Art Basel Hong Kong
Art Basel Hong Kong will be taking place May 15-18 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, located in Wan Chai, directly on Victoria Harbor. The fair will include 245 galleries from 39 countries, showing work of established and emerging artists, along with lectures, guided tours and special programs for children.
What To Do
The show is organized into “sectors.” The Galleries sector includes collections from 170 recognized galleries around the world. The Insights sector is a group of Asia-based galleries that deals with artists only from the East (a region defined as spanning from Turkey to New Zealand). The Discoveries sector highlights the work of promising new artists. Sure to be a huge draw, the Encounters sector will feature 17 large-scale installations of fiberglass, exhaust pipes and other materials chosen by Yuko Hasegawa, chief curator of Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Another sector will center around the printed word via magazine stands and a wide range of discussions from publishers and writers. New this year is the Film sector, a three-day cinematic program presented by Beijing- and Zurich-based artist Li Zhenhua, to be screened at the agnès b. CINEMA at the nearby Hong Kong Arts Centre.
Art Basel Hong Kong
One major installation won’t require a ticket: Berlin artist Carsten Nicolai will present α (alpha) pulse, a work of synchronized, pulsating light to be projected onto the façade of the International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong’s tallest building. It will run from 8:30-9:20 p.m. on May 15-17.
Where To Stay
The Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is the official host hotel of Art Basel. To commemorate the occasion, the property is offering an Art Stay package that includes hotel accommodations; a welcome bottle of champagne from Ruinart; unlimited admission to the fair; an invitation to the Vernissage (formal opening-night event); access to the Collectors Lounge; and daily breakfast. If you’re an art aficionado who craves even more eye candy, the Mandarin’s Clipper Lounge will transform into the gallery home for “Smile,” an exhibit of 15 pieces that will raise funds for Operation Smile China Medical Mission through May 18.
What To Eat
A special Artful Menu at Five-Star Mandarin Grill + Bar will feature creative dishes across a three-course lunch and five-course dinner. The meal will also include a ticket to Art Basel. Additionally, the 25th-floor M Bar will spotlight a host of cocktails inspired by the aforementioned sectors of the festival. Now, if you want to step outside of the Mandarin’s cozy confines, there’s plenty of culinary excitement to be found elsewhere. Duddell’s, the posh Chinese restaurant-meets-gallery in the Shanghai Tang Mansion, is sure to be a hub for the art-loving crowd again this year. Opened April 15 among the galleries of Hollywood Road, Bibo is already generating buzz for its classic French fare in a dining room filled with works by the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Banksy, Takashi Murakami and Damien Hirst.
Photos Courtesy of Art Basel
