With spring, we segue into the season of art, and details about Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 (ABHK24) are trickling in. Held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 28 to 30 March 2024, with the Vernissage and media previews held on 26 and 27 March, we’re brushing over innumerable high-plaudit announcements of what’s soon to be on show.
One thing is clear: the 2024 iteration is returning with a bang. With 243 galleries from 40 countries and territories—that’s 66 more than last year—and five show sectors, ABHK24 is framing up to be the largest art event of the year, bar none. Here’s what to expect.
Go Big, Go Basel
Image courtesy of the artist and Templon, Paris-Brussels-New York
As a matter of perspective, large-sized art projects often trigger primordial emotions. With 16 big-scale sculptures, of which 11 were comissioned for the event, the unveiling of the Encounters sector promises to be exciting as curator Alexie Glass-Kantor has handpicked artists and works from various diasporas. From the list, we’ve got our eyes on South Korean artist Haegue Yang’s ratan sculptures Contingent Spheres, as well as Larrakitj Forest by Naminapu Maymuru-White, referring to rites and traditions of the artist’s native Australian community, and Wind Study by Indian artist Jitish Kallat. For the latter, take a step back to view the ensemble of intricate drawings realised with fire, wind, smoke, and ink.
Rise from the East
Pan-Asian art galleries are strongly represented among the 243 on show, and we’re keen on exploring Ben Brown Fine Arts, with special mention to the intriguing mixed media piece Three Women, After Fernand Léger (Surfaces) by Vik Muniz.
Image courtesy of Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery
Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery’s exhibition focuses on Eastern and Western cross-cultural influences in post-war modern and contemporary art. For example, Syrian-born, Paris-based Ziad Dalloul’s oil on canvas, A Summer Morning, is a fine amalgam of artistic styles, carrying forward the legacy of the School of Paris. Some of Hajime Sorayama’s famed series Sexy Robot, an international reference in science-fiction graphic design, will be presented by Nanzuka. Also on display is Julio Anaya Cabanding’s acrylic painting over broken plasterboard, Pablo Picasso—“Woman Brushing Her Hair.”
This is Not a Rorschach Test by Tsherin Sherpa looks exactly like what it says it isn’t, so we’ll be heading to Rossi & Rossi to find out more about the carpet works by the Nepalese artist. (We only hope they have a sign that says “Do Not Touch,” as the temptation to stroke the fabric is strong.) And should the credit card have a generous leeway, we’d sure like to own Alvin Ong’s These Nights I Think Of You (2022).
Image courtesy of Rao Fu and Mind Set Art Center
Building a strong case of “representation matters,” ABHK24 has lined up Asian female artists of note; the stellar line-up includes Huidi Xiang, Junko Oki, Angela Su, Yona Lee, Dawn Ng, Cui Jie, Yuki Katsura, Takako Araki, Fiza Khatri, Shilpa Gupta, Pinaree Sanpitak, and Koo Jeong A. In fact, substantive measures to showcase talent of every shape, size, and stripe carve the five exhibition halls, and beyond. (Beyond? Yes, three off-site Art Basel Hong Kong conversations—in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong—have been added to the programme this year, which you can read up on here.
A Reel Thrill
Of the Film programmation, a few titles stand out: Sorry For the Late Reply by Hong Kong animator Wong Ping delves into the aspirations and many anxieties experienced by the city’s residents. Chinese filmmaker Qiu Jiongjiong’s seemingly contradictory A New Old Play has the backdrop of China as the filmmaker reflects on a life well-lived. Finally, the unambiguously titled Sex is raising eyebrows and debate as German artist Anne Imhof reveals her first major film-based work. This is neither salacious nor puerile, but a reflection on the first chapter of her eponymous performance cycle at the Tate Modern in March 2019.
The Discovery Channel
First impressions are fully embraced by the powers-that-be as there are several intriguing first-timers in this year’s mix. Inspired by “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment from Disney’s 1940 animated film Fantasia, Huidi Xiang’s sculpture brings a magical scenario to life, through sparkles made out of stainless steel, the paraphernalia of a curved wooden broom, its bucket fallen aside, four wood engravings on the wall, and a video montage. It’s both endearing (a return to childhood) and disturbing (what a mess!).
Image courtesy of the artist and Chapter NY. Photography by Charles Benton
For the first time, a triptych by Vietnamese abstract painter Anh Trần will premiere in Hong Kong. Presented by Fitzpatrick Gallery, it is a three-act narrative of her journey: departure to Europe, affirmation of her unique artistic language, and return to Vietnam.
Is photography art? It’s a debatable question that Antonia Kuo hopes to answer as Chapter NY presents her multimedia body of work. For ABHK24, New York-based artist Kuo will show a series of never-seen-before multi-panel wall works.
The Surprise Party
We’re also expecting the unexpected. After all, Art Basel has often created headlines over the years, when Maurizio Cattelan’s US$120,000 (HK$939,320) banana was eaten by the artist, when Leonardo DiCaprio sailed out of HKCEC with rumours that he picked up a piece, and when gallery owners sold out their entire stock within the first day of the exhibition (twice). And then, of course, the parties and after-parties; in our experience, the heady concoction of eccentric artists and the artistic crowd make for an interesting cocktail.
Wear comfortable shoes and we’ll see you at the Vernissage, Champagne in hand.
26–30 March 2024
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
All images courtesy of Art Basel Hong Kong unless otherwise credited.
