Kong – as a consumer-oriented commodity in a hyper-transactional space. As a result, many fear that, unless the city can find a way to bridge the gap between its creative and commercial imperatives, Hong Kong’s art scene may ostensibly continue to flourish, while its indigenous creative talents may wither away unacknowledged.
Text: <a href="suchetana@itotalmedia.com">Suchetana Mukhopadhyay</a> 
Image courtesy: AFP, Sotheby&#8217;s, Artify Gallery, Rogel Vidallo, Ophelia Jacarini

Tag: hong kong art scene

Vibrant City: Hong Kong’s growing art scene

Fine Art Asia returns to Hong Kong in a smaller edition but with NFTs

Art Bypass: Is hard-nosed Hong Kong becoming Asia’s true art hub?

Tag: hong kong art scene

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Vibrant City: Hong Kong’s growing art scene

Fine Art Asia returns to Hong Kong in a smaller edition but with NFTs

Art Bypass: Is hard-nosed Hong Kong becoming Asia’s true art hub?