Hong Kong’s blossoming arts scene
Hong Kong has developed over the past decade into one of Asia’s biggest and most vibrant art scenes. While previously it was largely market driven – with Art Basel Hong and international auction houses driving sales of art in the territory – today the scene is lively and diverse, with a range of international galleries working alongside home-grown ones, and alternative art spaces working beside non-profit, public and private establishments.
The opening of institutions such as M+, the Hong Kong Palace Museum and Tai Kwun has vastly expanded, and added depth and variety to the art scene. These institutions – and the buzz of the wider art scene, with its calendar of events big and small – have ushered Hong Kong into a cultural golden age.
“The art scene continues to develop and strengthen in the city, where there is a growing appetite for art and the increasing awareness of art as part of people’s lifestyle,” said Elaine Kwok, managing partner, Asia, at Hauser & Wirth international contemporary art gallery, headquartered in Zurich.
Part of what makes Hong Kong’s art scene so noteworthy is how international it is, while simultaneously so focused and supportive of art and artists closer to home.
“We’ve got the best international art brought in by the galleries, and at the same time, the art scene is firmly rooted in Chinese art and Asian art, as exemplified by most of the museums’ collections,” said Kwok. “And, of course, the wonderfully diverse Hong Kong artist scene, which is gaining more and more recognition abroad, thanks to the work done by M+ and local galleries.”
The breadth of the art scene has allowed different formats for gallery collaborations and art fairs to take shape, with smallerscale galleries able to participate through pop-ups, joint shows and alternative fairs, while increased investment in art has supported larger-scale projects in the territory.
“It’s always exciting to see public art projects adding artistic flair to our cityscape. Whether through public funding or by private corporates, these ambitious projects add great excitement to the Hong Kong art scene,” said Kristine Li, Henderson Land’s general manager of Portfolio Leasing (1).
Henderson Land runs
Central district’s H Queen’s building, which has provided a permanent home to four international art galleries for the last seven years, and will soon be launching international exchange programmes for artists via its not-for-profit arts initiative, Hart.