Review of Art Basel Hong Kong 2016, China

The 4th edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong, preview for VIPs on March 22 and 23, and open to the public from March 24 to 26, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The fair gether 239 galleries from 35 countries, showcases premier works from across the globe. The presentation artworks comprised precisely curated projects, ranging from thematic solo and group exhibitions to art-historical showcases and film.

There are three major sectors of the Art Basel Hong Kong show: Galleries, Insights and Discoveries. Include galleries outside of Asia that are providing a platform for exciting Asian talents.

This year, there are 187 dealers exhibiting in the main “Galleries” section. The vibrant lineup of special sections also includes “Insights” which show projects by galleries in the Asia and Asia Pacific region, representing a wide range of artists, from Turkey to New Zealand, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. “Discoveries” represents a platform for emerging contemporary artists, while “Encounters” present large scale sculptures and ambitious installation works.

With half of the participating galleries coming from Asia and Asia-Pacific, our show in Hong Kong not only provides a portal to the region’s artists, but also offers galleries from around the world a platform for bringing their highest quality work to Asia.

A 21st century metropolis, Hong Kong ranks among the world’s most dynamic international capitals. During Art Basel, collaborations with local and international partners ensure a diverse range of arts programming, with hundreds of cultural events hosted across the city throughout the week.

Hong Kong is the perfect location for art fair is due to its surrounding art scene, its supportive art community, and its position as a leading art market in Asia. With Hong Kong Art Basel’s 2016, deliver an opportunity for art enthusiasts to come together, experience art, and exchange ideas.

In Hong Kong, the growth of the fair under the management of Art Basel, has blossomed in a symbiotic relationship with the rapid rise of the art market in the region, and the lightning increase in the number of important galleries establishing themselves in Hong Kong. The fair and Hong Kong’s art scene are certainly gaining momentum, a significant sales with a strong response from Asian collectors, including those from Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan.

Highlights
From emerging talents to the Modern masters of both Asia and the West, Art Basel in Hong Kong traces twelve decades of 20th and 21st century art. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, video and editioned works of the highest quality are exhibited, representing more than 3,000 artists from around the globe. Through a program of discussions and presentations, the show also offers a platform for cross-cultural exchanges among artists, gallerists, curators, collectors and visitors.

Art Basel’s exhibition sectors are carefully defined to provide visitors the opportunity to see many different types of important works, from historical masterpieces to the work of the newest generation of artists.

“Galleries” is the main exhibition sector of Art Basel, where leading galleries for Modern and contemporary art from Asia and around the world display artworks from 20th and 21st century.

“Insights” presents precisely curated projects focused on artists from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region (broadly defined as from Turkey to New Zealand, the Middle East to the Indian sub-continent). The projects featured in this sector may include solo shows, exceptional art-historical material and strong thematic group exhibitions.

“Discoveries” provides galleries with a platform to present one or two emerging artists. There is no age limitation for the artists. Proposals must be composed of new works by one or two artists represented by the gallery.

“Encounters”, dedicated to presenting large-scale sculpture and installation works by leading artists from around the world, Encounters provides visitors with the opportunity to see works that transcend the traditional art fair stands, presented in prominent locations throughout the exhibition halls. Curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor.

“Film”, curated by Li Zhenhua, the Film sector presents a dynamic program of art films that cover a wide range of thematic, stylistic and technical approaches to filmmaking. Screenings take place in the agnès b. cinema at the nearby Hong Kong Arts Centre.

Galeria Nara Roesler, which operates in Rio de Janiero, and Sao Paulo as well as New York, is bringing works by Isaac Julien, Julio Le Parc, and Berlin-based Brazilian painter Cristina Canale. In a statement the gallery said it is looking forward to presenting a new piece by Julien especially produced especially for the fair, a single channel work titled Stones Against Diamonds.

London-based Lisson Gallery has presentations by a number of gallery artists in its main booth, including big names Ryan Gander, Anish Kapoor, Tatsuo Miyajima, and Julian Opie. Works in other sectors of the fair include a major installation by Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, A Thief Caught in the Act, in the “Encounters” section, which promises colorful birds caught in the beam of a spotlight as they attempt to steal pills. In the “Film” sector, Lisson show John Akomfrah’s 2012 film Peripeteia, “a mediation on appearances and disappearances, tracing early African life and movement in Europe.”

Mazzoleni gallery, of London and Torino, is returning to Art Basel in Hong Kong for the third time. The planned show, “Beyond Painting,” survey works by some of the most important Italian artists of the postwar period, including Alberto Burri, Lucio Fontana, and Piero Manzoni.

As part of the “Discoveries” section, Lower East Side gallery 11R is showing work by artist Evan Nesbit.

Also in the “Discoveries” section, Los Angeles gallery Francois Ghebaly plans to show this work by Romanian artist Marius Bercea, among other artists. The sector is “a great platform for the presentation of work from emerging contemporary artists,” associate director Heber Rodriguez told artnet News via email. “The energy, and creativity that abounds in this part of the fair really does make it one of the most exciting places to discover new art, and it was definitely the correct venue to debut a new body of work by Marius Bercea.”

Sean Kelly Gallery present work by Los Carpinteros, Hugo McCloud, and Sun Xun. Also in the gallery’s main booth was the presentation of The Lovers by Marina Abramović, a body of work she created after walking the Great Wall of China in 1988.

Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, and Salzberg, was showing work by more than a dozen artists including: Jorg Baselitz, Marc Brandenburg, Lee Bul, Tony Cragg, Gilbert & George, Adrian Ghenie, Alex Katz, Robert Longo, Yasumasa Morimura, Yan Pei-Ming, Jack Pierson, Robert Rauschenberg, Raqib Shaw, and Not Vital.

Swiss powerhouse Galerie Gmurzynska is bringing a selection of classic blue chip art including works by Francis Bacon, Rudolf Bauer, Fernando Botero, Wifredo Lam, and Picasso.

Michael Werner, with galleries in New York and London, was bringing work by Aaron Curry (above), Georg Baselitz, and Allen Jones.

Paul Kasmin Gallery show works by artists including Nyoman Masriadi, Max Ernst, Simon Hantai, Robert Indiana, and Robert Motherwell. Particularly to the Constantin Brancusi’s classic, Le Coq.

Art Conversations
Art Basel’s stimulating program of Conversations and Salon talks allow audiences to deepen their knowledge of artistic practice, the international artworld, and the art market.

The daily Conversations series offers the audience access to the thinking of important artworld players –artists, curators, critics and collectors – who offer their unique perspectives on producing, collecting and exhibiting art.

Salon is an open platform for dozens of short, often informal presentations, such as artist talks, panels, lectures and performances with a range of speakers representing many different aspects of the artworld.

Art publications from around the world display their magazines in single-magazine stands, or on the collective booth. Editors and publishers often attend the show and many magazines contribute presentations to Salon, there are afternoon series of lectures and discussions by prominent members of the artworld.