Over the March Break, I had a whirlwind trip to Hong Kong. Sitting in a hipster café in Sheung Wan, I flipped through an issue of HK Magazine and stared incredulously at the ad for Art Basel HK, March 24-26, 2016. I was in shock that I could actually attend one of the world’s leading contemporary art shows. This would never normally happen as I’m a teacher and the dates for Art Basel never coincide with my holiday schedule. But I was on a leave so it was a dream-come-true!
Art Basel is one of the premiere art shows in the international art world – so is the Venice Biennale, which is also on my bucket list. Art Basel was started in 1970 and is held annually in Basel, Hong Kong, and Miami Beach. Art dealers, curators, artists, and anybody who’s anybody in the art world attend the event to spotlight artists represented by leading galleries.
Celebrities also attend. This year, Paris Hilton, Leonardo diCaprio, and Owen Wilson were all spotted at the art show and parties in Hong Kong.
My sister’s friend got us a VIP pass to Art Basel. VIP privileges included free admission to the show and access to the collectors lounge, guided tours of the show, a Year 46 collector’s catalogue (valued at $600HKD), coat check, and use of the shuttle bus service from Art Basel to Mandarin Oriental.
Using the VIP pass, I visited Art Basel twice. We felt like posh art collectors as we strolled through the collectors lounge looking at Davidoff cigars and Audemars Piguet timepieces.
The 239 galleries from 35 countries represented at Art Basel were organized into different sections across 2 levels of the Hong Kong Convention and Event Centre in Wan Chai. The sections were:
Galleries: This included modern art from the world’s leading galleries
Insights: Galleries from Asia were selected specifically for Art Basel Hong Kong
Discoveries: This is where international emerging artists were presented
Encounters: These 16 works were the most striking as they were large-scale installations in prominent locations in the exhibition space.
Here are a few highlights from Art Basel Hong Kong 2016:
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Safe Travels!
xx Deb
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