Art Basel Hong Kong is back. Its organizers and participating galleries tell Joyce Yip about the challenges of hosting an international art fair in the time of travel restrictions and how they are coping.
Harold Ancart poses with one of his works. David Zwirnir is bringing a selection of the Belgian-born artist’s meditative paintings to Art Basel Hong Kong 2021. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 is the third major international art fair to return to a physical stage, close on the heels of Art Dubai in March and Frieze New York in early May. Unsurprisingly, all of them reappear after a year’s hiatus in a leaner version of their former iterations, mainly because of the restrictions on international travel. ABHK 2021 has been whittled down to 104 galleries — less than half its usual number. “It’s the most practical solution we can think of, given the condition,” said Art Basel Asia Director Adeline Ooi.
“Of course, we pride ourselves in preserving tradition and holding quality as of utmost importance to the show. However, it just feels antiquated if you want to continue working in the same premise as before COVID-19,” said Ooi. “Art Basel in Hong Kong this year may be smaller in size but not in ambition or spirit.”
A Luigi Ontani sculpture, presented by Massimo de Carlo, as part of a collective booth of eight Italian galleries at Art Basel Hong Kong. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Kim Chong-hak’s Opium Poppy, brought to Art Basel Hong Kong by Perrotin gallery. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Fifty-six galleries will be taking part via satellite booths. The gallery representatives overseas can be reached through QR codes. Some galleries, meanwhile, have joined forces to present their ware in collective booths. For instance, Silverlens from Manila will share a space with Hong Kong’s Rossi & Rossi.
Since September 2020, the Art Basel brand has been hosting online viewing rooms, featuring curated content grouped under different themes. Extending the idea of catering to distant audiences, live broadcast of events and virtual walkthroughs will be streamed as part of Art Basel Live: Hong Kong.
Wang Gongyi’s ink and watercolor landscapes are brought to Art Basel Hong Kong by Galerie du Monde. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Elisa Sighicelli’s works feature in the consortium of eight Italian galleries at Art Basel Hong Kong, presented by Rossi & Rossi. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
New entrants
Inevitably perhaps, some of the ABHK regulars could not be included in the current edition.
“Galleries are showing up in different ways,” said Ooi. “For those who can’t be here, their decisions weren’t made lightly.”
While Boers-Li Gallery, White Space Beijing and even the Hong Kong-based Simon Lee will be missed, new entrants like Axel Vervoordt Gallery Hong Kong will participate. Scheduled to figure in ABHK’s Insights section last year, Axel Vervoordt had to be satisfied with a showing at Hong Kong Spotlight by Art Basel in November 2020.
Art Basel Asia director Adeline Ooi says downsizing the current edition of the fair was meant as a practical solution in the time of restrictions on international travel. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
At ABHK 2021, they are showcasing South Korean artist Kimsooja’s installation, Encounter — A Mirror Woman. The gallery’s art adviser Dylan Shuai hopes that this inaugural exhibition will paint the gallery — otherwise known for its panache in the field of interior design and architecture — in “an edgy and avant-garde” light.
“We’ve been trying to get into Art Basel for several years. Kimsooja’s piece makes a big statement about our gallery program,” said Shuai. “It creates an immersive environment that’s normally shown in larger galleries or museums. So it’s interesting that we will be doing this in an art fair setting.”
Galleria Continua brings graphite drawings by Serse to Art Basel Hong Kong. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Vanguard Gallery is showcasing a multimedia installation by the Shandong-based artist Zhu Changquan at Art Basel Hong Kong. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Eye on Asia
Although the Hong Kong edition is often regarded as the most internationally representative iteration of the Art Basel series, Ooi said ABHK 2021 features mainly artists from Hong Kong and the rest of Asia, in an attempt to turn the lack of accessibility caused by the pandemic into an exercise in community building.
Shuai said his gallery will pair its on-site exhibition with works by Yun Hyong-keun and Yuko Nasaka in its OVR.
George Condo’s works are among the highlights of Hauser & Wirth’s offerings at Art Basel Hong Kong. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
While he’s aware of OVR fatigue, Shuai feels OVRs will continue as long as travel restrictions are in place, adding that the onus is on the galleries to work out creative ways of showcasing their pieces.
Perrotin Hong Kong, an ABHK regular since 2017, is showing a couple of Korean artists in the physical space while its normal repertoire of works by the likes of Daniel Arsham, Bernard Frize and Laurent Grasso remain on the OVR.
Axel Vervoordt Gallery Hong Kong is presenting Kimsooja’s installation, Encounter — A Mirror Woman. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Perrotin’s director Uli Huang sees their participation in ABHK as a way of supporting the arts community as a whole, adding that initiatives like satellite booths are “encouraging” and seem like a “reasonable solution to enable engagement under such circumstances.”
“Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 isn’t the beginning of a new model. It’s a time when we look for solutions to work around the conditions that we’re facing, by bringing artists and the community as close to the show as possible,” said Ooi. “As best as we can, we’re bringing the mountain to Mohammad.”
If You Go
Art Basel Hong Kong
Date: May 21-23, 2021
Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
