Thousands of people showed up at the Art Basel Hong Kong on Thursday, one of Asia’s largest contemporary art fairs, to view large-scale installations from hanging money trees to a pumpkin 8 feet (2.4 m) tall. Participating galleries reported bumper sales.
The annual fair, which also has editions in Basel, Paris, and Miami Beach, runs from March 23 to 25. The 2023 event is the first in four years to be held in full, after 2020’s was cancelled and the next two mostly put online. Large queues of people, most not wearing masks, were seen entering the venue. Art Basel Hong Kong is one of the first big events the city has held since canceling the COVID-19 mask rules this month.
Aimee Man, a sales director at Peres Projects, said 70% of that gallery’s art pieces had been sold in the pre-selling session before the fair. “We are just really excited to be back after almost four years. And this year is really different.” City authorities are welcoming the art fair as they try to improve the economy and promote Hong Kong as an energetic cultural center. The city is also hosting two financial meetings this week, followed next month by the Rugby Sevens three-day tournament and music festival Creamfields.
Li Danqing, senior international partner at LGDR gallery, said things were returning to normal. People were more informed about the artwork but still a bit cautious, she said. “Everyone is more cautious but making wiser and better decision in terms of buying,” she said.
Popular artworks include Yavoi Kusama’s “Pumpkin” and a hanging installation made up of 13 twisted plants known as money trees.
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