Yes, everyone, the madness of Arts Week is upon us, and the upcoming weekend is bound to be a doozy where the international arts crowd descend onto our city and we emerge at the end of March, reeling, smelling slightly of acrylic paints and plaster dust, but a good bit more cultured for it. One of the biggest art events every year is Art Basel, and it’s huge with a tonne to look at, so here are some highlights that you shouldn’t miss.
When and where is Art Basel Hong Kong 2025?
Art Basel will take place from March 28 to 30. If you’re confused about already seeing clips online, that’s because March 26 to 27 are designated days for VIP and media guests, so part of the city has already seen previews of the show.
As usual, the fair will be held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, across floors one and three. Opening hours for the general public run from 2pm to 8pm on Friday and Saturday, while Sunday’s hours run from 12 noon to 6pm.
How much are tickets to Art Basel Hong Kong?
Art Basel tickets run from $1,180 for a two-day pass for Friday and Saturday, up to $12,800 for the Premium+ Discovery ultimate VIP package, which includes exclusive visits to renowned corporate collections and private collections, guided tours, and even a temporary membership to Soho House Hong Kong during the duration of the fair. There are also single-day admission tickets that run from $400 to $730.
Are tickets still available?
They are indeed still available for sale. Hit up Art Basel’s official website to purchase them.
What are some of the participating galleries?
The core of the fair comprises the Galleries sector, along with solo projects by emerging artists in the Discoveries sector, and curated projects from APAC artists in the Insights sector. This year’s Art Basel edition features 240 world-class galleries from 42 countries and territories. Over half of them are from the Asia-Pacific region, while 23 are participating in the fair for the first time.
Galleries such as Rossi & Rossi, P420, Ronchini Gallery, and Lawrie Shabibi are hosting some notable solo presentations, so do check those galleries out. There will also be a special focus on photography from Asia, with contributions from Flowers Gallery, Takuro Someya Contemporary Art, Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, Each Modern, and more.
Honestly, it’s best to just take your time walking around to see what catches your eye. A work that we find fascinating is a reproduction of Hokusai’s famous ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ by Yukinori Yanagi. The catch is that the work is meticulously made with coloured sand, which houses a colony of ants that are able to travel between the interconnected art pieces, slowly deconstructing and bringing pieces of art with them as they go. Just this one work is worth poking into BLUM’s Stand 1D26. Also see the bright works of British artist Damian Elwes or the stark, almost pop-art lines of Slovakian painter Michael Korman, both on show at Pearl Lam (Stand 1D12).
Ben Brown Fine Arts at Stand 3D12 will show selections from some 20th-century masters, including Yayoi Kusama, Pablo Picasso, and François-Xavier Lalanne, as well as cool names in contemporary art like Miquel Barceló and Candida Höfer. Don’t miss a blue and orange version of Robert Indiana’s famous ‘Love’ pop-art sculpture either.
What are some of the large installations?
The expansive areas in the middle of the gallery stands will be home to Encounters, the sector dedicated to large-scale installations. Among the many on display, look out for a series of 30 modernist brass sculptures by Hong Kong-born artist Christopher K. Ho – arranged in a row, they can be taken in from the side as a range of different golden shapes, or from the end of the row, where they blend into a curious mass with no discernible edges and borders.
Also worth seeing is Shin Min’s work presented by P21, which takes over the whole Stand 1C38 space. This is a series of sculptures and drawings large and small, all featuring a character with wispy hair and displeased expressions.
As with previous years, the art is not just in the convention centre. Go to Pacific Place to see some cool installations by British artist Monster Chetwynd. The piece called Lanternfly Ballet is a colourful installation of three giant beetles that look like they’re dancing together. This will also be accompanied by live performances inspired by cinematic choreography and metamorphosis.
Is there anything else to see?
Don’t forget that Art Basel also has a film programme. For the first time ever, the fair has collaborated with Hong Kong’s independent art institution Para Site to present works by filmmakers from Asia and beyond. Moving image art is a great medium that can build and bridge worlds, and there are plenty of cutting-edge artists who are opening up new possibilities for artistic expression.
Look out for the video artwork by Sasaoka Yuriko named Gyro, which lands the viewer in an imaginary world that is entirely formed of hand puppets, painted body parts, and digitized imagery. Sounds intriguing? We think so, too.
Art Basel and M+ have also collaborated to present Night Charades by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen, which will be screened on the massive M+ façade. Recomposed by AI and constantly re-edited by an algorithm, this artwork is an homage to Hong Kong’s film culture, so see if you can spot the film references.
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