See which Tatler VIPs attended the Art Basel fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre at the private viewing on March 26
As if Hongkongers weren't already in a celebratory mood ahead of Easter weekend, they were spoiled rotten by one of the most exciting Art Basel fairs in recent years. As the doors flung open for the VIP preview of the 2024 Art Basel fair on March 26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), the crowd clambered to a taste of countless works by local and international artists.
The event, which was open to the public from March 28 to 30, featured more than 242 leading galleries from 40 countries and territories. It was a grand showcase of Asia’s diversity, as well as global artistic perspectives, through modern and contemporary works. It also marked the show’s return to pre-pandemic scale, with 65 additional exhibitors participating in the fair compared to last year.
Local galleries—including Alisan Fine Arts, Kiang Malingue and deSarthe—showcased the works of artists on their roster, alongside international names like Hauser & Wirth, Perrotin and Gagosian. Tatler community members Adrian Cheng, Michael Lau, Fed Tan and Veronica Chou—who flew in for the occasion—were among the first to view the pieces on display and speak to artists and gallerists before the crowds rushed in.
Read more: Art month 2024: Tatler’s ultimate guide to exhibitions across Hong Kong during Art Basel 2024
This year’s edition also marked the return of Encounters, the fair’s sector dedicated to large-scale works, curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor, executive director of Artspace Sydney. Sixteen artworks, 11 of which were made especially for the fair, were on display. As part of the sector, an off-site installation by celebrated Australian artist Daniel Boyd was also on view at Pacific Place. Other sections included Film, offering audiences a unique opportunity to participate in thought-provoking discussions and enjoy artist films; Kabinett, a sector featuring thematic presentations within participating galleries’ booths, comprising of 33 projects—the highest number in the fair’s history—with an emphasis on historical and contemporary solo presentations from Asia; and, Conversations, curated by Stephanie Bailey, writer, editor, and Art Basel’s Asia content adviser and editor, which offered guests a platform for dialogues between key members of the worlds of arts and culture. The programme featured 11 panels and speakers from over 15 countries and territories, including a panel discussion with famed American artist Marilyn Minter, with Tatler’s very own arts and culture editor Aaina Bhargava.