Arts in Hong Kong: A Vibrant Citywide Celebration of Creativity this Spring

TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2023

The eyes of the art world turn to Hong Kong this season as colour, creativity and vibrancy descend upon the city for the arts and culture scene. Headlined by large-scale fairs Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central, the internationally renowned celebration of arts and culture see a suite of world-class events, encounters and experiences taking place throughout the city, showcasing Hong Kong’s thriving creative landscape while reinforcing its position as a global cultural hub.  

Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central anchor arts lineup

Photo caption: The biggest edition of Art Basel Hong Kong since 2019.

The Arts season kicked off the last 2 weeks with Art Basel Hong Kong (March 23-25),  the biggest edition of the international art fair since 2019 which featured 177 exhibitors from 32 countries and territories. Art Central (March 22-25), Hong Kong’s homegrown art fair that has established itself as one of the region’s most significant platforms for emerging artists also took place concurrently. These two world-class art fairs have helped Hong Kong become firmly established as one of the world’s foremost hubs for international arts and cultural exchange. 

In particular, Hong Kong Tourism Board teamed up with Art Central and launched an “Arts in Hong Kong café”, where visitors walked into the contemporary art gallery-like café to see the collaborative works of local and overseas artists.

Photo caption: “Arts in Hong Kong café” at Art Central

Show-stopping installations, must-see exhibitions across the city

As Hong Kong’s stock on the global art stage continues to go from strength to strength, a host of opportunities for artistic encounters can also be discovered around town from now till the end of May.

Harbour City is currently home to large-scale work ‘GIANTS: Rising’. The first of French artist JR’s GIANTS series in Asia, this 12mx12m installation depicts a larger-than-life high-jumper in graceful mid-flight backdropped by the iconic Victoria Harbour, and features a nod to traditional Hong Kong craftsmanship with the use of bamboo scaffolding, running from 13 March to 23 April 2023.

ArtisTree this month has unveiled ArtisTree Selects: Urban Rocks, a solo exhibition featuring brand-new sculptural works by Hong Kong-based French artist Polo Bourieau. The 12 stone sculptures, made in the intimacy of the artist’s Tuscan workshop in 2021, are inspired by Chinese scholars’ rocks, and examine humanity’s indelible mark on the planet, running from 16 March to 9 April 2023.

 Clouds, Power and Ornament – Roving Central Asia is now showing at CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) at The Mills. Greater China’s first-ever comprehensive Central Asian textile art exhibition features work by 26 art and culture creators from the landlocked region to explore how artists and designers there use textiles as a medium of preservation, response and cohesion. Available from 25 February to 21 May 2023.

Street Art in the Spotlight

Street art will be in the spotlight this dynamic art season, with prominent showcases examining the movement from its beginnings to the here and now.

Street art festival HKwalls makes a vibrant return to Hong Kong. The eighth edition of the much-loved event will once again transform neighbourhoods in the Central and Western District into outdoor galleries and has also invited six internationally acclaimed mural and street artists to create their first pieces in the city.

Another harbourfront highlight is ‘VLTRAPHOTONICS’, a 4,000 sqm digital artwork by Spanish street artist J. Demsky that takes over the façades of Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre. The site-specific work, a collaboration between HKwalls street art festival and Sino Group, will light up Victoria Harbour each night until 12 April with over 82,000 LED bulbs.

K11 Art Foundation presents City As Studio, Greater China’s largest-ever exhibition of graffiti and street art. Curated by Jeffrey Deitch, the show examines the history of the form from its emergence as a counter-cultural expression in 1970s New York to its rise as a global phenomenon, and features works by pioneers Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Fab 5 Freddy, Lady Pink and more. Catch this exhibition from now to 14 May. 

Throughout the year, Hong Kong plays host to a vibrant and diverse range of arts and cultural events that showcase the city's creative energy and talent. These events set the stage for even more cultural celebrations, such as the upcoming Le French May. Be ready to say Hello to Hong Kong!

 

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