Hong Kong Spotlight sees Art Basel return to the city as part of Fine Art Asia 2020

Eddie Martinez, Untitled, 2020, acrylic paint, oil paint, spray paint, baby wipe collage and oil bar on canvas; suite of three canvases, 194 x 777cm (overall), 194 x 259cm (each)

Seldom has the art scene in Hong Kong been so dynamic and proactive as it was in the last ten months, with pop-up and fast-fit solutions to counteract the dilemma of postponed and cancelled shows. Numerous highlights emerged, with the Ying Kwok-curated Unscheduled at Tai Kwun in June becoming a new franchise-in-the-making along the way.

Yuko Nasaka, Untitled, 1966, synthetic paint, plaster and glue on cotton, mounted on wooden board, 23.5 x 23.5cm

Now comes the year’s big-ticket entrant to the market, as Fine Art Asia 2020 will host Hong Kong Spotlight by Art Basel – a new platform showcasing the work of 22 galleries, all of which run spaces in the city and have exhibited at previous editions of Art Basel in Hong Kong. Held from November 27 to 30, it will be Art Basel’s first and last physical presentation of the year, after cancelling shows in Hong Kong (March), Basel (May) and Miami (December). The fair is expected to resume normal service next year when it revisits the city in March for Art Basel in Hong Kong.

Among the highlights are a first solo show in Hong Kong of paintings by Korean artist Lee Bul at Lehmann Maupin, in which the artist will show recent work from her Perdu series, exploring the binary between the artificial and the organic. 10 Chancery Lane Gallery will promote a sculpture-only booth via works in bronze and wood by Wang Keping, and gravity-defying bamboo creations that swing and draw curves through the air in calligraphic fashion by Laurent Martin “Lo”. Perrotin’s booth will be dominated by an eight-metre Eddie Martinez canvas as well as a number of works on cardboard that the artist is debuting with the gallery. 

Gallery Exit will show new works by Stephen Wong Chun-hei, who invites gallery-goers to contemplate the complex relationship between humans, nature and virtual reality; Simon Lee Gallery will exhibit works from Jim Shaw’s Man Machine series, which stems from the artist’s interest in hair as a source of power; and Axel Vervoordt Gallery brings the circular-shaped patterns of renowned female Japanese artist Yuko Nasaka, one of the most prominent voices of Gutai’s second generation.

Laurent Martin “Lo”, Smoke, 2019, weather-beaten bamboo, fishing thread, copper and lead, ceramic ball, 210 x 90 x 80cm, rotation diameter 110cm

“Our collaboration with Fine Art Asia will be a wonderful opportunity for the Hong Kong cultural community to come together and celebrate the creative spirit of the city,” says Adeline Ooi, Art Basel’s director for Asia. “Art Basel is dedicated to supporting the region, and we are therefore delighted that we are able to provide a physical platform for galleries and their artists in what has been a challenging year.”

Angelle Siyang-Le, Art Basel’s project lead on Hong Kong Spotlight and the regional head of gallery relations for Asia, adds: “Hong Kong Spotlight is a special occasion for our Hong Kong exhibitors to present their premier programme and an opportunity for the art community to exchange ideas. I’m excited to see a great line-up of exhibitors for the project and look forward to seeing artists’ works in person again.”

Hong Kong Spotlight’s line-up of 22 innovative galleries in the city includes 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Ben Brown Fine Arts, Massimo De Carlo, Empty Gallery, Gallery Exit, Gagosian, Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, Pearl Lam Galleries, Simon Lee Gallery, Lehmann Maupin, Lévy Gorvy, Contemporary by Angela Li, Edouard Malingue Gallery, Galerie du Monde, Nanzuka, Anna Ning Fine Art, Galerie Ora-Ora, Pace Gallery, Perrotin, de Sarthe, Tang Contemporary Art and Axel Vervoordt Gallery. 

Hong Kong Spotlight; November 27-30; Venue Hall 3F & 3G, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; artbasel.com/hkspotlight

Stephen Wong Chun-hei, The Autumn Walk, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 50cm

Lee Bul, Perdu XLV, 2020, mother-of-pearl, acrylic paint on wooden base panel, steel frame, 163.3 x 113.3 x 6.6cm

Jim Shaw, Blender Man, 2020, acrylic on muslin, 83.8 x 71.1 x 4.4cm

Hong Hao, Edged – World No.29, 2020, acrylic and molding material on canvas, 140 x 140cm

Images: Courtesy of the artist and Axel Vervoordt Gallery (Yuko Nasaka, Untitled); courtesy of the artist and 10 Chancery Lane (Laurent Martin “Lo”, Smoke); © Pace Gallery/© Hong Hao/provided to China Daily (Hong Hao, Edged – World No.29); courtesy Studio Lee Bul and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul and London (Lee Bul, Perdu XLV); courtesy of the artist and Simon Lee Gallery (Jim Shaw, Blender Man); courtesy of Gallery Exit and the artist (Stephen Wong Chun-hei, The Autumn Walk); © Eddie Martinez; courtesy of the artist and Perrotin (Eddie Martinez, Untitled)

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