BUILDING BRIDGES
ADELINE OOI, ART BASEL’S ASIA DIRECTOR, SHARES MORE ABOUT THE HONG KONG SHOW AND GIVES POINTERS ON HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF IT
What changes, if any, can we expect from the next Art Basel show in Hong Kong?
We strive to keep offering visitors an overview of the premier galleries and artists from across the world. This year, there will be 20 galleries participating in our Hong Kong show for the first time, including a number of newcomers from the Asia-pacific region, such as Empty Gallery from Hong Kong, Tabula Rasa Gallery from Beijing, Richard Koh Fine Art from Malaysia and Nova Contemporary from Thailand. We’re also excited to welcome first-time participants from Europe, including Galerie Greta Meert (Brussels), Galerie Bärbel Grässlin (Frankfurt), Galerie Max Hetzler (Berlin and Paris) and Richard Nagy (London), and the US, such as Luhring Augustine (New York and Brooklyn), Matthew Marks (New York and Los Angeles), Paula Cooper Gallery (New York), Regen Projects (Los Angeles) and Andrew Kreps (New York).
The 2019 edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong will continue to showcase our vibrant Galleries, Insights and Discoveries sectors alongside a stimulating line-up of topics and speakers in our free talks programme, Conversations, and an extensive Film programme. As always, quality will remain paramount and the show will underscore Art Basel’s commitment to presenting the best quality galleries and art, providing an eclectic offering of works spanning from the historical to the contemporary.
Who or what are you most excited about?
As a show situated in Asia and dedicated to presenting artists and various art movements in this region, I’m particularly excited about the Insights sector. Insights will highlight exceptional presentations this year, featuring influential historical figures as well as prominent mid-career artists such as the late Singaporean artist Cheong Soo Pieng, one of the modern fathers of the Nanyang style in South-east Asia (Asia Art Center), the legendary Zarina Hashmi, with her abstract and minimal works that explore the concept of home (Espace), Li Shan and his exquisite landscapes and scenes (Don), Taiwanese international art star Michael Lin with his late uncle Richard Lin (Bank), E-QI (Japanese Gallery), acclaimed Thai artist Natee Utarit (Richard Koh Fine Art) and Tishan Hsu (Empty) — a “rediscovery” artist who has become acclaimed by the international art world. It makes me deeply proud that our show is able to shine a light on and share Asia’s rich art history and talented artists with our audience.
What efforts have you made to showcase more art from the Asia/asia- Pacific region?
Our commitment to building bridges between Asia and the West, as well as to bridge the different scenes across Asia and serve as the international platform for this part of the world, is as strong as ever. Once again, more than half of the galleries participating in our 2019 edition have an exhibition space in the Asia-pacific region. And as just mentioned, we’re thrilled to present our Insights sector again in 2019, dedicated to artists from Asia and specifically designed for galleries to showcase thematic presentations by artists on the most important developments in the Asia art scene, from historic to contemporary presentations.
Not only are we constantly on the lookout to bring younger upcoming galleries into the fair, the Hong Kong show also continues to serve as the platform for younger galleries through the Discoveries sector, dedicated to newcomers such as Tarq (Mumbai), Capsule Shanghai (Shanghai) and Nova Contemporary (Bangkok).
What are your top tips for collectors going to the fair?
I always advise collectors to do their research before visiting the fair. Once collectors arrive, they should be open, and not be afraid to approach the gallerists and artists to learn more about the works on show.
The fair is a wonderful opportunity to meet artists and discover new galleries. In addition to the presentations on the show floors, I would highly recommend collectors attend Conversations, our talks programme that presents panel discussions on a variety of global art topics. The show is also a great opportunity for collectors to meet other collectors, and to find out about their collections and share knowledge and experiences.